Comic Book in a Day is celebrating 11 years and this is sure to be the best year yet! Artists of all ages and abilities can create a comic book from scratch in just 8 hours with the help of our professional Featured Artists!
This year’s even will take place on Saturday, January 20 from 9:00 a.m.–5 p.m. at the Ignite Studio at the Fishers Library. In-person and virtual options are available! Our Featured Artists Jackie Crofts, Stuart Sayger, and Gavin Smith will be creating along side you all day and will be available for questions and coaching.
Ready to sign up for the Challenge now? Click Here to Sign Up!
You can also sign up for free one-hour workshops to help you prepare (view the Ignite calendar here). The day of the event, you can drop in any time to meet Gavin, Stuart, and Jackie, see what our Challenge Artists have created, and try some all-ages activities for yourself. You can also follow along with the challenge on our Facebook page!
Event Summary: Comic Book in a Day, Sat., January 20th, from 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Calling all sequential art and superhero fans for our eleventh annual comic book event! Admission to this event is FREE! Participation in the Comic Book Challenge costs $30 and requires advance registration. Scholarships are available for anyone who cannot afford the registration fee: just contact us!
- 2024 Comic Book Challenge: Participating Challenge Artists will create their own comic book over the course of one action-packed day. Sign-up for the Challenge by filling out the form below and pay your registration fee by clicking here.
- Featured Comic Book Artists: Nationally recognized, professional comic book artists will support our Challenge Artists, by providing expert advice, demonstrations, and stories from he comic book industry. They will be creating artwork throughout the day and will serve as judges for the Comic Book Challenge. They will also host free workshops in the days leading up to the Challenge! See below for more details on these workshops
- Drop-in Activities: The Ignite Studio will have several comic-book themed activities for all ages. While you’re here, you can also meet our Featured Artists and see what the Challenge Artists have created so far! This is a great way to learn more about comics, test your creative skills, and get inspired.
- Presentations: Each Challenge Artist will present their finished artwork in the last hour of the day. This is always the most fun part of the day! You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll be amazed by the Challenge Artists’ creativity! This is open to all!
- Awards Ceremony: TENTATIVE: Our current plan is to hold our Awards Ceremony within two weeks of the event at Nickel Plate Arts in Noblesville. Who will take home cash, art supplies and the all-important championship belt this year?
Note: all plans are subject to change. Please check back and sign up for our newsletter to stay in the Comic Book in a Day loop!
2024 Workshops - January 11th, 16th, & 18th!
To prepare for the Challenge, or to celebrate your love of comics, you can also sign up for free one-hour workshops prior to the event at Fishers Library from 6:30 to 7:30pm. You can attend these workshops even if you don’t plan to attend the Challenge.
JAN 11th: “Learn the Basics of Comic Books: Story & Art”: Artists and comic book enthusiasts of all ages can discover the basic building blocks that make comic books such a unique medium. This workshop will focus on how to develop a sequential story, with some tips and tricks to make your own comics even better!
JAN 16th: “What Makes Telling Stories in Comic Books Great?”: At a glance, comic books can seem to be just pictures and words, but comic-lovers know that they are so much more than the sum of their parts! Whether you are a long-time comic book fan or brand new to this genre, this workshop will open your eyes to some great storytelling techniques and maybe even point you towards some great new titles!
JAN 18th: “Next Level Comic Book Creating”: Are you feeling confident about your comic book knowledge? Are you looking for a new creative challenge? This workshop will give you pro-level tips on taking your own original comic books or comics-inspired art to the next level.
Attend one or all of these workshops to train up for the big Comic Book in a Day Challenge, or just to explore this unique literary genre!
We might add more workshop in the days ahead! Check Ignite’s Calendar for the latest and to sign-up!
Workshop schedules and formats are subject to change.
2024 Schedule of Events- Saturday, January 20
Follow along with the Challenge Artists’ progress by dropping in at the Hamilton East Public Library or by tuning into our Facebook Page. Here’s our tentative schedule of events for the day:
9:00 a.m: Introduction of Judges/Featured Artists, review Rules and Regulations
9:30 a.m.: Start Competition!
Optional Workshop for Challenge Artists- Getting Started (Story &
Layout)
10:30 a.m.: Check-in!
11:00 to 11:30 a.m.: Stuart Sayger Dedicated Question Time
11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.: Visiting Patron Display- The History of Comic Books
11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.: Visiting Patron Activity- Add to the Community Comic Book
11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.: Visiting Patron Activity- Draw It/Write It Stories
11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.: Comic related vendors open for sales
11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.: Gavin Smith Dedicated Question Time
12:00 p.m.: Lunch A
12:30 p.m.: Lunch B
1:00 to 1:30 p.m.: Jackie Cross Dedicated Question Time
1:30 to 2:00 p.m.: Stuart Sayer Dedicated Question Time
2:00 to 2:30 p.m.: Gavin Smith Dedicated Questions Time
2:30 to 3:00 p.m.: Jackie Cross Dedicated Question Time
4:00 to 4:45 p.m.: Pencils down! Artist Presentations
4:45 to 5:00 p.m.: Featured Artist Inspirational Presentation
Voting on Facebook: We’ll post everyone’s work in a Facebook album and you can vote for your favorite! The artist who gets the most likes will win the People’s Choice Award!
The Reunion & Awards Ceremony: Date and time to be determined by January 12th.
Check back often for the latest details and stay up-to-date on Facebook!
Rules and Regulations for The Challenge
The Comic Book in a Day Challenge is a unique endurance tests for artists of all ages and skill levels. Can you create a comic book from scratch in 8 hours? We guarantee that it is both easier AND harder than you think, but we can also guarantee that you will have fun meeting other artists, challenging yourself, and being a part of this one-of-a-kind event.
Before you commit to the Challenge, please review the newly-updated rules & regulations: 2024 Comic Book in a Day Rules & Regulations
Previous Years' Info:
2023 Comic Book in a Day Winners
2022 Comic Book in a Day Winners
Congratulations to our 2021 winners:
Best Overall: Ella Satterfield
Best Art: Luis & Mateo Chavez
Best Story: Greg Clack
Emerging Artist: Coco Jay
Most Ambitious: Joey Haas
Most Creative: Thadeus Shipley
Most Polished/Professional: Erik Lundorf
Best Image #1: Sarah Butler Evans
Best Image #2: Cleo Tudor
Judges’ choices: Dexter Tudor & Cam Reinhardt, Eric Utterback, Henry Nguyen, Soren Acker
People’s Choice Award: Soren Acker
These stories will be published in a printed book that will be available at Nickel Plate Arts for $15 on or before Jan 21st, 2024. In the meantime, you can view last year’s challenge artist pages by clicking here.
2022 Schedule of Events: Saturday, Jan 22
Follow along with the Challenge Artists’ progress by tuning into our Facebook Page. Here’s our schedule of events for the day:
9:00 a.m: The Challenge Begins! All of our Challenge Artist will log into Zoom to review the rules and regulations
9:30 a.m: Introductions: Meet each off our Challenge Artists and Featured Artist Coaches Live on Facebook
11:00 a.m.: Challenge Update: The Featured Artist Coaches – Stuart Sayger, Victor Dandridge, Aaron Boggs and Kevin Bixby – will discuss how the Challenge is unfolding and share tips and tricks that may come in handy throughout the day!
12:00 p.m.: Meet Returning Champion Kevin Bixby: We’ll interview Kevin Bixby, our reigning winner, about his experience, what the contestants might be feeling right now, and making mini comics (his speciality!).
CANCELLED DUE TO ILLNESS: 12:30 p.m.: Welcome to Funk World: Meet past Comic Book in a Day competitors turned collaborators. Learn how Yuri Duncan and Jason Funk’s unique partnership came about and a get a peek at their “Funk World” web comic.
1:00 p.m.: Comics are Cute: Former Champion Sarah Butler is an expert in making comics cute. Hear some tricks and tips to make your illustrations extra adorable.
1:30 p.m.: Meet Adam Fields: Join our former Champion as he shares his three favorite tips for bringing illustrations to life with ink and color and talks about his latest professional projects!
2:00 p.m.: Telling Episodic Stories: Ever looked forward to the latest issue of your favorite comic hitting the stands? Sterling Clark breaks down the process of transforming your characters into the stars of their own comic series.
2:30 p.m.: Erik Lundorf’s Expressive Faces: Facial expressions are key to giving your characters emotional depth that moves your story forward. Join Erik Lundorf for a crash course on using facial expressions to further your story.
3:00 p.m.: The Final Countdown: Our Challenge Artists will enter the final hour of the challenge!
4:00 p.m.: The Celebration: Tune in to hear 2-minute presentations from our Challenge Artists. This is always the most fun part of the day, when we get to see the amazing things each person created.
Voting on Facebook: We’ll post everyone’s work in a Facebook album and you can vote for your favorite! The artist who gets the most likes will win the People’s Choice Award!
The Awards Ceremony: Join us Feb 4th during First Friday to learn who won this year’s Challenge. We’ll have a hybrid gathering to share the good news!
Check back often for the latest details and stay up-to-date on Facebook!
2021 Comic Book in a Day Winners
Congratulations to our 2021 winners:
Best-Overall: Kevin Bixby
People’s Choice: Ella Satterfield
Best Story: Joseph Haas
Best Art: Kenna Al-Sayed
Best Emerging Artist: Ella Satterfield
Most Ambitious: Dexter Tudor
Most Fearless: Eve Eggleston
Most Creative: Thaddeus Shipley
Best Panel/Next Year’s Cover: Gabrielle Zacherl and Raquel DiGregory
Best Panel/Next Year’s Cover: Angela Spires
Judge’s Favorites:
Stuart Sayger: Mia Noel
Victor Dandridge: Kelsey Simpson
Yuri Duncan: Jason Funk
Sarah Butler: Albert Cheung
These stories will be published in a printed book that will be available at Nickel Plate Arts for $15 by Jan 22nd, 2022. In the meantime, you can view challenge artist pages by clicking here.
2019 Comic Book in a Day Award Winners
Here are the award winners for our 2018 Comic Book in a Day:
Best Overall: Raquel & Gabrielle Zacherl
Best Art: Lina Carter
Best Story: Christina Erin
Most Creative: Andi Overman
Most Ambitious: Jason Funk
Best Panel: Miranda Luttrell, Sarah Butler
Emerging Artist: Aaron Boggs
Congratulations to the award recipients. We’re proud of the incredible artwork that everyone produced!
Special thanks to Hamilton East Public Library’s Ignite Studio for letting us use your phenomenal space.
Special thanks to our featured comic book artists and judges for the event: Sterling Clark, Stuart Sayger, and Victor Dandridge.
2018 Comic Book in a Day Award Winners
Here are the award winners for our 2018 Comic Book in a Day:
Best Overall: Kenna Al-Sayed
Best Art: Erik Lundorf
Best Story: Gabrielle & Raquel Zacheri
Most Creative: Yuri Duncan
Most Ambitious: Mason Yeater
Best Panel: Alyse McMiller, Joey Haas
Rising Star: Jason Funk
Congratulations to the award recipients. We’re proud of the incredible artwork that everyone produced!
Special thanks to Hamilton East Public Library’s Ignite Studio for letting us use your phenomenal space.
Special thanks to our featured comic book artists and judges for the event: Sterling Clark, Stuart Sayger, and Victor Dandridge.
SPONSORS:
We have opportunities for sponsorships for our 2024 challenge! Contact Aili or fill out the form below to find out how to sponsor this amazing event!
Featured Artists for 2024
Jackie Crofts (she/her) is a cartoonist from Indianapolis. She is the artist of the coming-of-age crime comic Nutmeg & other self published works. She likes to explore stories about surreal mysteries, slice of life, magical adventures about friendship, and chunky animals.
Jackie’s Website: https://www.jackiecrofts.com/
Jackie’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jackiecrofts
Jackie’s Store: https://jackiecrofts.storenvy.com/
Jackie’s Instagram & Twitter: @pollensalta
Stuart Sayger
Stuart Sayger is a professional illustrator who works primarily in the comic book industry. Known for his moody atmospheric art Sayger first broke into the industry as the creator of SHIVER IN THE DARK, producing the comic independently from start to finish.
Sayger’s recent published projects include: “Kiss”, “Vampirella vs Reanimator”, “Army of Darkness”, and “G.I.Joe”. Sayger has also produced covers for “Xena Warrior Princess” and “Dejah Thoris” for Dynamite Entertainment, as well as”Rom” and “Micronauts” for IDW, among many others. Stuart also recently released the 20th Anniversary edition of his own comic line “Shiver in the Dark.” Toy fans will remember Stuart’s work from a 2-year run drawing the “Bionicle” comic book based on the popular Lego toy line of the same name. The series was translated to 8 different languages and distributed internationally boasting the largest circulation of any comic book in the world!
Gavin Smith is a freelance artist who lives in Indianapolis, Indiana. He’s worked on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (IDW), Star Trek: Resurgence (IDW), Dead Legends (A Wave Blue World), Heavy Metal Magazine, The Accelerators (Blue Juice Comics), , and The Good Fight illustrating a story by Mark Waid, among many other titles. He got his start after graduating from the Joe Kubert School in 2011 and self publishing an issue of a creator owned comic “Human City”.
Get Involved
We’re weaving together the fabric of our community. Add your thread during Comic Book in a Day by becoming an event sponsor or attending! If you’re into comic books or simply interested in sequential art, we’ve got something for you.
We’re Blushing
“I loved the community aspect of working with other artists. It was great kicking around various ideas with other artists, as well as just watching them create in their own space. The creativity of the environment really helped feed my creativity and artistic energy.”
– Chris Dunn –
Epic Comic Book Prize
You’re invited to the Challenge Artist Awards ceremony on the evening of Feb 3to see the sum total of all of the artists’ hard work, celebrate with those who stood up to the challenge, and find out who will take home the official Championship Belt (yes, it’s a real belt with lots of shiny “gold”). Join us for the fun — for free!
Visit our calendar to find and register for the event you want to attend.
Are you interested in becoming a sponsor for this event?
Each person, organization and business has a thread to contribute to make the fabric of our community a better place to live. You can share your thread with us by becoming a corporate sponsor. Complete the form here to start a conversation.
You know the value of a picture, so instead of reading 1,000 words, check out photos from past Comic Book in a Day events.
