They’ve got comics with super hours!
A Crown Heights comic book store will host an all-night comic-making marathon next weekend. Anyone Comics will offer aspiring artists a chance to spend 24 hours drawing a 24-page comic book, starting at noon on Feb. 1 and ending at noon the following day. The 24-hour Comics Superbowl is a chance for would-be cartoonists to challenge themselves while working together, said the store’s founder.
“It’s a marathon for arts and creativity,” said Dimitrios Fragiskatos. “And it gives artists a networking opportunity.”
The name of the event is a nod to the big football contest happening on Feb. 2, which is rarely a priority for fans of superhero comics, said Fragiskatos.
“I’ve hijacked Super Bowl weekend, since a lot of geeks aren’t into sports, so it gives them an excuse to sleep through the Super Bowl,” he said.
This is the third year of the event, which draws about a dozen participants each year from all over New York City, said Fragiskatos.
Only a handful of sleep-deprived artists complete a full 24-page comic in the allotted time, but everyone can benefit from the creative kickstart, said the shop owner.
“It trims the fat on people’s technique,” said Fragiskatos. “A lot of artists, especially when they’re coming up, really overthink it. But when you have a virtual gun to your head, you’re going to think ‘Maybe I don’t have to cross-hatch every single corner in this panel.’ ”
Participants must buy a $10 ticket — all of which will go to buying snacks, soda, and coffee for the nocturnal graphic novelists, said Fragiskatos.
The store will stay open during the marathon comics-making sessions, so people can wander in, shop, and check on the artists’ progress.
“We get a lot of customers, a lot of energy,” he said. “We leave the doors open, and we’ve definitely had a couple of drunk people coming in at 2 am.
24-Hour Comics Superbowl at Anyone Comics (1216 Union St. between Nostrand and Rogers avenues in Crown Heights, www.anyonecomics.com). Feb. 1 at noon to Feb. 2 an noon. $10.
