The Gameplan

So as you already know, SUTBComics is less than 12 hours away from it's first 24 Hour Challenge. There's a few things I should stress before I talk about my gameplan

1) This is NOT a 24 Hourly Comics challenge.

I know this may sound odd to those of you first tuning in but there is a slight difference in the two. 24 Hourly Comics means you post one comic every hour for 24 hours. The 24 Hour Challenge just means I have 24 Hours to draw 24 comics. How I break this down is totally up to me.

2) I don't have any bit of this comic written down yet

One of the main and original rules of the challenge. I have no storyboards or character designs drawn. While ideas buzz in my head I'm not allowed to write them down until I start my run. The only personal amendment I have towards this rule is that a week or so before the run I will do a title drop or something (like I did this month with Nocturnal Transmissions) to do two things.

1-Force me to stick to an idea
2-Get you guys excited about the upcoming run

3) I live in Texas

So the run will start at 12 midnight United States Central Time. Just an FYI

Okay...so here's the gameplan. Since this is the first one I may elements of this that work and don't work

PreRun Prep

At about 11pm, I'll get water bottles tea and pizza cooked and on standby to eat and be near me. I already have set aside 36 sheets of paper (12 storyboards and 24 comic pages) to use. I'll use this time to prep any music or the like before starting my run. I will also send a Tweet and a Facebook status to get you cats on the notice that we're about to start.

PHASE ONE: Storyboards
At midnight, I will begin with the story boards. I don't think I'll draw a cover page for NT, but I dunno we'll see. But I will completely pencil out the story in the same manner I do with Singularity. Estimated Time: Maybe an hour. After the story boards are finished a tweet will be sent and a status will be updated.

PHASE TWO: Drawing and Inking
Here's where it starts coming down to trial and error (and will probably end up being something I won't know it's effectiveness until the run is over). My prerun strategy will be to completely draw and ink the story and scan them up to my computer all at once. When each page is drawn and inked a tweet will go out. When the entire phase is completed (with all 24 scans up on my computer) I will send out another tweet and status update.

PHASE THREE: Text and Color (?)
I haven't decided whether this run will be in color. It will depend entirely upon how much time is left. I may or may not. But obviously there will be text. As soon as a page has its text, I will put it up on the site. And a tweet will go out telling you to see the new page. In something slightly different compared to my other comic, the entire January 2010 run will be on one page tonight with newer comics being on the top. I'll break them up into their respective pages at a later date.

PHASE FOUR: Sleep
Hopefully after phase three midnight hasn't struck yet. I'll post the Monday Singularity and SLEEP.

UNT, Until Next Time
Eric W. Merritt

"If you work really hard and you are kind amazing things will happen"
Conan O'Brien