By Kathryn De Shields Harker
In 1990, Scott McCloud, an American cartoonist and theorist, dared his friend to draw a complete 24-page comic in a single day. In 2004, 24-Hour Comics Day was established to celebrate this form of artistry. Since then, this event has evolved into an international, community phenomenon where artists all over the world come together to create comics in a 24-hour period.
On the first official 24-Hour Comics Day on April 24, 2004, Pat Quinn, associate chair of sequential art, led the sequential art department through its own 24-hour challenge as a SCAD branch of McCloud’s 24-hour Comics Day. That evening, Matthew Maloney, associate chair of animation and digital media professor, asked if he could bring some animation students in to join the group. Approximately 14 SCAD animation and sequential art students participated in the 24-hour challenge in 2004.
“I really liked the energy and the vibe of the 24-hour Comics challenge, and I liked that it wasn’t for a grade,” said Maloney. “There wasn’t a real reason to do it other than for the experience.”
The following year, Maloney introduced his visual effects and game design students to the challenge.
“That’s when we decided it needed to be called something other than 24-hour Comics Day, so we came up with the idea of a multidisciplinary challenge,” said Maloney. “Anyone could participate provided the challenge was achievable in a 24-hour period.”
They christened it “Generate.”
2006 marked Generate’s first year as a collective challenge open to all departments willing to participate in a 24-hour event and nearly 100 students participated. Students gathered at SCAD Atlanta’s Digital Media Center (DMC) where animation, sequential art, illustration, visual effects, writing, photography, film and television, graphic design, interactive design and game development, advertising and motion media majors come together to produce a completely new work with zero preparation.
Now, more than 200 students regularly participate, representing 10 to 12% of the student population. In October 2016, Generate will celebrate its 10-year anniversary.
“We’re really proud of those numbers,” said Quinn. “It’s quite impressive.”
Generate is sponsored by many businesses within the Atlanta community, and most of the disciplines award prizes and accolades to top participants. Industry representatives also come in to periodically review what is being produced and to see the final products.
Hank Jones, an undergraduate sequential art major, participated in Generate for a second year. Although he didn’t meet the 24-page comic in 24-hour deadline last year, he recalls comic book publishers periodically checking in on students taking part in the challenge.
He said that, “Publishers call in to see how you’re doing. They called to check in with Professor Quinn, and last year a few publishers Skyped us to see what we were working on. It looks really good for your reputation if you participate in events like this.”
In 2007, James Kent Arnold, professor for film & television and sound design, shifted his students from the challenge to the task of documenting Generate. Three shifts of students cover the entire 24-hour period and conduct filmed interviews. The footage is then edited into two-minute news stories that are posted on Generate’s website. Arnold’s film & television students are also responsible for arranging ReGenerate, a showcase and screening of the news stories and projects completed by students who participated.
“I want to create more buzz for the event,” said Arnold. “In the next five years, I hope the event is broadcasted live. Instead of posting to the web, I’d like to have a link that goes to a streaming location.”
“For those who have not participated, you should,” said Quinn. “What you will find, even in this small sampling, is at least half of the students have done this more than once. Students come back year after year. It’s something everyone should try at least once.”
Today, one can find a diverse mix of timed, art-based challenges offered throughout the year. Other notable community challenges include November’s NaNoWriMo: National Novel Writing Month; The 48-hour Film Challenge; and February’s RPM Challenge where individuals create 10 songs or 35 minutes of original music.
For more information about Generate, visit Generate’s blog..
For a list of year-round creative challenges, visit wikiwrimo..
Editor’s Note: This piece was written as part of the Generate challenge.