More than 370 people attended the 10th annual Comic Book in a Day event, hosted by Nickel Plate Arts. The event offered the opportunity to create a comic book from scratch in just eight hours with the help of featured artists – including celebrity special guest and legendary comic artist Bob Hall – and staff members.
“I had an absolute blast,” Hall said. “I was astounded by the talent and the passion of all of the contestants, and I was very inspired by the spirit of the event. I am honored that I was able to share some insights and connect with so many fans.”
This year was a record-breaking year; more artists were involved in the challenge than ever before, and more pages of art were created in eight hours than ever before.
“The community really showed up in a big way, and we are thankful for all of the participants, our featured artists, and anyone who came out to watch the challenge and contributed to making the event a success,” Nickel Plate Arts Director Ailithir McGill said. “We are already looking forward to next year’s Comic Book in a Day event.”
The day-long challenge allowed participants to meet other artists and compete for prizes. All artwork created in the challenge will be displayed in an exhibit in Ignite Studio and published in a printed comic book. Winners were announced as part of the awards ceremony that followed the eight-hour challenge, and each participant was recognized as part of the Comic Book in a Day 2023 Recap.
Event Winners
- Best Overall: Brianna Stevens
- Best Art: Matt Inabnitt
- Best Story: Matt Vincent
- Emerging Artist: Grant Gordon
- Most Ambitious: Henry Schmackers
- Cover #1: Brigid Baier
- Cover #2: Brett Walin
- Most Polished/Professional: Brianna Stevens
- Most Creative: Kai Adams
- Funniest: Leah Leach
- Judge’s Choice (Bob Hall): Lillian Swetnam
- Judge’s Choice (Gavin Smith): Avalyn Chau
- Judge’s Choice (Stuart Sayger): Matt Inabnitt
- People’s Choice: Henry Schmackers
- “Guest Artist” Category Award: Sarah Butler
About Nickel Plate Arts
Nickel Plate Arts is an umbrella nonprofit organization that creates and coordinates arts and cultural experiences across communities in eastern Hamilton County and the surrounding areas to improve the quality of life for residents, strengthen local economies and enrich experiences for visitors. Nickel Plate Arts is a project of Hamilton County Tourism, Inc. Learn more at NickelPlateArts.org.