Nickel Plate Arts has partnered with the Hamilton East Public Library’s Ignite Studio to present Virtual Comic Book in a Day, an eight-hour marathon of comic book art creation. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 29.
More than two dozen area artists as well as artists around the world connected to the program will compete against the clock to come up with several pages of brand-new comic content. In addition to the comic book creation, veteran “Featured Artists” will mentor the Challenge Artists and offer insight into the state of the comics industry throughout the day. Both the Ignite Studio and Nickel Plate Arts teams will go live on Facebook with mini-workshops and progress updates during the course of the day.
Nickel Plate Arts Executive Director Ailithir McGill presents 2019 overall champions Raquel and Gabrielle Zacherl with the Comic Book in a Day championship belt. (Photo provided)
Hamilton East Public Library and Nickel Plate Arts are collaborating to offer free, virtual comic workshops via Zoom during the week leading to the Virtual Comic Book in a Day event. The workshops are free, and feature each of the three Featured Artists: Stuart Sayger of Noblesville, Yuri Duncan of Indianapolis, and Victor Dandridge of Columbus, Ohio. Each of these artists is acclaimed and has impressive comic resumes.
Nickel Plate Arts Executive Director Ailithir McGill says she sees positive opportunities about moving this year’s Comic Book in a Day online.
“Going virtual allows Comic Book in a Day to welcome participants from all over the world, while also providing a safe, healthy and more laid-back experience for our Challenge Artists,” McGill said. “This format has also given us the opportunity to reexamine the role that our professional Featured Artists will play during the event: They will be providing more direct instruction, coaching and mentorship to this year’s Challenge Artists than in previous years.”
“Ignite Studio is thrilled to once again partner with Nickel Plates Art for Comic Book in a Day,” Ignite Studio Manager Katelyn Coyne said. “Taking this year’s event entirely virtual will help us reach new audiences over more days. We can’t wait to see all of the creative ideas our patrons near and far will bring to this multi-day event!”
Artists Brad Barclay and Andi Overman work on their comic panels during last year’s event. (Photo provided)
Watch for updates on social media from the Hamilton East Public Library and Nickel Plate Arts pages throughout the day. Winners of various categories will receive cash prizes, comic book memorabilia and art supplies. The overall winner will receive the Comic Book in a Day championship belt. Winners will be announced at Nickel Plate Arts’ September First Friday on Sept. 4.
About Nickel Plate Arts
Nickel Plate Arts is an umbrella non-profit organization that creates and coordinates arts and cultural experiences across communities 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. The Nickel Plate Arts Trail extends 30 miles through Fishers, Noblesville, Cicero, Arcadia, Atlanta and Tipton. Visit Nickel Plate Arts at 107 S. 8th St. in Noblesville, online at nickelplatearts.org or call (317) 452-3690.