It’s pretty hard to top two nights in a row of live Iron Maiden, but Dave and I tried to make the best of it. Today we took a drive out to Staten Island to Jim Hanley’s Universe comic book store. It’s been a while since we’ve been to a really good comic shop, so we went crazy.

I’m a graphic novel whore. If it’s in graphic novel form, I will buy it, whereas Dave loves getting comics “in their original form.” I think we have plenty of those decorating our home already. (Between the two of us, we have around 7 of those long white boxes housing comics “in their original form.”) I’d much rather have it all in one place and NOT have to wait a few weeks to read the next issue.

I found this rare title by Neil Gaiman called Being An Account Of The Life And Death Of The Emperor Heliogabolus. It’s what’s known as a “24-hour comic” where the author writes, draws, and letters a 24-page title in 24 hours without any prior sketching, drafting, or conceptualizing. I now own number 182 out of 2500 copies made. I can’t wait to read this baby.

I wonder what other authors have done a 24-hour comic?

UPDATE 4/2004: Looks like quite a few other authors have tried their hand at the 24-hour comic book — 24 Hour Comics.

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