PLUCK OF THE DRAW COMIC-ARTIST WANNABES ETCHING TO TEST THEIR SKILLS.

Byline: Nicholas Grudin Staff Writer

NEWHALL - Surrounded by shelves filled with X-Men, Hellboy, Spawn and other classic comics, about 10 artists slaved into the wee hours of Sunday morning to finish a grueling ``artistic marathon'' called the 24 Hour Comics Challenge.

The extreme event was developed to draw the creative juices out of aspiring comic creators by forcing them to finish a 24-page manuscript - text and artwork - in a 24-hour time span.

For the artists at the Brave New World Comics store, on the corner of Lyons and Peachland avenues, it was a chance for self discovery.

``Unlike film or many other media, the only thing you need to create comics is a pen and an idea,'' said Atom Freeman, who, along with his wife, Portlyn, owns the comic store. ``This artistic marathon has given creators an opportunity to see what they're capable of.''

Initially, 13 artists joined the competition, which began at noon Saturday. But by Sunday morning, only nine remained to finish.

``Some of them gave up after a valiant effort,'' Freeman said.

The event in Santa Clarita was one of many 24 Hour Comics Challenge events held throughout the world over the weekend. An estimated 500 artists participated.

Each artist was allowed to start with paper provided by the store, and whatever tools he or she would need for drawing, including pencils, pens, markers, rulers and protractors.

At 11:20 a.m. Sunday, four exhausted artists were still putting the finishing touches on their works.

``I'm tired, but I'm caught up in the whole thing,'' said Keith Morange, 24, of Valencia. ``I came into this thing not knowing what I was going to do. I wanted it to be spontaneous.''

Jesse Tores, 34, of Canyon Country had just finished his manuscript, which turned out to include elements of many comic genres, from saber- toothed monkeys, to surly cowboys, to alien invasions.

``A long time ago, I dreamt about actually doing comics (for a living),'' said Tores, who is currently employed as a visual effects artist. ``Doing this was a return to the dream.''

The 24 Hour Comic Challenge was created by a comics scholar named Scott McCloud, author of ``Understanding Comics.'' McCloud encourages comic authors to ``turn off their internal critic and create,'' Freeman said.

And a proven method of ensuring the absence of one's internal critic is sleep deprivation, according to the artists who were still sketching Sunday morning.

``You start using different parts of your brain after 24 hours,'' said Robert Zailo, 35, who drove from Ontario, Calif., to participate. ``You start drawing relationships between things that don't normally appear to be related.''

Freeman emphatically agreed.

``This experience is going to end up being liberating because they find out what they're capable of when they turn it off and let their pens go.''

The event was sponsored by the Town Grind, Staedtler and other local restaurants. The comic books will be published in an anthology and be submitted for a national anthology.

Nicholas Grudin, [phone]

nicholas.grudin(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Artists struggle past their 20th hour as they compete in the 24 Hour Comics Challenge on Sunday.

(2) A tired and aching pair of hands flesh out a panel of a manuscript during the 24 Hour Comics Challenge.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News