The Artifact

Story and art by E. J. Barnes. Fiction.

A mysterious object is unearthed. What is it? Who wants it? Who even knows they have it? Is it good luck or bad? Is it valuable? Is it dangerous?

This 24-Hour Comic was written and drawn between noon, 3 October and noon, 4 October, during 24 Hour Comic Book Day, at E. J.’s home studio, in the annus horribilis 2020.

Unlike previous 24-Hour Comics I’ve attempted (finishing successfully in 24 hours or not), this comic was approached straight-ahead rather than top-down: Rather than spending the beginning of my 24 hours writing a full or skeletal script, I conceived and drew each page before attempting the next. When I began, I literally had no idea how it would end.

28pp, color (colored-pencil).  A rollicking contemporary adventure. Content warnings: Fraud, burglary, theft, vehicular wreckage, passenger injury. Appropriate for all ages; parental guidance suggested for young readers.