The twenty-four hour comic is an odd thing. When it works, and it can work very well, it can provide a story-telling experience that bypasses the filters that an artist or writer sets up for themselves. It can force new storytelling rhythms, and coax new subjects from a creator. Or not, as the case may be.

In 24 Hour Parting People it’s a little of both. Craig uses the same sort of format familiar from his earlier comics by using a number of short strips to build a greater whole. Here he unites the strips thematically rather that narratively. It’s a good tactic, and allows the artist to parade the gallery of his creations in a variety of settings. The theme is love this time out, and the whole reminds me of the drifting feel of Richard Linklater’s films Waking Life and Slacker. Like those films though, you’re unlikely to come away with any new insights into life.

Those that have a problem with Craig’s art style normally will have greater trouble with this issue. The constraints of the time limit means that he has abandoned formal layouts and employed a looser, more intuitive form. Surprisingly this works for the most part, and actually enhances the stream-of-consciousness feel of the title. The figure work is pretty much all over the place, but the characters are clearly designed, and Craig has a knack for including all the information necessary to tell his story.

Anyway, as I write this the next 24-hour comics day is just around the corner - this weekend in fact. I’m going to give it a go.

Most of Matthew Craig’s comics can be found on-line at www.thematthewcraig.com, but the interested reader can also order this one for a single UK pound (or an American dollar and seventy-five cents), and that includes the postage, though with the new charges coming in who can really tell? Orders from mattscrew@hotmail.com, with discounts on orders of multiple titles, or you can check out the shop at his website. Other titles, you ask? Tune in for more reviews soon.