This weekend, while most of Campustown will be roaring with Veishea celebrants, one store will be filled with scratching pencils and shouted ideas.

Mayhem Collectibles, 2532 Lincoln Way, will be hosting their “24 Pages in 24 Hours Challenge,” giving local artists a chance to show off their talent.

“We’re gonna call it a jam session,” said Chris Pellack, assistant manager at Mayhem. “We’re not looking at it as too competitive.”

Iowa-born artist Phil Hester will be judging the participants, lending his professional eye to the local artists.

“People who don’t go to a lot of [comics] shows will get a chance to have a professional artist critique their work,” Pellack said. “He can give them ideas on what they need to do to get into the comics business.”

The competition begins at 2 p.m. Saturday and runs until the same time Sunday.

The store’s doors will remain open until midnight, but the inside will be open the whole night through.

“We just want to have the store closed for when the Veishea festivities will be going on,” Pellack said.

The $20 entry fee includes 25 11″ by 17″ art boards, pizza provided by Lucky Pizza and Video, 112 Hayward Ave., an area for fatigued artists to sleep and access to the store for reference material.

Artists are expected to bring their own pencils and other supplies.

The final product is supposed to be a 24-page, fully inked and lettered comic, but the format is otherwise open-ended. Pellack expects a lot of informal collaboration, with artists bouncing ideas off each other.

The store is prepared for as many as 20 participants, and Pellack expects about 50 spectators.

Hester, along with some cohorts, will arrive at the store at 1 p.m. Sunday and will judge the entries at 2 p.m.

The proceeds from the entry fees will go toward a prize fund.

After the judging, Hester will sign autographs and talk with fans.

For more on the competition, contact Mayhem Collectibles at 292-3510.