A LEA HERNANDEZ UPDATE FROM GAIL SIMONE

[MattBrady]

by Gail Simone

Remember at the end of Miracle on 34th Street, when everything looks so bleak, and suddenly dozens of postal workers appear with bags and bags of mail for Santa Claus from all over?

I never expected to experience anything quite like that in my life. To be honest, I’m a bit of a skeptic, Santa-wise (the whole elf thing). But I’ve lost all skepticism about how comics readers and creators react when one of their own is hit with a catastrophe.

In short, they behave brilliantly.

Many of you are already aware that the Texas home of writer/artist Lea Hernandez caught fire and burned early the morning of September 6th. The fire killed all but two of their small menagerie of beloved pets and destroyed most of their possessions, leaving Lea, her husband, and two wonderful, special-needs kids devastated emotionally and financially.

Word got around and within hours, people in the industry, (retailers, readers, publishers, and creators), were donating hard-earned cash. Retailers set up tip jars, bloggers and websites spread the word, and comics readers used their resources and connections in amazing ways--the situation and call for donations went out on podcasts and the radio...holy crap, you people are everywhere!

And bless you all for it. Because of you and others like you, a really terrific, amazing family is getting the money they need to pay expenses while their house is being built. You helped buy the chairs they sit in, the beds they’re sleeping on, and the plates they eat off of. A damn good week’s work, I say.

Some of the biggest names in comics donated (and it’s a good long list), but we’ve all been equally touched by readers who skipped lunch or sold comics on Ebay to earn some money for a donation. Everything helps, and everything heals.

Lea’s family’s emotions have been all over the place, but the concern and heartfelt support of so many people has been one consistent bright spot. To that end, an Art And Other Stuff Auction has been organized, spearheaded by the amazing Jeffery LaJaunie, with help from his lovely wife Tonia and others. This thing has grown wild, and aside from doing a lot of good for some really good people, it’s one incredible parade of great stuff you definitely need. Honestly.

There are all sorts of tpbs and comics at bargain prices, along with one-of-a-kind collectibles and best of all, original art by some of the biggest talents in comics. I know I sound like that guy on QVC, but we’re talking Tom Derenick JLA, Halo and Kabuki art by Andrew Robinson, Wonder Woman art by Anne Timmons, an amazing Avengers piece done Simpsons style by the great Bill Morrison, and TWO unbelievable pieces by Mike Oeming that you have to see to believe.

On top of that, we’ve got sketches by some unknown figures like John Cassaday, Jim Lee, Kevin Nowlan, Brandon Peterson, Andy Park and Jimmy Palmiotti and many more. Honestly, you may never see these sketches available so cheaply again.

And this is just the start. More is coming, lots more. Lions, Tigers and Bears art, Planet Karen pieces from Karen Ellis, and beautiful Marvel art from Valentine De Landro.

One piece so incredible it’s hard to even figure out how to list it is a Tom Beland sketchbook that he’s donated, the first of its kind he’s ever sold. To say this is one-of-a-kind is a grave injustice. We’ll notify people when this piece goes up, as it literally is the ultimate Tom Beland fan catch, short of kidnapping Tom himself.

The first round of stuff is up, but please keep checking back. This is an opportunity to do something great for Lea’s family that will also bring you joy for a long time to come, and there’s something there for any budget, starting at just a few dollars.

The Ebay address is:

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZblaizeQQhtZ-1

I can’t let this update go by without thanking everyone who participated or donated. Particularly, Bendis Board posters have been unbelievably generous and kind and deserve special mention. Lea thanks you as well, and bless her heart, as overwhelming as everything is, she’s still trying to write thank you notes to everyone she can. Trust me, you ARE making a huge difference.

And thank you most of all to my hero, Jeffery LaJuanie, who has been organizing all these ebay auctions. Here’s a quick word from him... “All I'd like to say is thank you to everyone that donated... I'd like to encourage as many others as possible to do so as well and I'd like to thank my wife Tonia for helping me with all of it... and thank you for getting the word out! Mrs. Lea was so kind, supportive and helpful to us when we found out that our second son was diagnosed... this is just my way of trying to repay her a fraction of the kindness that she showed us.”

Just a few small addendums...

First, it’s not anywhere NEAR too late to donate.

1) If you want to donate to PayPal, Lea’s account is divalea@gmail.com. Obviously, any donation, any amount, is most welcome at this time.

2) If you prefer NOT to use PayPal, or you want to send a physical item, Lea’s got a PO BOX for this express purpose (note that they have no way of storing items like clothes at this time, until they get their house back). If you have clothes to donate, Lea asks that you please consider donating such items locally, to those in need in your area.

3) If you have rare collectibles, tpbs or comics in very good condition or other items that you’d like to donate to the auctions, please contact Jeffery at jtbw@bellsouth.net. He’ll take good care of you!

4) If you’re a creator and have original art or a signed script or anything personalized that you would like to donate, PLEASE LET US HEAR FROM YOU. The more items we have, the more eyes looking, and the more successful the auctions will be. Again, email me at gailcbr@yahoo.com, or Jeffery at jtbw@bellsouth.net. You won’t have to hassle about Ebay at all, it’ll all be taken care of.

And finally, some other bits of cool kindness on a hot day:

Zeus Comics in Dallas is throwing a live art show in Lea’s benefit featuring Scott Kurtz and Lea herself, among others. It promises to be a once in a lifetime event. I love this store and I love these people: http://www.zeuscomics.com/blog/forum...&p=233#post233

And the great Shaenon Garrity is selling original NARBONIC strips for a mere $25 dollars to benefit Lea, at http://shaenon.livejournal.com/21463.html


I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of thanking everyone who has donated. It’s almost overwhelming. All I can say here is that you’ve done an amazing thing, and it won’t be forgotten. I’m also going to ask all the bloggers and website owners out there to please either link to this article or reprint it on your websites, as that made a HUGE difference when this tragedy was first announces, and we need as many eyes looking at the auctions as possible. Those links really help!

Finally, if you haven’t had a chance to donate yet, I hope you’ll consider taking a moment and hitting the PayPal address, or if you’re a creator, sending art or signed scripts. It really does make a difference, right now. Lea herself is posting updates about her situation (when she can) at her blog at: livejournal.com/users/divalea. There are some photos there that show exactly why this has been so devastating, and why your help is so much appreciated.

Thank you so much, everyone. If I’m asked, I’m telling everyone that you’re
WAY cooler than Santa!

Much love and awe and gratitude,

Gail Simone

[O.J. Flow]

Just fired off some $$$ to Lea myself.

"When I get sad I stop being sad and be awesome instead. True story."
Barney (Neil Patrick Harris), How I Met Your Mother; 09/18/06

[Sean Jackson]

If you're interrested in the art show on the 30th in Dallas, try this link.

http://www.capeday.com/

[Gail Simone]

Originally Posted by O.J. Flow

Just fired off some $$$ to Lea myself.

"When I get sad I stop being sad and be awesome instead. True story."
Barney (Neil Patrick Harris), How I Met Your Mother; 09/18/06

That's the spirit, baby!



Gail

[Gail Simone]

Originally Posted by Sean Jackson

If you're interrested in the art show on the 30th in Dallas, try this link.

http://www.capeday.com/

Thanks, Sean...Matt, maybe you can change the Cape link in the story?

Best,

Gail

[avengingtitan]

I dont know if they did but does anyone know if HERO/Actor got involved??

I know I'm always willing to help out creators in trouble. All the work they do to give us a little enjoyment with little pay. Its the lest we can do. I know I sent my donation.

[Gail Simone]

Thank you, Titan! It is MUCH appreciated!

The address to send checks or art supplies directly is:

Lea Hernandez

6638 Cherry Leaf Street

San Antonio, TX 78238-1357

That all gets forwarded to her PO Box, which is most convenient.

Thanks, everyone!

Gail

[zorro]

gail, there is a website for the chicora foundation
an organization that deals with prservation of arcaeological sites and cemeteries but also deals with preservation of personal collections after disasters
punch in chicora home
when you get there
there is contact information at the bottom of the page
phone number and emails
after that
go to the link that says preservation
at the bottom of the preservation section is a link that says fire
lots of helpful tips there
hope this helps

[Grimm22]

Thats horrible!

I can only imagine what she must be going through right now, not only to have lost everything you own, but also lose some of your pets too.

I hope the best for Lea and her family

[LeaHernandez]

It's been the weirdest Christmas ever, to stretch that Miracle on 34th Street metaphor, and more than a bit of "It's a Wonderful Life" as well.

So many people have been so gracious, so generous, it would take a thesaurus of superlatives to express how much everyone has helped, just by showing they care. The biggest enemy in a mess like our is isolation, and what we have is the exact opposite. I hope it's understood that I mean only the best when I say, "I didn't know you cared." You've all been so amazing.

To answer a question asked several times: yes, The Hero Initiative (aka ACTOR) did help my family. I heard from Jim McLauchlin within 24 hours, and Hero sent money to help us in getting our lives back together.

Thanks also to my former employer, Toren Smith, who was most generous, and Larry Dixon, who is lending a hand, and Jeffery and Zeus and every one of the people who sent anything. I can't say it enough--everything has helped. EVERYTHING.

With much love and gratitiude from our family,

Lea, King, Girl and Boy

[Gail Simone]

There you have it!

And lots more stuff will be up soon, so keep checking back at the auction site--Fantagraphics and Oni and several great artists are sending stuff...it's gonna ROCK!

Gail

[swanstand]

This was a great idea and I am happy to have helped (however small it was.)

[justjeffery]

Listed another pile of items tonight... original art form Taki Soma, including a piece of River Tam from Serenity signed by Summer Glau and a folder from Terry Moore with the pitch, script and signed copies of the completed comics for his run on Birds of Prey... and there's still LOTS more to come!

[LeaHernandez]

Originally Posted by justjeffery

Listed another pile of items tonight... original art form Taki Soma, including a piece of River Tam from Serenity signed by Summer Glau and a folder from Terry Moore with the pitch, script and signed copies of the completed comics for his run on Birds of Prey... and there's still LOTS more to come!

Dadgum.You rock, Jeffery and Gail and auction donors. Dayum.

[Evan Waters]

Originally Posted by justjeffery

including a piece of River Tam from Serenity signed by Summer Glau

Please tell me that's a typo.

[Gail Simone]

It COULD be pieces...little teeny pieces!

Gail

[Mooncat]

Originally Posted by Gail Simone

It COULD be pieces...little teeny pieces!

Gail

I'd bid for a little teeny piece of River Tam/Summer Glau *^_^*

mcx