It makes me really happy to read about groups and organizations coming to the aid of comic creators who have fallen on some hard times. John Ostrander has been suffering from glaucoma for years, and a recent round of highly expensive surgeries have found the comic writer in a bit of financial trouble, as his insurance won’t pay for the corrective surgery.
At the 2009 Chicago Comic-Con, we’ve joined forced with Wizard Entertainment to hold a charity auction the evening of Saturday August 8th. Our goal is to raise sufficient funds to help cover the costs of John’s treatments and it is John’s expressed wish that should we raise funds above his needs, that excess money is to be donated to The Hero Initiative to help them continue their great works aiding comic creators in their times of need.
If you can’t go to the convention, but still want to help, head over to Comix4Sight and make a donation to aid John Ostrander. As someone who is going through some eye issues himself, I know how important being able to see clearly is. And while you’re over at the Comix4sight site, be sure to check out Gail Simone’s thoughts on what’s going on. My understanding from Gail’s Twitter feed is she is seeking art donations at the San Diego Comic Con this week.
