COMIC BOOK WRITER & ARMY VETERAN TEAMS UP WITH A L.A. COMIC BOOK STORE CHAIN TO DONATE COMIC BOOKS FOR U.S. ARMED FORCES OVERSEAS & AT HOME
For the last 5 years, comic book writer and author Jason Inman (Super Soldiers, Love is Love, Jupiter Jet, Science!), has teamed up with Operation Gratitude to send 15,000 comic books to US military members deployed overseas and their communities at home each year. Inman, a veteran himself, served in the U.S. Army and spent time deployed in Iraq. Over the last five years, the Jawiin Comic Drive for Service Members has sent over 134,964 comic books in care packages to US soldiers and their families.
This year, the Jawiin Comic Drive for Service Members (Jawiin stands for Jason William Inman and is the overarching banner of Inman’s Youtube Channel and podcast Geek History Lesson), is officially partnering with Collectors Paradise, one of Los Angeles’s premiere comic book store chains, for the 2019 campaign!
All 3 Collectors Paradise locations will serve as drop off locations for Los Angeles local donors.
Additionally, for every comic book dropped off to a Collectors Paradise location the store will match the donation with an equal number of comic books.
To help kick off the drive, Collectors Paradise’ brand new NoHo Arts District location will host a Jawiin Comic Book Drive event on Sunday, November 10th, 2019 (the day before the Veteran’s Day holiday), featuring several LA-based comic book artists! If you donate more than 25 comics during the event you will get a free sketch from:
- Bernard Chang (Teen Titans)
- Norm Rapmund (Booster Gold)
- Sherard Jackson (Darbi)
- Brian Lopez (B2rianls)
With signed prints from Superman artist, Jonboy Meyers!
Every year, Operation Gratitude (https://www.operationgratitude.com/), sends 250,000+ individually addressed care packages to Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines deployed overseas, to their children left behind, and to New Recruits, Veterans, First Responders, Wounded Heroes, and their Caregivers. Each package contains food, hygiene products, entertainment, and handmade items, as well as personal letters of support.
From November 1st through November 30, Jason is looking to collect 15,000 comics for Operation Gratitude to send to the service members to read in their care packages through the holidays and the new year. The comics can be from any company or genre and can include graphic novels and trade paperbacks!
You can find more details in our campaign video: https://youtu.be/5EP4DyAi2lo (All the instructions plus frequently asked questions can be also be found at www.comicdriveforservicemembers.com)
Full Kick Off event details available on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/583052179102114/
Here are all the steps on how to donate to the drive!
1 – Fill out the donation form at https://www.operationgratitude.com/product-donation/
If you want to add other items you see on their list — batteries, deodorant, sunscreen, please feel free to add those to the package as well! Please make sure to put “Jawiin Comic Drive for Service Members” in the Product Donation Information Section. The rest of the form is pretty self-explanatory.
2 - Box and ship the comics and the donation form to:
Operation Gratitude , 21100 Lassen St. Chatsworth, CA 91311
(IMPORTANT: Please include a donation form in EVERY box even if they’re part of the same donation. Sometimes cartons don’t all arrive at the same time.)
Los Angeles local? We have drop off centers!
- Collector’s Paradise Pasadena 319 S Arroyo Pkwy #4, Pasadena, CA 91105
- Collector’s Paradise Winnetka 7131 Winnetka Ave, Winnetka, CA 91306
- Collector’s Paradise North Hollywood 5118 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91601
(more info and store hours at http://comicsandcards.net/about)
3 – Send a picture of your comics and the number of books you are donating to jawiincomicdrive@gmail.com. (If you don’t send your number to the email, they will have an inaccurate count and the drive could fail. Let’s get these soldiers some comics for the new year!)
Old and new comics in new and fine condition are welcome, but please make sure the comics are in good reading condition. If you wouldn’t read a book that’s falling apart, please don’t gift it to a soldier. Please only send family-friendly comic books, as some comics will be sent to soldiers’ families and children that remain Stateside (rating PG-13 or lower.) Plus, if you wish to include personal letters of support to the servicemen, send them along with your comics!
If you’re looking for the nerdy way to give this holiday season, please support the Jawiin Comic Drive for Service Members!
1 Comment
Oh nice! I’m glad that they’ve added local Los Angeles drop off locations. I’ll try and go through my comic boxes and give them some good stuff.