A Silver Age comics great needs our help...but not our cash

[thatcrazycajun]

If you read comic books at any time within the past 30 years or so, I shouldn't have to explain to you who Len Wein is. If you don't know, go here and learn why comics fans everywhere owe a tremendous, forever un-repayable debt to this man. Now at last, we have a chance to make a down payment on that debt. I owe props to filkertom for hipping me, and now I'm gonna hip you: The "Let's Rebuild Len Wein's Comic Book Collection" Project.

On the 9th of this month, a fire destroyed the home Mr. Wein and his family share in Los Angeles, CA. The whole place was burned to the ground, a total loss. Though thankfully none of the humans were hurt, their dog Sheba was killed, and most of what they own was lost...including some things insurance won't cover—like Len's large and priceless collection of comic issues, original scripts and art, memorabilia and awards from a career in four-color storytelling that spanned nearly four decades and encompassed helping create Marvel's second X-Men team (including a certain overexposed, sawed-off Canuck with adamantium claws in his arms), editing Berni Wrightson's legendary 1970s run on DC's Swamp Thing, and writing some of the best superhero stories ever to see print for a variety of publishing houses.

Longtime Wein friend and SF legend Harlan Ellison reported on the destruction of the Wein home (some of which appears here) and urged well-meaning fans not to intrude on the family's grief and taking care of business until they could find time to tell us precisely what they need. Looks like that time has come.

And the plot twist? Money is no object in this effort—literally. They are asking that you send any spare comics you have that were part of Len's collection, not cash. A PDF list of what's needed and a postal address for shipping are on the site, and they're also collecting issues at every major comics convention in the US this year. They're mainly looking for titles that Len actually had a hand in writing or editing, so if you have even one old issue lying around with Len's name anywhere in it that you can spare, and it's on the "not found yet" end of the list, please wrap it up and send it along.

Let's step up, people. The dude was editor on Watchmen, for crying out loud; he's fucking well earned it.

Comments

[wouldyoueva.livejournal.com]

I don't know if you were in WSFA the same time Christine and her son Michael were members (late 80s, early 90s). I was sorry to hear Michael hurt his knee in the aftermath of getting out.

If I had comics, I'd glad give them to Len.