“Clifford Meth is one of the most brilliant writers of dark fiction out there today.”
--Bud Plant Comic Art
“Meth is a dangerous writer. He doesn’t seem to care if you like him.”
--Neal Adams.
Clifford Meth is currently working on SNAKED for IDW Publishing. Issue #1 is now sold out.
Visit "Everone's Wrong and I'm Right" the Clifford Meth blog.
What Can You Do To Help?
By Neal Adams
Bill Messner-Loebs is a name you heard a lot from just a few years back. He wrote 32 issues of Johnny Quest for Comico, Jaguar for DC’s Impact, spent four years on The Flash, three years on Wonder Woman, and then wrote The Maxx for Image. But his career soured and just as suddenly dried up.
It comes down to timing. Things went bad for Bill at the worst possible time and he found how easily things could go from bad to worse. Today, Bill is operating/working out of a Salvation Army shelter. He’s lost his home and most of his possessions. To make matters worse, his wife is chronically ill. Things are not good.
Along with a gathering of folks, I have offered help Bill take the first solid step forward. Donations of money in tight times are important and that has begun, but what we need is enough to set Bill on his feet. No ONE of us can do it all, but as a community, by each doing just a single sketch, we can pool our efforts into a new start for Bill. And that’s what we’re doing.
Beyond that, we are trying to get Bill’s professional feet back on the path. DC Comics has stepped forward with opportunity and open arms. Marvel Comics has personally informed me that the opportunity, at least, is there for work. Clifford Meth, as usual, has opened as many doors as he can to move Bill’s career forward. A plan is afoot to reprint Bill’s alternate work.
And so we come to it. What can fans do to help William Messner-Loebs?
First: If you know a pro who we might have not contacted (it happens -- we’re only human) send them to our site and show them this posting.
Second: Buy the benefit sketch book that Two Morrows Publishing will be printing and distributing. Clifford is editing the book and it will be quite fantastic.
Third: As soon as you get wind of the book coming out, go to your storeowner and pre-order it. This will decide how many books they will order. Believe me, this is the key to the success of this benefit book. It’s YOU fans that will help Bill the most in the end by PRE-ORDERING! With the last benefit book for Dave Cockrum, I purchased 10 copies and gave them as gifts to friends in the advertising business. Not only was it a terrific gift, it was also a good conversation piece.
Fourth: If you are interested in purchasing a particular piece of art, let us know and we will attempt to put purchasers together with art. If it doesn’t work out, we will have a well-publicized auction.
Donations are already coming in and we will display the art soon at NealAdams.Com, so check the site regularly. Clifford will also update you on the sketchbook’s progress here in his column.
Yes, you can help. And thank you in advance for doing so.
Neal Adams
Help William Messner-Loebs right this minute! Order a copy of THE THREE TENORS: OFF KEY
Click here.
THE HEROES & VILLAINS SKETCHBOOK
Featuring art by: Neal Adams (cover), Brent Anderson, Chris Bachalo, Rich Buckler, John Cassaday, Travis Charest, Dave Cockrum, Gene Colan, Alan Davis, Vito Delsante, Mike Deodato, Jean-Jacques Dzialowski, Dale Eaglesham, Dean Haspiel, Cully Hamner, Greg Horn, Rafael Kayanan, Andy Kubert, Steve Lieber, Mike Lilly, Steve Mcniven, Tom Palmer, Mike Pascale, Joe Quesada, Robin Riggs, Joe Rubinstein, Walt Simonson, Herb Trimpe, Billy Tucci and, Sal Velluto... And ramblings by Peter David, Neil Gaiman, Clifford Meth, and Beau Smith.
Discuss this column at the Withdrawal Symptoms forum.
© 2004-, Clifford Meth