Messner-Loebs Art Auction and Tribute Sketch Book Planned

Posted: Wednesday, March 2, 2005
Posted By: Jason Brice

Neal Adams and Clifford Meth are organizing an art auction and sketch book to benefit ailing writer William Messner-Loebs, whose financial plight has left him homeless, without medical insurance, and unable to financially cope with his wife Nadine’s medical needs.

“William Messner-Loebs, a fellow comic book creator, has fallen on hard times,” says Neal Adams. “No one of us can do enough to set him on his feet, but as a group, we can combine to give him that boost that will let him climb out of his terrible situation.”

Following an article in The Detroit News that highlighted Messner-Loebs’ circumstances, a petition was organized by fans urging Messner-Loebs’ former publishers to give the writer work. The first to respond to the call for action was Aardwolf Publishing, which announced THE THREE TENORS: OFF KEY, a collection of short fiction by Messner-Loebs, Meth, and Dave Cockrum, along with art by Al Milgrom and Steve Lieber, and forwards/afterwords by Dave Sim and Tom Surgeon.

Today, John Morrow of TwoMorrows Publishing agreed to pick up production chores on the benefit sketch book that Meth will be editing.

“Neal and I make an interesting team,” says Meth, an executive at IDT Entertainment. ”He’s the comic industry’s conscience and finest artist, and I’m its biggest pain in the ass. We’ll be contacting artists over the next few weeks, but don’t wait until we track you down—get in touch with us first.”

Professional artists wishing to contribute should contact Adams at neal@nealadams.com. Writers who’d like to participate should contact Meth at clifford@cliffordmeth.com.

“As for the rest of you,” says Meth, “consider it your sacred charge to spread the word: Link this announcement to your blog or favorite message board; reprint it freely and pass it around.”

“We have Dave Cockrum to show us that these contributions work,” says Adams, referring to last years Uncanny Dave Cockrum Tribute (Aardwolf Publishing) and the art auction run by Heritage Comics. Today, Cockrum is working again for Marvel (Giant Size X-Men #3) and delighted to contribute to projects that aid his fellows in the industry.

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