Thanks for Giving: Comic Charity Roundup

A little peak behind the curtain, in case you hadn't already figured it out: I get the majority of my "news" posts from a Google alert for "comic book charity". You may have also noticed I'm not exactly a prolific poster, which is in direct conflict with the fact that my alert has been blowing up all week with noble efforts from the comic community to give back or lend a helping hand. 

Here a four fantastic charitable efforts you can be a part of:

• From the Dead Horse Committee: Please join Team Comics Cure as a rider or 'raiser in the upcoming 2012 MSKCC Cycle for Survival. We've got a modest goal and plenty of time to surpass it! Read more: http://mskcc.convio.net/site/TR?team_id=17392&fr_id=1600&pg=team
• From Newsarama: Six-year old Aidan Reed dealt with his 2010 acute lymphoblastic leukemia diagnosis in a rather unique way: drawing pictures of monsters and selling them on Etsy to help pay for his chemotherapy. Now, Mike Mignola, Walt Simonson, and other artists are putting ink to paper to help him raise even more. Read more: http://www.newsarama.com/comics/comic-artists-charity-auction-111121.html
• From Challengers Comics in Illinois: We’re the host for this year’s Briggs4Kids Foundation Charity Event and we are accepting Comic Book & Graphic Novel donations from now until the event. Monetary donations will also be accepted. We are also celebrating the release of Top Cow’s Pilot Season: SERAPH, created by Lance! Also appearing, local creators Alex Rosado, Tom Kelly & Brian Mead. Read more: http://www.conventionscene.com/2011/11/16/il-briggs4kids-charity-event/
• A Call for Support in the Wake of Tragedy: Ugh...this. Be thankful for what you have. Be thankful for what you've had. I can't even begin to imagine. http://www.laurenweinstein.com/2011/11/rosalie-lightning/

Movember Moustaches: Occupy Your Face

While it is too late to kick off moustache month, I want to at least acknowledge this 30-day feast of face fuzz -- all in the name of prostate cancer awareness. My father is one of millions of men who had (and happened to beat) prostate cancer. I have a prostate. You might have one, too! What any of this has to do with moustaches, I don't know. But cancer sucks, and prostates are tucked away deep in a place that makes it easy to lose awareness of them. And while it is possible to simply lose track of a perfectly healthy prostate, it would be especially tragic to be unaware of one that has cancer.

You need a stiff upper lip (among other things...good health insurance, broccoli, etc) to battle through it. I guess growing a moustache helps with that. Okay, there's your rationale. So go check out Movember's official site and then grow out your own mouth muff while there are still days in the month. You can tie it all back to Comics Cure's theme of geek-centric charity and awareness by basing your own moustache on one of these great lip lines of comic book history:

Jim Gordon's Commish-stasche

Omni-Man's Invinci-stache

Batroc the Leaper's Curly Fritte

Doctor Strange's Stache of Agamatto

J. Jonah Jameson's S. Stachey Stache-stache

The Sinestache

90's-era Tony Stark's Iron-stache

General Ross' Thunderstache

Stan "The Man" Lee's Excelsior-stache

And remember: You can also bring it back to Comics Cure by showing your support for Team Comics Cure in the upcoming Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's Cycle for Survival. The money raised by that annual event goes to rare cancer research. Sadly, prostate cancer has become all too common, but the important research undertaken at MSKCC serves to help find optimal treatments and, maybe one day, a cure for all cancers.

T-Shirt Time With Stan The Man!

Are you nerd enough to take Stan Lee's "WORLD OF HEROES" T-Shirt Design Challenge?

Stan the Man is teaming up with online community MASScanvas, encouraging fans to design and illustrate "hero-themed" t-shirts. A portion of the sale of winning t-shirts will benefit the John Wayne Cancer Institute.


The contest started today -- Thursday, November 4 -- so get to it! You can submit designs for the WORLD OF HEROES challenge through November 20 at masscanvas.com. All entries will be featured on the site, the only requirement being they reflect the heroes theme.

But that's just half the battle. Entrants and fans can comment on designs throughout the challenge and VOTE for the top 20 designs. And then, on December 8, Stan Lee himself will choose the 5 winning designs from the top 20 that he feels best represent the theme. The 5 winning Ts will be custom printed in limited quantity, individually hand-numbered, and sold in support of the charitable cause -- and the winning designers will be rewarded $1000 each!


Stan Lee will be hands-on throughout the campaign, and will appear in person November 5 & 6 at Comikaze Expo in LA (where Stan is Guest of Honor) providing signed shirts and special giveaways. Stan will personally congratulate the winners via video on December 8. Check out the contest launch video above and visit masscanvas.com to learn more.