Please Read.

[Gail Simone]

Early this morning, the Texas home of award-winning writer/artist Lea Hernandez, my friend and co-creator of the graphic novel Killer Princesses, caught fire and burned. Half her house is now gone, and the rest is smoke-damaged. In addition, she lost at least six of her family’s beloved pets, two dogs and four cats. If you knew Lea, you’d know how devastating that is.

She’s lost a great deal of her family’s possessions, including irreplaceable art. She doesn’t yet know the full accounting of what’s been lost at this time.

Most know Lea as the brilliant creator of such works as Rumble Girls and Cathedral Child. She drew the Marvel Mangaverse PUNISHER book, and has drawn for TRANSMETROPOLITAN, among many other accomplishments. She is also the co-founder and original editor for GIRL-A-MATIC, one of the most important venues for female-friendly comics created to date.

She’s also my friend, and it’s entirely possible I wouldn’t have a career in comics if she hadn’t asked me to write Killer Princesses for her to draw.

And finally, Lea is one of the last great firebrand hellraisers in comics.

Lea has two (wonderful, amazing) special needs children and right now they need a place to stay and some clothes to wear. More than that, they need
some help, and fast, in the form of donations to her paypal account. Lea’s a proud person so I’m going to ask FOR her. This is important, and a great chance to do a wonderful thing for a creator who has consistently enriched this industry we all love so much. Please, take a moment and send WHATEVER YOU CAN to Lea’s paypal account and help make this time a little bit less painful for someone who would do the same for you if the positions were reversed.

If you’re a retailer, I ask that you set up a donations jar. If you’re a creator, I ask you to think of how devastating this would be to your career and donate what you can. If you’re a reader, I’m asking you to take a moment and hit the paypal link. You’ll be doing something heroic and you’ll feel great about it, I promise.

Read what Lea had to post on a neighbor’s computer while wearing her pajamas at: Livejournal.com/users/divalea

Donate (PLEASE) to her paypal account at: divalea@gmail.com

Finally, if I understand the story correctly (as told to me by Lea’s good friend and current Girl-a-matic editor), it was Lea’s daughter hearing the smoke alarm that allowed the family to get out in time, so for God’s sake, do everyone you love a favor and CHECK YOUR SMOKE ALARMS.

Thank you so much for helping. Really, any amount you can send will make a difference. That’s all I can say.

Sincerely and gratefully,

Gail Simone

[Azrael52]

Gail, I will call my comic shop and see if they can set up a jar for collections. Also, I am not currently financially able to donate a lot, but I'll throw in some if nothing else. She's always friendly on here, and she was awesome at Cape last year. That's so sad about her pets and family momentos. Thanks for letting us know, and please send her our prayers.

[TCJohnson]

I will be able to donate when I recieve my next paycheck on the 15th. I am sure she will still need money by then.

My heart goes out to her, and I am glad the human parts of her family made it out but and really sorry about her pets...I know how devestating that can be. My heart and well wishes go out to her.

[Oracle_0128]

Wow....

This is just so sad! I can't even understand the devastation she and her entire family must feel!

I'll talk to my guys at my LCS when I pick up my comics tomorrow to see if we can help! We've set up collections and stuff before for various artists/writers in the past.

My thoughts and prayers are with Lea and her family.

And Gail, with your permission I would like to pass this information onto my message boards in hopes of raising some money and help for Lea.

[Dedagda]

I just got word to use divalea@gmail.com

Both emails may dump into the same account.

I know she's probably in work mode about all of this. I just want to talk to her even if its for my own piece of mind. ugh. Dallas is still 3 hours away from San Antonio.

We have a paypal donate up at the Zeus site and we're talking donations in the store.

[Paploo the Ewok]

http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=83100

I owe every good thing that's ever happened to me in comics to Lea, who gave a kid a chance. Please send whatever you can.

[hellokittykat]

Originally Posted by Azrael52

Gail, I will call my comic shop and see if they can set up a jar for collections.

Ditto

Originally Posted by Azrael52

Also, I am not currently financially able to donate a lot, but I'll throw in some if nothing else.

Ditto-but I don't get paid until next week. We might be having to move soon too which also straps us a little but I'll do what I can.

Originally Posted by Azrael52

She's always friendly on here, and she was awesome at Cape last year.

Ditto

Originally Posted by Azrael52

That's so sad about her pets and family momentos. Thanks for letting us know, and please send her our prayers.

Ditto:(

[Crowley]

very glad Lea and her children escaped okay... very sad for the loss of her pets and her possesions.

My best to her and her family.

[Jack Zodiac]

Originally Posted by TCJohnson

I will be able to donate when I recieve my next paycheck on the 15th. I am sure she will still need money by then.

Ditto. I don't get paid again until next Friday, but I'll be able to hit her up a little then. I also loaned a friend of mine three hundred dollars that she's supposed to be paying me back sometime next week, so I'll be in a much better position to donate to Lea by then.

What happened, anyway? I've never had a fire in any of my homes, so I don't know what I'd do. I've got two cats, two dogs, and twenty-five longboxes of comics to haul out of this place. :( Tell her we all wish her the best.

[the4thpip]

Oh no...
I'm about to get a small amount of money this week out of a law suit I won (my lawyer's cost is finally being reimbursed) and I will paypal her a few euros.

[TomStillwell]

How horrible! I'm sorry for your loss, Lea.

I'm going to post a story and link to this on my site in hopes that folks make some donations. I'll also blog this on myspace and send out bulletins to my friends. There's many creators on there I'm sure willl help whatever way they can.

I just made a bit of money on a deal. Lea can use it more than I can.

[Red Jack]

On it.

Best thoughts for Rumbler #1 and her family.

[amboy00]

We've gone ahead and posted a banner on our site to encourage visitors to help out as well. I've had the privilege of becoming close friends with Lea and I hope this awful news can turn around into something hopeful.

Visit Zeus Comics for a form to donate.
http://www.zeuscomics.com

[Jonah Weiland]

I've posted a story on the front page of CBR linking to this thread:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/ne...em.cgi?id=8293

I'm really happy to hear that Lea and family are safe. Not it's time to rebuild.

[Gail Simone]

LOVE COMICS.

Gail