Comic artist Dave Simons was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Throughout his ordeal, Dave has continued working and remained cheerful--wanting neither sympathy nor special treatment--but the chemo has taken its toll, both physically and financially. The cancer also spread to other parts of his body and the diagnosis is grim, requiring a heavier regimen of radiation and chemotherapy. While the bulk of Dave’s medical costs are covered by the Veteran's Administration, day-to-day costs (utilities, rent, groceries) are a struggle and won’t become easier as his condition worsens.
Dave never asked for help. But a few of us are offering it anyway. Want to help us help Dave Simons?
1) Donate cash directly to Dave via PayPal at davidlsimons@earthlink.net -- If you want to remain anonymous, PayPal Daniel Best at Jet_blaq@bigpond.com or Dave's art agent Bob Shaw at midget3162002@yahoo.com and they will get the cash to Dave, every cent of it.
2) Donate art or signed books (with values of at least $10) for a series of on-going auctions designed to benefit Dave. Items should be sent to Dave’s art rep, Bob Shaw is establishing an eBay account solely to assist Dave (Help_Dave_Simons). Auctions will proceed as items come in; all money will go directly to Dave. Items should be sent to: Bob Shaw, PO Box 650, Derry, NH, 03038 - USA.
3) Contact Dave and commission a drawing. This keeps Dave active and you'll get a nice piece of art.
4) Spread this message on blogs and message boards.
For more information, contact Daniel Best at snoopy967@gmail.com or Bob Shaw at midget3162002@yahoo.com.
If you’re on Facebook, join the Dave Simons Appreciation Society and send your thoughts to Dave directly. Let’s all help Dave, a great fellow and artist who gives much and asks for little.
Dave never asked for help. But a few of us are offering it anyway. Want to help us help Dave Simons?
1) Donate cash directly to Dave via PayPal at davidlsimons@earthlink.net -- If you want to remain anonymous, PayPal Daniel Best at Jet_blaq@bigpond.com or Dave's art agent Bob Shaw at midget3162002@yahoo.com and they will get the cash to Dave, every cent of it.
2) Donate art or signed books (with values of at least $10) for a series of on-going auctions designed to benefit Dave. Items should be sent to Dave’s art rep, Bob Shaw is establishing an eBay account solely to assist Dave (Help_Dave_Simons). Auctions will proceed as items come in; all money will go directly to Dave. Items should be sent to: Bob Shaw, PO Box 650, Derry, NH, 03038 - USA.
3) Contact Dave and commission a drawing. This keeps Dave active and you'll get a nice piece of art.
4) Spread this message on blogs and message boards.
For more information, contact Daniel Best at snoopy967@gmail.com or Bob Shaw at midget3162002@yahoo.com.
If you’re on Facebook, join the Dave Simons Appreciation Society and send your thoughts to Dave directly. Let’s all help Dave, a great fellow and artist who gives much and asks for little.
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3 comments:
R.I.P. Dave. It was nice knowing you. although we never met in person you said nice things about my work on Facebook. Love ya man!
Kapitan Kartoon.
Dave Simons' middle name was Lloyd. It was his grandfather's name...and his grandparents lived up the road from me in Seelyville, Pennsylvania. Dave and I connected somehow in our middle teens, one summer when he was visiting his name-sake. We drew comics together, swam in the river, rode horses, played golf (Dave couldn't hit the doggone thing to save his life!)...and dreamed of becoming comic book pros. Dave's dream came true. I have many wonderful memories from those years which now feel like fantasy.
Dave's first printed comic work (that I'm aware of) was a comic strip in his school newspaper called Night Rider (I have photocopies of some of them). NR was a motorcycle character...and Dave revisited his love for such characters in his later professional work on Ghost Rider.
His first printed comic work in Fandom (to my knowledge) was in my own fanzine, Comic Courier...and later in a zine that he and I worked on together: The Wonderful World of the Wild and Wicked West. I have that artwork still (and stuff we hoped to publish but never did).
Dave wanted to go to art school after high school, but parental pressure pushed him into the Coast Guard. He was stationed on Governor's Island off Manhatten...and fell in love with the Big Apple.
Scientology got a hold of him...and took all his money ( I wrote him a song during that time...reaching out to him when it seemed that he was so lost). He took classes under John Buscema. He lived in a roach-filled apartment in Greenwich Village. He lived in a warehouse at the lower end of Manhattan. He fell in love...wanted to marry... it didn't happen. He was pencilling the first issue of Red Sonja during that time: beautiful pencils (ruined by Vince Coletta's inks!) He lived lots of other places...made new friends...kept drawing. He made his mark in the real comic book world--and beyond.
He and I lost touch. I tracked him down in California. Then back on the East Coast. Then no word. A phone call. A letter. Where was this guy?
Then a couple of days ago I found him online! I saw pictures of him. I discovered that he'd been battling cancer. I saw that he had moved to Jersey City. I found his blog...an e-mail address...I sent him an e-mail...and then I revisited the site where I found his blog...and discovered my friend had passed from this planet two days earlier!
Dave and I were both born in 1954. I have missed him through the years---I miss him terribly just now.
"Life is a brief minute...eternity follows."
Mark Ammerman
"Scientology took all his money" First of, that's a lie. Scientology was helping him and he loved it. He worked for the church and did so very willingly. The church gave him hope that he could be helped. We all tried to help Dave with his illness, but he went with conventional medicine. The kemo is what killed him. I lived with dave for 2 years. He was a friend and we shared an idea for a story together.
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