Norm Breyfogle, credited as one of the artists who changed Batman forever, was hospitalized due to a stroke on December 17. Norm suffered paralysis on his left side – all the more problematic because he draws left-handed.
Norm now needs months of extended care with daily therapy that will hopefully enable him to once again continue his skillful art and regain his mobility to be able to walk and draw again.
His friends have launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding appeal, “Help Artist Norm Breyfogle Recover From A Stroke”, seeking $10,000 to cover some of the expenses. At this writing $1,055 has been donated with three weeks to go.
Here is a video of Norm made in January, a few weeks after his stroke.
A volume of Norm’s comics and work donated by friends is offered as an incentive.
Norm’s first regular series assignment was on a book called Whisper, written and created by Steven Grant (Punisher, 2Guns) and published by First Comics in 1986. The series has never been reprinted before, so many of Norm’s fans have never seen his early work. Steven has given us permission to reprint Norm’s issues of Whisper to raise funds for his recuperation.
But that’s not all! We’re also including stories and art from all sorts of people that we’re adding to the project as stretch goals and additional incentives, including:
- Norm’s never before printed Munden’s Bar story, written by Valerie D’Orazio (Punisher) and Martha Thomases (Dakota North).
- An all-new story by Alan Grant (Norm’s collaborator on Detective Comics) and Cary Polkovitz (Ukiyo). Unlocked at $11,000!
- An all new story by Martha Thomases and Richard Case (Doom Patrol). Unlocked at $12,000!
- An all-new story by Robert Greenberger (Star Trek) and Tom Lyle (Starman). Unlocked at $13,000!
- An all new story by Mike Friedrich (Star*Reach) and Lee Marrs (Pudge Girl Blimp). Unlocked at $14,000!
- An all-new GrimJack story by John Ostrander (Suicide Squad), Timothy Truman (Conan), John Workman, and Lovern Kindzierski. Unlocked at $15000!
- An all new story by Mike Baron (Nexus) and Neil Handson. Unlocked at $17,500!
- An all new story by Danny Fingeroth (Darkhawk) and Bob Hall (The Avengers). Unlocked at $20,000!
All in all, we’re talking about at least a 280-page book. How big will it be? Well, that depends on you… and how much money we raise for Norm.
[Thanks to Glenn Hauman for the story.]
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Thanks for that Mike.
I remember Whisper fondly and would probably want the book even if it wasn’t funding a good cause.
Though as a shifty Social Justice European, please America, sort out your healthcare system. It’s sad that talented creators are forced to rely on charity drives, how do normal folks cope?
how do normal folks cope?
If you don’t have a job that has health insurance, you struggle to pay the bills and avoid the doctor unless it’s a dire emergency. One hospital visit means bankruptcy. Even if you have health insurance through your job, the deductibles and co-pays can be crippling and mean you can’t afford to pay your electric bill or get enough food. If you are above the poverty line and can’t qualify for food stamps, you are often living in constant fear that everything you own will be taken away by one medical disaster.
In the meantime, politicians are arguing that people who live like that are lazy bums, even though many of us have multiple jobs just to make ends meet and go to work sick. But you know, if you aren’t rich, you are clearly lazy.
I would move to a sane country, but I can’t afford it.
Your question presumes that a talented comic book artist in his 50s would have more resources than the average American. Sadly, I don’t think that’s true very often.
I interviewed Norm for a Wizard magazine feature story in 1994 on his new Malibu UltraVerse series Prime. He has reprinted it on his website. That was a fun piece to write. He talked a lot about his approach to the craft and walked me through his entire career. Norm is one of the friendliest people I interviewed in the comics medium.
The thing I found most poignant about his recollections: His dad made him a drawing of Superman when he was two or three years old. It’s one of his only memories of the man, and he still has a drawing he made that was based on it.
I hope Norm makes a full recovery soon. He’s one of the Batman artists who defines the character.
The only resource I was thinking of was fans. People who hear that he’s in a spot and will feel fondly of his work. Which he obviously has, but probably not to the extent that he’s going to need.
Sorry. Thought you were talking about money, which is why these charity drives happen. The U.S. isn’t fully past the idea that people who lack money should be shit outta luck when a catastrophic health crisis happens.
If you think that’s insane, you should see how health providers have one set of prices for insurers and another one for customers who pay them directly — as much as 10 times higher.
I remember Whisper! I read most of the First Comics at the time.
They die.
Or they lose everything they have. Sometimes their families do too.