Norm Breyfogle has had a career spanning decades, beginning in 1984 when Mike Friedrich saw his work at the San Diego Comic-Con art show. He’s worked for just about every publisher it seems, drawing everything from American Flagg to the Spectre, but he’s probably most well known for an almost decade long run drawing Batman in the late 80s and early 90s. I’ve written about this epic run before, and it still inspires me to this day. During that run he and Alan Grant created many new characters, including the fan-favorite Ventriloquist.
Breyfogle added so much to the Dark Knight’s mythos, but that’s far from all he did. He’s entertained, inspired, and influenced so many over the years, and now he could use our help. On December 17th of last year Norm Breyfogle suffered a stroke which left his drawing hand impaired. For someone who makes a living through drawing, that’s about the worst thing that could happen. He’s been going to physical therapy to retrain his hand, and may fully recover, but it won’t be cheap.
Here’s where you come in. The Whisper Campaign has been started do raise funds for Breyfogle’s medical bills. It is an Indiegogo campaign that will not only raise much needed money, but also gives backers exclusive art by Breyfogle and others, as well as collecting his and Steven Grant’s never before reprinted series Whisper. Some of Breyfogle’s earliest work, this fan-favorite cult-hit hasn’t seen print in over two decades. The 280-page trade paperback collects issues #3-11 of Whisper, and it is only available through this Indiegogo campaign. Honestly though, even without this collection this campaign is a great way to say “thank you” to an artist that has touched many of our lives.
From the campaign:
Norm Breyfogle has suffered paralysis on his left side, and he draws with his left hand. He 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, draw and hopefully work again.
Like many comic book artists before him, Norm Breyfogle is experiencing the brutal reality where freelance artists with marginal or no insurance can find themselves crushed under hundreds of thousands of dollars of medical bills from career-altering illness or injury. Even in the Affordable Care Act era, health-care security eludes many artists, including ones with histories as extensive and reputable as Norm Breyfogle. He needs help. You can help save him and get cool art for doing so.
The Whisper Campaign can be found on Indiegogo and more information can be found on Facebook.
