Len Wein

Any true four color comics fan immediately knows the name Len Wein, and is aware of the vast contributions the writer has made to comicdom. And, even if you're not King Dork, as I am (actually, I wrested the title from Nathaniel just last week), I'd bet you know many of the characters Len Wein helped to create.

Wein is the co-creator of Wolverine, who is of course, the most popular Modern Age comic character, and one of the most popular properties of all time. He (Len Wein, not Wolverine) is also the co-creator of fellow X-Men Storm, Nightcrawler, and Colossus. Additionally, Wein is the co-creator of DC's Swamp Thing.

Pretty impressive, huh?

Oh, and he was the editor on a little indie thing that no one read, called Watchmen. Or something like that. I forget the name, as it is now pretty much lost to the annals of history...

So, by now I'm sure you're asking why I've decided to bring all this up. Well, unfortunately, Len Wein and his family suffered a pretty horrible day a couple of weeks back, when their home burned to the ground in a fire. While everyone in the family got out unharmed, their beloved dog was lost in the fire.

Wein also lost many pieces of a collection that spanned the course of his illustrious career in comics. Original art pages from the first appearance of Wolverine were engulfed by flames, along with countless copies of books Wein worked on. Now, while it will be impossible to replace everything (especially since Wein had many, many one-of-a-kind pieces and awards in his home office), it is possible to replace some things.

And Wein's friends are helping Wein's fans do just that. Head on over to the blog of comics writer Mark Evanier, where he has set up a page and a system for fans and friends to donate any and all comics Wein personally worked on to the man himself. You can get all of the necessary information right here.

If you've been reading comics for more than a year, there's a pretty good chance you have a few that are written by Mr. Wein, so take a look. And, if you find that there are a few copies of Wein books in those long boxes in the closet that you'd like to send, be sure to read Evanier's instructions about how to do so.