Lea Hernandez is an artist, long-time friend, and occasional collaborator. And in the category of bad things happening to good people, her house burned down.
Gail Simone has generated the following press release. I would be most appreciative if everyone here gave what they could to help her out:
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
• 
That’s horrible. My sympathies go out to her and her family.
I don’t know much about Lea’s work, but who cares? She’s in trouble, help has been requested and I’m in a position to give aid. So I will. I hope everyone reading this will do the same.
It’s good to see that Lea has friends like you, Peter, and Gail, who are rallying around her. After a tragedy like this, she’ll likely need every ounce of support she can get.
Though I’m nearly broke myself lately I sent $20 because I’m hoping my example will spread like wildfire and will help Lea recover quickly.
I’ll donate some $$$ when I get paid this Friday but I was wondering about any other stuff. What about small furniture, appliances, cookware or clothing?
My wife and I got married two years ago. We still have more stuff from the blending of our two houses then we can use. We’ve also had a few deaths in both families since then that have added to the possessions piles. None of this is second rate stuff or stuff we’ve just tired of and are looking to dump. It’s all good stuff. We just don’t have the room for all of it. We were talking about giving it to The VA Vets but we would be willing to send anything we have that they need their way.
I’m sure at least a few others out there have had the same thought.
Just to remind people, Lea was the artist for Peter’s Punisher one-shot which was really really good and worth reading. She’s a great person to boot.
Is there a reason why her LJ link comes up with “This journal has been deleted and purged”?
For anyone willing to travel to Dallas (or in the Dallas area), we’re having a Live Art show for Lea on Sept 30 at the Metro Grill. Lea will be there for some art therapy, along with Scott Kurtz, Kristian Donaldson, James O’Barr, Ben Hall and TJ Colligan. All are welcome and all proceedes go straight into Lea’s hands at the end of the show.
The Eisner winning store Zeus Comics, PVP Online, Fanboy Radio and Popsyndicat.com are all sponsoring this event. Spread the word.