Thread by @GailSimone

Okay. This is going to take a bit of explanation and I will probably mess it up. Let me get all this out and hopefully it will make some sense.

It's about Wonder Woman, and current events. It shouldn't take too long.

1/

Okay, I've said this often but when I was a kid, we were farmers in the boonies, we were dirt poor. I love comics but buying them in a store was a luxury we couldn't afford. Sometimes my cousins gave me theirs, sometimes we would find them at garage sales.

2/

I've also often said that Wonder Woman was THE catalyst that made me love comics, and that's true. But it's a bit more nuanced than that. See, I read her in a JLA issue, and she was cool and amazing. But the few issues of her own book I found actually had the opposite effect. 3/

I didn't see her as the Wonder Woman from that JLA book I loved, where she was powerful and compassionate. The issues of her own book, she was unsure and felt she had to prove herself, and it was confusing to me, as a very young kid. 4/

Hang on, I promise, this isn't some weird awkward fable, it's going somewhere.

Anyway, the long story short is, I loved her, but I always loved her more for what I thought she should be rather than how she was in her own book.

Until George Perez.

5/

The hottest artist of the day, with a string of hits behind him, decided to cast his ridiculous talents on Wonder Woman. And it changed EVERYTHING.

Nearly everything great that has happened with her character since then started with George's run, as writer and artist. 6/

When you ask any WW fan's favorite runs, a lot of names come up, it's different for everyone.

Except George, everyone has George on that list.

7/

Everyone who has written Wonder Woman, if they are worth a damn, has read those books and studied them, and is at least a LITTLE bit worried they will screw up what he built.

I also want to say that George is the kindest, most generous person in comics. 8/

Whenever I met him at a con, I would stammer and shuffle, and he was always incredibly kind.

It made me happy to my SOUL that the guy who made me love Wonder Woman, the character that made me a lifelong comics fan, was also a great human being. 9/

Long after his run, I got to write the Wonder Woman monthly, and it always felt like George was watching so I'd BETTER NOT SCREW UP.

Then this upcoming issue was coming, a big anniversary, Wonder Woman #600. 10/

Some of editorial wanted their own team on WW, and when that happens, they tend to pretend a LITTLE bit that the previous team never existed. It's not malice, it's just kind of keeping the machine going. So I didn't hear about this anniversary right away. 11/

But then I get a call from the editor of that issue.

And he says, "George Perez is doing his farewell to Wonder Woman story in this issue and he wants to know if you would write it."

12/

I'm sure you have all gotten that email at some point, where you just stare at the monitor like you can't figure out what is being said, you can't parse it.

George Perez, the best WW writer ever, wanted ME to write his FINAL Wonder Woman story?

WHY?

13/

I mean, I'm not being falsely humble, I'm proud of my WW run, but I could not make sense of that and I told them so. George didn't need me and I would just be intruding.

But George was adamant, he wanted me to write it and him to draw it and THAT was the scariest idea ever. 14/

But I did it because I LITERALLY knew that I would be on my deathbed years later, yelling at myself for turning it down.

So I wrote it, just a sweet little seven page story with all my favorite characters from his run. 15/

George was saying goodbye to Wonder Woman after all his years of hard work, and my son had graduation coming up. So I wrote the story about saying goodbye with love, not just sadness, and it was called 'Valedictorian.'

In it, Julia Kapatelis graduates, and she says goodbye. 16/

She's been a bit hurt by Diana's not being there when she needed her. We've all felt that.

But she forgives her, and Diana has a quote to her that ends the story.

17/

"Vanessa, the seeds grow, and the leaves fall.

But I will never be away from you.

Because circumstances change...

...but the love endures."

18/

It was our goodbye to Wonder Woman, his goodbye to drawing comics, it just had layers and layers of meaning for all of us and many, many people still come up to me and say that for them, it's about some parting in their own lives that had to happen, but was still a struggle. 19/

Guys, I have never been so worried sending in a story. I sent George a note saying, PLEASE tell me anything you want changed, no matter how small or large.

George wrote back.

"It's beautiful. Don't change a word."

20/

Did I cry, why yes I did, quite a lot.

And the art came in and OF COURSE it was incredible, it was as good as his best, just impossibly gorgeous and every page, he adder more panels and more emotion, it was amazing.

21/

So what I didn't find out til LATER is something no one told me, George never even mentioned it. It hadn't been the editor's idea for me to write the story.

George had told them he would ONLY do it if I was the writer.

He never even mentioned that. Found out ages later. 22/

Okay, so you are asking, why are you talking about a ten year old comic book story when everything is on fire?

Fair. The thing is, I wanted to do something, but I don't have a clue how to start a huge auction like the comics 4 creator thing, I don't even have paypal. 23/

And I am an organizational mess.

But there are some things I know I can do.

One is, I can donate directly to #BLM causes. I'm doing that this morning.

Two is coming a little later today.

Three is in this thread. 24/

So there's just a little more to the story of that Wonder Woman tale.

A few days after the issue comes out, I get a package out of nowhere, I had nothing coming that I was aware of.

25/

It was big and flat, but I still didn't put it together.

It said OPEN CAREFULLY, so I did, I opened it like I was defusing a bomb.

It was the last two pages of the original art, by George Perez, for his very last Wonder Woman story. OUR story. 26/

He just sent them as a gift.

Without a word to me. It just showed up at my door.

27/

Now, I know this story went long, as always. But I still very much condensed how important Wonder Woman became to me, and to this day. Because of George. When I cried in the theater watching the movie, I was thinking, "Oh, my god, George must be LOVING this."

28/

It's just everything to me, so much of who I am, so much of what I believe in.

So I put those two pages up framed, where I can see them all day every day, to remind me of good things and good people and good hope for good futures.

29/

I'm not great with money, I don't value it as I probably should. I don't care about possessions much. But when someone gives me something, it means a lot to me, I have kept every comic, every trinket, every piece of fan art I have been given at cons since I started in comics. 30/

What I'm getting at is, of all the art I have been given, all the things I possess, I can't think of anything that I have that has more value to me than this. I can't think of anything that makes my heart swell the same way, because it's not just art, it's EVERYTHING. 31/

It's ridiculous to call this a 'sacrifice,' when people are putting their health and safety and security on the line. But all the same, it feels like we SHOULD be giving up something it stings to lose.

So this was a long story to get to this point. Sorry.

32/

I want this to be clear. I wouldn't sell or trade either of these pages if I was down to having a dime to my name. I have said many times, and meant it, they are the first things I would grab out of my house if it was on fire, after my husband, son, and dog. 33/

So I am offering up an auction for a Wonder Woman package, and it includes the very last page of George Perez's legendary Wonder Woman work, from right off of my wall.

Signed by George, I'll sign it too, if you like. 34/

I mean, if you are a Perez fan, or a #WonderWoman fan, or just a fan of legendary comic runs, this thing has only been two places in its existence...George's drawing table and my wall.

He sent the 'goodbye' pages because they meant the most.

35/

Here it is. Because it’s Perez, I asked for nine panels, he drew twelve.

Chokes me up every time.

It looks like this.

36/

This is what it looked like in the actual comic, colored and lettered.

37/

I know some of you out there will get this, you have something that is literally priceless to you that maybe not everyone understands. That's this for me.

Whoever buys this will also know that the money went 100% to #BlackLivesMatter.

And you will have my gratitude! 38/

I'm including two other bonuses just to make it a nice box to open.

One, a limited, numbered and signed copy of the scripts to the two WONDER WOMAN/STAR BLOSSOM stories I've done with the great @colleendoran (signed by me, not Colleen, she is far away).

39/

And finally, a signed and personalized copy of my Wonder Woman omnibus, probably some of the superhero stories I am most proud of (the thing is huge and weighs a ton). Here you see it being contemplated by my dog, Dasher.

40/

We don't have the luxury of time, so I am going to pick the highest bidder in two days.

Remember the cause, it's important. It's the most important.

So the lot is,
Signed and personalized Omnibus
Signed and numbered script
Signed Original art by George Perez.

41/

Folks, I have had many kind people say that if they won the auction they would send the art back to me.

Listen, that's unbelievably kind. But I will not accept it if the art is returned.

I want the money for #BLM and I know whoever gets it will love it as much as I do. 42/

If you want to bid, please put the hashtag #WonderWomanLot in your response to this tweet, okay?

I will announce what looks like the front-runner in two days and if we miss your bid, you can let us know so you are still in the running.

43/

FINALLY, there's one more little thing.

I know a lot of writers out there, even the ones we think of as 'big names,' are low on cash just like most of us.

And I know they are trying to think of ways to help.

May I suggest a challenge? 44/

You writers out there, my friends...

I know it's an uncertain time. But I know almost all of you have an art collection, things gifted or purchased.

I challenge you...take a piece that has special meaning to you and auction it off, right now, for #BLM.

45/

We have black retailers and readers and they're hurting. We have black creators and editors who were not always treated fairly.

We can do this. Take the #ComicsWriterChallenge and trade something you love for something we need.

THANK YOU.

46/

Oh, and every goddamn day,

#BlackLivesMatter

And PS.

I love you so much.

Tagging because I know these guys will want to jump in, I am positive.

@TomTaylorMade
@TomKingTK

What say you, guys? Wanna take the #ComicWritersChallenge?

I promise you can punch me in the face at the next con if you like!

Holy heck, it gets better!

Co-creator and artist of the Star Blossom/WW stories, the LEGEND @colleendoran, has offered to do a sketch for the signed script in this bundle!

So now it's
The signed Omnibus
George Perez' final WW page
And a scripts with a SKETCH by colleen!

Okay. I have to add a few details here to this.

Remember this whole thread where I talked about how George Perez is the best guy? Well, it gets BETTER.

I wrote him to make 100% sure he was okay with me doing this.

He wrote back.

51/

First, he said that he supported the idea without reservation.

Then he said, "That said, I would like to make a proposition of my own.

52/

"What If the new buyer of the piece was me? I’m really not sure as to how much a piece of my art would go for these days...but I would gladly pay $X for that would go for the cause, and then, as the new owner of the art, I’d like to re-gift it to you."

53/

NIAGARA FALLS.

54/

I told him I couldn't do that, but thank you so much. That I feel like this is the right thing, and he says, "As you wish," from my favorite movie.

So a little bit LATER, I get a new email from George.

55/

"I see that the wonderfully awesome Colleen Doran has volunteered to do a sketch to be included with the WE art page.
With two of my favorite Diana boosters involved here, how can I not participate. Please put me in for a sketch as well. Perhaps one of Diana with Phillipus?" /56

Then he adds, "Sound good to you?"

WHY YES, THAT SOUNDS VERY GOOD TO ME MR. GEORGE PEREZ.

So let's take a new inventory. :)

/57

You will get....a couple now trivial items from me:

Wonder Woman Omnibus
Wonder Woman/Star Blossom script.

AND.

A sketch from @ColleenDoran

The last WW page of art by George Perez.

AND a sketch from the master himself, of Diana and Philipus.

Everything signed.

/58

SOMEONE'S gonna get the best package of stuff in the mail EVER.

EVER.

/59

Still hoping some more comics writers will jump on this #ComicWritersChallenge and consider auctioning off a piece of art from their collection.

Let's do this!