I’m not really one of those guys. I don’t own a lot of cool stuff and the stuff I do own is rather shabby and without much more than sentimental value. So, when the call was put out to donate cool stuff for the Help the Hodges auctions on eBay, my wife, Beth, and I were convinced that we had only one item that could bring a substantial bid for the cause.

But, after finding out that our signed bottles of limited edition Pixar Toy Story 2 and Monsters Inc. wine (given to Beth by John Lasseter himself) were against the eBay rules for selling alcohol, we were very disappointed and at a loss for any alternative ideas. But then we were reminded of some items, packed away and forgotten, that just might be equally as cool. In fact, they are a couple of the coolest things that I have ever owned and they will soon be found at the Help the Hodges charity auction on eBay later today.

The first is my crew gift from Disney’s Tarzan. The studio gave us a reproduction of the Tarzan maquette, slightly smaller than the actual working maquette that the animators used but equally as cool. The original was sculpted by master sculptor Kent Melton based on drawings by Tarzan’s Supervising Animator Glen Keane. This was one of my favorite things from my days at Disney. I guess they pop up on eBay from time to time, but to make this auction sweeter, Chad Frye got the maestro himself, Glen Keane, to autograph the base with a black Sharpie.

Second is a super cool find an old friend of mine made on Disney property and it was essentially found in the bargain bin! Two of Walt Disney’s famed Nine Old Men, Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston (responsible for characters such as Captain Hook, Smee, Doc, Pongo, Bambi, Baloo, Tramp, Pinocchio, Alice, Prince John, Mowgli, and many more) wrote the essential bible of animation: The Illusion of Life. Hyperion Publishing reprinted their book in 1995 and to celebrate their first edition, they produced 3,500 copies specially bound with a fold out of sixteen of Frank & Ollie’s favorite drawings, and both men hand-signed each of these individually numbered books! Before the auctions were interrupted on a couple of weeks ago, the bids on this book were rapidly climbing!

So, if you like really cool stuff, why are you still here? Both of these items go up on the auction today, so be sure to get your bid in!

Being a relatively unknown artist, I know that my original artwork wouldn’t bring much in an auction, so I have been banging my head to think of what I can do to help raise money for this cause. But it turns out that I have something that you, the readers of Red’s Planet, just might like to have.

Several people have asked where they can get a printed copy of Red’s Planet. Well, it happens that there are some in existence. Last September I had a limited run of the Red’s Planet Preview printed by the awesome Ka-Blam comic printers here in Orlando. I gave these copies as gifts to friends, family and colleagues. They have never been available for sale and will never be re-printed in this format.

My daughter Ginny with the Red's Planet Preview Issue

I am making available 20 copies of the Red’s Planet Preview Issue for Help the Hodges. Here’s how you can get one:

• For a donation of $10 or more, you get a signed copy of Red’s Planet Preview Issue.
• For a donation of $25 or more, you get a signed copy of Red’s Planet Preview Issue and a pencil sketch of Red.
• For a donation of $35 or more, you get a signed copy of Red’s Planet Preview Issue and an ink drawing of Red.
• For a donation of $50 or more, you get a signed copy of Red’s Planet Preview Issue and an Ink drawing of any two Red’s Planet characters of your choice.

So that’s it. If you are interested, here’s what you do:

• Step 1: Drop me an email (click here) and tell me you are interested.
• Step 2: I’ll send you an email and let you know that a book is reserved for you, with a link to make your donation via Paypal. Don’t make your donation until I have confirmed that copies are available (unless, of course, your joy of giving is uncontainable).
• Step 3: After you have made your donation, forward your Paypal receipt to me to verify your donation. I will then get your book into the mail within a day (if you have requested a drawing with your book, please allow 1-2 weeks for shipment). And don’t worry, there’s no private information on your Paypal receipt.

The printed edition of the Red's Planet Preview

Though this is not an official Help the Hodges offer, I have cleared this through Chad Frye, the coordinator of the Help the Hodges auction. All donations will be made through the Help the Hodges PayPal account, and no money will be transferred through me. Help the Hodges is a fund raising effort of the National Cartoonist Society Foundation, so all donations are tax-deductible. Please follow the above instructions, and type carefully.

Thanks everyone for your interest!

UPDATE

Thanks so much to everyone for the great response! There are still plenty of copies available, so don’t get left out!

UPDATE #2

As of today, we’ve raised $120 $155 $310 for Help the Hodges! There are still 12 11 8 books available in case anyone is interested. Thanks so much to everyone for your donations!

FINAL UPDATE

There are no more copies available. Thanks to everyone who donated to Help The Hodges!

Starting this Thursday, January 21, there will be a very special auction of comic and cartoon art to to help the family of my friend and colleague, former Disney story artist and Big Idea productions director, Tim Hodge. If you’re a fan of animation, you will certainly be familiar with Tim’s work, even if you don’t know his name.

I worked with Tim while at Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida, but didn’t get to really know him until he gave me a call several years later to help out on the Veggie Tales feature film The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything. Not only is he an amazing director and story-man (one of my favorites), but he is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet.

Now Tim and his family need some help and the animation and cartooning communities have come to his aide. The following is from www.helpthehodges.com:

On August 22, 2009 Matthew Hodge, the 17-year-old son of former Disney story artist and Big Idea productions director Tim Hodge, was in a serious auto accident. A train struck his car at 50mph as he was crossing the tracks. While Matt suffered neither broken bones nor any internal organ damage, he did receive severe head trauma causing him to remain in a state of coma today. Matt is a high school senior, a straight A student, and a drummer in his state championship marching band.

Being self-employed, the Hodge family has short term medical insurance that will not fully cover all of their bills. Additionally, with the care they are giving Matt, full-time work is not possible for Tim right now. This loving family is relying on their faith and the love of family and friends for their survival. This is a tragic accident that will forever affect their lives as the road to recovery for Matt may be a long one.

In an effort to help the Hodge family, the National Cartoonists Society Foundation is getting involved by hosting a fund-raising auction to be held on eBay. The NCSF is a fully licensed 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that not only helps fund educational endeavors for cartooning, but is there to help cartoonists in dire circumstances like the Hodges.

Please take the time to visit the site and check out all l the amazing work that has been donated for this auction. If you are a collector, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity! If you aren’t able to bid on any of these items, but can put together a few bucks, please consider donating to this family—remember, it is a tax deductible donation and there is a Paypal link on the site.

Visit www.helpthehodges.com for more info.