Here’s where I post opportunities to help out mutual aid groups, nonprofits, and individuals in need. Neighbors helping neighbors, through the pandemic and beyond.
Since the early days of the pandemic, all of my self-published books have been being distributed for free as PDFs through the Greg Pak Shop. Check it out!
Please read on for new campaigns and opportunities as they come up.
Comics artist Jeffrey Veregge has suffered acute renal and respiratory failure. His family has launched a GoFundMe to help with travel to the hospital and living expenses — Jeffrey is the family’s sole provider. Please do consider donating if you have the means.
Jeffrey and I collaborated a few years ago on a short story about the Poston incarceration camp for the New Frontiers: The Man Worlds of George Takei comics anthology book. He’s a tremendous, singular talent and a warm and wonderful person. If you pray, please pray for him and his family.
Please go buy yourself cool VACCINATED! T-shirts! Half the proceeds go to MedShare, an organization delivering medical supplies and equipment to communities in need.
A while back I designed a blue heart “Vaccinated!” symbol and made pins to raise money for mutual aid groups. Well, I fancied it up and put it on T-shirts at a merch website called Threadless! There are two designs – a fancier “electric” version that looks best on darker T-shirts and a regular version that’s fine on all colors. Threadless has a great “Causes” function that lets creators dedicate a portion of profits to a charitable organization, so I’m sharing half of the profits with MedShare.
I made some cool “VACCINATED!” buttons! And I’ve been sending them as gifts to folks who donate to their local mutual aid group or community fridge. So far the campaign has raised $3,189 dollars — huge thanks to everyone who’s jumped on board!
So TODAY is the LAST DAY for the campaign — almost out of buttons. Want one of your own?
1. Donate $25 or more to a mutual aid group or community fridge.
2. Email proof of your donation & your US mailing address to helpinghands at gregpak dot com .
3. I’ll mail you a pin! (As long as supplies last! I’ve just got a few left – first come, first served!)
If you’re new to mutual aid groups, just google “mutual aid” or “community fridge” and your town’s name and you’ll probably find some! It’s all about neighbors helping neighbors through the pandemic and beyond. If you see a phrase like “solidarity, not charity,” you’re on the right track!
(And for the avoidance of doubt, donations to political campaigns, PACs, or 501(c)4s do not count for this offer. Can’t give gifts for donations to political campaigns!)
These are acrylic buttons, approximately 1.75″ x 1.33″, single pin with a rubber stopper on the back. I used Stickermule to make ’em. Really happy with the quality!
Thanks so much for donating and for getting vaccinated!
Very excited to join a bunch of my favorite people for the AsAm Creator Happy Hour panel this Thursday to raise money for the AAAJ Chicago’s bystander intervention training. Please sign up for the free event today!
From the official announcement:
Join us on Thursday, April 22 at 8pm ET / 7pm CT / 5pm PT for a fundraiser to support Advancing Justice | Chicago
About this Event
Join us on Thursday, April 22 for AsAm Creator Happy Hour: 60 minutes of hijinks with Asian American writers, artists, and actors talking about how they got started, what they’re working on, and where they’re going in a fundraiser to support Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago‘s bystander intervention training.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:
Preeti Chhibber is a speaker, freelance writer, and author of A Jedi You Will Be, Avengers Assembly: The Sinister Substitute, and featured in the forthcoming anthology Sword Stone Table.
Amy Chu is a professional writer whose works include the Netflix series DOTA: Dragon’s Blood, graphic novel Sea Sirens, and comics such as Sensational Wonder Woman, DMC, and KISS. Amy is also a former Executive Director of the Asian American Arts Alliance and Board Member of the Asian Women Giving Circle.
Shing Yin Khor is an installation artist and cartoonist exploring the Americana mythos and new human rituals. They are the author of The American Dream? and The Legend of Auntie Po.
Trung Le Nguyen is a Vietnamese American artist and author from Minneapolis. Trung has contributed work for Oni Press, Boom! Studios, and Image Comics, and recently released his first original graphic novel The Magic Fish.
Greg Pak is a Korean American comic book writer and filmmaker best known for his award-winning feature film Robot Stories and his comics Mech Cadet Yu and Planet Hulk.
Randall Park is an actor, comedian, writer, and director known for his role in the TV series Fresh Off the Boat and films including Always Be My Maybe and Ant-Man and the Wasp.
It’s been a while! Sending all the best to everyone during these difficult days. I’m just chiming in to let you know that I’m teaching a one hour online class about running a Kickstarter campaign this Tuesday, April 13 at 8 pm ET, and I’m donating my take from the event to Compassion Oakland, a group of volunteers who have been providing chaperones for seniors in Oakland’s Chinatown.
If you’re interested, please do register today! There are just seven slots left as I write this. I’ll be devoting a good chunk of time to Q&A, so this’ll be a great time to get practical answers to specific questions if you have them.
The folks at the Asian Author Alliance are organizing an auction fundraiser to help two organizations that work against anti-Asian racism — Stop AAPI Hate and Hate is a Virus. I’m donating a bundle of signed #1 comics featuring Asian and Asian American characters, including TOTALLY AWESOME HULK #1, KINGSWAY WEST #1, MECH CADET YU #1, RONIN ISLAND #1, WAR OF THE REALMS: NEW AGENTS OF ATLAS #1 (with the first appearance of Wave), and AGENTS OF ATLAS #1.
If you’re concerned about this ongoing wave of anti-Asian harassment and violence, another thing you can do is sign up for the Bystander Intervention Training sessions this March from Hollaback! and Asian Americans Advancing Justice. Click here to find out more and sign up. I did!
Sending big love to everyone. Please do keep watching out for each other and stay safe out there.
Hey, I’m moderating an incredible panel this Friday for a VoteRiders textbanking event! Help people get the ID they need to vote in Georgia AND hear an all-star AsAm panel talk about comfort food this Friday, 5 pm ET!
With Tamlyn Tomita, Preeti Chhibber, R.O. Kwon, Minh Lê, Andrea Shea, and Alex Shibutani!
It’s gonna be incredibly fun, and it’s for an INCREDIBLY important cause. Sign up today at voteriders.org/text!
I’m thrilled to announce that my online store is now giving customers the chance to designate a local comic shop to receive a commission of half of the price of their purchases!
The COVID-19 crisis has hit comic shops hard. I’m hoping this will help put a few dollars into the hands of shop owners who have done so much for me and for thousands of creators and fans.
Please click here for more details and feel free to poke around the store and buy tons of stuff! I’ve restocked the store with loads of new rare variants and books — and even included a fun Garage Sale section with a few books I DIDN’T write!
Just type the name of a local shop into the “special instructions” field when you check out and we’ll send them half of your purchase price (minus shipping). If we can’t reach the shop you listed or if they can’t accept PayPal, we’ll send the commission to another shop on the list, selected at random, or donate it to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation.
Comics colorist Pete Pantazis has a hard deadline in about a week to raise enough money to save his home. Please do check out his GoFundMe and contribute if you can. As an added bonus, if you donate $25 or more, I’ll send you a signed copy of ACTION COMICS #23.2, which Pete colored and I wrote! Just send proof of your contribution and your US mailing address to helpinghands at gregpak dot com (apologies — I can’t ship overseas).
I have about 20 copies of the book to give away. This is the second printing, featuring the cool lenticular 3D cover.
I’m guessing most comics freelancers mentally whisper “there but for the grace of God” when they hear about the next emergency and see the next GoFundMe go live for another comics veteran. Because even if you have health insurance, any health crisis can escalate to bankruptcy and disaster, especially if you’re a freelancer without paid sick leave.
So if you have the inclination, please consider donating to these GoFundMes for comics artist Joyce Chin, who recently suffered a brain aneurysm, and Mike Mantlo, who has gone bankrupt while taking care of his brother, comics writer Bill Mantlo.
Thanks so much for your consideration.
Writer of over 500 comic books, including PLANET HULK, MECH CADET YU, FIREFLY, and DARTH VADER
