On April 26th... Sam's Story

On Wednesday, April 26th, 2006, a very special comic book will come out: Superman/Batman #26; and with it also comes a heart-breaking / heart-warming story. I want to explain it to you... I want to explain how this story makes me feel, how sad it makes me, how impressed I am with those involved in the issue, and how I wish there could be more like it. I don't think I can though. And I won't be able to do the backstory of this issue any justice. So here's a few paragraphs from an article on Newsarama on "Sam's Story":

A unique feature of this medium of comic books is how often we like to explore “alternative timelines” – variant "dimensions" and "universes" that deviate due to a singular event, causing ripple effects that change the entire world.

In such an alternative universe, perhaps a young writer with the familiar last name of Loeb – in this case Sam – follows up his first published work in Dark Horse’s Tales of The Vampires #5 with a one-shot issue of Superman/Batman #26. On the strength of that work he is assigned his first limited series, and then eventually an ongoing series. Perhaps in short order the comics industry finds its next Eisner winner, familiar name to the pages of Wizard and Newsarama, and fan-favorite panelist at the San Diego Comic-Con.

But that’s just an “alternative timeline”. In June of 2005, seventeen year-old Sam Loeb, son of comic book writer Jeph Loeb, died after a three-year battle with cancer.

By all accounts Sam lived a remarkable life for such a young man, touching the lives of just about everyone he came in contact with. And in April, DC Comics and a host of superstar creators are giving comic book readers a small glimpse into who Sam was and what he might have been, as 26 of the biggest names in comics lend a hand to finish a special story Sam wasn’t able to complete before his passing.

Superman/Batman #26 isn’t just a glimpse at the kind of comic book writer Sam Loeb may have become, but the way so many people who knew him have rallied around this special project, for those of us who didn’t know him it serves as a glimpse at the person he was, the mark he left, and at the limitless potential that the world lost with his passing.

We recently had the opportunity to speak to Sam’s colleague, best friend, and father – Jeph Loeb – to discuss the upcoming issue…

There's much more to the article than the few paragraphs above. If you want to keep reading, check out the full article on Newsarama.

In the article there are also several B&W pages from Sam's Story, a special supplement in the issue. Anyone familiar with Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale will know what to expect. If you're not, this is a fine intro. Either way, it won't take long. Read them anyways.

When I heard about Superman/Batman #26 and after I read the previously mentioned article, I went out to my local comic book shop and bought Tales of the Vampires #5 which contains a story written by Sam Loeb. He was an excellent writer; that much was clear from the story.

When this book comes out, even if you don't read comics, pick one up at your local comic book shop. It'll only be $3.99, and it's for a good cause. Proceeds from the sale of this issue will go to the Sam Loeb College Scholarship Fund. Better said in the words of Jeph Loeb, writer/producer for Lost on ABC and Smallville on the WB, and one of my top three favorite comic writers of all time (quote also from the Newsarama article):

LOEB: Every artist and writer has agreed to donate his or her fees and royalties directly to The Sam Loeb College Scholarship Fund. In addition, all of the artwork will be auctioned off next summer - at either the convention in Chicago or San Diego. All of those proceeds will go to the Fund as well.

The Sam Loeb College Scholarship Fund was set up in September 2005. It awards one student, a graduating Senior, each year who attended Sam's High School, North Hollywood High Gifted Magnet Program. The student best exemplifies Sam's qualities both as a student and as a person - in other words, brilliant with a sense of humor.

Since The Fund receives a portion of the book's sales (through the artists and writers royalties), we are urging the retailers to order heavily for two reasons.

I get my new comics every Wednesday (new comics day!) from DJ's Universal Comics in Studio City. Cat, the owner, is a huge supporter of the issue (he's even mentioned in the article), and I know he'll be ordering huge numbers of this issue. If you can't find it at your local comic book store, then come to Cat's. I'm sure he'll have more. If you don't normally buy comics, go to Cat's anyways. He'll make you feel right at home buying your first comic.

DJ's Universal Comics, 11038 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604. Phone: 818-761-3465

Hope to see you there on that day in April. I'll post on this subject again when the issue actually comes out. Until then, let me finish by echoing a sentiment from the latest issue of Superman, #650 (written by Kurt Busiek and Geoff Johns):

don't forget to look up. Nobody looks up anymore.