Dallas, Texas, May 4th, 2009 -- The Hero Foundry granted two endowments of over $3,000 worth of comic books and graphic novels were donated to the Skyline High School in Mesa, Arizona and to the Hamilton Middle School in Wichita, Kansas. These comics and graphic novels will help to increase literacy, inspire creativity and most importantly provide positive role models and moral guidance to today’s youth.

These endowments are the first donated by The Hero Foundry for 2009 and are the culmination many months of hard work by a host of volunteers. These donations to schools in Arizona and Kansas came in the form of over 150 graphic novels and trade paperbacks.

Hamilton Middle School Teacher Theresa Delgado said the following upon receiving the endowment, “It’s unbelievable, the boys are just begging for the books.  This was a wonderful addition to the classroom library.”

The Hero Foundry worked with The Skyline High School Anime Club President Carrie Weemes and Mr. Thomas an American History Teacher at the school to bring the endowment to The Skyline High School library. 

Anime Club President Carrie Weemes said the following upon receiving the endowment, “Thank you soooo much for the books!  I know my school will enjoy them throughout the years!”

Since April 2006 The Hero Foundry has been working to secure donations through convention appearances, online auctions of donated materials, and their website (www.theherofoundry.org) in order to provide comic books and graphic novels to libraries, schools, and hospitals.

“This makes the ninth and tenth endowment The Hero Foundry has made since we started and we hope to make this our biggest year of giving yet with at least three more endowments to donate,” said Board of Directors member Paul Milligan. 

The Hero Foundry is a Non Profit Organization founded in 2006 in order to assist libraries, schools, hospitals, and other organizations that lack the financial resources in building a library of comic books, graphic novels, and similar literature. Their intentions are to increase literacy, inspire creativity, and most importantly, to provide positive role models and moral guidance to today’s youth through the comic book medium.

Donations to The Hero Foundry are accepted in the form of monetary contributions through their PayPal account (thefuture@theherofoundry.org), mailing a check to the address below, or by stopping by their booth at one of their upcoming comic convention appearances. Additionally, comic books, graphic novels and other materials will be accepted. These materials will either be donated to beneficiaries of The Hero Foundry, or will be sold to finance The Foundry’s mission.

The Hero Foundry is in a great place right now that we have several endowments of comics books, trade paperbacks, and graphic novels in stock ready to be donated to any Library or School that is in need or wants to enhance their current selection or curriculum.

The problem is we currently don't have any requests for endowments to fill. 

So we need your help.  Are you a teacher or librarian?  Do you know any teachers, librarians?  Do you know of any schools or libraries?  Contact them and ask them can they benefit from having comic books and graphic novels?  I am sure many could but we need to be able to reach out them. 

You can contact us here on MySpace, at www.theherofoundry.org or by phone at 214-957-1018. 

The Hero Foundry is helping make the heroes of tomorrow today with one comic book at a time and you can help! 

Truly,

Brian T. Warthen

President

The Hero Foundry

brianwarthen@theherofoundry.org

!!!

I just wanted to give a heartfelt thank you to all the people who without their help we could not have had such a successful Live Art Show Auction POW (Pictures On the Wall)! First thanks to all the artists who came out and before a crowd of spectators put their talent on display and created some spectacular art and second to the artist who donated art for the auction thank you so much it was you guys and gals who kept people excited and bidding. Very special thanks goes to Tara McPherson (http://www.taramcpherson.com/) whose amazing prints caused some feverish bidding and brought in the largest donations of the night. Also to American Werewolf Academy (www.americanwerewolfacademy.com) for coming out, rocking the events as a free show and bringing with them a legion of loyal fans who also stayed to bid on art. To DJ T. Strick for spinning some mad tunes and keeping the crowd lively and making the auction exciting.  Jeremy and Erin, and the crew of Titan Comics (www.titancomics.com) who provided a place for the event and also helped run and set the show up.  All the guys at Space Gun Studios (http://www.space-gun.com/) Evan Bryce, Jake Ekiss, Vinh-Luan Luu, and Matthew Warlick for coming out in force, helping setting up the show, and creating some explosive art for the cause.  Also David Rodriguez from Art Love Magic (www.artlovemagic.com) painted a huge Colossus vs. Brood piece that was a center piece of the night and also helped with the show setup and Brent Peeples, Jonathan Miller, Jose, Evan Shaner, and all the other artists who I am sure I am forgetting that banged out some tight looking pieces. To Jordana, who created art in her own way, with the food she dished up.  She missed her calling as a chef.  Lastly to all the amazing Philanthropists who came out to show support, donated to The Hero Foundry, and won some beautiful art.  I hope everyone enjoyed the food, drinks, amazing music, and participated in a sometimes heated but entertaining auctions where some lucky winners went home with some great looking original artwork.  This show was more successful than last year with twice as many people attending.  The money raised will go a long way to help us recover buy comics and graphic novels that will be used to inspire the youth of today to be the heroes the future desperately needs. 

We had a great turn out and a fun time so I thank you The Hero Foundry thanks you and let's POW! it again next year!  Oh dont forget to go and check out all the pictures from the show!!

Truly,

Brian T. Warthen

President

The Hero Foundry

POW! The Live Art Auction benefiting The Hero Foundry, a non profit 501 (c) 2 charity, and their mission of providing comic books and graphic novels to library, schools, and hospitals.  On Saturday, September 6^th at Titan Comics join local fine and comic artists as they create action packed works of art, as a DJ spins music to provide a tempo to the creations, and as the works are completed they and previously donated art will be auctioned off. 

The Hero Foundry presents POW! the Live Art Auction.  Pictures on the Wall! is collaboration between local artists and businesses to raise much needed funds for The Hero Foundry and provide a view into the artistic creative process.  All funds will be used by The Hero Foundry to continue its mission to increase literacy, inspire creativity, and most importantly, to provide positive role models and moral guidance to today's youth through the comic book medium. This year The Foundry is launching a new reading program that they think will complement their endowments of graphic novels but also allow schools and libraries to directly influence youth with the power comic books.

In order to help Titan Comics, and Comic Book Artists from Dallas, and all over the United States have joined together to help out The Hero Foundry by donating time, talent, and incredible art to the Saturday September 6^th, event.

When:
Saturday, September 6th from 8pm - 11am

Where:
Titan Comics
3701 W. NW Hwy, Ste 125
Dallas, TX 75220
214-350-4420  

www.titancomic.com

During the show there will be live music by.  The show is open to the public and free to all who attend with free food and drinks being generously provided by local businesses and private donors.  If you want to help out The Foundry and have a blast doing so watching art came alive then you should definitely show up at Titan Comics on September 6th to bid on some fantastic original artwork!

More information is available at http://www.myspace.com/theherofoundry  and www.theherofoundry.org.  Or you can email Directors Brian Warthen at brianwarthen@theherofoundry.org and Paul Milligan at thesuperleezard@yahoo.com .

I just wanted to send out a note to all the geeks, robots, mutants, pirates, artists, nerds, writers, fan boy/girlz and heroes telling you about an upcoming fundraiser. The Hero Foundry continues its mission to increase literacy, inspire creativity, and most importantly, to provide positive role models and moral guidance to today's youth through the comic book medium.  This year we are launching a new reading program that we think will complement our endowments of graphic novels but also allow schools and libraries to directly influence youth with the power comic books. In order to help The Foundry Titan Comics, and The Hero Foundry are joining forces to put on a Live Art Show, Art Auction and Music Event.

To accomplish this though we are looking for artists who would like to participate in the live art show and/or donate some of their art for the auction.  Can you draw, are you creative, do you paint then we need your help!  We are looking any artists that create comic books or create fine art on the canvas then we want you to come help a worthy cause during a night of creative philanthropy or people who own original art and want to generously donate a piece from their private collection for the cause.  We also need people to spread the word about the show so post this on your MySpace page, send out a bulletin, email, if you work or know someone in the media pass it along and see if you can get an article published about the event, if you know artists then contact them to help out, our if you wish to just come and volunteer your time to help make it a successful event we need you!

If you are interested in helping spread the word or participating in the Live Art and/or donating original art for the auction then please email Brian Warthen at brianwarthen@theherofoundry.org or Paul Milligan at thesuperleezard@yahoo.com .

Marvel Comics artist Humberto Ramos (X-men and the upcoming Runaways), Artist Katie Cook (Topps and Upperdeck Star Wars Marvel Tradding Cards) along with Stumblebum Studios and D Magazine Comic Book Artist Paul Milligan will be joining The Hero Foundry at booth 1418. Humberto Ramos, Katie Cook, and Paul Milligan will be sketching and signing at various different times at The Hero Foundry Booth. In addition there will also be three drawings a day with prizes including artwork, graphic novels, and statues.  In honor of our first appearance at Wizard World Chicago, The Hero Foundry will have I ♥ Comics t-shirts available at their booth. Each shirt is a $15 donation with all proceeds helping The Hero Foundry provide comic books and graphic novels to libraries, schools, and hospitals in order to increase literacy, inspire creativity, and to provide positive role models and moral guidance to today's youth."I am very excited that Humberto will be helping The Foundry his work on X-men with Mike Carey during the Messiah Complex was brilliant." Edward Priddy, Vice President, adding "As for Katie and Paul when you see the amazing brand of art they create you will love their work as much as we do." The Hero Foundry will also be holding three drawings a day with all the money raised helping to put comic books into schools, libraries, and hospitals that cannot afford them. These drawings will include statues, original comic book artwork, graphic novels and more. All of these items were donated especially for this event. "The Hero Foundry couldn't continue its mission without the support from our local comic book stores and the astonishing amount of incredible items they donate to our cause," exclaimed Lance Shankles, The Hero Foundry Treasuerer. Numerous stores were incredibly generous donating hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise for these drawings.  Tickets for the drawing as well as The Hero Foundry Buttons and Grab Bags will be a $1.00 donation each. Come out to Wizard World Chicago on the 27th-29th and join us at booth 1418 to help out a great cause by getting a sketch from one of the great artists, buying some raffle tickets to win some cool swag, or cool button or shirt.

Truly,

Brian T. Warthen

President

The Hero Foundry

http://www.wizardworld.com/herofoundry.html

www.theherofoundry.org

The Hero Foundry will be at Cape tomorrow raising funds to put comics into the hands of tomorrows heroes the youth of today.  Come out get some free comics and enter our raffle to win some original Iron Man art work.

www.theherofoundry.org

www.capeday.com