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If you’re wondering why Twitter and Facebook suddenly blew up with the name of artist Jason Pearson, he was having a low moment and the comics community has rallied on a Friday afternoon with helping words and deeds.

The creator of BODY BAGS, Pearson has done work on tons of comics over the years. His stylish art has a special soft spot for drawing the ladies, as the Catwomen art shows.

And in case you are wondering, the comics community has a big, big heart. No matter how silly or stupid things get, I am always grateful to be a part of this world.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

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1 COMMENT

  1. I don’t understand why DC and Marvel don’t return his calls (as the FB post suggested). There’s comics on the shelf that look like they were drawn by 15 year old DeviantArt users, and Pearson doesn’t have a gig? that’s madness.

  2. Heard he is in good hands at the moment, but showing some love on his facebook page would be nice as well.

    Glad to hear that. That post seemed rather grim. I have shown a little bit of love through FB and I hope he’s going to be ok.

  3. This was scary. I have been online for hours and Twitter just exploded with posts on Jason Pearson including a photo of his Facebook status. Within minutes people were tweeting for others to spread the word in the hope of contacting friends to go to his apartment right away.

    Thank God it worked.

    I cried when Mike Parobeck died because of his diabetes and his not taking care of himself, and I am glad that tomorrow morning I wont be shedding tears over Jason Pearson.

  4. Body Bags was my favorite comic of the 90s, and Jason has always been a real inspiration. Wish I knew how I could help him. Anybody has info on that besides posting on Facebook?

  5. Wow, what’s going on? Attempted suicide? The article above is no help, since I don’t have Facebook and haven’t followed him on Twitter. Pearson is really, really good at drawing. Even better than that, he’s amazing at laying out a page. After all that, who knew he could write so well? I agree with others here, I don’t know why Marvel and DC aren’t all over themselves hiring him…

  6. Thanks Brian. I was wondering what happened. If what you say is correct then this is indeed very sad. Many things can contribute to a suicide attempt including declining mental health. Hopefully Jason can get the assistance he needs.

    Life can be unpredictable and at times absolutely crushing. It is good to hear that people near him are being supportive. Let’s hope whatever is going on he pulls through.

  7. I saw a screenshot of his Facebook post. Basically, nobody was hiring him, he had $200 to his name, he was depressed, disappointing family (i’m going by memory, memory hazy). Sounded a lot like a goodbye letter.

  8. How can I help? I’ll gladly send him some money and if he doesn’t want charity, he can draw me a smiley face on a napkin. I don’t use Facebook and I’m not much for Twitter, but if someone knows how to send him money, please let us know!

  9. Hey, everyone, I wanted to stop by and update you all on what I know with regards to Jay. The first order of business is that he’s in no danger now– at all. He’s with people who can attend to what he needs, and he has a support system of people who love him. He has some things to work through, that much is obvious, but everybody’s hopeful that he’ll come through for himself. When he sees the tremendous outpouring of concern and love from his peers friends and fans, I’m sure he’ll be touched and flattered. PLEASE keep that coming.

    Second, we all know that the numerous offers of fundraising, to buy original art, and of work-for-hire is real and heartfelt– your hearts are all absolutely in the right place. But to tell the truth, his problem is more complex and fragile than what he posted last night, and can’t be solved just by injecting money into the situation. So, I implore you to suspend all charitable efforts for Jay, as well as job offers, for the time being. It may seem counter-intuitive, but it’s really the last thing he needs right now. He may need such efforts at some point in the future, but for now, your good wishes and expressions of support are enough, along with that of his family and friends.

    At this point, a lot of gossip and rumor is in the air. Please… don’t put stock in anything you hear unless you read it on his personal Facebook or on his official Facebook fan page, okay? And once this is behind him, let’s hope he comes back with work that will melt your collective faces off.

  10. Thanks for the update Cully. It’s good to know Jason has a support system. I was glad to see all the wonderful comments and appreciation for him on Twitter last night.

    There was even a thread of support at Byrnerobotics.com until John Byrne came in and deleted it. Here’s to Jason getting well and IDW giving him a job offer and him doing work that will knock our collective socks off.

  11. Thanks, but work is the absolute LAST thing he needs to have on his mind right now. It’s more about getting him back to a place where he can function as a person before he should even think about functioning as an artist in comics.

  12. So glad to hear that Jason is with people who are looking after him. Wanted to cry when I heard about his post last night, because he is such a talented guy. I’ve never met him, but I do love his humor that shines through in his work. Please let him know that he has one more fan who loves him, and wants to see him back on top again! We need Jason around for a long time, and just want him to get better.

  13. Thanks for the update Cully, hope to see you early next year at Megacon.

    I actually started that thread on Byrnerobotics and wasn’t at all surprised when it was deleted. I wish Jason all the best and hopes he come back better than ever.

  14. It’s a shame that one of the most talented people in the industry has had his soul crushed as he’s trying to get work.

    Mr. Pearson is a phenomenal talent and hopefully, once he’s in the right mindspace will find himself on a top level book, as he should be.

    And, if there’s anyone from IDW or BOOM! listening, we sure could use a really nice BODY BAGS collection.

  15. Thanks for the update Cully…I was one of the people who took to Twitter really worried for him. Jason, if you read this, you are absolutely one of my artistic heroes, and your talent consistently blows me away. Best of luck as you work through the issues you face, and I look forward to seeing the no-doubt fantastic art you produce on the other side.

  16. Hopefully, DC will finally put out his LSH work back on print. It was that good, and it was only his beginning.

  17. Guys, once again, this is not as simple as him “trying to get work.” Lack of work isn’t the problem. I don’t feel I’m liberty to violate Jay’s privacy by going into any kind of detail. But in the interest of quelling misconceptions, or of educating fans and peers trying to construct a narrative of A leads to B, I’ll that this is not a story and there is no bad guy. This is real life, and it is a complex situation. The note he posted was not the work of a calm, rational person seeing his own situation clearly, but rather someone in immense pain and confusion.

    My point is that blaming publishers or editors for “crushing his soul” is just basically yelling at the clouds– it’s pointless.

  18. I suppose like how some people have a hard time comprehending how its possible to be depressed without anything to be specifically depressed about (Hyperbole And A Half did a good entry on that recently: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2011/10/adventures-in-depression.html).

    Not that I’m trying to speculate that depression/anxiety is what Pearson is dealing with (though it sounds possible), its just what I thought of when you mentioned that not having enough work wasn’t the problem.

    I wish him a speedy recovery, and hope he’s feeling better soon. I’ve been a fan of his ever since his Uncanny X-Men Annual #17 (1993).

  19. Best of luck Jason.
    Thanks, Cully, for clarifications and for helping to steer the good intentions.
    Health first.