Comics editor Scott Dunbier has a special item on offer on eBay right now, raise funds to support longtime US comic book artist inker Bob Wiacek – an unpublished, unfinished Gen 13 script by Alan Moore.

Bob, whose many credits includes work on titles such as Alpha Flight, Excalibur, Star Wars and more, has recently been diagnosed with glaucoma which is inhibiting him from getting regular work.

He has set up a Bob Wiacek Glaucoma Relief Fund page on GoFundMe with the help of his son, to raise money to pay medical bills, current taxes and back taxes, so he doesn’t lose his house. Yes, the situation is that serious, so if you can help him, please do. Currently, Bob is unable to take commissions and can only sign books and do sketch cards.

Originally written in 1997, bidding on the Gen-13 script titled “The Coming of the Collector” is closing in on $3500, with three more days to bid.

The script, featuring the teen superhero team created by Jim Lee, Brandon Choi, and J. Scott Campbell for WildStorm, is being sold with the full knowledge and blessing of Alan Moore.

“All money earned from this auction will go directly to Bob Wiacek, long time comic-book inker and all around good guy,” says Scott, who was Alan Moore’s editor-of-choice when at WildStorm. “All money earned will go directly to aid Bob.”

Alan’s published credits for Image Comics encompass such titles as Wildworlds, WildCATS, Supreme 1 and 2, the Fire From Heaven event, and much other work. His work for the publisher also includes the ABC line that was published through WildStorm, originally planned to be published through Image.

“Several artists were going to draw different chapters, not sure how many but at least one was intended for Travis Charest,” Scott says. “These 28 pages are all that Alan wrote, it is not complete and never was (Hence it never being published).”

28 out of 48 pages were written, running to 35 typed pages. As you can see from the images presented, Alan’s panel descriptions, following traditional IPC script format to the nth degree, are huge, leaving nothing to chance in terms of describing a frame. One shared page indicates a whole page is required to describe a single panel.

Such is the interest in this script, which Scott first rediscovered some years ago, that Spanish artist Alberto J. Silva has drawn his take on the opening page.

“The script was sent (as all of Alan’s scripts were) via fax,” Scott indicates in his auction description. “The pages were printed out on plain paper (not thermal fax paper, thank goodness) and are probably the only copies that exist.

“This is truly the ultimate Alan Moore collectible,” he ventures, “an unpublished script by arguably the greatest writer in comics history – one-of-a-kind!”

• You can check out Alan Moore’s Gen 13 script here on eBay.com

• Bob Wiacek Glaucoma Relief Fund

• Follow Bob Wiacek on Facebook

With thanks to Richard Sheaf for the tip

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.

Categories: Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, US Comics

Tags: Alan Moore, Bob Wiacek, Charity Auction, downthetubes News, Gen 13, Image Comics, Image Comics, Scott Dunbier, Superhero Comics