PopCult Rudy Panucci on Pop Culture

Christmas Giving

It’s Christmas Eve, and in the true spirit of the holiday, I’m going to tell you about two different crowdfunding campaigns that have been set up to help some folks who aren’t having the best holiday season.

dc0460f2-09d0-4bcb-9b81-bb2bfaae18e3_profileFirst up, we have my friend, distant cousin and HVAC guy extraordinaire, John Providenti. A couple of weeks ago in the early evening, John sustained a fall from approximately two stories high while working.  He was discovered unconscious, and transported via ambulance to CAMC General Hospital, where he underwent surgery to repair a broken C2 vertebrae in his neck, and shattered T8 vertebrae in his back.

Outside the medical speak, John is a single father to 4 awesome kids, and runs his own business to support his family.  This injury will mean downtime in his business, as well as significant medical expenses mounting for his family.

So far the prognosis is good. John is out of the hospital, but he’ll be in a halo collar and unable to work for at least a couple of months. The modest goal of ten thousand dollars has been met and exceeded already, but there are always unexpected expenses that creep up in a situation like this, so if you know John, one of the best heating and cooling experts in the area, considering throwing a few bucks his way. I know he’s been very generous, cutting his customers breaks, in the past. Let’s return the favor. You can dontate at THIS SITE.

7784871_1450816112.4647Veteran comic book artist DON PERLIN recently had surgery to stop bleeding in his head. After his initial surgery and recovery, doctors discovered more bleeding and last week, as Don described it, they removed a piece of his skull the size of a creditcard and then put in a Titanium plate. He’s stuck in rehab now which his Medicare and insurance do not fully cover since he exhausted his benefits during his first hospitalization.

Don broke into the business in the late 1940s, working for several publishers, including a three-year stint as a ghost artist on Will Eisner’s The Spirit. He continued working in comics, mainly for Charlton, while also producing technical illustrations and packaging artwork in th 1960s. In 1974, Don jumped to Marvel comics where he drew Werewolf by Night, Ghost Rider, The Defenders, Transformers and other books. In the early 1990s Don worked as an editor at Valiant Comics, before entering semi-retirement.

Don is a great guy, beloved on the convention circuit, and it’s terrible that he and his wife are facing such a miserable holiday season. If you’ve enjoyed his work in the past, consider donating a few dollars to help him get back on his feet. You can donate at THIS SITE.