The lines wrapped around the block – men, women, even whole families – and kept growing. It was clear something was up Saturday on Lake Avenue in Pasadena.
And there was: Todd McFarlane – known for drawing a run of “The Amazing Spider-Man,” creating the comic book series “Spawn” and co-founding the independent company Image Comics, among other things – was doing his first comic book store signing in 14 years at P Dot’s Comics & Collectibles.
McFarlane was there to support his adopted hometown.
“After 30 years of living in Phoenix, Arizona, my wife and I moved out to Pasadena – we bought a house up in Altadena. Before we could begin to remodel, we were here during the fires,” says McFarlane, whose children live in Pasadena. “It was a harsh day.”
McFarlane, whose home survived the fire, remembered seeing the blaze at the end of his street grow into what he called “Godzilla” before they evacuated.
After that, they couldn’t get back to the house. “You started hearing about how much devastation – to hear about it and read about it is one thing – but when they finally opened it up and you got to see it with your own eyes, it’s shocking.”
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Unlike the personal library of the late author Gary Indiana, which arrived in Altadena the day of the fires and was destroyed, McFarlane hadn’t moved in yet, but he says he was struck by how much some families, such as those who’d spent generations in their homes, had lost.
“You get survivor’s guilt … You don’t feel good that you drew the lucky straw and others didn’t,” says McFarlane, who has been contributing to recovery efforts but wanted to do more.
“Everybody donates at the beginning, and there’s a tendency for the funds to fall off as time goes by,” he says, adding that he was hoping to raise funds to help with the daily struggles people are facing: rent, clothing, food, and daycare.
The signing started at 8 a.m., and by 3:30 p.m., organizers estimated that more than 800 people had come through the line and hundreds more were still waiting.
“We wanted to do something to help the local community,” said Lawrence Persky, owner of P Dot’s Comics and Collectibles. “One hundred percent of the proceeds from the autograph fees are going to the Pasadena Community Foundation and the good work they do.”
At various times throughout the day, you could see comic fans leaving the small shop with signed items and smiles on their faces.
“I don’t normally do store signings – I mean, you see the line,” said McFarlane, but he thought it was a way to make a difference while also pleasing fans. “We could raise – not a giant amount – but not an insignificant amount to help people less fortunate than ourselves. Like, why not?”
“It was a tough day for a lot of people,” says McFarlane. “And they’re still dealing with it.”
The event, a representative for the Pasadena Community Foundation confirmed earlier this morning, raised $25,000 for the relief fund.
Interested in donating? Go to Pasadena Community Foundation’s Eaton Fire Relief & Recovery Fund