Posted in: Comics | Tagged: alice in wonderland, Comics, detective comics, entertainment, evil ernie, Tommy Castillo

Help Save Artist Tommy Castillo's Vision

Published Thu, 22 Jan 2015 18:30:12 -0600

One of the coolest nights of my life was a dinner one night after the Wizard World Dallas show. A group of us went to a BBQ place and Joe Jusko introduced us to Blue Moon which he bought the first round and we sat at this huge table talking comics and art with Michael Golden, Tone Rodriguez and Tommy Castillo among others. Being the writer in the group was interesting as I got to listen to stories from different artist at various points in their careers yet all dealing with the same issue and I got to know all of them a little better.

I consider Tommy a friend. He's also an amazing artist who has worked on so many books from Detective Comics to Evil Ernie to Alice In Wonderland. But now his art and his career are in jeopardy. Diabetes almost took his life last year and now its on the verge of taking his eye sight. His wife has written the statement below given more details and asking for help.

Sammy Castillo here. As many of you may know, the World almost lost my husband, Tommy Castillo, in October of 2014. His ongoing battle with Diabetes took a horrible turn for the worse nearly killing him. While on the outside and to everyone it may seem like Tommy is doing better, in fact, things aren't progressing very well. Because of this recent down turn in his health, the Diabetes is now attacking Tommy's eyesight -which is an artist's worst fear. To put it plainly, the diabetes is destroying the small blood vessels in the back of Tommy's eyes causing them to bleed. Without surgery this will cause Tommy to go blind within a year- maybe less. Each surgery is $ 4,000 per eye. The doctor told us that he will need AT LEAST two treatments in each eye plus perscriptions and recovery time.

Tommy had to use this same surgery to save his eyesight once before nearly 9 years ago. Despite the surgery, it left him nearly blind in his right eye. His left eye being dominant is now the one in the most danger.

As all of you know, Tommy is a wonderful and caring man. Never asking for anything, but always willing to help a new artist spread their wings and always willing to donate to Charities. Heck in the past 7 years he's help raised over $100,000 for Make-a-wish and many of his former students are now leaders in the art field. I fought with Tommy about whether or not to put this up. But despite all of our success, and with lack of medical insurance, we have depleted our life savings and the money we saved to put down to purchase a house.

Many of you own a piece of Tommy's art, whether it is an original or a print. I ask that you please look at it and think of what a dark world it would be if the lights go out on my husband. Oz will be forever dark.

Please donate. Even $1 is one closer to helping keep the light in this world we all know as Tommy Castillo.

Thank you for your time and care. Please share this with as many as we can.

To help Tommy or for more information you can go to this website.

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