Oh Comic-Con , you told me once how you started so much smaller than you are now.  Something that reminded me so much of what you said was finding out about the Sakai Project which not only has some wonderful artwork but was created as a benefit for the medical expenses of one of the most loved comic artists around Artist’s Alley, Stan Sakai, well known for his Usagi Yojimbo comics.

Comic-Con has grown ever so big now, but there are places that have a feel like they  have been pulled from the origins into the middle of the bustle and hugeness of the Dealer Room.  Artist’s Alley is one of those places where artists of all sorts are gathered together, joking with each other, enjoying each other’s company, helping each other out.   Stan and his wife, Sharon, are well known by the artists there.  When a call was made to artists to contribute items for a benefit auction, so many pieces of artwork came in that Dark Horse Comics decided to create a hardcover book including a large number of them.  Then they set it up so that all the proceeds from the sales of the book go to benefit the Sakai family.  The Pasedena Star News has a very nice article about this.

The book was available at Comic-Con and we promptly went to get a copy.

Elfin with Sakai Project hardcover book

Oh, the artwork!  Oh the nice quality pages!  AND many of the artists who had works in it were at Comic-Con including Stan himself!

Elfin and Stan Sakai