David M. Booher Partners With Fanbase Press For ‘Ripple Effects’ Auction Benefiting Make-A-Wish
by Brendan M. Allen
In case you missed it, a while back I had a chance to chat with Jordan Hart and Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon about Ripple Effects. The book, written and colored by Hart, illustrated by Bruno Chiroleu, flatted by Shane Kadlecik, and lettered by Oceano Ransford, hits Kickstarter this Fall with a brand-new deluxe hardcover edition.
Ripple Effects follows the adventures of a superhero whose invincibility is offset by an acute case of type 1 diabetes and a defective pancreas that must be monitored and treated daily. The gripping and inspirational story about living with an invisible illness is inspired by Hart’s own lived experience with thrombophilia, an incurable blood-clotting disease.
Striving to increase awareness and representation for individuals with invisible illnesses and disabilities, Ripple Effects: The Deluxe Edition will feature a new foreword by writer Gail Simone, study guides by educator Tim Smyth and comics literacy advocate Creators, Assemble! and an art gallery which pairs youth artists who have invisible disabilities and illnesses ranging from deafness to Autism Spectrum Disorder with comics artists including Liana Kangas, Ray-Anthony Height, Don Aguillo, and Manuel Martinez.
If you watched the video, you might have caught that my son Devland has cystic fibrosis, an invisible illness. He is one of the youth artists whose superhero self portrait is included in the backmatter of the deluxe hardcover, paired with comics artist Drew Zucker’s interpretation of the piece.
The deluxe hardcover also features Unseen Ripples, essays written by individuals with invisible disabilities and illnesses who relate Ripple Effects‘ events to their own lived experiences, ranging in topic from paranoid schizophrenia to diabetes.
In conjunction with the Kickstarter campaign, Fanbase Press has partnered with writer David M. Booher, who will host a Whatnot livestream auction on Wednesday, September 11, 2024 at 7:00 PM PT/10:00 PM ET. All original artwork from the hardcover’s art gallery will be auctioned, benefiting Make-A-Wish® Central Coast and Southern Central Valley.
This is extra special for Dev, as Make-A-Wish® Central Coast and Southern Central Valley is the organization that sent him on a week-long dream vacation to Orlando this past February, where he spent a full week exploring the Disney and Universal theme parks, eating ice cream for breakfast, and meeting real life astronaut Ken Cameron at Kennedy Space Center.
“I’ve been a fan of Ripple Effects since day one, so, of course, I jumped at the chance to be a part of this great Make-A-Wish Foundation fundraiser for kids with invisible illnesses and disabilities,” notes Booher. “I’m doubly excited to present this charity auction through my Whatnot livestream and bring Ripple Effects to a huge new audience.”
Those interested in participating in the Whatnot livestream auction are encouraged to visit www.whatnot.com (or download the Whatnot app on Android or iOS) to set up a free account. Participants may bookmark the Ripple Effects charity auction by clicking here, and pre-bids are welcome.
To get launch updates on Ripple Effects: The Deluxe Edition, visit the Kickstarter page here.
