Please Consider Donating to Assist With Bill Mantlo's Care

Michael and Bill Mantlo.

Bill Mantlo is the creator of fan-favorite character Rocket Raccoon as well as other great characters such as Cloak and Dagger. He worked on a number of quality comics including runs on, "ROM," and, "The Incredible Hulk." He earned his law degree and worked as public defender for The Legal Aid Society as he was that kind of caring person. In 1992 he was the victim of a hit-and-run driver while rollerblading. He was comatose for some time and upon waking was left with permanent brain-damage. His younger brother, Michael, assumed the role of being Bill's caretaker. Michael is been in charge of making sure Bill receives full-time care due to having cognitive damage severe enough he is, "unable to reason or understand his situation, and he struggles daily to maintain any control over his own mind." Considering how much money some of the properties Bill created have made you'd think there would be ample funds to give him top-notch care in a private residence. Sadly, in this field of comic-books where creators have so often been screwed-over, that is not the case.

Michael Mantlo has gone over 100,000 dollars into debt over these years making sure Bill is given not just passable care, but excellent care. Michael has stated, "I have been attempting to bring my brother home from the nursing home he has been placed in for the last 10 years.  It has been a difficult struggle, filled with numerous pitfalls and obstacles, but I gave my word to him that I would do everything in my power to make it happen so that he could live out the rest of his life with dignity, and peace.  It has become painfully obvious to me in the last few months that the powers that be will not let that happen." Michael has created a GoFundMe to assist with the costs of paying-off the debt he has gained working to get Bill stellar care and situated somewhere else besides his current nursing home.

Without Bill Mantlo there simply would be no Rocket Raccoon.

Michael is completely upfront in his GoFundMe with the fact that Bill is financially stable and thanks to the compensation he does get from Marvel/Disney and Bill is at no risk of being denied care where he is. Still, Michael wants Bill not to simply waste away, but actually get to live life to the best degree he can. I understand that Bill does receive royalties (which Michael is in charge of making sure are spent appropriately as Bill's caretaker) but it is depressing to think a man who worked hard to give the world such beloved characters and suffered this terrible injury still lacks enough funds to receive the kind of assistance that would prevent Michael from having to go so deep into debt. It is just disgusting how the comic-book industry has treated so many people, and Bill deserves better--the very, "Better," Michael is trying to provide for him. I would encourage anyone who is able to donate anything, even just a dollar, to do so for Bill and Michael. I'd also encourage you to make Marvel/Disney aware that if they can manage to make trillions off of the work of creators such as Bill, they could afford to give him more money to prevent such a situation as this one from occurring in the future.