ToteMan has entered the Pepsi Prefresh Project contest, a contest offering funding to people, businesses, and non-profit organizations with ideas that will have a positive impact on the community. Writer John Mclaren and artist Rickman, creators of the ToteMan Public Service Announcement Comicbook for Epilepsy Awareness are hoping to get enough votes to be awarded one of the prizes that would allow funding for the printing and distribution of the comic.
It takes quite a bit of money to fund a project of this size, so the award would be a great boon to the publishing of the comic and would help get the book into as many hands as possible.
YOU CAN HELP!
Please help us by going to the Pepsi Refresh Project site and registering. Then you can vote up to once a day. We need your votes to make this happen!! Click HERE to start now!
Check out our video below! It features the REAL TOTEMAN coming to the rescue of a child having an epileptic seizure!
Then, after you vote, take a look at the pages of the PSA Comic... or better yet, download the ashcan version FREE!! But make sure you vote first. Thanks!
The production team of ToteMan is currently at work creating a comic book to enlighten the public about epilepsy; the dangers, the symptoms, the myths and the first aid response.
Download the Ash Can PDF! Feel free to make copies and give to everyone you think could benefit!
The PDF is made to be printed in black and white to keep costs down and get the book into as many hands as possible. If your Church or Doctor's office would like copies, let them know they can make copies as well.
All we ask is that no part of the book be changed or removed. Otherwise, print away! Do us a favor, let us know if you are, we like to know who's enjoying and benefiting from our work. Thanks!
My name is John, and a few years ago, I decided to write a comic book to bring epilepsy awareness to children. I was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 16, and after learning more, my mother and I realized that I had displayed symptoms most of my life. The petite mal seizures I suffered as a child were mistaken for lack of awareness or response, and were the subject of great embarrassment, misunderstandings and ridicule!
A young woman, a classmate with me in college, began to cry after reading the script. I asked her mother, who was in class with us, what was wrong and she told me that her daughter had epilepsy but was afraid to tell people. The young woman explained that she identified with the things in the story because it told of so many of her own experiences. Another gentleman had looked at the sample pages and wanted a copy to give his nephew who is still embarrassed about having epilepsy.
I wrote this story in Jamaica, in 2002, while on my honeymoon. In an odd twist of fate I then had two seizures there and returned home late. When I got back home, my life was changed forever. I lost my job in corporate America, and made it my mission to start an awareness campaign about epilepsy. And the best way for me to start would be in a medium near and dear to me... comics.
I knew from the start who I wanted to draw this little tale for me. There could only be one choice for me. So in the fashion best known to me, I start begging my friend Rickman. After bugging him for almost six years he caved. Actually, his schedule finally opened up enough to fit this in and, being out of the comics industry for a while, he saw this as a great way to get back in and give something back to the community, all at the same time.
So now here we are in the final stages of development. We are looking to publish this year, 2009. We are getting ready to start looking for donations and funding to realize my goal of having issues in every child's hands, doctor's office, hospital, daycare... you get the idea.
