Asheville man wins award for comics-filled book that raises money for Parkinson’s research

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Chris Sparks was awarded the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award at Friday night’s Eisner Awards, which were handed out during the big Comic-Con convention. The Washington Post blogged about Sparks’ award:

Sparks launched the TeamCul de Sac project — which raises money to fight Parkinson’s research — after learning that Arlington-based “Cul de Sac” creator Richard Thompson, a longtime Post contributor, had the disease. …

Gathering one cartoon at a time, Sparks edited the 2012 anthology “Team Cul de Sac: Cartoonists Draw the Line at Parkinson’s” (Andrews McMeel), which itself was nominated for an Eisner Award. The charity book featured works for more than 100 top cartoonists — including “Calvin and Hobbes” creator Bill Watterson’s first public art in more than 15 years — and, coordinated with the Michael J. Fox Foundation, has raised more than $100,000 for Parkinson’s research. (Full disclosure: Comic Riffs wrote the book’s main text — a profile of Thompson.)

Sparks’ book did not win an individual Eisner award in the Best Comics-Related Book category (2013 Eisner Award winners here), but I know he’s just happy he’s been able to make a difference. I chatted with Sparks last week when I saw him at a downtown hot dog stand. He was excited about attending Comic-Con, and excited about being an Eisner Award nominee. His work has made a difference. Congratulations, Chris!

Image link for Team Cul de Sac.