Save My Kids

[Popninja]

It's ridiculous that money is made out to be that important.

It is. I won't disagree with that. But things cost money. My son was injured in a football game in September. He was in the hospital for two days. You should see the bills we're getting now...and that's WITH insurance. It is what it is. I would have never thought to go on Indiegogo to ask people to help pay my kid's medical bills. Instead, I took on a second job. It is what it is.

And I'm sorry if I seem insensitive to your plight. I'm not, really. I wish you the best of luck.

[shannonh]

If I knew you personally, then maybe I would believe all of this. Call me cynical, but there are just as many senarios where this is your fault as there are where it is your x being vindictive. And I don't know you well enough to know what's what. All I have is your word that you make plenty of money doing art to take care of your kids. If you can prove that art is a viable source of income for you, your girlfriend, and your two kids, then you should fight fight fight. But, for some reason, I feel this goes deeper than you are willing to share...and you shouldnt...Not our business.

Personally, I think you need to rewrite your statement. The part where you say you were at a convention and got an email stating you were losing the 50/ 50 split makes it sound like you weren't there in court when this arrangement was made. It makes it sound like you were taken by surprise by the decision and you were too busy at a convention to be in court fighting for your kids. Also, the statement about having to give up comics and get a real job where you will be miserable or lose your kids seems like a very cold statement.


If you've done nothing wrong and everything right, then I feel for you. But I feel worse for your kids because they are innocent in all of this. You and your X are adults. And in a perfect world, BOTH of you should act like it and do what ever it takes for those two boys to be raised by the both of you....What EVER it takes.

[alfred183]

Shannon, court was over a week prior to me finding out. The judges here take about 10 days to decide after the hearing. I got the email from my ex on a Sunday. Not sure how she got the paperwork before my lawyer did. Taken by surprise? Yeah. I was. I didn't think this would be decided as being in the best interest of my kids. It is more costly for both me and my ex to do it this way.

You're right that I shouldn't get into it in public. If you want to know the whole story, I'm more than willing to talk about it in private.

[bindlestitch]

How many comic books have you done? All I see is sketches in your links. If you're not producing a page a day, then maybe you need to rethink your stand.


Personally, I would eat hot lava for my kids. If you have to get a paying job to take care of them, then that is what you should do. It's not your kids fault that you haven't fulfilled your dreams. So don't put that on them. Sounds like you have a problem with being responsible. I'm not picking up the bill for that.

Sorry about your plight, man but I think Shannon called it right.

[barrytown83]

I feel like most of the replies here are pretty unfair. As far as I can tell, he's not asking for money to support his kids, he's asking for money to fight in court for his right to see his kids. If he's able to properly support his kids financially with his comics career there's no reason why the courts should justify taking them from him. And there's no reason why anyone should begrudge him looking to the comics community to help cover his legal fees, there's a long history of support in that respect. Think of it this way, if his ex-wife were out of the picture, and he were capable of taking care of his kids, would you justify CYS coming and taking them away because he worked in comics and lived with his girlfriend?

Unfortunately, as has been mentioned already, courts pretty much always side with the mother in custody disputes, so I would say you're probably out of luck. Fight if you're able, but if getting a day job will be the only way to convince the courts to give you back your time with them, I'd say take that route. And definitely keep in mind the toll a lengthy court battle with have on your kids.