Things are a little better with Arnold Drake. He's asleep most of the day, is hooked up to a lot of machines and anti-biotics and sedatives, BUT the doctors have lowered the amount of insulin and anti-biotics he's getting so he's certainly improving. He's slightly more responsive and his pulse rate varies between 80 and 90, where two days ago it varied between 110 and 115.

Please keep me informed as to blogs and chat rooms, etc. where Arnold is being discussed and where these updates are being posted. I'll pass the URLs along to the family.

Arnold has been writing comics since the late '40s. He's written humor and adventure for all age groups from Batman to Jerry Lewis, from X-Men to Little Lulu. He is the creator of Stanley and His Monster, Deadman, Doom Patrol and Beast Boy. He also wrote what is probably the first American graphic novel; "It Rhymes with Lust" was published in 1950 with art by Matt Baker and is due to be re-released by Dark Horse soon (March, 2007).

Send cards, letters and art to Arnold Drake, Cabrini Medical Center, 227 E. 19th St., New York, NY 10003. The staff is very nice and assured me that he will get them. However, flowers are not allowed in the intensive care unit so don't send them. Dark Horse sent a copy of his graphic novel re-release to the hospital, but none of us has seen it.