Relay for St. Jude 2026

Posted 2 hours, 55 seconds ago.

This past week, my friends at Relay (Myke Hurley and Stephen Hackett) launched their annual fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. As they have for the past few years, they reached out to ask me to put together an illustration for the fundraiser, which forms the basis of the campaign’s marketing and rewards.

This year’s theme would be the American West. So as usual, I saddled up and spent the last few months procrastinating putting together something special.

Even as I began planning the layout of the illustration, I knew I wanted to include all six of the wonderful hosts: Myke, Stephen, Jason Snell, Kathy Campbell, Casey Liss, and Brad Dowdy. I had wanted to do this with last year’s TRON-adjacent art, but hadn’t been able to find a way to pull it off properly.

This year would be different. An “American West” theme means a frontier town, and while I’m sure a standoff between a sheriff and a desperado would clear the streets in a hurry, nobody here was going to be carrying a gun. Also, September is more of a friendly competition than a duel. Usually.

As such, including everyone in the final piece allowed our main street to feel a little more lively.

Oh, and a little fun fact for you, since you’ve read this far. An early version of the background included a subtle cameo of yours truly. This got replaced with a more Relay-themed reference for those in the know, but for a moment I had a bounty on my head.

It is always an honour to work on this illustration, and to be able to provide art in support of St. Jude’s incredible work, not just treating children with cancer, but providing for them and their families during treatment. They don’t saddle the families of these kids with the costs associated with that treatment. They research cures for not just cancer, but a myriad of other diseases and genetic conditions.

No kid should ever have to deal with this stuff. No family should ever have to go through the turmoil that it brings. Every dollar donated in support of this cause helps bring us closer to a future where maybe they won’t.

Please give what you can.