Anyone who read The Flash during the mid-1990s will remember artist Mike Wieringo‘s run on the book with Mark Waid.  Wieringo’s brief run as regular artist and occasional covers over the next year or so set a standard for Wally West as the Flash, and he co-created Bart Allen, a.k.a. Impulse.  His sudden death last August shocked fans around the world.

This weekend, Heroes Con in Charlotte, North Carolina will see two tributes to Mike Wieringo.

First, the Hero Initiative will release What If…This Was The Fantastic Four?: A Tribute to Mike Wieringo. This was the project he was working on at the time of his death.

With Mike’s passing, Marvel Comics generously provided access to the script and Mike’s art to The Hero Initiative, and Mike’s friends stepped up to finish the story, and pay tribute to Mike. Now, What If…This Was The Fantastic Four?: A Tribute to Mike Wieringo is a massive, 48-page tribute book that contains the full story, and additional written tributes to Mike.

The tremendous list of talent participating in the book includes Jeff Parker, Arthur Adams, Paul Renaud, Stuart Immonen, Cully Hamner, Alan Davis, David Williams, Sanford Greene, Humberto Ramos, Skottie Young, Mike Allred, Barry Kitson, and Val Staples. Cover artwork is by Mike Wieringo and Paul Mounts, and The Hero Initiative is publishing the book with the full support of both Marvel Comics, and the family of Mike Wieringo.

The book will be available at the Hero Initiative booth at the con, and will arrive in stores next week. (There’s also a Newsarama interview from back in March.)

Second, the artist’s family has gotten together with the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) to create the Mike Wieringo Scholarship, or ’Ringo. (via Warren Ellis)

Created by Mike’s brother Matt and his sister-in-law Suzanne, the ‘Ringo is designed to help provide similar help to artists at the Savannah College of Art and Design or SCAD. Domestic and international students with have a minimum 3.0 grade point average who demonstrate financial need and display a serious interest in pursuing comics as a career are eligible. The scholarship will take effect in the artist’s second year of classes, and is renewable for up to two additional years, provided the student continues to meet the criteria.

The recipient will be chosen from three finalists determined by the college in a portfolio review by Matt and Suzanne Wieringo, along with a rotating group. The ultimate goal for the ‘Ringo is to raise enough funds so that it can cover a full year’s expenses at SCAD, approximately $30,000.

The scholarship will be raising funds in Artists Alley at Heroes Con through selling sketchbooks, comics featuring his artwork, original art, sketches by other artists, and collecting donations.

Update June 22: Newsarama has coverage of the scholarship at HeroesCon, and adds that they plan to have an annual presence at the con.