Bob Newman — design consultant, frequent AAN convention speaker, and a staunch supporter of alt-weekly design work — has been hospitalized after suffering severe head trauma and spending two weeks in a coma.

“He was finally taken off the respirator, which enabled us to move him to an acute neuro-rehab facility at NYU,” says a page set up to collect donations for Newman’s recovery. “Bob is working hard to bring himself back to his strong self and will have to work on this for several months. His speech is improving and he is receiving a lot of physical therapy.”

Newman was design director at the Village Voice in the early 90s before moving on to work at New York Magazine, Details, Vibe, and Real Simple, among other publications. He has been a regular presence at AAN conferences over the years, and his design critique sessions consistently received praise from members.

“He’s a great guy, a tremendously positive influence, advisor, and friend to graphic designers and illustrators,” said Joe MacLeod, creative director for Baltimore City Paper.

Most recently, Newman was a judge in the AAN Awards from 2010 through 2012. Not only did he scrupulously work to select the most outstanding alt-weekly cover design, but he frequently featured the work of alt-weekly designers on the Society of Publication Designers website.

The Friends of Bob Newman group has set a goal to raise $50,000 to help with medical expenses and the loss of income from not being able to work. As of this writing the group has raised nearly half of that goal.