HERMISTON -- Austin Winters, the 10-year-old creator of Bacon Boy, a superhero who shoots bacon bits from one hand and grease from other, has lost his battle with leukemia.

Austin created his bacon strip-shaped crime fighter after painter Frank Etxaniz began visiting Portland's Doernbecher Children's Hospital as part of the Children's Healing Art Project.

Etxaniz challenged Austin to dream up a character to draw. Austin came up with Bacon Boy, who along with his friend, Sgt. Sausage, fights the evil Fry Guy and his minions, Knife and Fork.

Austin made drawings of his characters, created iron-on images, did animation and shaped Bacon Boy in clay.

Etxaniz secretly entered Bacon Boy in a contest, and the Tacoma Museum of Glass chose to make a glass version of the superhero for a permanent collection of kids' art. A contingent of artists traveled to Portland in June to cast Bacon Boy in glass. Austin served as an adviser.

Ensuing news stories led people from Oregon and beyond to send Austin encouraging cards and letters. Austin and Etxaniz launched a line of Bacon Boy T-shirts and orders arrived from around the country.

"It's a brutal, beautiful story," Etxaniz said in an interview with the Pendleton newspaper.

The artist drove from Portland to Hermiston early last week to have a last chat with Austin. The boy drifted in and out, but roused himself for a 20-minute conversation about heaven -- a place, they decided, with sunny skies, open roads to ride motorcycles and no laws against speeding.

"He had a look on his face I'll never forget," Etxaniz said.

-- The Associated Press