To say that Jim Lee is a busy man is like saying March was “an inconvenient month” for everyone: technically true, but also a vast understatement.
Currently the sole Publisher and Chief Creative Officer of DC Comics (not to mention one of the most renowned artists in the comic book industry), there is quite likely a lot on the man’s plate at the moment; especially considering the unfortunate circumstances currently affecting all of us. With this in mind, it’s especially great to see the steps that Jim Lee and DC are taking to mitigate this crisis for Local Comic Book Stores, who have taken a severe financial hit in recent months.
While DC will once again be distributing comics in late April, and our team at Batman News is currently doing a Quarantine Book Club to recommend less obvious Batman classics you can buy at your LCS (check out our latest entry here), the fact remains that things are currently dire for some of our favorite retailers. Thankfully, there’s hope, and that’s because of the money being raised through the Book Industry Charitable Foundation!
Throughout the months of April and May, Mr. Lee is creating a series of 60 original sketches, which you will find steadily being auctioned off on his ebay page. Each individual daily sketch is of a new character, no duplicates being allowed, chosen by the winner of the previous auction. Today, we’re proud to be the first to reveal his latest sketch of the Terminator himself, Deathstroke! This print in particular is especially interesting, in that it’s designed to connect to his previous Huntress illustration.
All proceeds from these auctions are for a special fund set up through the BINC. This fund is designed to provide as much relief as possible for comic book retailers, many of whom have had to close their stores for the safety of everyone in the community. In addition, DC Comics will match this auction effort with a donation of 250,000 dollars towards that same fund. With 18 days of April having passed, Lee’s auctions have currently raised nearly $135,000 – amounting to quite a meaty sum of money having been raised from this company alone.
You can find more donations and auctions under the #Creators4Comics hashtag on Twitter, where an inspiring amount of comic book industry professionals have banded together – helping to raise funds for the vendors they rely on to sell their art every day. It’s a genuinely heartwarming reminder of how print media continues to be so significant to this day, and how grateful those working in comics are for those who sell them.
Special thanks to Jim Lee and all of DC Comics for their work, and for allowing us to be the first to share this latest development with you. Best wishes to everyone in this difficult time.
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Author’s Twitter: @ObnoxiousFinch
