Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Fans unite in auction to save Superman's house

Here's a follow-up to the auctions that were running to help save the house where Superman was dreamed up.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081001/film_nm/us_media_superman

CINCINNATI (Reuters) - Superman's home planet Krypton was destroyed, but his house on Earth will live on thanks to loyal fans and an online auction that raised $100,000 to restore the rotting home where the Man of Steel was created.

Everything from original artwork to a role on the hit television show "Heroes" was sold in the month-long auction, which ended on Tuesday, to save the dilapidated Cleveland, Ohio, house where Superman was dreamed up by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster more than 70 years ago.

"This was easily the most humbling spectacular project I've ever been part of, and showed just how much people care about this character and why today Superman still matters," said novelist Brad Meltzer, who organized the auction.

Meltzer said $101,744 was raised in the month-long sale of art, memorabilia and other donated goods, more than double the $50,000 goal. The extra money will allow organizers to fix up not just the outside but also the inside of the Cleveland house where an elderly couple now live.

Meltzer, who discovered the deteriorating house while researching a novel, said at first he wasn't sure people would care about restoring the red-and-blue house where the superhero who wears the red-and-blue suit was dreamed up in 1932.

But the response has been overwhelming.

"The house where Google was created is saved. The farm where Hewlett-Packard was founded is preserved. We protected the house where Dr. Seuss lived, where Elvis lived," noted Meltzer. "So the idea that Superman's house was just rotting away struck everyone as inherently wrong."

Meltzer, who offered the naming rights to a character in his next novel as part of the auction, takes no credit for saving the home, saying loyal fans of the comic book hero came to Superman's rescue.

"We're all Clark Kent. We all know what it is like to be boring and ordinary and we all want to be able to rip open our shirt and do something beyond ourselves. That's what happened here. Ordinary people made a difference."

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Fundraiser for Siegel and Shuster Society


Here is some great artwork for sale, and it's all for a great cause.

Join "Ordinary People Change The World" and
bid on one-of-a-kind items donated by famous authors and artists to help repair and restore the house where Jerry Siegel first created Superman. 100% of the proceeds go to the Siegel & Shuster Society.

Auction includes items from:


and more.

Couple of notable items that standout to me include the Charest Superman piece, getting Jim Lee to draw you and Supes, Alex Ross original, as well as a Heroes walk on role.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

$4650 - Dale Keown Hero Initiative Hulk 1 sketch cover!!


Here's an awesome cover sketch on the Marvel Comics/Hero Initiative Hulk # 1 by Hulk supreme-artist Dale Keown. Pencil and ink plus grayscale pencil in super detail. This might be the best Hero Initiative Hulk art cover too!! You can see the glare off the Hulk's eyes... Love the way DK did Hulk's hair. There aren't many artist that have such a dynamic and unique vision of the Hulk. I can only name a few artists whose style on the Hulk really blows me away --Keown, McFarlane (pencil and inked!), Ditko, Kirby, Sal Buscema, Jeff Purves, Mike Deodato, John Byrne and Bruce Timm.

[ Speaking of which, if you have any Jeff Purves Hulk pages for sale or trade, email me!! ]

This cover "sketch" is a fine example of Dale's work and this piece would be great in anyone's collection, whether you are a fan of his art, or just collecting comics. Plus as a bonus, this piece could be sent off to the folks at CGC for authentication registration with the price of purchase.