Artist Jim Lee and DC comics publisher Jim Lee continues to help comic book shops that have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, many of which have been forced to close their doors due to government restrictions. Though Diamond intend to restart distribution for physical comics later this month, Lee and many other DC Comics artists have been raising funds for the Book Industry Charitable Foundation, with Lee himself producing 60 sketches over 60 days featuring some of the company’s most iconic characters. After raising over $300k for the charity (a threshold they crossed this week), Lee has released yet another new sketch which ComicBook.com can exclusively reveal is none other than Lobo!
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Check out the new sketch from Lee below, and be sure to check out the eBay page for talented artists contributing to fund-raising effort.
All proceeds from the auctions are benefitting a special fund to help struggling comic book stores during the COVID-19 pandemic. Each auction lasts for 3 days with the winning bidder from the previous auction naming the next character Lee draws, no duplicates allowed.
Lee has now raised over $300,000 for the initiative with DC Comics also set to donate $250,000 to BINC’s fund for comic shop retailers. ComicBook.com previously caught up with Lee about these sketches and the amazing collaborators who have joined him.
“It’s been really gratifying to see so much creative talent rise to the occasion to support our comic book retailers, everyone is getting into the act,” Lee said. “I just recently announced Frank Miller. Bill Sienkiewicz. Walt Simonson are next. These are my Art Gods. So honored to have them be a part of this fundraising effort!”
Characters sketched by Jim Lee and auctioned off already include Nightwing, Azreal, Deathstroke, Swamp Thing, Doomsday, The Batman Who Laughs, Huntress, and many more without a single character being repeated.
DC Comics has already begun the process of making sure new comics make it to retailers despite Diamond Comic Distributors not shipping the product from the publisher to the stores. Earlier today the publisher announced the slate of titles they intend to release in the month of June including the debut issue of Dark Nights: Death Metal, the highly-anticipated sequel to Dark Nights: Metal. The new series sees Earth consumed by the Dark Multiverse with the Justice League finding itself at the mercy of the Batman Who Laughs. Humanity struggles to survive and Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman do the same.
