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Exclusive: Jim Lee reveals his latest sketch for comic book retailer charity auction
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt daily life around the world, many businesses are suffering, including the comics industry. With Diamond Comics Distributors stopping shipping on new product for the time being, and various stay home orders in place around the country, many local comics shops are struggling to get by. While some are doing their best to keep going through the sale of trade paperbacks and other merchandise, others have been forced to close entirely, which means comic book creators and fans alike are stepping up to help.
One of those creators who decided to wield his influence in a major way is DC Comics Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee, a legendary artist known for his work on DC's Justice League, Batman: Hush, and many other iconic stories and characters. In late March, as the scope of the impact on the comics industry was becoming clearer, Lee launched an ambitious new fundraising idea: He'd sketch a popular comic book character every day for 60 days, then post each one on eBay for three days. The proceeds from each auction would then be donated to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (BINC) to support local comic book stores.
Less than two weeks into the project, Lee's sketches have already raised more than $80,000 for BINC, and DC Comics has committed an additional $250,000 in donations to BINC to further boost support for local shops. That's a lot of relief money, but Lee's not even close to done. He's still drafting artist friends like Ivan Reis, Rafael Albuquerque, and Bryan Hitch to join in the effort, and Lee himself is sketching up a storm. Today, SYFY WIRE is pleased to exclusively reveal the next Lee sketch fans can bid on beginning in just a few hours: Dark Nights: Metal character The Red Death.
This sketch, along with all other sketches that are part of the campaign, will be posted to eBay for a special three-day auction benefitting BINC. Some of Lee's most recent sketches, including Sunday's reveal of The Grim Knight from the DC Multiverse, have pulled in bids upwards of $8,000, and there are plenty more fundraising sketches arriving in the coming weeks. So, if you're in the market for some amazing original art, head over and place a bid, and follow along with the campaign's progress on Lee's Instagram page.
