A week from today would have been Jack Kirby's 96th birthday.

To celebrate, the Hero Initiative has recruited more than 40 artists to "Wake Up and Draw" a birthday card to Jack next Wednesday. The art will be available to view in a gallery at ComicArtFans.com and will later be auctioned off to support the charity, which helps comics creators with financial needs. Meanwhile, the King's granddaughter, Jillian Kirby, has recruited comic book stores around the country to donate some of the proceeds from their sales that day to The Hero Initiative as well.

Jillian Kirby spearheaded Kirby4Heroes, an organization dedicated to honoring her grandfather's legacy and raising funds for the Hero Initiative, last year. Here's what she said in a press release about "Wake Up and Draw":

“I started the Kirby4Heroes campaign as a way to connect with my grandfather, who died the year before I was born. I’ve grown so much closer to him through my endeavors in this area. I have to admit I’m astounded by him as an artist, family member, and just as a kind human being. Raising funds for those in the comic book industry in need of financial and medical assistance is a cause my grandfather Jack would have championed. He never turned his back on a person in need.”

And here's a video she made about the project:

 

 

You can find a partial list of the comic book stores participating in the Kirby birthday celebration at the Hero Initiative website.

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