Kirby 4 Heroes 2015 Launches To Support The Hero Initiative

For the past four years, August 28 has been more than just Jack Kirby's birthday. It's also the day that comic artists, retailers and fans all over the world celebrate the King's life and legacy with the Kirby 4 Heroes campaign. Originally created by granddaughter Jillian Kirby in 2012, Kirby 4 Heroes is a fundraiser for the Hero Initiative, the charity designed to help comic book creators in need, and this week, they announced the official start of the 2015 campaign.

The idea is a simple one: artist draw original pieces on Kirby's birthday and auction them on eBay, with all proceeds going to Kirby 4 Heroes. Fans can also donate directly, or attend in-store events across the country where there will be a variety of ways to donate. Check out the launch video below for more details:

One of the most notable artistic contributions comes from Phil Hester, who last year produced 97 individual pieces of art in honor of Kirby's 97th birthday, all of which were auctioned off to raise funds for the Hero Initiative. This year, he's planning to do the same with 98 pieces, though the stress of doing them all in a single day last year has led him to spread things out a little bit this time!

The Kirby 4 Heroes website has a partial list of stores participating in the fundraiser:

VISIT a participating comic book retailer on August 28th. On this date, these stores are either donating a percentage of their sales to the Hero Initiative, auctioning off original artwork, or providing collection jars for any additional donation you may wish to make. These are just a few of the participating retailers recruited thus far:
Alakazam Comics, Irvine, CA
Alternate Reality Comics, Las Vegas, NV
Arcadian Comics and Games, Newport, KY
Aw Yeah Comics, Skokie, IL
Bedrock City Comics: Houston, TX; Webster, TX; Missouri City, TX
Borderland Comics and Games, Greenville, SC
Carmine St. Comics, New York, NY
Carol and John's Comic Book Shop: Cleveland, OH
Collectors Corner: Baltimore, MD; Bel Air, MD
The Comic Bug: Manhattan Beach, CA; Culver City, CA
Comics Depot LLC: Saratoga Springs, NY
Cosmic Comics: Las Vegas, NV
Downtown Comics: Indianapolis, IN
Escape Pod Comics: Huntington, NY
Excellent Adventures: Ballston Spa, NY
The Fallout Shelter: Highland Park, NJ
Floating World Comics: Portland, OR
Flying Colors Comics: Concord, CA
Heroes Landing: Clermont, FL
Lee's Comics: Mountain View, CA; San Mateo, CA
Mission: Comics & Art: San Francisco, CA
New Dimension Comics: Pittsburgh, PA
Paradise Comics: Toronto, Ontario

For more information, contact your local store or visit Kirby4Heroes.com.