The Hero Initiative Auctions Off Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus

Press Release

Bidding begins on Monday, May 21 for an one-of-a-kind three piece set – Marvel reconstruction artist Mike Kelleher's original cover for The Amazing Spider-Man Marvel Omnibus, plus an 8-by-11 color printoff of the cover AND a copy of the 1000+-page book itself, autographed and personalized by Stan Lee with an inscription of your choice (up to 30 words).

The auction can be found at http://qurls.com?i=2475.

Marvel Comics has gone to great lengths over the years to give fans exact reproductions of the silver age stories that made Marvel famous. Often times the film that was used in the original printing process was either lost, damaged, or altered, so a new version must be created.

When Mike Kelleher first began reconstructing artwork for the Masterworks books, he did all his work digitally. The results were amazing, but he felt that they were too "smooth" and "mechanical" looking when compared to the pages shot from original film. The simple remedy was to recreate the images in ink on paper, at twice the printed size, just as the original artists did almost 50 years ago. The result is a much truer representation of the original printings.

This 11-by-14 pen & ink reproduction of the cover to Amazing Fantasy #15 was specifically commissioned by Marvel to be the cover for print on The Amazing Spider-Man Marvel Omnibus. Mike has even inscribed it in the lower right margin: "Kelleher after Kirby & Ditko. Reconstruction for ASM Omnibus vol. 1 © 2006 Marvel Comics" This is not a simple recreation made for fans and collectors. This drawing was commissioned and approved by Marvel Comics for publication in the ASM Omnibus.

"Not only is it a thrill to help preserve the integrity of the original Marvel classics, but being able to help The Hero Initiative at the same time makes it that much cooler. I'm thrilled to be able to present The Hero Initiative with this artwork," said Mike Kelleher.

The Hero Initiative is the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strictly to helping comic book creators in need. Hero creates a financial safety net for yesterdays' creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. It's a chance for all of us to give back something to the people who have given us so much enjoyment.