Few people don't know about the Walking Dead – the post-apocalyptic zombie infested comic book series that was such a hit it became a TV show on AMC. I may have mentioned it once or twice. But the Hero Initiative is not as well-known. It is a charity that helps comic book creators that are in medical and financial need. The Initiative has gained attention in the past for its "100 Projects," which are events in which 100 different artists draw an original cover of a special anniversary issue. Hero Initiative has done "100 Projects" with the likes of comic book publishers Marvel Comics, DC and Archie. Now, Hero Initiative will be partnering up with Image Comics and Skybound to bring you one hundred covers of the top best-selling comic of 2012: The Walking Dead #100!
Some of the hundred artists include The Walking Dead artist himself, Charlie Adlard, and several other names including Dan Brereton, Ian Churchill, Kevin Eastman, Joe Jusko, Dale Keown and Whilce Portacio, and The Walking Dead writer, creator and not artist Robert Kirkman. It will be interesting to see how well that one turns out...
Robert Kirkman offers a few words:
"The Walking Dead would have never become the success it's become without the trailblazers who put in the hard work to make this industry live on into the future. Doing things like this for The Hero Initiative, which helps creators who have fallen on hard times, is a way for Charlie Adlard and I to give back to the community that has provided us with countless hours of entertainment and also a pretty cushy living. Simply put, it's the right thing to do."
Walking Dead artist Charlie Adlard agrees:
"They say charity begins at home. Well, I can't think of one closer to that than the Hero Initiative. It's great to be able to give back to the creators who inspired me."
The covers of "100 Projects" will be at a public viewing scheduled during the winter of 2012-2013. Auctions will be held for all the original covers and a book collection of all of them will be available in 2013. I definitely think it's a kind gesture to give back to the creators who bring us comic fans more to the medium we love, but there are a few other charities I would consider donating to first... but definitely love having the ability to help out some creators.
Here are some of the covers that are going to be up for auction:
Charlie Adlard Cover Mark dos Santos Cover Todd Nauck Cover
An all-around nerdette, I’m a comic book connoisseur, horror aficionado, video game addict, anime enthusiast and an aspiring novelist/comic book writer. I am the head of the comic book department and the editor-in-chief of Entertainment Fuse. I also write and edit articles for Comic Frontline. I am also an intern at Action Lab Entertainment, a comic book publisher at which I edit comic book scripts, help work on images in solicitations and help with other comic book related project. My own personal website is comicmaven.com.
