SDCC 2012: DC Entertainment Hosts Benefit

For this year’s Comic-Con, comic artist Jim Lee is working with the world-renowned Lego brick artist Nathan Sawaya to raise awareness for DC Entertainment’s campaign We Can Be Heroes, which is centered around raising funds to fight the current hunger crisis in East Africa.

The collection on display, titled Darkness & Light, will feature a wide range of super-hero artwork from many different artists. In addition to the recreation of Jim Lee’s Batman painting, Sawaya has also constructed a life-size statue of Catwoman with Lego bricks, titled Catalyst. The entire collection of artwork is being shown now at San Diego’s Michael J. Wolf Fine Art Gallery, and will be on display through Sunday, July 15, before touring across the nation. At the end of the national tour, DC Comics will auction off the artwork and send the money directly to organizations helping with the crisis in Africa.

Jim Lee is well known for his work on various Batman, Superman, and X-Men titles and has won the Harvey Award, the Inkpot Award, and three Wizard Fan awards for his work over the years. Sawaya likewise is one of the world’s foremost Lego brick artists, with sculptures and portraits of his currently on display in Taiwan, Australia and Florida exhibitions.

With both artists combining their best, the result is, well, super. As is all the work on display at SDCC this year. On Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., attendees will be in for a treat as Sawaya will recreate Jim Lee’s masterpiece live at the comic con. The entire exhibition will be free, and a Comic-Con badge will not even be required to see Sawaya at work.