By Ben Morse
"New York Times" best-selling novelist and superstar comic book writer Brad Meltzer has assembled some powerful groups of heroes in the past, but none quite like the army he has assembled to save an important piece of comics' storied past.
In the process of researching his new novel, "The Book of Lies," Meltzer made a pilgrimage to Cleveland, Ohio and the boyhood home of comics legend Jerry Siegel, the very spot where Siegel and his collaborator, Joe Shuster, created the world's first four color super hero,
Superman. To his dismay, Meltzer learned that Shuster's home a few blocks away had been torn down and that the same fate could be awaiting the Siegel house, as the couple who has lived there for the past 20 years cannot afford to make repairs.
"The house where Google was founded is preserved," says Meltzer. "The garage where Hewlett Packard was founded is protected. But [not] the house where Superman was born? I was in shock."
To prevent this potential crisis, Meltzer has gathered over 40 comic professionals and celebrities, including Marvel Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada, Stephen Colbert, Brian Michael Bendis, Ed Brubaker, Jeph Loeb and many more in founding the
Siegel & Shuster Society, dedicated to preserving the home of Jerry Siegel. Today marks the official launch of a
celebrity charity auction you can learn all about at
OrdinaryPeopleChangeTheWorld.com to benefit this cause!
"I think sometimes people take things like this for granted, but this is a house where modern mythology was created," Bendis notes. "[That] mythology will never die
away or disappear. There is no difference, to me, between this house and Mark Twain's house. We have to honor and exalt such a creation."
So how can you help? Well, for one, you can help yourself by checking out the amazing items available in the
celebrity charity auction and making your bid! Among the incredible items available: VIP tickets to "The Colbert Report," a walk-on part on NBC's hit show "Heroes," your likeness appearing on the cover of POWERS or NEW AVENGERS, plus awesome original art from Quesada, John Romita Jr., Chris Bachalo and much much more! And if you don't find the auction up your alley, you can also purchase a Siegel & Shuster Society t-shirt designed by Chip Kidd or donate to the cause by visiting
OrdinaryPeopleChangeTheWorld.com.
All proceeds generated by the
auction will go to repairing the Siegel house for the people currently residing there; in return, the Siegel & Shuster Society has the right to buy the house when it eventually goes up for sale. What will be done with house once
ownership passes to the Society? That's a decision
you can help make by signing up as a member at
OrdinaryPeopleChangeTheWorld.com.
So whether you
participate in the auction,
join the Society or just help spread the word with one of the signatures found in this article, help make a difference and make comic book history by saving comic book history today!
For more on the Siegel & Shuster Society, keep checking OrdinaryPeopleChangeTheWorld.com as well as right here on Marvel.com for updates.
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