The multiplatform entertainment company that was co-founded by Robert Kirkman is selling many of its new comic books in May with variant covers drawn by artists of Asian or AAPI heritage.
Collectors of popular Skybound Entertainment comics like “Ultramega” and “Fire Power by Kirkman & Samnee” will have some variants to shop for come May.
Skybound announced yesterday it will honor Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in May by releasing special variant covers with many of its new comic books going on sale that month. According to a press release from Image Comics, each variant cover is being penciled by an artist of Asian or AAPI heritage.
Proceeds from the comics sold will be donated to Chinatown Community for Equitable Development (CCED), a volunteer organization in Los Angeles that was founded in 2012. The group is focused on building grassroots power through organizing, education and providing mutual help.
“With the dramatic rise in hate crimes against the AAPI communities, Skybound decided to launch this new initiative to raise awareness of this epidemic and to raise money to support the excellent work that CCED is doing here in Los Angeles,” said Sean Mackiewicz, Skybound’s senior vice president and editor-in-chief. “We recognize that it isn’t enough for every single one of us at Skybound to simply oppose these racist actions — we must also take actions to support those in AAPI communities doing the work at a local level to affect meaningful change.”
Skybound is under the umbrella of Oregon-based Image Comics, which Skybound co-founder Robert Kirkman is chief operating officer of.
Each of the AAPI variant covers will be available from direct market retailers. The titles are listed below, with final order cut-off (FOC) information, on-sale dates, and the Diamond Comic Distributors ordering code, for the books that currently have a code.
· “Fire Power by Kirkman & Samnee” No. 11 Cover B Henderson AAPI VAR (FOC April 12, on sale May 5) by Erica Henderson — Diamond Code FEB219190
· “The Walking Dead Deluxe” No. 14 Cover D Young AAPI VAR (FOC April 12, on sale May 5) by Ethan Young — Diamond Code FEB219192
· “Birthright” No. 49 Cover B Su AAPI VAR (FOC April 19, on sale May 12) by EJ Su
· “Stillwater” No. 7 Cover B Lee AAPI VAR (FOC April 26, on sale May 19) by Soo Lee
· “Ultramega” No. 3 Cover E TBA AAPI VAR (FOC April 26, on sale May 19) by TBA
· “The Walking Dead Deluxe” No. 15 Cover C Young AAPI VAR (FOC April 26, on sale May 19) by Cynthia Young
· “Excellence” No. 11 Cover B Ha AAPI VAR (FOC May 3, on sale May 26) by Robin Ha
· “Manifest Destiny” No. 43 Cover B AAPI VAR (FOC May 3, on sale May 26) by TBA
To learn more about CCED, tap here.