Heroes Against Hunger

Heroes Against Hunger is a 1986 all-star benefit comic book for African famine relief and recovery. Published by DC Comics in the form of a "comic jam," or exquisite corpse, the book starred Superman and Batman.[1] Spearheaded by Jim Starlin and Bernie Wrightson, all proceeds from the comic went to hunger relief in Africa.

Heroes Against Hunger
The cover of Heroes Against Hunger (DC Comics, 1986). Artwork by Neal Adams & Dick Giordano.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
FormatOne-shot
Genre
Publication date1986
No. of issues1
Main character(s)Superman and Batman
Creative team
Created byJim Starlin and Bernie Wrightson
Written by
Penciller(s)
Inker(s)
Letterer(s)
Colorist(s)
Editor(s)Robert Greenberger

Publication history

Heroes Against Hunger came about in response to the devastating 1983–85 famine in Ethiopia. The concept was nearly identical to the earlier benefit comic, Heroes for Hope, published by Marvel Comics in 1985 (which was also spearheaded by Wrightson and Starlin),[2] and was in the spirit of contemporaneous musical fund-raisers like Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?", USA for Africa's "We Are the World", and the Live Aid concerts.

Plot

In a story called "A Song of Pain and Sorrow!", Superman, Batman, and Lex Luthor try to curtail the Ethiopian famine. While there, they interact with Peace Corps member Lee Ann Layton. Their antagonist is a green-skinned, four-armed giant with a keyboard embedded on his chest called the Master. The Master feeds on entropy, so he is strengthened by the Ethiopian famine.

Contributors

The story was plotted by Jim Starlin with a plot assist from Bernie Wrightson.[1] The editor was Robert Greenberger. Front cover penciled by Neal Adams, with inks by Dick Giordano; back cover by Bill Sienkiewicz. Logo design by Gaspar Saladino.

There were 100 contributors to the project. In addition to Starlin and Wrightson, a number of Heroes for Hope contributors also donated their creative labors to Heroes Against Hunger, including John Byrne, Howard Chaykin, John Costanza, Steve Englehart, Klaus Janson, Jeffrey Catherine Jones, Michael Kaluta, Steve Leialoha, Al Milgrom, Gray Morrow, Josef Rubinstein, Bill Sienkiewicz, Walt Simonson, and Alan Weiss.[3]

PagesWriterPencilerInkerLettererColorist
1, 48Jim StarlinGeorge PérezKim DeMulderHelen VesikDaina Grazanus
2-3Cary BatesParis CullinsTony DeZunigaCarrie SpiegleMichele Wolfman
4–5Elliot S. MagginDenys CowanVal MayerikCarrie SpiegleMichele Wolfman
6-7Paul LevitzJan DuursemaAlfredo AlcalaHelen VesikGene D'Angelo
8–9Mike W. BarrKeith GiffenJoe StatonDuncan AndrewsCarl Gafford
10-11Michael FleisherRoss AndruKlaus JansonJohn WorkmanCarl Gafford
12-13Bob RozakisJosé Luis Garcia-LopezJerry OrdwayAgustin MasAnthony Tollin
14–15Roy ThomasCarmine InfantinoMurphy AndersonMilt SnapinnTom Ziuko
16-17J. M. DeMatteisMarshall RogersKarl KeselJohn CostanzaGeorge Roberts
18–19Robert BlochBernie WrightsonMichael KalutaBob LappanAnthony Tollin
20–21Robert Loren FlemingJoe BrozowskiGray MorrowBob PinahaGene D'Angelo
22–23Marv WolfmanSal AmendolaJim AparoAlbert DeGuzmanLiz Berube
24-25Tony IsabellaCurt SwanJohn ByrneTodd KleinNansi Hoolahan
26–27Gerry ConwayBarry Windsor-SmithJeff JonesTodd KleinTatjana Wood
28–29Barbara RandallErnie ColónTerry AustinAgustin MasNansi Hoolahan
30–31Andy HelferWalt SimonsonSteve LeialohaJohn WorkmanJoe Orlando
32-33Dan MishkinEduardo BarretoRomeo TanghalHelen VesikLiz Berube
34-35Len WeinDave GibbonsBruce PattersonJohn CostanzaGeorge Roberts
36-37Ed HanniganJack KirbyAl MilgromDuncan AndrewsTom Ziuko
38–39Mindy NewellTony SalmonsTom MandrakeBob PinahaJoe Orlando
40-41Steve EnglehartDan JurgensBill WrayAgustin MasAdrienne Roy
42-43Joey CavalieriJoe KubertJosef RubinsteinAndy KubertAdrienne Roy
44-45Paul KupperbergDavid RossHoward ChaykinBob LappanBob LeRose
46-47Doug MoenchJim ShermanGreg Theakston & Alan WeissTodd KleinBob LeRose

See also

Further reading
  • "Reviews: Heroes Against Hunger," Amazing Heroes #95 (May 15, 1986).
  • Monaco, Steve. "Sentimentality in the Mainstream," The Comics Journal #112 (Nov. 1986), pp. 52-58.

References

Notes
  1. Manning, Matthew K.; Dolan, Hannah, ed. (2010). "1980s". DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle. Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9, p. 219: "Plotted by Jim Starlin, with dramatic designs by Bernie Wrightson...Heroes Against Hunger featured nearly every popular DC creator of the time."
  2. DeFalco, Tom; Gilbert, Laura, ed. (2008). "1980s". Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 223. ISBN 978-0756641238. Horrified by the plight of starving children in Africa, writer/artist Jim Starlin and illustrator Bernie Wrightson convinced Marvel to publish Heroes For Hope. It was a 'jam' book...and all of Marvel's profits were donated to famine relief in Africa.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)

Sources consulted
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