The five vehicles, which include the Batman-inspired Optima unveiled recently in New York City, are a direct result of the vision and artwork of comic-book artist, DC Entertainment co-publisher and self- proclaimed car guy Jim Lee and Kia's collaborations with West Coast Customs (WCC), RIDES magazine and Super Street magazine.
In addition to the custom cars, visitors to Kia's SEMA display can see Justice League comic book artwork and life-size characters throughout the booth.
"The SEMA Show is the epicenter for vehicle customization, and there's no better occasion to showcase the results of our banding together with DC Entertainment and some of the best custom car builders in the industry while bringing attention to the 'We Can Be Heroes' giving campaign," said Michael Sprague, executive vice president, marketing & communications, KMA. "Each Kia vehicle exudes a specific attribute to match its super hero counterpart, and just like the Justice League, we're fighting for a great cause."
"DC Entertainment is pleased to join forces with Kia to bring the Justice League to life in an entirely new way at SEMA, while also raising awareness and funds for the 'We Can Be Heroes' giving campaign," stated Amit Desai, SVP of franchise management, DC Entertainment. "We're excited for fans to see the unique, custom designed cars inspired by iconic Justice League Super Heroes like Green Lantern, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash – each demonstrating unique abilities and strengths, while presented together as a powerful team fighting the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa."
KMA and West Coast Customs collaborated for the second year in a row to create two of the Justice League- inspired vehicles: The Flash-inspired Forte Koup and the Aquaman-inspired Rio 5-door. In addition to the Batman-inspired Optima, RIDES magazine also built the Cyborg-inspired Forte 5-door, and Super Street magazine was responsible for creating the Green Lantern-inspired Soul.
The partnership between KMA and DC Entertainment was conceived to benefit "We Can Be Heroes", a giving campaign dedicated to helping fight hunger in the Horn of Africa and inspired by the heroism of the iconic Justice League characters. "We Can Be Heroes" encourages everyday people to join the fight by getting involved and donating to bring help and hope to the people most affected by the hunger crisis.
Each vehicle will feature a customized piece of Jim Lee's specially designed artwork to be auctioned at the conclusion of the program with all net proceeds going to the "We Can Be Heroes" program. The Kia-DC Entertainment partnership includes seven vehicles inspired by the individual super hero characters, and will culminate with a fully-drivable, eighth custom car integrating all seven members of the Justice League that will be auctioned off to raise money for the cause. Kia will help to raise awareness for the "We Can Be Heroes" giving campaign throughout the partnership through customized "We Can Be Heroes" license plates, signage, collateral materials and in- vehicle video displays.
For more information visit www.kia.com.
