Kia Motors and DC Entertainment Band Together to Create a Fleet of Justice League-Inspired Vehicles for Hunger-Relief Effort

Legendary Comic Book Artist Jim Lee Oversees the Creative Direction of Eight Individually Customized and Characterized Superhero Vehicles to be Unveiled at Major Events Around the Country Over the Next Ten Months

Oct 3, 2012 8:45 PM ET

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 3, 2012 / 3BL Media / PRNewswire/ -- Kia Motors America (KMA), one of the fastest-growing car companies in the U.S.[1] over the last five years, has joined forces with renowned comic book publisher DC Entertainment, to bring the World's Greatest Superheroes to life by combining automotive styling with comic book art. The partnership, which will yield eight individually customized vehicles, harnesses the talents of legendary comic book artist and DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Jim Lee, who has collaborated on the design of each car with his vision for each iconic member of DC Comics' Justice League.

Each core member of the Justice League line-up – Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg – has been matched to a Kia vehicle based on key attributes and character traits to create custom, one-of-a-kind rides to be unveiled over the next ten months at major auto shows and comic-cons across the U.S.

The Kia-DC Entertainment partnership will yield a total of eight vehicles timed to be unveiled around five major events around the U.S., including New York Comic-Con, SEMA Show in Las Vegas, North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, Wonder-Con and San Diego Comic-Con. Many of Kia's most recognizable and decorated models – the Optima, Soul, Sorento, Sportage, Rio and Forte will wear the iconic colors and marks of the legendary Justice League Super Heroes and be built by West Coast Customs, RIDES magazine, Import Tuner magazine and others.

"Kia and DC Entertainment are both global brands sharing a youthful and creative mindset, and both serve to inspire and exhilarate their respective fan bases," said Michael Sprague, executive vice president, marketing & communications, KMA. "This partnership will allow us to band these two great brands together in an effort to make the world a better place through the 'We Can Be Heroes' campaign. And with Jim Lee's vision combined with the efforts of some of the best customizing shops in the business, it's going to be a lot of fun unveiling these cars around the country."

The partnership between KMA and DC Entertainment was conceived to benefit "We Can Be Heroes" (www.WeCanBeHeroes.org), 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 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. In addition to the seven vehicles inspired by the individual superhero characters, the Kia-DC Entertainment partnership will culminate with a fully-drivable custom car that encompasses each member 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" campaign throughout the partnership through customized "We Can Be Heroes" license plates, signage, collateral materials and in-vehicle video displays.

"DC Entertainment is pleased to be partnering with Kia on this program to help raise awareness and funds for the devastating hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa," said Amit Desai, SVP of franchise management, DC Entertainment. "Each of the iconic members of the Justice League is a superhero in his or her own right, but when they band together as the Justice League, they become an unstoppable force for good and right. The Justice League reminds us that when we combine our efforts with others, we can create a world of change. And that we can do all that and more with style and panache. The Justice League characters look amazing on some of Kia's best-looking and technologically-advanced vehicles."

To learn more about "We Can Be Heroes" and ways to get involved, visit www.WeCanBeHeroes.org.

About DC Entertainment
DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating its content across Warner Bros. Entertainment and Time Warner. DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world. In January 2012, DC Entertainment, in collaboration with Warner Bros. and Time Warner divisions, launched We Can Be Heroes —a giving campaign featuring the iconic Justice League Super Heroes—to raise awareness and funds to fight the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.

About Kia Motors America
Kia Motors America is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 755 dealers throughout the United States and serves as the "Official Automotive Partner" of the NBA and LPGA. In 2011, KMA recorded its best-ever annual sales total and became one of the fastest growing car companies1 in the U.S. Kia is poised to continue its momentum and will continue to build the brand through design innovation, quality, value, advanced safety features and new technologies.

Information about Kia Motors America and its full vehicle line-up is available at its website – www.kia.com. For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com.

1. Based on 5-year cumulative growth between 12-month retail sales for periods ending August 2007 and August 2012 of all U.S. automotive brands.