In Comic Book Industry, Needy Have Heroes of Their Own IN superhero comics, when Captain America or Superman faces a problem he cannot handle alone, he turns to the Avengers or the Justice League for aid. In the real world, when help is needed in the comic book industry, there are groups ready to mobilize - whether the challenges are personal (the Hero Initiative), legal (the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund) or serving a greater good (We Can Be Heroes). The slogan for the Hero Initiative is "helping creators in need," and its president, Jim McLauchlin, a former sportswriter, was inspired by the Baseball Assistance Team, established by Major League Baseball to help its former players. The need for such a program might seem preposterous in this day of million-dollar contracts, but such contracts weren't always the case. "If you go back to the early "70s, before the days of free agency, players made about 10 grand a year," Mr. McLauchlin said. He saw a parallel to the earliest days of the comic book industry. "There were all these people, back in the "30s and "40s, building the business," he said. They were typically paid a page rate and received no health benefits or royalties. If a character became a commercial success, it was the publisher who usually profited. In 2000, he had a conversation with a fellow baseball fan, Mark Alessi, who had previously founded CrossGen, an independent comic book company. "There should be an organization like BAT for the comic business," Mr. McLauchlin recalled saying. Mr. Alessi offered the services of his lawyers and the idea quickly moved into reality. The organization was originally named A Commitment to Our Roots, or Actor, but in 2006, it became Hero, a word that resonated more strongly with the comic book industry. Mr. McLauchlin works out of his home and is one of two full-time employees. There are also two voluntary boards that handle fund-raising and disbursement and count a who's who of the comic book community among its members: Joe Quesada, Marvel's chief creative officer; Mark Waid, a critically acclaimed writer; and two popular artists, George Perez and John Romita Sr. Hero has helped more than 50 creators with rent, medical bills or finding freelance projects. Some of those who receive assistance remain anonymous, but two of their success stories include Tom Ziuko, a colorist who was hospitalized with kidney failure last year, and Josh Medors, an artist who is battling spinal cord cancer. The group relies on donations, annual membership fees and fund-raising efforts that include comic book art auctions and chances to win sit-down meals with comic book creators. One of the most popular endeavors is the "100 project," in which Hero solicits 100 original covers tied to a milestone issue of a comic book series. While creators in need are at the core mission of the Hero Initiative, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has a broader mandate: the protection of the First Amendment rights of the comics art form, encompassing not just writers and artists but also retailers, publishers and readers. The organization was founded in 1986 by Dennis Kitchen, an underground comic book artist and publisher of Kitchen Sink Press. At that time, Michael Correa, a manager at a comic bookstore in Lansing, Mich., was charged with possession and sale of obscene material, including copies of "Omaha the Cat Dancer," an erotic comic strip, published by Kitchen Sink. Mr. Kitchen and friends raised money to hire the First Amendment lawyer Burton Joseph (he died in 2010). Mr. Correa was convicted, but the verdict was overturned on appeal. With money left over, Mr. Kitchen established the fund, believing "this wasn't the first time and it won't be the last time." Charles Brownstein, the executive director of the fund, has seen a shift in those seeking help. "Right now, the at-risk group are readers," he said, especially "people immersed in the culture of Japanese comics." As manga has grown in popularity, especially in online consumption, so have run-ins with the authorities over Japanese culture's different taboos about nudity and sexual content. In a recent case, the fund came to the aid of Ryan Matheson, a manga fan who was arrested on child pornography charges when customs officials in Canada found risqué images on his computer. Charges against Mr. Matheson were dropped in March after nearly two years. Mr. Brownstein learned of another possible case in a news release from the Justice Department. Christjan Bee of Monett, Mo., pleaded guilty to possessing obscene materials, referring to a collection of comics found on his computer. In a statement, Mr. Brownstein wrote: "The government's description of the comics on his computer could easily describe a variety of comics that possess artistic and literary merit." Mr. Brownstein said such cases pointed up the need to "redouble efforts to raise awareness of our work." Raising awareness is a cornerstone of the "We Can Be Heroes" campaign involving DC Entertainment. The company, which publishes the adventures of Superman and his caped colleagues, has teamed up with Save the Children, the International Rescue Committee and the Mercy Corps to fight famine in the Horn of Africa. This is not the first time that the comic book industry has taken on this cause. In 1985, Marvel published "Heroes for Hope," starring the X-Men, to raise money for famine relief. The next year, DC Comics published "Heroes Against Hunger," featuring Batman and Superman. Getting involved again "seemed like the perfect opportunity for DC to do something helpful and meaningful" using globally recognized characters like Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, said Diane Nelson, president of DC Entertainment. The campaign's efforts are varied. A "Darkness & Light" art tour mixes real images of famine relief efforts with original artwork (that will eventually be auctioned) featuring Justice League characters. The singer Chris Daughtry recorded a song, "Rescue Me," whose profits go to the cause. Jim Lee, a popular comic book artist and co-publisher of DC Comics, provided creative direction and artwork for eight custom vehicles produced by KIA Motors America and inspired by the Justice League. One car and Mr. Lee's artwork will be auctioned. In less than nine months, the campaign has raised $1.9 million. "Our goal was a minimum of $2 million over the course of two years," Ms Nelson said. We still have a runway of 15 months; we hope to blow the lid off of it.