Jim Lee's latest passion project combines two of his great loves: comic-book art and breakfast cereal.
The DC Comics co-publisher and other top illustrators have redesigned the iconic characters of General Mills' Monsters Cereals for this year's seasonal sugary bonanza right on time for Halloween.
Lee tackled the gentleman ghost for blueberry-flavored Boo Berry, Dave Johnson took on strawberry-rific Franken Berry and Terry and Rachel Dodson were on Count Chocula duty for the chocolate-loving vampire.
The limited-edition packaging featuring the new artwork and comic strips drawn by Brent Schoonover will hit select retailers this month before nationwide distribution in September.
"I have a lot of highlights in my career that have nothing to do with superheroes. This is definitely one of them," says Lee, who admits that Boo Berry was his preferred cereal when he was a kid.
"I loved the milk turning blue afterward, and it brought back a lot of childhood memories."
The Monsters Cereals originated in the early 1970s, and since 2010, they have only been available for fans and cereal lovers in the autumn months.
The collaboration with DC Comics was a natural fit, according to Catherine Cox Draper, business unit director for General Mills Big G Cereals.
"The artists share our love for Monsters Cereals, and Monsters Cereals fans also love DC Comics," she says. "The reimagining of the Monsters for the packaging was a highly collaborative process, and we had a lot of fun seeing the artists' vision for our beloved Count Chocula, Franken Berry and Boo Berry come to life."
Lee feels each of the artists brought their personal style to their character. "At first glance, you might not pick up the nuances," he says, "but Franken Berry is definitely Dave Johnson, and in the Dodsons' take on Count Chocula, they've humanized him a little bit more."
