Meet The Sixers Fan Who's Turning Her Favorite Players Into Superhero Comics
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Basketball players have a lot in common with superheroes. They're larger than life, faster than a speeding bullet, and fly through the air with the greatest of ease. Eyewitness News spoke to one 76ers fan who is literally drawing those comparisons.
"Both my parents are musicians, so everyone always thought I would get into that," Dhwani Saraiya said.
Saraiya's mother has a doctorate in Indian classic music, her father is a percussionist. While they were hitting the right notes, Saraiya was hitting her notebook.
"When I would go to their performances, I would always be in the back doodling something," Saraiya said. "From high school, I started drawing superheroes. Spider-Man was my favorite, Iron Man."
But her focus changed to other larger-than-life figures.
"Obviously love the Sixers," Saraiya said, "and I thought let me start drawing some players, it'll be cool. I was with my roommate and she knew about the drawings because we talk a lot, she was like, 'you should post that.' I come back and there's like 500 likes, a bunch of DMs, I'm like what is going on?"
Saraiya says it takes her anywhere from two to four days "depending on the detail" to complete a cover. She said he uses a "cool moment" to inspire her drawings.
"The block was kind of like a swat, like a hornet," Saraiya said of a Ben Simmons block.
Saraiya's favorite player is Simmons.
"When I made his comic, 'The Peacemaker,' the first one, he actually saw it and responded, 'this is dope,'" Saraiya said, "and I lost my mind."
This is dope ???? https://t.co/IgWf6juRci
— Ben Simmons (@BenSimmons25) September 9, 2020
"The Peacemaker" was after the fight with Joel and Karl-Anthony Towns.
As for Saraiya's take on the new and improved Sixers?
"The offense looks good, the defense looks spectacular," Saraiya said.
Saraiya might be ready to draw up a few plays instead.
"Ball movement is insane, and we got Danny Green and Seth Curry," Saraiya said, "I think they're really going to be important for the success."
The sky is obviously the limit for the recent Rutgers University graduate.
Major League Baseball recently asked for Saraiya's help with their Fan Art Friday Campaign, and she's planning a book of covers that tells the story of the Sixers' season.
If you're interested in her work, check it out on Instagram at @dsaraiyart.
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