Jim Simon | |
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![]() Jim Simon | |
Nationality | American |
Occupation(s) | Comics writer, comics historian |
Known for | The Comic Book Makers |
Notable work | The Comic Book Makers The Art of the Simon & Kirby Studio Astounding, Mysterious, Weird & True: The Pulp Art of Comic Book Artists |
Jim Simon is an American writer, editor, and comic book historian. He is known for his work documenting the early comic book industry and for contributing to publications related to comics history. He has worked with Marvel Comics, Titan Books, Abrams ComicArts, and other publishers. [1]
Simon earned a bachelor's degree in literature from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and studied copywriting at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. [2] [3] He is the son of comic book creator Joe Simon and worked in his father's studio. While working in the studio, he learned publication production, reviewed scripts, gained experience in editing and scriptwriting, and was first exposed to the business side of publishing and licensing. [4]
Simon wrote The Comic Book Makers with Joe Simon, a nonfiction book documenting the early history of the American comic book industry. [5] The book has been cited in peer-reviewed academic studies [6] [7] [8] and referenced in widely read historical studies of comics, including Gerard Jones's Men of Tomorrow and David Hajdu's The Ten-Cent Plague. [9] [10] [11]
In The Art of the Simon and Kirby Studio published by Abrams ComicArts, he wrote about the studio's operations and creative output. [4] He also wrote for The Simon and Kirby Superheroes published by Titan Books, documenting the duo's work during the 1940s and 1950s. [12]
In collaboration with Steven Brower, Simon wrote Astounding, Mysterious, Weird & True: The Pulp Art of Comic Book Artists. The book examines the pulp magazine work of early comic book artists. [13]
His work on comic book history has also appeared in various publications, including Alter Ego, Comic Book Artist, and the 2006 edition of The New Book of Knowledge. [14] [15] [16]
Simon has created and scripted original, creator-owned comic book characters/properties, [17] including ShieldMaster, which debuted in Comic Book Marketplace in 1998, [18] and later appeared in Strange, Futura , and Étranges Aventures, published by Organic Comix. Another creator-owned character, Spyder-Fly, also appeared in Strange and Étranges Aventures .
In 2011, a hardcover French edition of his graphic novel ShieldMaster: L'envol du Phoenix [19] was published by Organic Comix/Carabas, distributed by Hachette, followed in 2016 by an English-language edition titled ShieldMaster: The Phoenix Project, released by FutureRetro Entertainment. [20] In 2020, Organic Comix published a French edition of his Les mystères de Camp Hero.
A limited-edition print run of the American ShieldMaster series was released in 2024, featuring contributions from Tom Morgan and Bob Layton, with an introduction by Alan Moore. That same year, Simon created and wrote KillShott and In Pursuit of Dead-Bolt, which were also published. [1]
Simon wrote the introduction, The Classic Wild West Action Team, for The Kid Cowboys of Boys' Ranch published by Marvel Comics. [21] During the 1970s, he contributed editorial and written content to humor magazines including Crazy Magazine published by Marvel Comics, Sick , National Crumb, and Something Else, serving as editor for several of these publications. [22]
Simon is the author of the The Monster Channel, a middle grade horror novel published by Avon Books, an imprint of HarperCollins, as part of its Spinetinglers series. [23] He also contributed to the development and writing of the science fiction concept Jove: U.N. Born, which was expanded into a film treatment. [24]
In the 1970s, Simon authored parody books, published by Leisure Books and Belmont Tower Books, satirizing popular media franchises such as King Kong , The Six Million Dollar Man , and The Bionic Woman. The books are included in the Miller Collection of Wit and Humor at Brown University Library. [25]
Simon provided creative input on comic book titles including Brother Power the Geek, Prez, The Outsiders, and The Sandman which were developed and produced at Joe Simon's studio and published by DC Comics. [26]
He is also the author of two limited-edition literary works, The Far Away and Crane's Neck. [27]
Simon was interviewed in the ABC television documentary Marvel's Captain America: 75 Heroic Years. [28] He has participated as a panelist at comic-related events, including Big Apple Comic Con [29] [30] and New York Comic Con, [31] where he discussed comic book history. In 2016, he wrote an article for the official Comic-Con International Souvenir Book, published for San Diego Comic-Con International. [32]
Jim Simon's work bridges the gap between the Golden Age of comics and contemporary storytelling. Through his independent creations, collaborations with major publishers, and historical writings, he has enriched the comic book industry and preserved its legacy for future generations.
Jim Simon provides important historical background on the stories in this volume.
This superb gallery begins with 'Diamonds and Rust' by Simon; an efficient and studious overview of the history, artists and characters that thrived in those bygone days...
Jim Simon knows a thing or two about superheroes… DS caught up with the creator to discuss his latest project ShieldMaster.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Simon contributed story and character concepts to titles such as "Brother Power the Geek," "Prez," "The Outsiders," and "The Sandman," developed at his father's studio and published by DC Comics.
Jim Simon gave a discussion... and discussed the social impact of their groundbreaking work in comic books.
Abrams ComicArts Preview Panel: For 65 years Abrams has been the country's premiere art book publisher. It's been five years since the launch of Abrams ComicArts in 2009, and the tradition of excellence continues with bestselling, award-winning original graphic novels and coffee table books. Join the ComicArts team and their Authors as they discuss current titles, and reveal exciting details about the upcoming Spring 2015 list and forthcoming projects. Includes a slide show, surprise announcements, Special Guests and giveaways. Carol Burrell, Cece Bell, Chad Beckerman, Charles Kochman, Dan Mishkin, Frank Cammuso, JP Ahonen, Jerzy Drozd, Jim Simon