Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Spider-Man, Superman, Venom, X-Men | Tagged: Jim Shooter, rip

Jim Shooter, Marvel EIC & Founder Of Valiant Has Died, Aged 73, RIP

Jim Shooter, writer of Superman, Secret Wars and Legion, Editor-In-Chief of Marvel, co-founder of Valiant, Defiant and Broadway has died, aged 73.

Mark Waid has confirmed the news that comic book writer, editor, editor-in-chief and publisher, Jim Shooter, has died this week at the age of 73, saying "I've just received word that Jim Shooter passed away of oesophageal cancer, which he's been battling for some time".

Born in 1951, Jim Shooter was a professionally published comic book writer from the age of fourteen, working on Superboy and Supergirl comic books for DC Comics, writing for both Action Comics and Adventure Comics, including pencilling breakdown pages, notably developing and extending the Legion of Super-Heroes inspired by Marvel's titles of the day, co-creating many of them along the way. He would also write the first Superman and Flash race, still reprised to this day. He left comics to work in advertising but would later return to an editorial role at Marvel. He would later become Editor-In-Chief of Marvel Comics for nine years, a period that would include Chris Claremont and John Byrne on Uncanny X-Men, including demanding the death of Jean Grey, John Byrne on Fantastic Four, Frank Miller on Daredevil, Walt Simonson on Thor, and Roger Stern on Avengers and Amazing Spider-Man. Taking a bunch of disparate Japanese toylines, he would write the outline joining them all together with a new storyline, creating what would become Transformers. He would also write that most influential series, Secret Wars, which introduces Spider-Man's black costume. He also launched the New Universe series of titles, including co-creating Star Brand, a character who was partially modelled on himself. He introduced royalties at Marvel Comics for creators, but a micro-managerial style was not popular amongst some, which would lead to his dismissal. Leaving Marvel, he would found publisher Valiant Entertainment, co-creating Bloodshot, Shadowman, X-O Manowar, Harbinger and Archer & Armstrong in the process. He would also co-found publishers with the short-lived Defiant Comics, working with Steve Ditko, as well as the even shorter-lived Broadway Comics. But he kept working in and around comics, returning to Valiant, and selling his rights for Secret Wars and Venom to Marvel for a mere $10,000, something he was very happy to do. His final work, a remaking of his Schism series for Defiant, was recently Kickstartered and will be published soon.

Jim Shooter marked a move in comic books away from the slipshod hobbyist tone of the comic book industry into a professional business, something respectable, and on which whole careers could be based, creating commercial stories for children, and beyond. Some people saw this period as comics growing up, but more than anyone else, Jim Shooter helped the American comic book industry grow up as well.

We express our condolences to family and friends, many of whom are currently filling the internet with their memories of the man. You can revisit a number of his memos from his time of publishing comics, including Marvel and Valiant, in this series of Bleeding Cool articles, The Shooter Files.

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