Jump to content

Draft:Jim Simon (author)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  • Comment: To be more explicit about the sources needed in the article, the easiest way to meet the criteria at WP:NAUTHOR is to show that 2+ books have gotten 2+ professional reviews each. The books where he just contributed an essay/afterword don't count, but the co-authored ones and the novels do. Ideally the article would include some information from those reviews to explain the reception of each book, but it also works to just add them as citations in the selected bibliography. Other secondary sourcing can also demonstrate notability, but for an author book reviews are the simplest. Check sites like Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Newspapers.com. ~ L 🌸 (talk) 19:38, 25 June 2025 (UTC)
  • Comment: Sample:
    In 2016, Simon was invited to speak at San Diego Comic-Con International, one of the most prominent conventions in the comic book industry. Although he was unable to attend, his essay titled My Father in the Light was published in the official Comic-Con International 2016 Souvenir Book.[reference] The piece offers a personal reflection on the role of comic books in shaping imagination, storytelling, and creative expression. Simon has also appeared as a panelist at Big Apple Comic Con[reference] and New York Comic Con,[reference][reference] contributing to discussions on comic book history.
    Like other, similar material in this draft, this strikes me as mere trivia. If Simon is a writer, then what have people whose opinions matter written in reliable sources about Simon's writing?
    Yes, there are hints of opinions here and there. For example, "Will Eisner called [The Comic Book Makers] 'a very valuable work'" -- but it turns out that he did so in a mere blurb, and blurbs are pretty worthless. How about actual reviews of his books. Hoary (talk) 22:57, 17 April 2025 (UTC)
  • Comment: The "background" section is rather name dropping, interacting with several industry professionals doesn't confer any notability neither does being interviewed. Theroadislong (talk) 07:43, 16 April 2025 (UTC)
  • Comment: You have rather a lot of primary sources, and articles should be based on what reliable independent sources say. Theroadislong (talk) 22:30, 1 March 2025 (UTC)
  • Comment: commercial links to purchase books should be removed and Wikipedia cannot be used as a reference. Theroadislong (talk) 07:39, 27 February 2025 (UTC)
Jim Simon
Born
New York
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Writer, comics creator, comics historian
Known forThe Comic Book Makers
Notable workThe 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, publisher, and comic book historian known for his work on documenting the history of American comic books and for creating original comic book characters and stories He has collaborated with major publishers including Marvel Comics, Titan Books, and Abrams ComicArts, contributing original stories as well as essays focused on the Golden Age of comics. [1][2][3]

Early Life and Education

[edit]

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.[4][5]

Work on Comics History

[edit]

Simon co-authored The Comic Book Makers with Joe Simon[6]. The book chronicles the early history of the American comic book industry. It has been cited by authors such as Gerard Jones in Men of Tomorrow and David Hajdu in The Ten-Cent Plague, among others. [7][8][9][10][11]

He also contributed to The Art of the Simon and Kirby Studio (Abrams ComicArts), where he authored the Afterword, describing the operations and artwork of the Simon and Kirby studio.[12][13] Simon wrote additional essays for the Titan Books anthology The Simon and Kirby Superheroes (2010), providing historical commentary on the duo's work during the 1940s and 1950s.[14]

In collaboration with Steven Brower, Simon co-authored Astounding, Mysterious, Weird & True: The Pulp Art of Comic Book Artists (2020), examining the pulp magazine work of early comic book artists.[15]

Original Comic Book Work

[edit]

Simon created and scripted original comic book characters, including ShieldMaster[16] and Spyder-Fly. ShieldMaster debuted in Comic Book Marketplace in 1998[17], and later appeared in Strange, Futura, and Étranges Aventures[18], published by Organic Comix. [19] Spyder-Fly also featured in Strange and Étranges Aventures. In 2011, Organic Comix published Simon's graphic novel ShieldMaster: L'envol du phoenix.[19]

In 2024, Simon launched the independent imprint Simon Studios, publishing a new ShieldMaster series, featuring contributions from Tom Morgan and Bob Layton, with an introduction by Alan Moore.[20] In early 2025, the titles KillShott and In Pursuit of Dead-Bolt were released, both written and created by him. [1]

Other Publications and Editorial Work

[edit]

Simon wrote The Classic Wild West Action Team introduction for The Kid Cowboys of Boys' Ranch (Marvel Comics).[21] He contributed to Crazy Magazine (Marvel), Sick, National Crumb, and Something Else.[22]

During the 1970s, he served as editor for Sick, National Crumb, and Something Else. Under a pseudonym, he authored The Monster Channel (Avon Books), a novel released as part of the Spinetinglers series in 1997 (later reissued under his real name). He is also the author of the novel The Far Away.[23]

Simon assisted in the development and writing of the science fiction concept Jove: U.N. Born, which was also developed as a film treatment.[24]

Simon has been credited with early development input on various comic book titles such as Brother Power the Geek, Prez, The Outsiders, and The Sandman, which were developed at Joe Simon's studio and published by DC Comics.[25][26]

Media Appearances and Public Speaking

[edit]

Simon was featured in the 2016 ABC documentary Marvel's Captain America: 75 Heroic Years.[27] He was invited to speak at San Diego Comic-Con International and has appeared as a panelist at events including Apple Comic Con[28] and New York Comic Con[29]. In 1991, he was interviewed by David Garland on WNYCs Evening Music, discussing The Comic Book Makers and the importance of preserving comic book history.[30]

Selected Bibliography

[edit]

Books

[edit]
  • The Comic Book Makers. Crestwood/II Publications (1990). ISBN 978-0962685804 ; Vanguard Productions, 2nd ed. (2003). ISBN 978-1887591331.
  • The Art of the Simon and Kirby Studio. Abrams ComicArts (2014). ISBN 978-1419711602.
  • Astounding, Mysterious, Weird & True: The Pulp Art of Comic Book Artists. SB Studio Books (2020). ISBN 978-1087867502.

Essays

[edit]
  • “The 1940s: War and Peace” and “The 1950s: Fighting Americans,” in The Simon and Kirby Superheroes. Titan Books (2010). ISBN 978-1848563650.

Novels

[edit]
  • The Monster Channel (as part of the Spinetinglers series). Avon Books (1997).
  • The Far Away. Crestwood/II. (2001).

Articles and interviews on comics

[edit]
  • "I Remember Weird Mysteries." Alter Ego, May 2004.
  • "Jim Simon Looks Back." The Intelligent Collector, Winter 2013.
  • "A Q&A With Jim Simon." Captain America Anniversary Magazine, June 2016.
  • "Interview with Jim Simon." WNYC Radio, 1991.
  • "Marvel's Captain America: 75 Heroic Years." ABC Television, 2016.
  • “The Legacy of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby." Panelist. Big Apple Comic Con, March 11, 2017.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "SPOTLIGHT ON JIM SIMON". First Comics News. 2025-04-18. Retrieved 2025-04-26.
  2. ^ Langshaw, Mark. "ShieldMaster". Digital Spy. As a writer, publisher and authorised representative of the comic properties created by Simon and Kirby Studios, Jim Simon knows a thing or two about superheroes.
  3. ^ "Don Markstein's Toonopedia: Acknowledgments". www.toonopedia.com. Retrieved 2025-03-04.
  4. ^ Jones, Sherrill (2004). "Brookmarks". The Brook. 5 (1): 23.
  5. ^ "Who's Who bio". bailsprojects.com. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  6. ^ Edlitz, Mark. "Remembering Captain America's Creator". Slice of SciFi. Mark Edlitz interviewed Jim Simon, who is a writer and publisher, about his legendary father.
  7. ^ Jones, Gerard (2004). Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book. Basic Books. pp. 356–357. ISBN 978-0465036561.
  8. ^ Hajdu, David (2008). The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic Book Scare and How It Changed America. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. p. 412. ISBN 978-0374187675.
  9. ^ ""The whole furshlugginer operation" : the Jewish comic book industry, 1933-1954". MSU Libraries Digital Collections.
  10. ^ Denson, Shane; Meyer, Christina; Stein, Daniel (2025-03-22). "Transnational Perspectives on Graphic Narratives: Comics at the Crossroads". dokumen.pub. p. 47.
  11. ^ Ronin, Ro (2004). Tales to Astonish: Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, and the American Comic Book Revolution (1st ed.). Bloomsbury USA. pp. 295–296. ISBN 978-1582343457.
  12. ^ PrintMag (2015-01-21). "The Art of the Simon and Kirby Studio". PRINT Magazine. Retrieved 2025-06-06.
  13. ^ "Review: 'The Art of the Simon and Kirby Studio' HC". icv2.com. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
  14. ^ "Napa Valley College".
  15. ^ Wiacek, Win (12 September 2013). "Astounding, Mysterious, Weird & True Volume 1: The Pulp Art of Comic Book Artists". Now Read This! Graphic Novel Reviews and Recommendations. Retrieved 2025-04-05. 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...
  16. ^ Langshaw, Mark (26 April 2010). "ShieldMaster". Digital Spy. Jim Simon knows a thing or two about superheroes… DS caught up with the creator to discuss his latest project ShieldMaster.
  17. ^ "Look Back with Humor". Comic Book Marketplace. No. 62. Gemstone Publishing. August 1998. p. 40.
  18. ^ "SHIELDMASTER CHECKLIST – FIRST COMICS NEWS". 2023-06-09. Archived from the original on 9 June 2023. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
  19. ^ a b "Strange le site des Sup'héros par Organic comix". organic-comix.fr. Archived from the original on 2011-06-25. Retrieved 2025-06-06.
  20. ^ Corley, Shaun (2023-10-05). "Classic Joe Simon & Jack Kirby Heroes Return in Legacy Project with Alan Moore". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
  21. ^ Simon, Joe; Kirby, Jack (January 1992). The Kid Cowboys of Boys' Ranch (1st ed.). Marvel Comics (published 1992). pp. 4–5. ISBN 0-87135-859-X.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  22. ^ "The National Crumb • USA | MADtrash.com-". madtrash.com. Archived from the original on 2025-01-16. Retrieved 2025-02-27.
  23. ^ "The Far Away | WorldCat.org". search.worldcat.org. Retrieved 2025-02-27.
  24. ^ Simon and Kirby: Science Fiction. Titan Books. 2013. p. 348. ISBN 9781848569614.
  25. ^ Taylor, Stan (14 February 2025). "Looking For The Awesome – 20. Bullpen? Bullshit!!". The Kirby Effect | The Journal of the Jack Kirby Museum and Research Center. Retrieved 2025-04-16. Jim Simon...in a personal communication explained: Fans should keep in mind that Prez, and Power reflected the times—the hippie and youth movement...I also wrote some of these stories and that could also have been a problem!
  26. ^ Corley, Shaun (2023-03-06). ""A Double-Edged Sword": Jesse Simon talks ShieldMaster and the Simon Family Legacy". Screen Rant. Retrieved 2025-04-14. Jim, son of Joe Simon (co-creator of Captain America, Red Skull, and many others) had worked on other titles like Prez, Brother Power...
  27. ^ Wiebe, Sheldon. "ABC Celebrates Marvel's Captain America: 75 Heroic Years! – EclipseMagazine". Retrieved 2025-03-02.
  28. ^ "Convention Recap: Big Apple Comic Con". Scoop. Retrieved 2025-04-14. Jim Simon gave a discussion... and discussed the social impact of their groundbreaking work in comic books.
  29. ^ MacDonald, Heidi (2014). "NYCC 2014: All the Friday Panels". The Beat. Retrieved 2025-03-30. 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
  30. ^ David Garland (host), Jim Simon (guest) (1991-09-26). "Interview with Jim Simon". Evening Music. WNYC. Recording is currently queued for digitization as part of a grant project by the New York Public Radio Archive.
[edit]
This page will be placed in the following categories if it is moved to the article namespace.
Categories:

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Draft:Jim_Simon_(author)&oldid=1297628624"