Jim Shooter, a comic book writer, editor and publisher known for — among other things — a stint as Editor-in-Chief of Marvel Comics, has died at age 73.
The news was revealed via writer Mark Waid’s Facebook page, where he noted that Shooter has been battling esophageal cancer for “some time.”
Born in Pittsburgh in 1951, Shooter became enamored of comics while in the hospital, and decided at age 12 to get a job at DC Comics. Shockingly, after submitting stories he wrote and drew at age 13, a year later DC hired him to write Superman and Supergirl. The then 14-year-old wrote for both Action Comics and Adventure Comics, and went on to create numerous characters for the future-set Legion of Super-Heroes. In 1967, Shooter left his mark on history with artist Curt Swan when they introduced the first foot race between Superman and The Flash.
In 1969, after getting accepted into NYU (New York University), Shooter was also offered a job at Marvel. He quit NYU — and DC Comics, and began to work for Marvel, rising up the ranks until in 1978 he was promoted to Editor-in-Chief. With Stan Lee headed to the West Coast to supervise animation and follow his TV dreams, Shooter was mostly left alone to manage the comics. During his nine-year run as EIC, while he was knocked for having a dictatorial managerial style, he also oversaw multiple lauded runs: Chris Claremont and John Byrne on X-Men, Walt Simonson on Thor, and Frank Miller on Daredevil, among others.
In addition, his contribution to comic book marketing can’t be understated. During his tenure as EIC, he launched Dazzler #1, a book that was direct to comic book stores, changing the way the market worked. And in launching Secret Wars in 1984, he helped create the modern comic crossover, something that continues to dominate mainstream comics today. Also while at Marvel he launched the creator-owned line Epic, as well as the less successful New Universe line of books.
On the other hand, he reportedly alienated multiple creators, and famously forbade John Byrne from allowing the character of Northstar to be revealed as gay. Even worse, he did introduce two gay characters to Marvel Comics in The Rampaging Hulk #23 in 1980… Who attempted to rape Bruce Banner, aka The Hulk, in a YMCA. The story has been widely criticized as homophobic.
In 1987, Shooter was fired from Marvel, only to return as an investor in early Valiant Comics. He was also kicked out of Valiant in 1992, going on to found the appropriately named Defiant Comics, and then in 1995 Broadway Comics, an arm of Broadway Video (the producers of Saturday Night Live, among others). Over the years, Shooter has returned to his old publishers, including a run on Legion of Super-Heroes in 2007, and returning to the Valiant characters in 2010.
While his career was often mired in controversy and very public spats, he also won an Eagle Award in 1979, an Inkpot Award in 1980, and in 2012 was named an ambassador for the Inkwell Awards, which lasted until today.
You can read Waid’s message from Facebook below:
RIP Jim Shooter, 1951-2025.
I’ve just received word that Jim Shooter passed away of esophogeal cancer, which he’s been battling for some time. I realize that for many he’s been a controversial figure in the past (game knows game), mostly with regards to his managereal style, but my experiences with him lay outside that realm and began with my lifelong love for his writing beginning with the first time I ever picked up a copy of Adventure Comics in 1967.
For those who don’t know, Jim broke into comics at the age of 14. Let me say that again: 14. I don’t know about you, but when I was 14, I could barely put sentences together on paper. During a hospital stay, he’d been given some Marvel and DC comics and could clearly see how much more exciting the Marvel books were and couldn’t understand why DC’s books couldn’t have that same vitality. Having no idea how comics scripts were done, he literally wrote and drew a Legion of Super-Heroes story on notebook paper and sent it in to editor Mort Weisinger, who put him to work immediately–having no idea how young he was until later.
Jim left comics in the late 1960s, returning in the mid-1970s to a DC that didn’t quite know what to do with him before moving to Marvel and eventually serving as their EIC for many years. Subsequently, he launched a succession of long- and short-lived comics companies. Over the past few years, he’d been making frequent comic convention appearances.
My meals and conversations with Jim were always genial, and I never failed to remind him just how inspirational his work was to me; there are storytelling choices and stylistic influences I got from him in nearly all my work. I regret that I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye, but I’m glad he’s finally at peace after years of suffering.
Godspeed, Jim.
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