Jim Shooter: Conversations

by Jason Sacks (Editor), Eric Hoffman (Editor), Dominick Grace (Editor)

Overview

"I think that if you're an editor, and you do what's right, you occasionally have to say 'no' to people. To the good people, the professionals, that's fine. But the people who are 'hacks, ' they won't like that."

As an American comic book writer, editor, and businessman, Jim Shooter (b. 1951) remains among the most important figures in the history of the medium. Starting in 1966 at the age of fourteen, Shooter, as the young protege of verbally abusive DC editor Mort Weisinger, helped introduce themes and character development more commonly associated with DC competitor Marvel Comics. Shooter created several characters for the Legion of Super-Heroes, introduced Superman's villain the Parasite, and jointly devised the first race between the Flash and Superman.

When he later ascended to editor-in-chief at Marvel Comics, the company, indeed the medium as a whole, was moribund. Yet by the time Shooter left the company a mere decade later, the industry had again achieved considerable commercial viability, with Marvel dominating the market. Shooter enjoyed many successes during his tenure, such as Chris Claremont and John Byrne's run on the Uncanny X-Men, Byrne's work on the Fantastic Four, Frank Miller's Daredevil stories, Walt Simonson's crafting of Norse mythology in Thor, and Roger Stern's runs on Avengers and The Amazing Spider-Man, as well as his own successes writing Secret Wars and Secret Wars II. After a rift at Marvel, Shooter then helped lead Valiant Comics into one of the most iconic comic book companies of the 1990s, before moving to start-up companies Defiant and Broadway Comics.

Interviews collected in this book span Shooter's career. Included here is a 1969 interview that shows a restless teenager; the 1973 interview that returned Shooter to comics; a discussion from 1980 during his pinnacle at Marvel; and two conversations from his time at Valiant and Defiant Comics. At the close, an extensive, original interview encompasses Shooter's full career.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781496811790
Publisher:	University Press of Mississippi
Publication date:	06/09/2017
Series:	Conversations with Comic Artists Series
Pages:	252
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Jason Sacks, Everett, Washington, is author of many books of comics history, including American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1970s; Thriller: 7 Seconds to Save the World; and the forthcoming American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1990s.


Eric Hoffman, Vernon, Connecticut, is author of Oppen: A Narrative. He also coedited (with Dominick Grace) Dave Sim: Conversations; Chester Brown: Conversations; and Seth: Conversations, all published by University Press of Mississippi.


Dominick Grace, London, Ontario, Canada, is author of The Science Fiction of Phyllis Gotlieb: A Critical Reading. He also coedited (with Eric Hoffman) Dave Sim: Conversations; Chester Brown: Conversations; and Seth: Conversations, all published by University Press of Mississippi.

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

Chronology xxx

Jim Shooter Interview Douglas Fratz/1969 3

Legion Outpost Interview Harry Broertjes/1974 11

Chatting with Jim Shooter David M. Singer/1981 25

Jim Shooter Radio Interview Chris Barkley/1982 54

An Interview with Marvel's Head Honcho Maggie Thompson Hal Schuster/1983 62

Top Dog: An Interview with Jim Shooter Speakeasy/1986 76

His Name is … Jim Shooter Joe Martin/1992 86

Interview: Jim Shooter Martin Grosser/1993 99

The Kid Who Wrote Comic Books Speaks Out Richard Arndt/2016 117

Jim Shooter Interview Jason Sacks Eric Hoffman Dominick Grace/2016 143

Selected Resources 208

Index 211