Big Lick NOVA 2023! Part II: Jim Shooter Part I

 

When I saw Jim Shooter was returning to Big Lick NOVA in 2023, it was all I needed to know to get a ticket. Jim Shooter is the Stan Lee of my era of comics. He was the man that was steering the ship at Marvel during the prime of my initial introduction to their books and characters. He's also the reason I needed so many people in tow with me.

Jim is one of the last bastions of the true spirits of comic conventions. He signs everything for free, believing he is there to provide an experience for guests as part of their admission price.

Jim Shooter signing one of the many stacks
of books he signed for me at the show

For Mr. Shooter alone I had about two hundred books that I wanted to get signed. However, I felt there was no way on Earth that I could plop them all down in front of him and ask him to do so without being told to get real. Yes, I was essentially running a train of people to his table to get things signed, while trying to be sneaky about it. Something I found out very soon that I didn't need to do. But, more on that in a moment.

My brother was tasked with Marvel Age, The Punisher, and a few select books. For my girl, she had the important job of several key books, including my entire run of Kraven's Last Hunt, and the Wedding annual. George of G.I. Jigsaw did "clean up" for me, getting my Incredible Hulk, and Daredevil books signed. As for me, I brought the heavy hitters, most of which were from my run of The Amazing Spider-Man, as well as seven other key books. These last seven were so important to me that they'll encompass their own post, and quite frankly, I would have been ecstatic if those were the only books I got signed. But again, thing unfolded very differently. Mind you, by the time it had gotten to this point,  I was already at the show for about four hours, and everyone had gotten all their books signed except me.

As I stood in line behind a family, I noticed something. They were ultimately on the same mission I was. In fact, the father even had his own suitcase full of books. Great minds think alike! His whole family was tasked with giving Mr. Shooter a stack of books to sign. When I stepped up for my turn, Mr. Shooter began signing away, as I spewed out question upon question.

If there was one thing I learned during my first meeting of the man behind Marvel, he has a lot of great stories, and he's willing to share them with anyone wanting to listen. Listen I wanted to, and listen I did over the course of two days! I must have spent three to five hours just at his table alone. Though he told many tales, my favorites that stood out were as follows:

Jim paid Larry Hama for “writing” his silent issue, G.I. Joe number 21, even though there were no words. When Hama went to accounting to receive his compensation, the bookkeeper called Jim to question why he was paying someone for a story that had no written dialog.

Being a Canadian resident, Todd McFarlane was on the cusp of having to return home because he needed permanent work to stay in the United States. Though he first sought full employment from DC Comics, the company turned him down. It was Jim Shooter who offered him full time employment, and the ability to stay in the USA.

As Jim signed my Marvel Age books, he remembered how the first issues, which were under the guise of Vice President of New Product Development, Carol Kalish, was more so a book that panned its own comic creations. In essence, it was informing readers what they shouldn’t bother reading. This sparked a miffed Stan Lee to demand why Shooter had not shut the production of the series down. To which Jim simply stated that he didn’t think it was a good idea for him to get into an argument with the VP of New Product Development. The book would eventually right its course, and become one that Jim would appreciate more and more.

Jim smiled as he looked at the cover of Marvel Age number 9, and then began to laugh as he reminisced about the original promotional video that Marvel shot in support of the book. Though I don’t remember many of the names he mentioned, the shoot consisted of several people from Marvel stepping in the ring to box. Shooter ended up in the ring with an actual professional boxer, who he held at bay due to his sheer height. In the end, the video shoot was difficult to get through because everyone kept laughing.

Though Comics Journal number 85 features the first official appearance of the black suit Spider-Man, Jim remembers the issue as the magazine that smeared him in its articles. Despite this, he still kindly signed my copy.

While in the hospital as a young boy, Jim noticed that there were comic books all over the place that were available for the kids to read. He noted how the DC books were all in pristine unread condition, and the Marvel books were all beat up from constant use. Though he decided he would start by reading the DC books, he found himself bored with their cookie cutter story lines, and shifted over to the Marvel books. It was here that he got excited for the stories, awed by how unique each one was.

A couple of unique items I took with me to get signed were my Audio Graphic CD's which contain full fledged multi voice acted audio books of Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars and Kraven's Last Hunt. If you haven't heard these, I highly recommend you check them out. The company behind them makes multiple different comic book related productions, and they're all of high quality with full casts and sound effects.

I also brought along with me my Marvel Legends Retro black suit Spider-Man figure.

Also signed by Rick Leonardi that same day!

At this point, I'd love to show you all the books that Mr. Shooter signed for me, but that's honestly going to be a whole series of posts unto themselves. The reason being is that even after getting as may books signed as I initially brought to the show, after seeing the family in front of me during my final pass, I decided to take the direct approach.

When he finished signing, I thanked him profusely, and told him that while I was getting ready to head out, I would be back for day two. I then asked if he would hate me if I brought more books back tomorrow. Before he could answer I blurted out, "Because in all honesty, I would love if you signed my entire run of Spider-Man books that you were involved with." Without hesitation, Mr. Shooter simply said, "Yeah, sure."

Oh boy...Now my excited mind was in full fledged overdrive. Looking at the time, I said to his assistant, "I might go home and get more books now." Which I promptly did.

Racing away from the convention center, I flew home with my two helpers, and proceeded to remove the bags from every single one of them, packing two short boxes of Spider-Man, Spider-Man, and more Spider-Man. I unbagged so many books that it took me about an hour just to do that.

Returning to the show in the early afternoon, I watched in awe as he signed every single one of them, all while telling more stories. He had only one rule. If anyone else came to the table for autographs I had to step aside and let them go first. Yes, sir, no problem, sir!

I also thumbed through the many portfolios he had on his tables, which he was more than happy to let people take photos of, and even pull out and hold, all while prompting more stories regarding the specific pieces. Seriously, to Mr. Shooter, thank you so very much for the experience you gave!

All of this on day one, and I still hadn't even walked the showroom floor to see just what else Big Lick NOVA 2023 had to offer. However, day two was on the horizon, and that opportunity would come...

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