Just Doodling: Jim Shooter Through The Years

When I created these below images, it was long before they went live today. It saddened me greatly to hear that since their inception and today that Mr. Shooter had died on June 30, 2025, no more than a month after I last saw him in person at Big Lick Nova 2025.

The few times that I got the privilege to meet Jim, he was always smiling, happy to sign books, and fill the ears of anyone who would listen with all the fantastic stories about comics, and his time at Marvel. He was a true legend of the industry.

He openly admitted he was a tough boss at Marvel, but also talked about the positive changes he made there, such as providing creators with royalties, and even the basics in terms of supplies to draw the comics they were creating. The positives far outweighed the negatives, and for the fans looking from the outside in, our reward was quality books that delivered consistently on time, while introducing us to other legends in the industry. Jim knew what talent was, and in turn, despite what they said, that talent wanted to work for him.

Though he's no longer with us, I just want to again thank him for all that he helped create in the world of Marvel Comics, for signing all those books for me that he did, and for the commission piece he created for me. I honor his life through this visual retrospective of his storied career.

In 1965, Jim started writing comics
for DC at the age of 13

He joined Marvel Comics in 1976,
succeeding Archie Goodwin as
Editor-In-Chief in 1978

Throughout the 80's, Marvel Comics
became an industry powerhouse under
his watch

He would go on to found Valiant Comics
in 1989 with Steven Massarsky, but sell
it to Acclaim Entertainment in 1994

Throughout the 2000's, he returned to Marvel,
DC, and also worked with Dark Horse, and
newly formed Illustrated Media

During his final working years, Jim still did
freelance work, as well as frequently appears
at comic book conventions across the world
to meet fans and sign autographs

I ended up giving a stack of these to Jim at Big Lick Nova, 2025, and got one signed from him. He kept one personally for himself, and gave all the rest to people who stopped by, signing them as he did. I can't tell you how happy that made me that he not only embraced what I had created, but wanted to share it with everyone else. It saddens me deeply to know he's no longer here with us.

Thank you Mr. Shooter for everything you did not only for the comic book industry, but me personally. Your legacy lives on in my home. I hope we meet again when I too come home to the Lord.

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