A HERO TO COMICS

Marvel Comics Icon Jim Shooter Dies at 73 After Cancer Battle

The comic industry giant is remembered for shaping Marvel in its early days.

Jim Shooter, the former editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics, died on Monday, aged 73, after battling esophageal cancer. Shooter came from a working-class Polish-American family in Pittsburgh. His father was a steelworker, but Shooter had other dreams. When he was just 14, Shooter was hired by DC Comics, then known as “National Comics.” Shooter added several heroes to DC’s legion, including Karate Kid, as well as villains like the Fatal Five and Parasite. Shooter eventually left DC to join Marvel in 1976. Only two years later, he was editor-in-chief. Shooter ran a tight ship, ensuring that books and paychecks were issued on time. He is remembered as a man of principle. Writer Larry Hama recalled on Facebook how Shooter once bent the rules, much against his nature, to add a deceased writer to the company’s health insurance to help support his widow, according to The Hollywood Reporter. However, some felt suffocated by Shooter’s managerial style. Strained tensions with his editors and writers contributed to Marvel’s decision to let him go in 1987. However, Shooter would go on to found three more comic publishers, Valiant, Defiant, and Broadway. “My inner child will always be grateful for his inspiration,” remarked former DC Comics president Paul Levitz.