JimShooter.com – Page 6 – Writer. Creator. Large mammal.

Jerry Robinson and Steve Ditko

On December 23, 2011

Defiant 1 offered a link to a must-read article in this comment:

Defiant1 has left a new comment on your post “Jerry Robinson https://jimshooter.com/2011/12/jerry-robinson.html?showComment=1324615552055#c4127676358749850686

Interesting blog post about Robinson teaching Ditko…

http://blakebellnews.blogspot.com/2011/12/being-punked-by-jerry-robinson-other.html?spref=tw

Sex and Drugs

By Jim Shooter

On December 21, 2011

In 02 Early Life

Let’s do the drugs first. Whoo-hoo!

Drugs

I think I wrote the first drug use story in the Comics Code era. It appeared in this issue of Action Comics:

It was the second feature, a Legion of Super-Heroes story entitled “Forbidden Fruit.” Comic Book Database, www.comicbookdb.com, while often useful, gives credit for writing this story jointly to Mort Weisinger and me. Why do they do that? Mort never co-wrote anything with me, or even made a significant edit on any of my scripts. Sigh. No, I wrote it, just me.

The story was published in April of 1969.

Mile High Times

By Jim Shooter

On December 20, 2011

In 14 Events

Friday afternoon, Chuck Rozanski picked me up at the Denver International Airport. My trip from Newark Liberty had been the usual ordeal. Maybe a little more so. I had to go through one of those full body scans. I’m sure the scan-pic will be on the web soon, so anyone so bored as to be wondering whether it’s boxers or briefs will know. We were held at the gate for a while because the aircraft maintenance people had to change a lightbulb. I guess it was an important one. So, we were late taking off and late arriving.

Therefore, Chuck had a long wait for me. As he was hanging around outside the secured area, he noticed a lot of military people also sort of hanging around. They had on camo pants and boots, but on top wore loose sweaters. All of them. No weapons showing. But these people weren’t just passing through on their way somewhere, they were on duty. Eagle-eyed Chuck also noticed TSA types scattered about, Denver and State Police here and there and people in civvies who were people-watching with intensity.

The Watchers noticed Chuck noticing them. A group of Watchers, trying to be discreet and failing, sort of surrounded him.

Then I showed up and we went on our way. Chuck pointed out the Watchers as we left. Wow. Was there a terrorist threat? Or was it just Christmas/holiday season precautions?

Eduardo Barreto

By Jim Shooter

On December 16, 2011

In 09 Reminiscences and Tributes

I understand that Eduardo Barreto died a day or two ago as well. I didn’t know him, but he did a couple of jobs for companies I ran along the way. He was a tremendous talent.

Joe Simon

By Jim Shooter

On December 16, 2011

In 09 Reminiscences and Tributes

Joe Simon

Joe Simon passed away on Wednesday.I met Joe Simon in the Green Room at QVC HQ in West Goshen, Pennsylvania some years ago. He was there to do a promotion for a slate of comics collectibles. Me too. I’d never even seen a picture of him, but he recognized me and introduced himself. What an honor to meet him! Joe was one of the most gracious and nicest people I’ve ever known. We got together a few more times after that, and each time he couldn’t have been nicer. And, of course, he was a fundamental force in our industry, a giant upon whose shoulders we all stand. What a great man. What a great loss.

Mile High Comics Appearance

By Jim Shooter

On December 14, 2011

In 14 Events

I’m going to be signing at Chuck Rozanski’s new Mile High Comics Mega-Store this Saturday. I don’t often do signings and conventions anymore, but Chuck has been a good friend for over 30 years. He asked me to help out with his Christmas Season event at his new store and I couldn’t let him down. He’s helped me out many times and never let me down.

This is an excerpt from the Mile High Comics Newsletter, December 7th:

Jim Shooter Will Autograph Comics For You!

Howdy!

Big news this morning, as I have a tentative agreement with comics legend, Jim Shooter, to sign autographs for fans at next week’s Christmas Gift Auction at our new Jason St. Mega-Store! We do still have to work out the travel arrangements, but presuming that we can make all the logistics work, Jim will be signing autographs for us at Jason St. next Saturday (December 17th), from 10 AM -3 PM. There will be an initial limit of 3 free autographs per person in line, but once we get everyone through the line at least once, we will let folks get back in line. Having Jim Shooter visit us here in Denver again will be great fun! Jim was last here in 1992, when he helped us open our first Mega-Store, in Thornton…

In case you missed my earlier announcements, our December 17th Jason St. sale will be focused on providing those who can attend the sale with a huge spectrum of last-minute stocking stuffer gifts. We have several thousand action figures available, racks full of T-shirts, pins, buttons, posters, collectible cards, plush toys, Star Trek and Star Wars collectibles, and a huge selection of rare Disney items. My goal on the 17th will be to help everyone find perfect last-minute gifts from our immense new store. I will also be hosting one of my world-famous 1,000 item no-minimum-bid auction that day, with at least 500 cool gift items among the offerings. Join us at Jason St. a week from this Saturday and I promise you that you will fill your entire holiday shopping list, at wonderful bargain prices.

For those of you who cannot attend the sale in person, I have a special Jim Shooter autograph offer. Buy any comic book, graphic novel, or magazine written or edited by Jim from our website this week and you can ask for it to be signed by Jim for only $2 per item! Jim has agreed to sign up to 500 items for us, with the $2 signing fees going to help defray his travel costs Denver. If you would like to participate in this unique autograph offer, just place your order for Jim Shooter items via our website, and then let us know which comics/books you liked signed in the “notes” section for them to be autographed. For each item you wish autographed, please order a Jim Shooter Signed Item Fee. We will then have Jim sign them for you. Each Jim Shooter book that you have signed will come with a small certificate of authenticity with the date, and the Mile High Comics logo. Even if you cannot attend the Jason St. sale in person on the 17th, this still gives you a way to have comics signed by Jim! All Jim Shooter autographed items will ship on Monday, December 19th.

To Kill or Not to Kill

By Jim Shooter

On December 13, 2011

In 04 Storytelling Lecture, 10 Questions / Answers

JayJay here. Earlier today Rob commented on A Review: Captain America & Bucky #624:

Jedi Knights and Harry Potter wizards are clearly superheroic. heck, the HP kids are children-who kill bad wizards. Plenty of kids look up to them.
and the rest of them are “normal people” the same way Batman is lol i.e. not really.

and yet, I still looked up to Luke Skywlaker though he blew up the Death Star and killed thousands of people; sliced off arms, and casually knocked people into the Sarlaac pit.
Rob
December 12, 2011 6:12 PM

Here’s Jim’s Answer:

RE: Heroic characters killing or not, here’s what I think: Heroic fiction often tends to place heroes in life or death, kill-or-be-killed situations. If no one ever actually does get killed, if it always turns out that there was a nobody-dies alternative, then the jeopardy was false and can become tedious.

A Review: Captain America & Bucky #624

By Jim Shooter

On December 12, 2011

In 18 Reviews

JayJay recommended that I review this book because it’s been getting a lot of positive buzz online, much of it with regard to the allegedly well-portrayed romance at the core of the story.The Cover

Baffling.

The logo pops pretty well and is readable. It incorporates Captain America’s shield. “Captain America & Bucky” it says, which would lead one to figure that this book is about those two.

I’m familiar with a great deal of comic book material but not some of recent vintage. I don’t know who the male character pictured is. A Soviet, I guess, from the red star on his shoulder and the hammer and sickle in the background.
If I don’t know who the guy is no new reader would have a clue.

And the female character? How many non-comics readers know of Marvel’s Black Widow?

Avengers #200

By Jim Shooter

On December 12, 2011

In 03 Marvel Comics

JayJay here. Some of our readers have commented about the article and video about Avengers 200 and the history of Ms. Marvel, so I suggested Jim have a look. For those unfamiliar with it, here’s the link:A Video Breakdown of the Sad History of Ms. Marvel, Sex Slave

And here’s what Jim had to say:

I found my copy of Avengers #200. I read it. I agree with the consensus, it’s heinous. But, I don’t remember much about how it got that way.

I am credited not only as Editor in Chief but as one of the co-plotters. However, I didn’t see anything in the book that jogged my memory. No bits that I remember suggesting. No corrections of the sort I might have made to a plot passed before me.

But I did see many things I would have had changed if I’d seen the plot. For instance, leaving aside the Ms. Marvel mess for the nonce: Iron Man thinks it’s okay for the weird, mysterious child to be given a “laser torch” and electronic equipment so he can build a machine. What?! As the massive machine is being assembled, no one bothers to question what it is or does. What?! Trouble ensues. No kidding, really? Good grief.

Jerry Robinson

By Jim Shooter

On December 9, 2011

In 09 Reminiscences and Tributes

Jerry Robinson died on Wednesday. He was 89.

He was a great artist, innovator and creator renowned for his work on Batman in the 1939 and the early 1940’s. He did many, many other things as well. He was an illustrator. A syndicated cartoonist. An author and historian. And a hero. He was a champion of the rights of cartoonists all over the world, often at great personal risk. He helped free a Uruguayan artist imprisoned because of his political cartoons, smuggled money to cartoonists in the Soviet Union who were disenfranchised and destitute because of government oppression, and aided Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in their fight to gain recognition and compensation for creating Superman.

I met Jerry only once, at the Baltimore Comic-Con a couple of years ago. I spoke with him briefly. He seemed to me to be a wise and thoughtful man. A gentleman, in all the best senses of the word, albeit with the heart of a lion. He was honored with a special Harvey Award for his many achievements. He gave a wonderful, unforgettable speech.

He was great.