Joe Simon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Joe Simon |
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Simon with a fan at the 2006 New York Comic Con
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| Born | Hymie Simon October 11, 1913 Rochester, New York, U.S. |
| Died | December 14, 2011 (aged 98) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Area(s) | Cartoonist, Writer, Penciller, Inker, Editor, Publisher, Letterer, Colourist |
| Pseudonym(s) | Gregory Sykes, Jon Henri |
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Notable works
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Captain America, Fighting American, Sick, Young Romance, the Fly |
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Notable collaborations
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Jack Kirby |
| Awards | Inkpot Award, 1998 Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame, 1999 Inkwell Awards Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame (2014) |
| Spouse(s) | Harriet Feldman |
| Children | 5 |
Joseph Henry Simon (born Hymie Simon) was an American comic book creator. He was a writer, artist, editor, and publisher. Joe Simon helped create many important characters during the "Golden Age of Comic Books" in the 1930s and 1940s. He was also the first editor for Timely Comics, which later became Marvel Comics.
With his creative partner, artist Jack Kirby, he co-created Captain America. This superhero became one of the most famous characters in comics. Simon and Kirby also worked on characters for DC Comics, like the 1940s Sandman and Sandy the Golden Boy. They also created the Newsboy Legion and the Boy Commandos. For other publishers, they created heroes like Fighting American and the Fly. In the late 1940s, they even started the popular trend of romance comics. Joe Simon also started a funny magazine called Sick in 1960. He was honored in the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1999.
Contents
Who was Joe Simon?
Early Life and First Jobs
Joe Simon was born in 1913 as Hymie Simon. He grew up in Rochester, New York. His father, Harry Simon, was a tailor who came from England. His mother was Rose Kurland. Their family was Jewish and not wealthy. They lived in a flat that was also his father's tailor shop.
Joe went to Benjamin Franklin High School. He was the art director for his school newspaper and yearbook. He earned his first money as an artist when two universities paid him for his yearbook art.
After high school in 1932, Joe Simon got a job at the Rochester Journal-American newspaper. He worked as an assistant and sometimes drew sports and opinion cartoons. Two years later, he moved to the Syracuse Herald in Syracuse, New York, as an artist. He then became the art director for another Syracuse paper.
Moving to New York City and First Comics
When the Syracuse paper closed, Joe Simon, at 23, moved to New York City. He found freelance work at Paramount Pictures, touching up movie photos. He also did illustrations for magazines like True Story.
Later, his boss suggested he try working for Funnies, Inc.. This company created comic book stories for publishers. Joe Simon got his first comic book job there, drawing a seven-page Western story. Soon after, he was asked to create a flaming superhero for Timely Comics. This led to his first comic book hero, the Fiery Mask.
Working with Jack Kirby
The Start of a Famous Team
Joe Simon met another comic artist named Jack Kirby. They soon became a very famous team. Simon said that Kirby liked his suit, which was made by Simon's tailor father. They started working together on a comic called Blue Bolt.
After working for Fox Feature Syndicate, Simon and Kirby joined Timely Comics. Joe Simon became the company's first editor. Here, they created the very important patriotic hero, Captain America.
Captain America and Beyond
Captain America Comics #1 came out in December 1940. It showed Captain America punching Adolf Hitler! This comic sold almost one million copies. Simon and Kirby worked on the first 10 issues of this popular series.
Even though Captain America was a huge success, Simon felt that Timely Comics' owner, Martin Goodman, wasn't paying them fairly. So, Simon and Kirby secretly made a deal to move to DC Comics. They would earn much more money there.
At DC Comics, they created new characters. They updated the Sandman and created the superhero Manhunter. In 1942, they started the Boy Commandos series. This comic sold over a million copies a month! They also had a hit with the Newsboy Legion.
World War II and After
Joe Simon joined the United States Coast Guard during World War II. He worked in the Combat Art Corps, creating comics to help publicize the Coast Guard. He even made a comic book to help recruit new members.
After the war, Simon married Harriet Feldman. She was a secretary for Harvey Comics. Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, with their families, moved into houses across the street from each other. They both worked from home studios.
New Kinds of Comics
Horror and Romance Comics
After World War II, superhero comics became less popular. So, Simon and Kirby started making different kinds of stories. They worked with Crestwood Publications and created an early horror comic called Black Magic.
They also created the first romance comics title, Young Romance. This started a very successful new trend in comics.
Starting Their Own Company
In the mid-1950s, Simon and Kirby started their own comics company called Mainline Publications. They published four different comic titles. They were upset that Timely Comics (now called Atlas Comics) had brought back Captain America. So, Simon and Kirby created Fighting American. This hero was meant to show how Captain America should be done.
The partnership between Simon and Kirby ended in 1955. The comic book industry was facing problems like censorship and lower sales. Simon wanted to try other things, like advertising.
Later Career and Legacy
Advertising and Sick Magazine
Through the 1960s, Joe Simon worked in advertising. He also started a funny magazine called Sick in 1960. It was a competitor to Mad magazine. He worked on Sick for over ten years.
Return to Comics
Simon and Kirby worked together again briefly in 1966. They updated Fighting American for one issue. Simon also helped launch new superhero comics for Harvey Comics.
In the 1970s, Simon created two series for DC Comics: Brother Power the Geek and Prez. Prez was about America's first teenage president. Simon also returned to romance comics as an editor.
Simon and Kirby teamed up one last time in 1974 to work on a new version of the Sandman.
21st Century and Final Years
In the 2000s, Joe Simon started painting and selling copies of his old comic book covers. He was interviewed by news media in 2007 when Marvel Comics announced Captain America's "death." Simon said, "It's a hell of a time for him to go. We really need him now."
Joe Simon passed away in New York City on December 14, 2011, at 98 years old. Marvel Comics dedicated Avenging Spider-Man #5 to him. His grandchildren even called him from the red carpet premiere of the Captain America: The First Avenger movie.
Awards and Recognition
- Inkpot Award, 1998
- Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame, 1999
- Inkwell Awards Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame, 2014
Images for kids
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Simon with a fan at the 2006 New York Comic Con
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1974 Comic Art Convention program, reprinting Simon's original 1940 sketch of Captain America.
See also
In Spanish: Joe Simon para niños
