Celebrating the 4th, RIP Jim Shooter, and July events
Word Balloons #1275: Also a look back at the launch of Marvel's G.I. Joe comic
America celebrates Independence Day today on the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
For Independence Day, I’m taking a brief look at the “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero” title that celebrated an American counter-terrorism force based on the Hasbro toy line. Also in this column, I’ll also talk about the iconoclastic Jim Shooter, the writer and editor who passed away June 30. This week’s column will wrap up with some updates on comics events taking place at Speeding Bullet Comics, including the “Celebrate Your Independents” sale starting today.
Yo, Joe
A comic from a toy line based on military action became an unlikely top seller in the Ronald Reagan 1980s.
While military titles had run throughout comics’ history, including DC’s “Sgt. Rock” and Marvel’s “Sgt. Fury,” the “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero” title mixed military action with ninjas and sci-fi trappings to make a best-seller out of a title based on the toy line.
In 1982, there were strict restrictions on how toys could be advertised on TV. So Hasbro decided instead to market the comic book of “G.I. Joe” on television with a fully animated commercial. Several G.I. Joe sites note that this made “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero” No. 1 the first comic book to be directly advertised on television.
“G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero” line of comics, which ran from 1982 until 1994, were almost entirely written by Larry Hama. (IDW and then Skybound later revived this series, with Hama as the writer, and it continues to this day.) For a toy-based comic, Vietnam veteran Hama infused the characters with surprising realism, examining America’s views toward the military, homegrown militias and other hot-button topics.
Jim Shooter was the editor-in-chief who brought “G.I. Joe” to Marvel and approached Hama with it; Hama had been in the process of developing a military team-type story that would have focused on Nick Fury. Much of this translated to the eventual “Joe” pitch.
Remembering Jim Shooter
I’d first noticed Jim Shooter as the editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics in my youth. Shooter was editor in chief of Marvel during some of its most successful years, and later went on to launch Valiant Comics and Defiant. I still think his “Unity” crossover when he was with Valiant is maybe the best-ever executed company-wide crossover.
I met him first when I was in college, when he came to the University of Oklahoma campus as a speaker in the mid-1990s.
I had already been a fan in his Marvel and Valiant days, and was at that time picking up all of his Defiant titles.
Shooter had a long and impressive history in comics. He began writing and pitching comics at age 13. His first comic-book story was published at age 14 by DC Comics – an Adventure Comics story featuring the Legion of Superheroes. He went on to create the character “Parasite” for DC and script the first Superman-Flash race.
After leaving comics for a time, he returned at Marvel as an editor, rising quickly up the ranks to be editor-in-chief.
Shooter was Marvel Comics Editor-In-Chief from 1978 to 1987, during which time he wrote “Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars,” and helped turn the company around in many ways. While he wasn’t without his controversies, he’s generally credited with increasing creator compensation while at the same time improving the overall efficiency of the company.
In 1989, Shooter founded Valiant Comics, which revived the Gold Key heroes Magnus, Robot Fighter; Solar, Man of the Atom; and Turok, Dinosaur Hunter. He was also involved in creating new Valiant characters, including the Harbinger team, X-O Manowar, and Shadowman.
After being ousted from Valiant, Shooter formed Defiant Comics in 1993 and Broadway Comics in 1995.
In 2007, Shooter returned to DC for a new run on the Legion of Super-Heroes comics. In 2009, he wrote new stories with the old Gold Key characters Solar, Magnus, and Turok for Dark Horse Comics.
While he ran into some controversies during his day, Shooter was an excellent storyteller who seemed to truly want to improve comics. Many of his blogs from the early 2010s can still be found at jimshooter.com, and they provide great insights into happenings he was involved with at Marvel Comics, Valiant Entertainment and others.
Speeding Bullet Comics events in July
Speeding Bullet Comics, 614 N. Porter Ave. in Norman, OK, will be open special hours on Independence Day, from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. And all weekend, Friday-Sunday, July 4-6, we want you to Celebrate Your Independents! Collected editions and back issues from indie publishers (non-Marvel or DC) will be buy 3, get one free!
Speeding Bullet will welcome author Preston Poulter of the graphic novel "White Lily" for a signing starting at 11 a.m. July 12! “White Lily” features the real-life story of the two highest-scoring female combat pilots in history. The series will examine their battles both in the air and on the ground as they move from civilian flight instructors during the Battle of Moscow, to fighter pilots during the Battle of Stalingrad, to free hunting aces at the Battle of Kursk.
Also coming up soon is the Weekend of Local, from July 11-13. The City of Norman, in partnership with VisitNorman and the Norman Chamber of Commerce, encourages residents to shop and dine at local businesses. Speeding Bullet Comics will have some specials for the weekend for those who stop in.
Matthew Price, matthew@matthewlprice.com, has written about the comics industry for more than two decades. He is the co-owner of Speeding Bullet Comics in Norman, Oklahoma.