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Walter Simonson (born September 2, 1946) is an American
comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...
writer and artist, best known for a run on
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
' ''
Thor Thor (from ) is a prominent list of thunder gods, god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred g ...
'' from 1983 to 1987, during which he created the character
Beta Ray Bill Beta Ray Bill is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Debuting in the Bronze Age of Comic Books, the character was initially intended to be a surprise; an apparent monster who unexpectedly turns out ...
. He is also known for the creator-owned work '' Star Slammers'', which he inaugurated in 1972 as a
Rhode Island School of Design The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD , pronounced "Riz-D") is a private art and design school in Providence, Rhode Island. The school was founded as a coeducational institution in 1877 by Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf, who sought to increase th ...
thesis. He has also worked on other Marvel titles such as ''
X-Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
'' and ''
Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four, often abbreviated as FF, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover-dated November 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism i ...
'', on
DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
books including ''
Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' (later retitled as ''Batman Detective Comics'') is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is ...
'', '' Manhunter'', ''
Metal Men The Metal Men are a group of robot superheroes that appear in DC Comics. The characters first appeared in '' Showcase'' #37 (March–April 1962) and were created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru. Debuting in the Silver Age of C ...
'' and '' Orion'', and on licensed properties such as ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'', '' Alien'', ''
Battlestar Galactica ''Battlestar Galactica'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Glen A. Larson. It began with the original television series in 1978, and was followed by a short-run sequel series, '' Galactica 1980'', a line of book adaptat ...
'' and '' Robocop vs. Terminator''. Simonson has won numerous awards for his work and has influenced artists such as Arthur Adams and
Todd McFarlane Todd McFarlane (; born March 16, 1961) is a Canadian comic-book creator, best known for his work as an artist on ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and as the creator, writer, and artist on the superhero horror-fantasy series '' Spawn,'' as well as bein ...
. He is married to comics writer
Louise Simonson Louise Simonson (née Mary Louise Alexander; born September 26, 1946) is an American comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work on comic book titles such as ''Conan the Barbarian'', '' Power Pack'', ''X-Factor'', ''The New Mutan ...
, with whom he collaborated as penciller on ''X-Factor'' from 1986 to 1989.


Early life

Walter Simonson was born September 2, 1946, in
Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...
, and lived there for two and a half years. When his father, who worked for the
United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an executive department of the United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commercial farming and livestock food production, promotes agricultural trade and producti ...
, received a promotion at work that required him to relocate to
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, Simonson, his younger brother and his parents moved to Maryland, where Simonson's parents still lived as of 1989.May, Peggie (Editor) (June 1989). "People at Work". '' Direct Currents'' #18.
DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
. p. 7
Simonson first read comics as a child, through the subscriptions to ''
Walt Disney's Comics and Stories ''Walt Disney's Comics and Stories'', sometimes abbreviated ''WDC&S'', is an American Comics anthology, anthology comic book series featuring characters from The Walt Disney Company's films and shorts, including Donald Duck, Scrooge McDuck, Micke ...
'' that his brother had. By the age of ten he was an avid fan of the work of
Carl Barks Carl Barks (March 27, 1901 – August 25, 2000) was an American cartoonist, author, and painter. He is best known for his work in Disney comics, Disney comic books, as the writer and artist of the first Donald Duck stories and as the creator of ...
, '' Little Lulu'', '' Little Iodine'', and
Alex Toth Alexander Toth (; June 25, 1928 – May 27, 2006) was an American cartoonist active from the 1940s through the 1980s. Toth's work began in the American comic book industry, but he is also known for his animation designs for Hanna-Barbera through ...
's work on '' The Land Unknown''. He also enjoyed drawing from a very young age. Although Simonson was embarrassed to be seen by girls buying comics while in high school, he discovered
Russ Manning Russell George Manning (January 5, 1929"United States Social Security Death Index," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VMMT-NZN : accessed 28 Aug 2014), Russell Manning, Dec 1981; citing U.S. Social Security Administratio ...
's work on '' Magnus Robot Fighter'' right before he started college, and submitted a drawing that was printed in issue #10 in May, 1965, in the publication's fan page, "Robot Gallery." This was his first published work in comics. Simonson studied geology at
Amherst College Amherst College ( ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zepha ...
, with the intent of becoming an expert on dinosaurs. In 1964 or 1965, Simonson discovered
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
, in particular that company's version of ''
Thor Thor (from ) is a prominent list of thunder gods, god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred g ...
''. Having already developed an interest in
Norse mythology Norse, Nordic, or Scandinavian mythology, is the body of myths belonging to the North Germanic peoples, stemming from Old Norse religion and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia as the Nordic folklore of the modern period. The ...
prior to discovering
Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book author, writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Comics which later bec ...
and
Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (; born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comics artist, comic book artist, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He grew ...
's take on the hammer-wielding deity,Simonson, Walter (May 1, 2001). "Introduction", ''Thor Visionaries: Walt Simonson'' (Vol. 1), p. Marvel Comics (New York) it became Simonson's favorite title, one that he read for four years. From this he realized that drawing comics was more fun, and more feasible as a career than working outdoors in hot weather as a geologist or paleontologist, despite harboring a love for the latter that continued the rest of his life. Simonson came to be heavily influenced by the artists who worked for Marvel, such as
Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (; born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comics artist, comic book artist, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He grew ...
,
Steve Ditko Stephen John Ditko. Page contains two reproductions from school yearbooks. A 1943 Garfield Junior High School yearbook excerpt lists "Stephen Ditko". A 1945 Johnstown High School yearbook excerpt lists "Stephen J. Ditko" under extracurricular ac ...
, and
Gil Kane Gil Kane (; born Eli Katz , ; April 6, 1926 – January 31, 2000) was a Latvian-born American comics artist whose career spanned the 1940s to the 1990s and virtually every major comics company and character. Kane co-created the modern-day vers ...
, as well as British artist Jim Holdaway and European artists such as Moebius,
Jean-Claude Mézières Jean-Claude Mézières (; 23 September 1938 – 23 January 2022) was a French Bande dessinée, ''bandes dessinées'' artist and illustrator. Born in Paris and raised in nearby Saint-Mandé, he was introduced to drawing by his elder brother and ...
, Antonio Hernández Palacios and Sergio Toppi. In 1967, while in college, Simonson began writing his own epic story starring Lee and Kirby's version of the character, featuring Surtur and the
Odinsword Odin Borson, the All-Father is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. First mentioned in ''Journey into Mystery'' #85 (Oct. 1962), the character first appears in ''Journey into Mystery'' #86 (Nov. 1962 ...
. In later years he would be given the opportunity to publish this story, as the writer on that title. After graduating from Amherst with a degree in geology, Simonson took a year off, and then enrolled as an art major at the
Rhode Island School of Design The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD , pronounced "Riz-D") is a private art and design school in Providence, Rhode Island. The school was founded as a coeducational institution in 1877 by Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf, who sought to increase th ...
, graduating in 1972. His thesis project there was the 50-page black and white book '' The Star Slammers'', which took him two years to write, pencil, letter and ink himself, and was initially published as a series of ashcan promotional 5.5" x 8.5" b&w chapter booklets from 1971–1973 to promote the 1974
World Science Fiction Convention Worldcon, officially the World Science Fiction Convention, the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS), is a science fiction convention. It has been held each year since 1939 (except for the years 1942 to 1945, during Wor ...
in Washington, D.C. (DisCon II). Simonson would later revisit ''Star Slammers'' throughout his career, publishing it through various publishers over the decades.


Career


1970s

In August 1972, Simonson traveled to New York with his ''Star Slammers'' portfolio, and met with Gerry Boudreau, a friend who worked for
DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
, where, as Simonson recalls, many young artists had begun working in the 1970s, in contrast to Marvel, which Simonson perceived as more stagnant. Boudreau arranged a meeting between Simonson and editor Archie Goodwin. After meeting with Goodwin, Simonson went to DC's coffee room, where he saw
Howard Chaykin Howard Victor Chaykin (; born October 7, 1950) is an Americans, American comics artist, comic book artist and writer. Chaykin's influences include his one-time employer and mentor, Gil Kane, and the mid-20th century illustrators Robert Fawcett an ...
,
Michael Kaluta Michael William Kaluta, sometimes credited as Mike Kaluta or Michael Wm. Kaluta (born August 25, 1947), is an American comics artist and writer best known for his acclaimed 1970s adaptation of the pulp magazine hero ''The Shadow'' with writer Den ...
, Berni Wrightson and Alan Weiss sitting together. Simonson struck up a conversation with the artists, who looked at his portfolio. Kaluta showed Simonson's work to Assistant Production Manager Jack Adler, who in turn showed it to DC Publisher
Carmine Infantino Carmine Infantino (; May 24, 1925 – April 4, 2013) was an American comics artist and editing, editor, primarily for DC Comics, during the late 1950s and early 1960s period known as the Silver Age of Comic Books. Among his character creations are ...
, who after being shown the portfolio, summoned Simonson into his office. After speaking to Simonson for about ten minutes, he had Goodwin and his fellow editors
Julius Schwartz Julius "Julie" Schwartz ( ; June 19, 1915 – February 8, 2004) was an American comic book editor, and a science fiction agent. He was born in The Bronx, New York. He is best known as a longtime editor at DC Comics, where at various times he ...
and
Joe Orlando Joseph Orlando (April 4, 1927 – December 23, 1998) was an Italian Americans, Italian-American illustrator, writer, editor and cartoonist during a lengthy career spanning six decades. He was the associate publisher of ''Mad (magazine), Mad'' and ...
give Simonson work. Simonson walked out of Infantino's office with jobs from each one of them. At one point Simonson lived in the same Queens apartment building as artists Allen Milgrom,
Howard Chaykin Howard Victor Chaykin (; born October 7, 1950) is an Americans, American comics artist, comic book artist and writer. Chaykin's influences include his one-time employer and mentor, Gil Kane, and the mid-20th century illustrators Robert Fawcett an ...
and
Bernie Wrightson Bernard Albert Wrightson (October 27, 1948 – March 18, 2017) was an American artist, known for co-creating the Swamp Thing, his Bernie Wrightson's Frankenstein, adaptation of the novel ''Frankenstein'' illustration work, and for his other ho ...
. Simonson recalls, "We'd get together at 3 a.m. They'd come up and we'd have popcorn and sit around and talk about whatever a 26, 27 and 20-year-old guys talk about. Our art, TV, you name it. I pretty much knew at the time, 'These are the good ole days.'"Warner, Meredith (March 25, 2017)
"How Bernie Wrightson uncovered the soul of the monster in his work"
''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
''.
Simonson's first professional published comic book work was illustrating writer
Len Wein Leonard Norman Wein (; June 12, 1948 – September 10, 2017) was an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine (character), Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel sup ...
's story "Cyrano's Army", which appeared in DC's '' Weird War Tales'' #10, which was cover-dated January 1973. Such short back-up war stories comprised most of Simonson's early published work. He also did a number of illustrations for the
Harry N. Abrams, Inc. Abrams, formerly Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (HNA), is an American publisher of art and illustrated books, children's books, and stationery. The enterprise is a subsidiary of the French publisher Média-Participations. Run by president and CEO Mary ...
edition of ''
The Hobbit ''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the ...
,'' and at least one unrelated print of a samurai warrior that was purchased by
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
's
Fogg Museum The Harvard Art Museums are part of Harvard University and comprise three museums: the Fogg Museum (established in 1895), the Busch-Reisinger Museum (established in 1903), and the Arthur M. Sackler Museum (established in 1985), and four research ...
, and included in its annual undergraduate-use loan program. Simonson's breakthrough illustration job was " Manhunter", a backup feature in DC's ''
Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' (later retitled as ''Batman Detective Comics'') is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is ...
'' written by Goodwin, which cemented Simonson's professional reputation. In a 2000 interview, Simonson recalled, "What 'Manhunter' did was to establish me professionally. Before 'Manhunter,' I was one more guy doing comics; after 'Manhunter,' people in the field knew who I was. It'd won a bunch of awards the year that it ran, and after that, I really had no trouble finding work." Simonson then drew other DC series such as ''
Metal Men The Metal Men are a group of robot superheroes that appear in DC Comics. The characters first appeared in '' Showcase'' #37 (March–April 1962) and were created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru. Debuting in the Silver Age of C ...
'' and '' Hercules Unbound'' and and co-created
Doctor Phosphorus Doctor Phosphorus (Alexander James Sartorius) is a supervillain who has appeared in various comic book series published by DC Comics. Primarily an enemy of Batman, the villain exists in DC's main shared universe, known as the DC Universe. Doctor ...
with
Steve Englehart Steve Englehart (; born April 22, 1947) is an American writer of comic books and novels. He is best known for his work at Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s and 1980s. His pseudonyms have included John Harkness and Cliff Garnett. Early li ...
. ''
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
'' #300 (June 1978) featured a story by Simonson and writer
David Vern Reed David Vern Reed (born David Levine; 13 December 1914 – 11 August 1994), was an Americans, American writer, best known for his work on the ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' comic book during the 1950s in a run that included a revamp of the Batpla ...
. In 1979 Simonson and Goodwin collaborated on an adaptation of the movie '' Alien'', published by '' Heavy Metal''. It was that book that Simonson began his long working relationship with letterer John Workman, who would go on to letter most of Simonson's work. Starting in January 1977, Simonson was the original artist on '' The Rampaging Hulk'', a
black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white to produce a range of achromatic brightnesses of grey. It is also known as greyscale in technical settings. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, ...
magazine published by Marvel's
Curtis Magazines Curtis or Curtiss is a common English given name and surname of Anglo-Norman origin, deriving from the Old French ''curteis'' (Modern French">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of Fren ...
line. Simonson also had his first run on ''
Thor Thor (from ) is a prominent list of thunder gods, god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred g ...
'' at this time, working only as the series' artist alongside writer Len Wein. In late 1978,Cooke (2000) p. 25 Simonson,
Howard Chaykin Howard Victor Chaykin (; born October 7, 1950) is an Americans, American comics artist, comic book artist and writer. Chaykin's influences include his one-time employer and mentor, Gil Kane, and the mid-20th century illustrators Robert Fawcett an ...
,
Val Mayerik Val Mayerik (born March 29, 1950) is an American comic book and commercial artist, best known as co-creator of the satiric character ''Howard the Duck'' for ''Marvel Comics''. Biography Early life and career Val Mayerik was born in Youngstown, ...
, and
Jim Starlin James P. Starlin (born October 9, 1949) is an American comics artist and writer. Beginning his career in the early 1970s, he is best known for space opera stories, for revamping the Marvel Comics characters Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock, an ...
formed Upstart Associates, a shared studio space on West 29th Street in New York City. The membership of the studio changed over time. In 1979 Simonson did writing and art on a book for the first time with his run on Marvel's licensed ''
Battlestar Galactica ''Battlestar Galactica'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Glen A. Larson. It began with the original television series in 1978, and was followed by a short-run sequel series, '' Galactica 1980'', a line of book adaptat ...
'' series, penciling 12 sporadic issues from issues #4 to 23 with writer Roger McKenzie. Simonson began co-writing the series with McKenzie with issue #11, co-wrote some issues with
Bob Layton Bob Layton (born September 25, 1953) is an American comic book artist, writer, and editor. He is best known for his work on Marvel Comics titles such as ''Iron Man (comic book), Iron Man'' and ''Hercules (Marvel Comics), Hercules'', and for co-fo ...
and Steven Grant after McKenzie left the title, began writing the book himself with issue #19, staying on until issue #23.


1980s

In 1982, Simonson and writer
Chris Claremont Christopher S. Claremont (; born November 25, 1950) is an English-born American comic book writer and novelist. Claremont is best known for his 16-year stint on ''Uncanny X-Men'' from 1975 to 1991, far longer than that of any other writer,Clarem ...
produced '' The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans''
intercompany crossover A crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders (known as intercompany ...
between the top-selling Marvel and DC titles. Simonson is best known for his work on Marvel Comics' ''
Thor Thor (from ) is a prominent list of thunder gods, god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred g ...
'' which he began writing and drawing with issue #337 (Nov. 1983). During his run as writer/artist, Simonson used the epic story that he first began writing in college in 1967, transformed Thor into a
frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely semiaquatic group of short-bodied, tailless amphibian vertebrates composing the order (biology), order Anura (coming from the Ancient Greek , literally 'without tail'). Frog species with rough ski ...
for three issues and introduced the supporting character
Beta Ray Bill Beta Ray Bill is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Debuting in the Bronze Age of Comic Books, the character was initially intended to be a surprise; an apparent monster who unexpectedly turns out ...
, an alien warrior who unexpectedly proved worthy to wield Thor's hammer, Mjolnir. He left the book as artist with issue #367 (May 1986), after which
Sal Buscema Sal Buscema ( ; born Silvio Buscema, , on January 26, 1936) is an American comics artist, primarily for Marvel Comics, where he had a ten-year run as artist of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk'' and an eight-year run as art ...
took over. Simonson continued to write the book until issue #382 (Aug. 1987). Buscema described Simonson's stories as "very stimulating. It was a pleasure working on his plots, because they were a lot of fun to illustrate. He had a lot of great ideas, and he took ''Thor'' in a totally new direction." In late 1986 he dropped several of his assignments, including ''Thor'', remarking that "I had a very busy season over the past six to eight months, and I'd like to take some time off, to take time maybe to take stock and refuel a bit." Simonson was to have drawn a '' Daredevil'' story written by
Frank Miller Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American comic book artist, comic book writer, and screenwriter known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as his run on ''Daredevil'', for which he created the character Elektra, and ...
but it was never completed and remains unpublished. Simonson joined his wife Louise on the ''
X-Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
'' series with issue #10. In #25, the creators gave the character the
Angel An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...
blue skin and metal wings in a process which would lead to his being renamed as "Archangel". Their run on ''X-Factor'' included the story arcs " Mutant Massacre", "
Fall of the Mutants "The Fall of the Mutants" was a comic book fictional crossover, crossover storyline by Marvel Comics spanning January to March 1988. It spanned three issues each of ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #225-227, ''X-Factor (comics), X-Factor'' #24-26, and ''New ...
," and " Inferno". In 1983, he returned to ''Star Slammers'' with another version of the story that Marvel published in '' Marvel Graphic Novel'' No. 6. Simonson left Upstart Associates in late 1986.


1990s

Simonson became writer of the ''
Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four, often abbreviated as FF, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover-dated November 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism i ...
'' with issue #334 (Dec. 1989), and three issues later began penciling and inking as well (#337). For issues #347–349, he collaborated with Arthur Adams, introducing the "New Fantastic Four" consisting of
Wolverine The wolverine ( , ; ''Gulo gulo''), also called the carcajou or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species, member of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscular carnivore and a solitary animal. The w ...
,
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...
,
Ghost Rider Ghost Rider is the name of multiple superheroes or antiheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel had previously used the name for a Western character whose name was later changed to Phantom Rider. The first s ...
and the
Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk ...
. In issue #345 he depicted dinosaurs with feathers, two decades before this idea gained mainstream acceptance among paleontologists. Simonson's decision to depict the dinosaurs in this manner was inspired by
Gregory S. Paul Gregory Scott Paul (born December 24, 1954) is an American freelance researcher, author and illustrator who works in paleontology. He is best known for his work and research on theropoda, theropod dinosaurs and his detailed illustrations, both l ...
's then-controversial book, ''Predatory Dinosaurs of the World'', in which Paul theorized that dinosaurs had feathers. Because this idea was met with skepticism from the scientific community at the time, Simonson decided to compromise by depicting the dinosaurs with a small amount of feathers, rather than covered with them. Simonson left the ''Fantastic Four'' with issue #354 (July 1991). In 1992, he wrote and illustrated the one-shot ''
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
Special'' #1 for DC. His other Marvel credits in the decade included co-plotting/writing the '' Iron Man 2020'' one-shot (June 1994) and writing the Heroes Reborn version of The Avengers. In 1994 Simonson continued the adventures of the ''Star Slammers'' in a limited series as one of the founders of
Malibu Comics Malibu Comics Entertainment, Inc. (launched as Malibu Graphics) was an American comic book publisher active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, best known for its Ultraverse line of superhero titles. Notable titles published by Malibu included ''Th ...
' short-lived
Bravura In classical music a bravura is a style of both music and its performance intended to show off the skill of a performer. John Alexander Fuller-Maitland, ''A dictionary of music and musicians (A.D. 1450-1889)'p. 271-272/ref> Commonly, it is a vir ...
label.


2000s

In the 2000s, Simonson mostly worked for DC Comics. From 2000 to 2002 he wrote and illustrated '' Orion''. After that series ended, he wrote six issues of ''
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...
'' (vol. 2) drawn by
Jerry Ordway Jeremiah Joseph Ordway (born November 28, 1957) is an American writer, penciller, inker and painter of comic books. He is known for his inking work on a wide variety of DC Comics titles, including the continuity-redefining ''Crisis on Infinite E ...
. In 2002, he contributed an interview to ''Panel Discussions,'' a nonfiction book about the developing movement in
sequential art In comics studies, sequential art is a term proposed by comics artist Will Eisner Will Eisner, '' Comics and Sequential Art'', Poorhouse Press, 1990 (1st ed.: 1985), p. 5. to describe art forms that use images deployed in a specific order for the ...
and narrative literature, along with Durwin Talon,
Will Eisner William Erwin Eisner ( ; March 6, 1917 – January 3, 2005) was an American cartoonist, writer, and entrepreneur. He was one of the earliest cartoonists to work in the American comic book industry, and his series '' The Spirit'' (1940–1952) wa ...
,
Mike Mignola Michael Mignola (; born September 16, 1960) is an American comic book writer best known for creating ''Hellboy'' for Dark Horse Comics, part of a Hellboy Universe, shared universe of titles including ''B.P.R.D.'', ''Abe Sapien'', ''Lobster Johns ...
and Mark Schultz. From 2003 to 2006, he drew the four issue prestige mini-series '' Elric: The Making of a Sorcerer'', written by Elric's creator,
Michael Moorcock Michael John Moorcock (born 18 December 1939) is an English writer, particularly of science fiction and fantasy, who has published a number of well-received literary novels as well as comic thrillers, graphic novels and non-fiction. He has wo ...
. This series was collected as a 192-page graphic novel in 2007 by DC. He continued to work for DC in 2006 writing ''
Hawkgirl Hawkgirl is the name of several superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original Hawkgirl, Shiera Sanders Hall, was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, and first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' ...
'', with pencillers
Howard Chaykin Howard Victor Chaykin (; born October 7, 1950) is an Americans, American comics artist, comic book artist and writer. Chaykin's influences include his one-time employer and mentor, Gil Kane, and the mid-20th century illustrators Robert Fawcett an ...
, Joe Bennett, and
Renato Arlem Renato is a masculine given name. It is derived from the Latin name Renatus. Notable people with the name used mononymously include: * Renato Mirze (born 1982), International brand chef, TV presenter * San Renato, a saint of the Catholic Church * ...
. His other work includes cover artwork for a ''
Bat Lash Bartholomew "Bat" Aloysius Lash is a fictional Western superhero character in the DC Universe. A self-professed pacifist, ladies' man, and gambler, Bat Lash's adventures have been published by DC Comics since 1968. Character origin In 1968, C ...
'' mini-series and the ongoing series ''
Vigilante Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating, and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without legal authority. A vigilante is a person who practices or partakes in vigilantism, or undertakes public safety and retributive justice ...
'', as well as writing a
Wildstorm Wildstorm Productions (stylized as WildStorm) is an American comic book imprint. Originally founded as an independent company established by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi to publish through Image Comics, Wildstorm became a publishing imprint of DC C ...
comic book series based on the online role-playing game ''
World of Warcraft ''World of Warcraft'' (''WoW'') is a 2004 massively multiplayer online role-playing (MMORPG) video game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment for Windows and Mac OS X. Set in the '' Warcraft'' fantasy universe, ''World of War ...
''. The ''Warcraft'' series ran 25 issues and was from #15 on co-written with his wife,
Louise Simonson Louise Simonson (née Mary Louise Alexander; born September 26, 1946) is an American comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work on comic book titles such as ''Conan the Barbarian'', '' Power Pack'', ''X-Factor'', ''The New Mutan ...
. He wrote the
Demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in folklore, mythology, religion, occultism, and literature; these beliefs are reflected in Media (communication), media including f ...
and
Catwoman Catwoman is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, she debuted as "the Cat" in ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' #1 (spring 1940). She has become one of the superhero Batman' ...
serial in '' Wednesday Comics'' in 2009.


2010s

In 2011, Simonson had a cameo role in the live-action ''
Thor Thor (from ) is a prominent list of thunder gods, god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred g ...
'' film, appearing as one of the guests at a large Asgardian banquet. The sequel, '' Thor: The Dark World'', featured Simonson's character
Malekith the Accursed Malekith the Accursed () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the ruler of the Elves (Marvel Comics), Dark Elves of Svartálfar, Svartalfheim, and has come into conflict with Thor (Marvel Co ...
. Simonson serves on the Disbursement Committee of the comic-book industry charity The Hero Initiative. Other work in the 2010s includes drawing six issues of ''The Avengers'' vol. 4 in 2012 and providing the artwork for three issues of ''The Indestructible Hulk'' which guest starred Thor. Simonson collaborated with his wife for a short story in ''Rocketeer Adventures'' vol. 2 #4 and drew covers for several '' Rocketeer'' comics during this period. In 2012 DC Comics published ''The Judas Coin'', a graphic novel written and drawn by Simonson. The book shows how one silver coin paid to Judas to betray Jesus affects various characters down the centuries including
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
. In July 2014
IDW Publishing IDW Publishing is an American publisher of comic books, graphic novels, art books, and comic strip collections. It was founded in 1999 as the publishing division of Idea and Design Works, LLC (IDW) and is recognized as the fifth-largest comic ...
published the first issue of Simonson's creator-owned series ''Ragnarök'', which depicts a version of Thor unrelated to the Marvel version of the deity. It ran for twelve issues until 2017 and was followed by the six-issue mini-series ''Ragnarök: The Breaking of Helheim'' in 2019, also written and drawn by Simonson.


2020s

In 2021, Walt Simonson revisited his run as an artist on ''X-Factor'' by providing covers and artwork for a two-issue X-Factor story in ''X-Men Legends'', written by his wife Louise Simonson who had also scripted his issues for the original series. In April 2022, Simonson and his wife Louise were reported among the more than three dozen comics creators who contributed to Operation USA's benefit anthology book, ''Comics for Ukraine: Sunflower Seeds'', a project spearheaded by
IDW Publishing IDW Publishing is an American publisher of comic books, graphic novels, art books, and comic strip collections. It was founded in 1999 as the publishing division of Idea and Design Works, LLC (IDW) and is recognized as the fifth-largest comic ...
Special Projects Editor Scott Dunbier, whose profits would be donated to relief efforts for Ukrainian refugees resulting from the February
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
. Simonson's contribution was a story featuring the Star Slammers, his first time returning to that property since the 1990s.


Awards and honors

* Simonson's awards include Shazam Awards for Outstanding New Talent in 1973, for Best Individual Short Story (Dramatic) in 1973 for "The Himalayan Incident" in ''
Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' (later retitled as ''Batman Detective Comics'') is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is ...
'' #437 (with Archie Goodwin), and the same award in 1974 for "Cathedral Perilous" in ''Detective Comics'' #441 (again with Archie Goodwin). Simonson and Goodwin also won the Shazam Award for Best Individual Story (Dramatic) in 1974 for "Götterdämmerung" in ''Detective Comics'' #443. All three winning stories were a part of the Manhunter saga. * Simonson received an
Inkpot Award The Inkpot Award is an honor bestowed annually since 1974 by Comic-Con International. It is given to professionals in the fields of comic books, comic strips, animation, science fiction, and related areas of popular culture, at Comic-Con Internati ...
in 1985. * At the 2010
Harvey Award The Harvey Awards are given for achievement in comic books. Named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman, the Harvey Awards were founded by Gary Groth in 1988, president of the publisher Fantagraphics, to be a successor to the Kirby Awards, which were ...
s, which were held at the
Baltimore Comic-Con The Baltimore Comic-Con is a comic book-oriented Comic book convention, fan convention held annually in Baltimore since 2000. Each year, the show features marquee-name comic book creators past and present, comic book publishers, publishers, cha ...
on August 28, 2010, Simonson received the 2010 Hero Initiative Lifetime Achievement Award. It was presented to him by his wife,
Louise Simonson Louise Simonson (née Mary Louise Alexander; born September 26, 1946) is an American comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work on comic book titles such as ''Conan the Barbarian'', '' Power Pack'', ''X-Factor'', ''The New Mutan ...
. * A collection of Simonson's ''Thor'' comics shot from the original art, published as part of IDW's Artist's Edition series, took the 2012
Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are awards for creative achievement in American comic books. They are regarded as the most prestigious and significant awards in the comic industry and often referred ...
for "Best Archival Collection/Project: Comic Books" and two Harvey Awards for "Best Domestic Reprint Project and a Special Award for Excellence in Presentation". * Asteroid 53237 Simonson was named in his honor. The official naming citation was published by the
Minor Planet Center The Minor Planet Center (MPC) is the official body for observing and reporting on minor planets under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Founded in 1947, it operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Funct ...
on 31 January 2018 (). * In 2022, Simonson was awarded the Inkwell Awards All-in-One Award.


Signature

Simonson's distinctive
signature A signature (; from , "to sign") is a depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. Signatures are often, but not always, Handwriting, handwritt ...
consists of his last name, distorted to resemble a
Brontosaurus ''Brontosaurus'' (; meaning "thunder lizard" from the Ancient Greek, Greek words , "thunder" and , "lizard") is a genus of herbivorous sauropod dinosaur that lived in present-day United States during the Late Jurassic period. It was describe ...
. Simonson's reason for this was explained in a 2006 interview. "My mom suggested a dinosaur since I was a big dinosaur fan."


Creative process

Simonson creates using the
Marvel method A script is a document describing the narrative and dialogue of a comic book in detail. It is the comic book equivalent of a Television, television program teleplay or a film screenplay. In comics, a script may be preceded by a plot outline, and ...
, plotting out his storylines on a grid and then doing detailed plots for each issue. After thumbnailing the story, he writes a full script, from which he moves to full-size layouts, and then finished art. Simonson inked his own work with a Hunt 102 crow quill pen. Hitch, Bryan (2010). ''Bryan Hitch's Ultimate Comics Studio''. Impact Books He switched to a brush during the mid-to-late 2000s, and despite the disparity between the two tools,
Bryan Hitch Bryan Hitch (born 22 April 1970) is a British comics artist and comic book writer, writer. Hitch began his career in the United Kingdom for Marvel UK, working on titles such as ''Action Force'' and ''Death's Head'', before gaining prominence o ...
, an admirer of Simonson's, stated that he could not tell the difference, calling Simonson's brushwork "as typically good and powerful as his other work." He has used
Pelikan Pelikan Holding AG is a German manufacturing company of writing, office and art equipment. Credited with the invention of the differential-piston filling method, the original company was founded in Hanover in 1838 before it went bankrupt and r ...
drawing ink for most of his career.


Influence

Comics creators who have been influenced by Simonson's work include Arthur Adams and
Todd McFarlane Todd McFarlane (; born March 16, 1961) is a Canadian comic-book creator, best known for his work as an artist on ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and as the creator, writer, and artist on the superhero horror-fantasy series '' Spawn,'' as well as bein ...
.


Personal life

Simonson met his future wife Louise Jones in 1973. The couple started dating in August 1974 and were married in 1980.Shooter, Jim. "Bullpen Bulletins", Marvel comics cover-dated July 1981.


Bibliography


Atlas/Seaboard

* ''Thrilling Adventure Stories'' #2 (artist) (1975)


CrossGen

* '' The Path'' #5 (artist) (2002)


Dark Horse Comics

* ''
American Gods ''American Gods'' (2001) is a fantasy novel by British author Neil Gaiman. The novel is a blend of Americana (culture), Americana, fantasy, and various strands of ancient and modern mythology, all centering on the mysterious and taciturn Shad ...
'' #3 (artist) (2016) * ''
Dark Horse Presents ''Dark Horse Presents'' was a comic book published by Dark Horse Comics from 1986 in comics, 1986. Their first published series, it was their flagship title until its September 2000 in comics, 2000 cancellation. The second incarnation was publishe ...
'' #114 (writer/artist) (1996) * ''
RoboCop Versus The Terminator ''RoboCop Versus The Terminator'' is a run and gun game released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Master System, and Game Gear in 1993, with later ports to the Sega Genesis and Game Boy in 1994. It is based on the 1992 four-issue ...
'' #1–4 (artist) (1992) * '' Star Slammers Special'' #1 (writer/artist) (1996) * '' Tarzan vs. Predator: At the Earth's Core'' (writer) (1996)


DC Comics

* '' 1st Issue Special'' (
Doctor Fate Doctor Fate (also known as Fate) is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first version was originally created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, debuting in ''More Fun Comics' ...
) #9 (artist) (1975) * ''9-11: The World's Finest Comic Book Writers & Artists Tell Stories to Remember'' GN (penciller, among others) (2002) * '' Armageddon Inferno'' #1–4 (artist) (1992) * ''
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
'' #300, 312, 321 (penciller) (1978–1980) * '' Batman Black and White'' #2 (writer/artist) (1996) * '' Batman: Gotham Knights'' #6 (writer) (2000) * ''
The Big Book of ''The Big Book Of'' is a series of graphic novel comics anthology, anthologies published by American company DC Comics imprint (trade name), imprint Paradox Press. Publication history The ''Big Books'' were published between 1994 and 2000. Just o ...
Scandals'' ("The Lockheed Scandal") (writer/artist) (1998) * ''
Countdown A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and eve ...
'' #24 (artist, two pages) (2007) * ''
DC Comics Presents ''DC Comics Presents'' is a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1978 to 1986 which ran for 97 issues and four ''Annual''s. It featured team-ups between Superman and a wide variety of other characters in the DC Universe. A recurring bac ...
:
Hawkman Hawkman is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, the original Hawkman first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1, published by All-American ...
'' #1 (penciller) (2004) * ''DC Universe Holiday Bash'' (writer) (1996) * '' DC Universe: Legacies'' #5 (artist) (2010) * ''
Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' (later retitled as ''Batman Detective Comics'') is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is ...
'' ( Manhunter stories) #437–443; (
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
) #450, 469–470; #500 (artist, among others); #1027 (artist) (1973–77, 1981, 2020) * ''Doom Force Special'' #1 (inker, among others) (1992) * '' Elric: The Making of a Sorcerer'' miniseries #1–4 (2004–2006) * ''
Hawkgirl Hawkgirl is the name of several superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original Hawkgirl, Shiera Sanders Hall, was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, and first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' ...
'' #50–66 (writer) (2006–2007) * ''
Harley Quinn Harley Quinn (Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel, PhD) is a fictional American character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm for ''Batman: The Animated Series'' as a henchwoman for the ...
'' #0 (artist, among others) (2014) * '' Hercules Unbound'' #7–10 (penciller; also plotter on #9), #11–12 (artist) (1976–1977) * '' Heroes Against Hunger'' #1 (penciller, among others) (1986) * ''
Impulse Impulse or Impulsive may refer to: Science * Impulse (physics), in mechanics, the change of momentum of an object; the integral of a force with respect to time * Impulse noise (disambiguation) * Specific impulse, the change in momentum per unit ...
'' #52 (penciller, with Ethan Van Sciver), #53 (penciller, with Angel Unzueta) (1999) * ''
Jack Kirby's Fourth World "Fourth World" is a metaseries of connected comic book titles written and drawn by Jack Kirby and published by DC Comics from 1970 to 1973. Although they were not marketed under this title until the August–September 1971 issues of ''New Gods'' a ...
'' #1–11, 13–20 (covers) #9–10, 11, 13 (writer/artist) (1997–1998) * '' JSA Classified'' #21–22 (writer/artist) (2007) * ''The Judas Coin'' GN (writer/artist) (2012) * '' Just Imagine Stan Lee Creating Sandman'' (penciller) (2002) * '' Kamandi Challenge'' #11 (artist) (2017) * ''Legends of the DC Universe 80-Page Giant'' #2 (writer) (2000) * ''Legends of the World's Finest'' #1–3 (writer) (1994) * ''
Legion of Super-Heroes The Legion of Super-Heroes is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, the Legion is a group of superpowered beings living in the 30th and 31st centuries of t ...
'' vol. 4 #94, 100 (artist, among others) (1997–1998) * ''
Legion of Super-Heroes The Legion of Super-Heroes is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, the Legion is a group of superpowered beings living in the 30th and 31st centuries of t ...
'' vol. 7 #5 (penciller) (2012) * '' Manhunter: The Special Edition'' TPB (new story: "The Final chapter") (plotter/artist) (1999) * ''
Metal Men The Metal Men are a group of robot superheroes that appear in DC Comics. The characters first appeared in '' Showcase'' #37 (March–April 1962) and were created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru. Debuting in the Silver Age of C ...
'' #45–49 (artist and plot assists) (1976) * '' Michael Moorcock's Multiverse'' #1–12 (artist) (1997–1998) * ''
New Gods The New Gods are a fictional extraterrestrial race appearing in the eponymous comic book series published by DC Comics, as well as selected other DC titles. Created and designed by Jack Kirby, they first appeared in February 1971 in ''New Gods'' ...
Secret Files'' #1 (writer/artist) (1998) * ''New Gods Special'' #1 (writer/artist) (2017) * '' Orion'' #1–25 (writer/artist) (2000–2002) * ''Secret Origins of Super-Villains 80-Page Giant'' #1 (writer) (1999) * ''
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
'' #1 (cover) (1975) * '' Showcase '94'' #1 (New Gods) (writer) (1993) * '' The Spirit'' #7, 8 (writer) (2007, 2011) * '' Star Spangled War Stories'' #170, 172, 180 (artist) (1973–1974) * ''
Superboy Superboy is an identity used by several fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series ...
and the
Legion of Super-Heroes The Legion of Super-Heroes is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, the Legion is a group of superpowered beings living in the 30th and 31st centuries of t ...
'' #237 (penciller) (1978) * ''
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
'' #666 (artist) (2007) * ''Superman Special'' #1 (writer/artist) (1992) * ''Superman: The Last God of Krypton'' (writer) (1999) * ''Superman: The Legacy of Superman'' (artist) (1993) * '' Sword of Sorcery'' #4–5 (artist) (1973) * '' T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents'' #3 (penciller) (2012) * '' Unknown Soldier'' (Captain Fear) #254–256 (artist) (1981) * ''
Vigilante Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating, and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without legal authority. A vigilante is a person who practices or partakes in vigilantism, or undertakes public safety and retributive justice ...
'' #11 (artist) (2009) * '' Wednesday Comics'' (
Demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in folklore, mythology, religion, occultism, and literature; these beliefs are reflected in Media (communication), media including f ...
/
Catwoman Catwoman is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, she debuted as "the Cat" in ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' #1 (spring 1940). She has become one of the superhero Batman' ...
) #1–12 (writer) (2009) * '' Weird War Tales'' #10, 72 (artist) (1973–1979) * ''
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...
'' vol. 2 #189–194 (writer) (2003) * ''
World of Warcraft ''World of Warcraft'' (''WoW'') is a 2004 massively multiplayer online role-playing (MMORPG) video game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment for Windows and Mac OS X. Set in the '' Warcraft'' fantasy universe, ''World of War ...
'' #1–25 (writer, #15–25 with
Louise Simonson Louise Simonson (née Mary Louise Alexander; born September 26, 1946) is an American comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work on comic book titles such as ''Conan the Barbarian'', '' Power Pack'', ''X-Factor'', ''The New Mutan ...
) (2008–2010)


First Comics

* ''
Badger Badgers are medium-sized short-legged omnivores in the superfamily Musteloidea. Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united by their squat bodies and adaptions for fossorial activity rather than by the ...
Goes Berserk'' #4 (artist, among others) (1989)


Gold Key Comics

* ''
The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology series, anthology television series created by Rod Serling in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described ...
'' #50 ("Nature's Way") (artist) (1973)


IDW Publishing

* ''Ragnarök'' #1–12 (writer/artist) (2014–2017) * ''Ragnarök: The Breaking of Helheim'' #1–6 (writer/artist) (2019–2020)


Image Comics

* ''
Cyberforce A cyber force is a military branch of a nation's armed forces that conducts military operations in cyberspace and cyberwarfare. The world's first independent cyber force was the People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force, which was establis ...
'' #0 (writer/artist) (1993) * '' Gen13 Bootleg'' #4 (artist), #11–12 (writer, with
Aaron Lopresti Aaron Lopresti (born January 7, 1964) is an People of the United States, American comic book artist who has worked for Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, CrossGen Comics and Image Comics. Early life Aaron Lopresti was born January 7, 19 ...
) (1996–1997) * ''Hey Kids! Comics!'' #4 (artist, 2 pages) (2018) * ''
Savage Dragon The Savage Dragon is the name of two superheroes created by Erik Larsen, published by Image Comics and taking place in the Image Universe. The comic initially follows the adventures of a superheroic police officer named the Dragon. The character ...
'' #100 (inker, 6 pages) (2002) * '' Weapon Zero'' #T-1–T-4, 0, 1–13 (writer, with Joe Benitez) (1995–1996) * ''Wildstorm!'' #1 (Gen13) (artist/writer, with Louise Simonson) (1995)


Image Comics / Marvel Comics

* '' Weapon Zero/
Silver Surfer The Silver Surfer is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character also appears in a number of movies, television, and video game adaptations. The character was created by Jack Kirby and first a ...
'' #1 (writer) (1997)


HM Communications, Inc.

* '' Alien: The Illustrated Story'' movie adaptation (artist) (1979)


Malibu Comics

* ''
Prime A prime number (or a prime) is a natural number greater than 1 that is not a product of two smaller natural numbers. A natural number greater than 1 that is not prime is called a composite number. For example, 5 is prime because the only ways ...
'' #8 (artist, two pages) (1994) * '' Star Slammers'' #1–4 (writer/artist) (1994) * ''
Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, a feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer. Creat ...
: Love, Lies and the Lost City'' #1 (writer) (1993)


Marvel Comics

* ''
The Amazing Spider-Man ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American superhero American comic book, comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its title character and main protagonist. Being in the Earth 616, mainstream continuity of t ...
'' #222 (cover) (1981) * ''Animax'', miniseries, #1–3 (writer) (1986–1987) * '' The Avengers'' #291–299, ''Annual'' #17 (writer), 300 (writer/artist) (1988–1989) * ''The Avengers'' vol. 2 ( Heroes Reborn) #8–12 (writer) (1997) * ''The Avengers'' vol. 4 ( Avengers vs. X-Men) #25–30 (penciller) (2012) * ''
Balder the Brave Balder the Brave is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is based on the deity Baldr from Norse mythology. Publication history Created by editor-plotter Stan Lee and penciller Jack Ki ...
'' #1–4 (writer/covers) (1985–1986) * ''
Battlestar Galactica ''Battlestar Galactica'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Glen A. Larson. It began with the original television series in 1978, and was followed by a short-run sequel series, '' Galactica 1980'', a line of book adaptat ...
'' #11, 13, 15, 17–23 (writer, with Roger McKenzie); #4, 5, 11–17, 19–20, 22–23 (penciller) (1979–1981) * ''Bizarre Adventures'' #29 (artist) (1981) * ''
Conan the Barbarian Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero created by American author Robert E. Howard (1906–1936) and who debuted in 1932 and went on to appear in a series of fantasy stories published in ''We ...
'' #135 (cover) * '' Daredevil'' #236 (cover, with
Bill Sienkiewicz Boleslav William Felix Robert Sienkiewicz ( ; ; born May 3, 1958) is an American artist known for his work in comic books—particularly for Marvel Comics' ''The New Mutants (comic book), The New Mutants'', ''Moon Knight,'' and ''Elektra: Assassi ...
) (1986) * '' Dazzler'' #2 (artist, pages 11–16) (1981) * ''
Death's Head Emmanuel da Costa Emmanuel da Costa is a fictional character appearing in American comic book published by Marvel Comics. Emmanuel da Costa is an Afro-Brazilian businessman and the father of Roberto da Costa. Dagger Dagoth Daggoth is a fic ...
'' #9 (cover) (1989) * ''
Doctor Strange Dr. Stephen Vincent Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as ...
'' #45 (inker, page 7) (1981) * ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
'' #1 (artist, three pages), #3 (artist, one page) (1984) * '' Eternals'', maxi-series, #9–12 (writer) (1986) * ''
Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four, often abbreviated as FF, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover-dated November 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism i ...
'' #212 (cover), 334–341, 343–350, 352–354, ''Annual'' #23 (writer; also artist on #337–341, 343–346, 350, 352–354) (1989–1991) * '' FOOM'' #18 (photo) (1977) * '' Havok and
Wolverine The wolverine ( , ; ''Gulo gulo''), also called the carcajou or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species, member of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscular carnivore and a solitary animal. The w ...
: Meltdown'', miniseries, #1–4 (co-writer, with
Louise Simonson Louise Simonson (née Mary Louise Alexander; born September 26, 1946) is an American comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work on comic book titles such as ''Conan the Barbarian'', '' Power Pack'', ''X-Factor'', ''The New Mutan ...
) (1989) * ''Haunt of Horror'' #2 (artist) (1973) * ''Haunt of Horror Magazine'' #1 (artist) (1974) * '' Heroes for Hope Starring the
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
'' #1 (inker) (1985) * ''
Howard the Duck Howard the Duck is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Steve Gerber, based very loosely on his college friend Howard Tockman, and artist Val Mayerik. Howard the Duck firs ...
'' magazine #7 (artist, one page pinup) (1980) * ''The Hulk!'' #11 (artist, one page), #20 (artist), #23 (cover) (1978–1981) * ''
The Incredible Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of '' The Incredible Hulk'' (May 1962). In his comic book ...
'' #364–367 (covers) (1989–1990) * '' Indestructible Hulk'' #6–8 (artist) (2013) * ''
Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...
Annual'' #8 (cover) (1986) * '' Iron Man 2020'' one-shot (writer) (1994) * ''
John Carter, Warlord of Mars ''John Carter, Warlord of Mars'' is a comics series published from 1977 by American company Marvel Comics. Created by Marv Wolfman (writer) and Gil Kane (penciller), it was based on the Barsoom series of Edgar Rice Burroughs and featured the epon ...
'' #15 (penciller, with
Ross Andru Ross Andru (; born Rostislav Androuchkevitch, June 15, 1927 – November 9, 1993) Part 1: Animation: We Leave the Army", p. 21. In 1948, Andru's first professional work as a comic strip illustrator was drawing layouts for the ''Tarzan (comics), T ...
) (1978) * ''
Kickers, Inc. ''Kickers, Inc.'' is a twelve-issue comic book series published by Marvel Comics from 1986 to 1987 as part of the New Universe imprint. Created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz, the series featured a group of former professional American football pla ...
'' #9 (cover, with Mike Mignola) (1986) * '' Kree-Skrull War Starring the Avengers'' #1 (cover and penciller) (1983) * ''Marvel Comics'' #1000 (writer/artist, among others) (2019) * ''
Marvel Fanfare ''Marvel Fanfare'' was an anthology comic book series published by American company Marvel Comics. It was a showcase title featuring a variety of characters from the Marvel universe. Volume one ''Marvel Fanfare'' featured characters and setting ...
'' #41 (writer), #60 (writer/inker) (1988, 1991) * '' Marvel Graphic Novel'' #6 ( Star Slammers) (writer/artist) (1983) * ''Marvel Super-Heroes'' #15 (writer) (1993) * ''Marvel Holiday Special'' #1 (writer) (1991) * ''
Marvel Super Special ''Marvel Comics Super Special'' was a 41-issue series of one-shot (comics), one-shot comic-magazines published by American company Marvel Comics from 1977 to 1986. They were cover-priced $1.50 to $2.50, while regular color comics were priced 30 cen ...
'' #3 (''
Close Encounters of the Third Kind ''Close Encounters of the Third Kind'' is a 1977 American science fiction film, science fiction drama film written and directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr, Bob Balaban, Cary Guffey, and François ...
'') (penciller), #18 (''
Raiders of the Lost Ark ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. Set in 1936, the film stars Harrison Ford as Indiana ...
'') (writer) (1978, 1981) * ''
The Mighty Thor ''Thor'', or ''The Mighty Thor'', is the name of several comic book titles featuring the character Thor and published by Marvel Comics, beginning with the original ''Thor'' comic book series which debuted in 1966. Publication history The Marvel C ...
'' #700 (among other artists) (2017) * ''
Pizzazz ''Pizzazz'' is the fifth album by American singer Patrice Rushen, released in 1979 on Elektra Records. Critical reception ''The Boston Globe'' called ''Pizzazz'' a "really a good disco album, with a few non-disco numbers to break the monotony. ...
'' #10–13 (''Star Wars'' comic) (artist) (1978) * '' The Rampaging Hulk'' #1–3 (penciller) (1977) * '' Savage Sword of Conan'' #7, 8, 12, 15–17 (artist) (1975–1977) * '' Sensational She-Hulk'' #9 (inker), #50 (artist, among others) (1989, 1993) * ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' #16, 49–63, 65–66 (penciller; also writer on #56–63, 65 ) (1978–1982) * ''
Thor Thor (from ) is a prominent list of thunder gods, god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred g ...
'' ''(Vol. 1)'' #260–271, ''Annual'' #7 (penciller); #337–355, 357–369, 371–382 (writer; also artist on #337–354, 357–367, 380) (1977–1987) * ''Thor'' ''(Vol. 6)'' #24 (writer/artist) (2022) * ''Thor: The Worthy'' #1 (writer, variant cover) (2020) * ''
Uncanny X-Men ''Uncanny X-Men'', originally published as ''The X-Men'', is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics since 1963, and is the longest-running series in the List of X-Men comics, X-Men comics franchise. It features a team of super ...
'' #171 (penciller) (1983) * ''Video Jack'' #6 (artist, among others) (1988) * ''
What If What If may refer to: Film * ''What If'', a 2006 TV film starring Niall Buggy * What If... (2010 film), ''What If...'' (2010 film), an American film * What If... (2012 film), ''What If...'' (2012 film), a Greek film * What If (2013 film), ''What ...
'' (
Nova A nova ( novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. All observed novae involve white ...
) #15 (penciller) (1979) * ''
Wolverine The wolverine ( , ; ''Gulo gulo''), also called the carcajou or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species, member of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscular carnivore and a solitary animal. The w ...
: The Jungle Adventure'' (writer) (1990) * ''
X-Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
'' #10–11, 13–15, 17–19, 21, 23–31, 33–34, 36–39 (penciller) ''Annual'' #4 (inker) (1986–1989) * ''X-Men: Gold'' #1 (artist) (2014) *''X-Men: Legends'' (X-Factor) #3–4, (New Mutants) #11 (artist) (2021–2022)


Marvel Comics / DC Comics

* '' Marvel Treasury Edition: Superman and Spider-Man'' (inker, among others) (1981) * '' Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans'' one-shot (penciller) (1982)


Star*Reach

* '' Star*Reach'' #1 (artist) (1974)


Topps Comics

* ''
Jurassic Park ''Jurassic Park'', later referred to as ''Jurassic World'', is an American science fiction media franchise created by Michael Crichton, centered on a disastrous attempt to create a theme park of De-extinction#Cloning, cloned dinosaurs. It bega ...
'' movie adaptation #1–4 (writer) (1993)


TwoMorrows Publishing

* ''Streetwise'' ("The Sparking Cruise") (artist/writer) (2000)


Warren Publishing

* ''
Creepy Creepiness is the state of being creepy, or causing an unpleasant feeling of fear or unease to someone and/or something. Certain traits or hobbies may make people seem creepy to others; interest in horror or the macabre might come across as 'c ...
'' #102, 107, 112 (artist) (1979)


Books and compilations


DC Comics

* ''The Art of Walter Simonson'' collects stories from ''Detective Comics'' #450; ''1st Issue Special'' #9; ''Unknown Soldier'' #254–256; ''Star Spangled War Stories'' #170 and 180; ''Hercules Unbound'' #11–12; and ''Metal Men'' #45–49, 208 pages, June 1989, * ''
Jack Kirby's Fourth World "Fourth World" is a metaseries of connected comic book titles written and drawn by Jack Kirby and published by DC Comics from 1970 to 1973. Although they were not marketed under this title until the August–September 1971 issues of ''New Gods'' a ...
'' Omnibus Vol. 2 (introduction only), 396 pages, August 2007, * ''Manhunter: The Special Edition'' collects stories from ''Detective Comics'' #437–443, 104 pages, June 1999,


Marvel Comics

* ''Fantastic Four Visionaries: Walter Simonson'' trade paperbacks ** Volume 1 collects ''Fantastic Four'' #334–341, 200 pages, May 2007, ** Volume 2 collects ''Fantastic Four'' #342–346, 120 pages, September 2008, ** Volume 3 collects ''Fantastic Four'' #347–350 and 352–354, 192 pages, November 2009, * ''Thor Visionaries: Walter Simonson'' trade paperbacks ** Volume 1 collects ''Thor'' #337–348, 288 pages, May 2001, ** Volume 2 collects ''Thor'' #349–355 and 357–359, 240 pages, September 2003, ** Volume 3 collects ''Thor'' #360–369, 232 pages, March 2004, ** Volume 4 collects ''Thor'' #371–374 and ''Balder the Brave'' #1–4, 192 pages, September 2007, ** Volume 5 collects ''Thor'' #375–382 208 pages, February 2008, * '' Thor by Walter Simonson Omnibus'' collects ''Thor'' #337–355, 357–369, 371–382 and ''Balder the Brave'' #1–4, 1192 pages, April 2011, * ''Marvel Platinum: The Definitive Thor 2'' an anthology with Lee, Kirby, et al., 2013, * ''Thor: The Last Viking (Ultimate Marvel Graphic Novel Collection issue 38)'' collects ''Thor'' #337–343 * ''Thor by Walter Simonson - Volume 1'', 2013, collects ''Thor'' #337–?, remastered,


IDW Publishing

* ''Walter Simonson's The Mighty Thor: Artist's Edition'' collects ''Thor'' #337–340 and 360–362, 176 pages, July 2011,


Titan Books

* ''Alien - The Illustrated Story (Original Art Edition)'', 2012,


Filmography


References


External links

*
"DC Profiles #2: Walt Simonson"
at the Grand Comics Database

at the
Lambiek Comiclopedia Galerie Lambiek is a Dutch comic book store and art gallery in Amsterdam, founded on November 8, 1968 by Kees Kousemaker (, – Bussum, ). His son Boris Kousemaker has been the owner since 2007. From 1968 to 2015, it was located in the Ke ...

Walter Simonson
at Mike's Amazing World of Comics

at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators * * *


Interviews






Interview at Fanzing.com (1999)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simonson, Walt 1946 births American comics artists American comics writers American science fiction artists Inkpot Award winners Living people Marvel Comics people Rhode Island School of Design alumni School of Visual Arts faculty Toy collectors DC Comics people