====== Joe Simon ======
===== Part 1: The Dossier: An At-a-Glance Summary =====
  *   **Core Identity: A pioneering comic book writer, artist, editor, and publisher, Joe Simon was a towering figure of the Golden Age of Comics, best known as the co-creator of Captain America and for his revolutionary creative and business partnership with Jack Kirby.**
  *   **Key Takeaways:**
  * **Architect of the Golden Age:** Alongside [[jack_kirby]], Simon was a primary creative force at Timely Comics (the precursor to Marvel). The Simon & Kirby studio was responsible for creating not just iconic characters but entire genres, defining the explosive, dynamic visual language of the era.
  * **Co-Creator of an Icon:** Simon's most enduring creation is [[captain_america]], a character conceived and launched before the United States entered World War II. Captain America became a symbol of American patriotism and one of the most important and recognizable superheroes in history, a legacy that continues in both the [[earth-616]] comics and the [[marvel_cinematic_universe|MCU]].
  * **Genre Innovator:** Looking beyond superheroes, Simon and Kirby astutely identified a new market and created the romance comic genre with the launch of //Young Romance// in 1947. This groundbreaking move captured a massive female readership and became one of the best-selling and most imitated genres of the post-war era.
  * **Pioneering Creator Rights:** Simon was a shrewd businessman who, early in his career, fought for better pay and a share of the profits for creators. His disputes with publisher Martin Goodman over the rights and royalties for Captain America set an early precedent for the creator rights battles that would echo through the industry for decades.
===== Part 2: Biography and Career =====
==== Early Life and Entry into Publishing ====
Hymie Simon, who would later adopt the name Joe, was born on October 11, 1913, in Rochester, New York, to a poor Jewish family. Growing up in a tenement, Simon's artistic talents were apparent from a young age. He pursued art formally, becoming the art director for his high school newspaper and yearbook. After graduating in 1932, he was hired as an assistant by the art director of the //Rochester Journal-American// newspaper.
His early professional life was a whirlwind of diverse artistic jobs. He did retouching work, created sports cartoons, and freelanced for various publications. In 1935, Simon moved to New York City, the epicenter of the publishing world. He found work at Paramount Pictures, retouching publicity photos, and later landed a job at Funnies, Inc., one of the earliest comic book "packagers." These packagers were studios that created complete, ready-to-print comic book stories and sold them to publishers. It was at Funnies, Inc. that Simon wrote and drew his first comic book stories, gaining invaluable experience in the nascent industry.
His ambition and talent quickly propelled him forward. In 1939, he became the first editor for Fox Feature Syndicate, a publisher of pulp magazines and comics. It was at Fox that he first collaborated with a young, ferociously talented artist named Jacob Kurtzberg, who would soon become world-famous as **Jack Kirby**. The creative chemistry between the two was immediate and powerful, marking the beginning of arguably the most important partnership in comic book history.
==== The Simon & Kirby Partnership and Timely Comics ====
The Simon and Kirby partnership was a perfect fusion of complementary skills. Simon was the idea man, a sharp writer, a skilled inker, and a brilliant editor with a keen eye for commercial appeal and cover design. Kirby was the artistic engine, a master of dynamic anatomy, explosive action, and unparalleled visual storytelling. Together, they formed a creative powerhouse.
In late 1940, Simon was offered the position of editor and art director at Martin Goodman's Timely Comics, the company that would one day evolve into Marvel Comics. He negotiated a deal that allowed him to bring Kirby along as his art director. At Timely, they were given immense creative freedom. The world was on the brink of war, with Nazi Germany's aggression dominating the headlines. Simon, a staunch patriot, saw an opportunity to create a character that would embody the American spirit in the face of fascism.
Sitting in their small studio, Simon conceived of a patriotic hero. He sketched a character in a star-spangled costume, armed with a triangular shield, and christened him Captain America. He and Kirby fleshed out the concept, creating the origin story of Steve Rogers, a frail young man transformed into the pinnacle of human perfection by a Super-Soldier Serum. The cover of //Captain America Comics// #1, dated March 1941, was a bold political statement and a marketing masterstroke: it depicted the new hero landing a powerful right hook on the jaw of Adolf Hitler, months before the attack on Pearl Harbor would officially bring the U.S. into the war.
The comic was an unprecedented, runaway success. It sold nearly a million copies, outselling even established publications like //Time// magazine. Captain America was an overnight sensation, and Simon and Kirby became stars of the industry. They produced a torrent of work for Timely, creating or co-creating characters like Bucky Barnes and the Red Skull, and honing a visual style defined by forced perspective, dynamic motion lines, and characters that seemed to burst from the panels. Their work was revolutionary, breaking from the static, illustration-like art of earlier comics and establishing a new, kinetic language for superhero action.
==== Departure from Timely and Wartime Service ====
Despite the massive success of Captain America, the relationship between Simon & Kirby and publisher [[martin_goodman]] quickly soured. Simon, a savvy negotiator, had secured a deal for himself and Kirby to receive 25% of the profits from //Captain America Comics//. However, they suspected Goodman was not honoring the agreement and hiding the true profit figures. Simultaneously, Detective Comics (the future DC Comics) made them a significantly more lucrative offer: a guaranteed $500 a week each, a staggering sum at the time.
In late 1941, after producing ten issues of //Captain America Comics//, Simon and Kirby left Timely under acrimonious circumstances. Their departure was so abrupt that a young editorial assistant and relative of Goodman's, [[stan_lee]], was hastily promoted to interim editor, a "temporary" role he would hold for decades, eventually shaping the future of Marvel Comics.
Simon and Kirby moved to DC, where they continued their prolific output. They created the "kid gang" genre with characters like the Newsboy Legion and the Boy Commandos, the latter of which became DC's third best-selling title after Superman and Batman. Their creative partnership was interrupted when both men were drafted into the U.S. military for World War II. Simon served in the Coast Guard, where he was assigned to the Combat Art Corps in Washington, D.C., and helped create comics and publications for the service. He and Kirby kept in touch throughout the war, planning their reunion and the future of their studio.
===== Part 3: The Simon & Kirby Studio: A Post-War Powerhouse =====
==== The Birth of a New Genre: Romance Comics ====
After the war, the superhero genre began to wane in popularity. With the Axis defeated, the patriotic fervor that fueled characters like Captain America subsided. Ever the astute businessman, Joe Simon anticipated this shift in public taste. He recognized a vast, untapped market: young adult women. He believed that the same storytelling techniques used for superhero adventures—dramatic conflicts, emotional stakes, and compelling characters—could be applied to stories about love, heartbreak, and relationships.
In 1947, Simon and Kirby took their idea to Crestwood Publications. They launched //Young Romance// #1, a comic book anthology featuring dramatic, emotionally charged stories about love. It was a revolutionary concept. Instead of capes and powers, it offered realistic (for the time) portrayals of dating, marriage, and jealousy. The cover boldly proclaimed it was "Designed for the More ADULT Reader of Comics."
The gamble paid off spectacularly. //Young Romance// was an enormous success, selling millions of copies and proving that comics could appeal to a demographic far beyond young boys. Its success spawned an entire genre. Simon and Kirby produced numerous other romance titles, such as //Young Love// and //Real West Romances//, while nearly every other publisher rushed to create their own imitations. For a time in the late 1940s and early 1950s, romance comics dominated the newsstands, and the Simon & Kirby studio was the undisputed king of the genre they had created.
==== Creative Process and Studio System ====
The Simon & Kirby studio was not just a creative partnership; it was a highly efficient production house. They pioneered a "studio system" that allowed them to produce an immense volume of high-quality work. They employed a roster of talented artists, including Mort Meskin, Bill Draut, and a young Carmine Infantino, who would later become a key architect of DC's Silver Age.
Their creative process was a well-oiled machine:
  * **Concept and Plot:** Simon and Kirby would typically brainstorm stories together. Simon often took the lead in plotting and scripting, leveraging his editorial eye for what would sell.
  * **Kirby's Pencils:** Kirby would then draw the stories in his signature dynamic style, laying out the pages and establishing the visual flow. His pencils were often so detailed and powerful that they essentially told the story on their own.
  * **Inking and Finishing:** The pages would then be passed to Simon or other studio artists for inking. Simon's inking style was clean and bold, perfectly complementing Kirby's powerful pencils and making the artwork "pop" off the page.
  * **Lettering and Production:** The studio handled all aspects of production, delivering finished, camera-ready pages to the publisher.
This system allowed them to be incredibly prolific, working across multiple genres simultaneously. In addition to romance, they produced crime comics (//Justice Traps the Guilty//), horror comics (the influential //Black Magic//), and Westerns. Their distinctive, hard-hitting style was recognizable regardless of the genre.
===== Part 4: Industry Impact and Legal Battles =====
==== The Split with Kirby and Industry Decline ====
By the mid-1950s, several factors converged to bring the golden era of the Simon & Kirby studio to a close. The comics industry faced a massive public backlash, fueled by psychiatrist Fredric Wertham's book //Seduction of the Innocent//, which claimed comics were a corrupting influence on youth. This moral panic led to the establishment of the restrictive Comics Code Authority, which sanitized content and stifled creative freedom, particularly in the crime and horror genres that Simon and Kirby had excelled in.
Simultaneously, financial disputes began to strain the legendary partnership. They had started their own publishing company, Mainline Publications, but it struggled in the harsh market climate. Disagreements over finances and creative direction led to an amicable but definitive split around 1955. Jack Kirby would eventually return to Timely, now rebranded as Atlas Comics and on its way to becoming Marvel, where he would partner with Stan Lee to co-create the Marvel Universe. Joe Simon, however, moved in a different direction.
==== Legal Battles over Captain America ====
Decades after creating Captain America, Joe Simon found himself in a prolonged legal battle to reclaim the rights to his most famous creation. The U.S. Copyright Act of 1976 included a provision that allowed creators of works made prior to 1978 to terminate copyright grants after a certain period, effectively reclaiming ownership.
In 1966, Simon filed a lawsuit claiming he, not Marvel Comics, was the legal owner of the copyright to Captain America. The case revolved around whether Simon had created the character as an employee ("work-for-hire") or as an independent contractor who then sold the rights to Timely. After a series of legal maneuvers, the case was settled out of court in 1969. While the terms were sealed, it was widely reported that Marvel paid Simon a settlement sum, and Simon acknowledged that the character was created under a work-for-hire arrangement.
However, the issue resurfaced in 1999 when Simon, leveraging the 1976 Copyright Act, filed a notice of copyright termination to reclaim his share of Captain America. This led to another legal battle with Marvel. Ultimately, the parties settled out of court in 2003 for an undisclosed, but reportedly substantial, sum. This settlement ensured that Marvel would retain the rights to the character, while finally providing Simon with significant financial recognition for his role in creating the Sentinel of Liberty. The legal battles highlighted the long-standing industry issue of creator rights and compensation.
===== Part 5: Signature Creations and Lasting Legacy =====
==== Captain America: The Sentinel of Liberty ====
Joe Simon's legacy is inextricably linked to Captain America. His conception of the character was a masterstroke of timing, symbolism, and design.
  * **Symbolic Power:** Captain America was not just a superhero; he was a living propaganda poster for American ideals at a time of global crisis. He provided a focal point for patriotic sentiment and a powerful fantasy of punching fascism in the face.
  * **Narrative Innovation:** The origin story of Steve Rogers, the scrawny kid who wanted to serve his country, was deeply resonant. It established the core Marvel theme that true heroism comes from the heart, not from raw power.
  * **Visual Design:** The red, white, and blue costume, the winged mask, and the iconic shield (which Kirby evolved from the original triangular design to the classic disc) created one of the most memorable and enduring character designs in all of fiction.
Simon's role was not just in the initial idea; as the editor and co-plotter, he guided the tone and direction of the early stories, ensuring they were packed with action, suspense, and clear moral stakes.
==== The Romance Comic Genre ====
While less known to modern audiences focused on superheroes, Simon's creation of the romance genre was arguably as impactful on the publishing industry of its time as Captain America was.
  * **Market Creation:** He identified and successfully targeted an entirely new readership, proving the commercial viability of comics for an older, female audience.
  * **Genre Dominance:** For nearly a decade, romance comics were a dominant force in the market, providing a crucial revenue stream for publishers as superhero popularity waned.
  * **Storytelling Tropes:** //Young Romance// and its successors established the core tropes of the genre: first-person narration ("I Was a Runaway Bride!"), love triangles, parental disapproval, and the quest for true love, influencing pop culture for years to come.
==== The Newsboy Legion and the Boy Commandos ====
Another Simon & Kirby innovation was the "kid gang" trope. Characters like the Newsboy Legion (for DC) and the Boy Commandos were teams of tough, working-class kids who fought crime and Nazis on the home front. These series were incredibly popular, tapping into the fantasy of young readers contributing to the war effort. They combined gritty urban settings with high adventure and celebrated camaraderie and teamwork, a theme that would become central to later superhero teams like the [[fantastic_four]] and the [[x-men]].
===== Part 6: Post-Comics Career and Later Life =====
After parting ways with Kirby and leaving the mainstream comic book industry in the late 1950s, Joe Simon transitioned into other fields. In 1959, he founded and edited //Sick//, a satirical humor magazine intended to compete with the highly successful //Mad// magazine. //Sick// ran for over 160 issues under his editorship, showcasing his versatility and sharp editorial sense. He also worked in advertising and commercial art.
Simon made sporadic returns to the comics industry. In the 1960s, he created the superhero Brother Power the Geek for DC, a bizarre and psychedelic character that reflected the counter-culture of the era. In the 1970s, he briefly worked for DC again, producing new Sandman stories and other titles.
In his later years, Joe Simon was celebrated as an elder statesman and a living link to the birth of the comic book industry. He received numerous awards, including induction into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1999 (as part of the Simon & Kirby duo). He was a vocal advocate for his own legacy and for the rights of creators. In 2011, he published his autobiography, //Joe Simon: My Life in Comics//, providing an invaluable first-hand account of the Golden Age.
Joe Simon passed away on December 14, 2011, at the age of 98, just a few months after the release of //Captain America: The First Avenger//, the [[marvel_cinematic_universe|MCU]] film that brought his most famous creation to a new generation of global fans. His influence as a creator, editor, innovator, and businessman is foundational to the history of Marvel Comics and the American comic book industry as a whole.
===== See Also =====
  * [[jack_kirby]]
  * [[captain_america]]
  * [[timely_comics]]
  * [[martin_goodman]]
  * [[stan_lee]]
  * [[golden_age_of_comic_books]]
===== Notes and Trivia =====
((Joe Simon is credited with being one of the first creators to use the full-page splash panel as a regular storytelling device, a technique that became a hallmark of the dynamic Simon & Kirby style.))
((The original concept for Captain America was named "Super American." Simon felt the name was too derivative and changed it to Captain America, which he felt had a more dramatic and unique ring to it.))
((In his autobiography, Simon recounted the story of receiving threatening phone calls and hate mail from Nazi sympathizers after the release of //Captain America Comics// #1. He noted that New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia personally called him to offer police protection.))
((The character of Hyman "Hymie" Roth in the film //The Godfather Part II// was named by author Mario Puzo in honor of Joe Simon, whose birth name was Hymie. Puzo had worked as an assistant for Simon in the post-war years.))
((While Stan Lee wrote filler text stories in the first few issues of //Captain America Comics//, his first full, published comic book script was for a Captain America story in issue #3, titled "Captain America Foils the Traitor's Revenge." This came after Simon and Kirby had already established the character's world.))
((The settlement Simon reached with Marvel in 2003 included a creator credit in the films and a "special thanks" acknowledgment, ensuring his name would be permanently associated with the character on the big screen.))
((Simon's work on //Black Magic// for Crestwood is considered highly influential in the pre-Code horror genre, praised for its atmospheric and sophisticated approach to supernatural storytelling.))