Joe Simon, legendary Golden Age co-creator of such characters as Captain America, the Sandman, the Fly and hundreds more, has died at age 98, according to his son’s posting on Facebook.
Together with his partner Jack Kirby, Simon revolutionized the superhero, horror and romance genres — there pretty much wouldn’t be comics as we know them without the work of these two.
In recent years Simon made frequent convention appearances, despite his great age, a living connection to the Golden Age. He was also the subject of continued retrospective collection, including a series from Titan Books.
In this 2009 interview with Graphic NYC, Simon said:
“What happened is that it depended on the times. There were a lot of times when artists were unemployed in this business, and we had to make our own jobs by creating something off the beaten track, a new type of hero or something entirely different like Young Romance. We were the guys that were up to the task. We were good friends and we enjoyed working together. Jack was married about two years before he got out, and I had just gotten married after I had got out, so we decided we’d make it easy on commuting so we bought houses across the street from one another.”
Simon’s death follows by mere days that of Jerry Robinson. Please, if you haven’t already, take a moment to connect with one of the still living Golden Age men (and women.) The day when that will no longer be possible is within sight.
Photo by Seth Kushner.
Rest In Piece Joe!
Rest in Peace, Mr. Simon.
Darn auto-correct that should say “Rest In Peace Joe!” My condolences to his son and family.
Was an awesome man, what a huge loss.
What a kindly looking gentleman. Comics has been losing a lot of the people who founded the industry. Appreciations to Mr. Simon and condolences to his family.
It was an honor to be on the planet at the same time, and a treat to have his work. Thanks, Mr. Simon, for your long and wondrous life.
Sad, my buddy Brian interviewed him once and he seemed like a good guy.
It’s a sad day. I just read Mr. Simon’s autobiography last month. He’s a giant. The things he’s accomplished. I hope I experience half of what he did.
thank you sir! You helped awaken the hero within us all! Artists and creativity bring us joy and create new avenues for humanity. And often with such fun!
R.I.P. Joe. You are already terribly missed.
The passing of a legend, and a sad day indeed. It’s shallow solace, but Joe’s legacy will live on for generations to come.
I am glad that he lived to see his creation flourish and reach so many people, especially since a proper big-screen treatment of his beloved superhero was done with respect to the source material. I wrote a blog for Hark.com about that film, I am sure his family is proud of his lifetime accomplishment. RIP Joe.
http://www.hark.com/blog/2011/11/now-playing-on-hark-captain-america-the-first-avenger-2011/
Rest in peace
That generation has so much talent & so much promise. & perhaps equally important, they kept their egos in check. My condolensces to his family.
A rough week for people who love this medium. Many thanks to Mr. Simon for all he did
thank you sir
Thank you for your many contributions to the world of comics, rest in peace good sir
Man, this has been a tough week for the medium. It is heartening to know that Joe (and Jerry for that matter) led a long, active life, and was around to be appreciated by new generations of fans. 98 is nothing to sneeze at.
Thank you for so much wonderful work, Joe!
Lance Roger Axt
The AudioComics Company
Say it ain’t so!
RIP, Joe, and thanks from the bottom of my heart for everything (even Prez)!
just recently finished the most recent version of his autobiography. such a fascinating guy and i thought so forthright, honest, fair in the absorbing book. i gained an even greater respect. in the book he added so much to what little we really know about the behind the scenes history of comics. and, of course, joe simon’s own contributions to the field are immeasurable. losing the man is a great loss and my deepest condolences to his family and friends.
praise you Mr. Simon rest well my friend
A true gentlemen, his Iconic Characters will always live on, and well they should. His Capt America is what the United States of America is all about. He fought Nazis, Japanese, Communists, Aliens etc… Hey, even the Red Skull respects Capt America. Well, Joe’s sketch book is closed for a final time now and he joins his long time partner and friend Jack Kirby in Comic Heaven where all the greats reside. But Joe Simon will always be in the hearts of all his fans. You’ll be missed Mr Simon. R.I.P.
We all gain the rewards of the work and legacy left by Joe. Readers and creators alike owe to his career.
A life well-lived. Condolences to his family & friends.
I have been reading comics by Joe for 55 years and I am always amazed by his work. Sometimes I just look at one panel and stare at the layers and folds it contains which I think are so well done. Jack and Joe made the media seem three-diminsion long before 3D comics.
Loved his Golden Age work but he may’ve had his best solo moment doing BROTHER POWER THE GEEK.
rest in peace
Tragic. For someone like Joe Simon, age 98 was too young to go.
R.I.P. Joe. Thank you.
There sure are a lot of Joe Simon out in the world…
Rest in peace, Mr. Simon. Thank you for your many timeless creations and contributions.
Somewhere upstairs, Simon and Kirby are working on a new project, together…
R.I.P. Joe. I also enjoyed his work, his biography and interviewing him.
Jerry Robinson and now Joe Simon we lost a couple of the great comic legends this month.