Review: Joe Simon, My Life In Comics

It’s not often that you can call someone a living legend, but Joe Simon fits the description. Realize, for a moment, that this is an autobiography written by a man who is ninety-seven years old and has been working in and around the comics industry his entire life. To say that he saw the birth of comics as we know them and was instrumental in their creation is an understatement. Along with his partner, Jack Kirby, he co-created one character after another including the likes of Captain America. He was also the first editor at Timely Comics which would later become Marvel Comics, and he helped train Stan Lee.

Mr. Simon’s story begins with his early work in the newspaper industry and his struggles to get into comics. His anecdotes about the people who were his friends and co-workers create a vivid picture of not just his life, but also of times past, turning things into a bit of a history lesson. There are scenes from The Depression, World War II, and even the Senate Subcommittee Hearings on Juvenile Delinquency all worked into his life in comics.

In addition to details that set the stage for the development of the modern comics, Mr. Simon shares how he has fought for creators’ rights and ownership from the start and why he finds it so important to retain the copyrights for as much of his work as possible. He even sued Marvel over Captain America and proudly tells readers that, although he can’t discuss the details of the settlement, it resulted in those comics now carrying the credit “created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.”

An engaging story about a man and the comics he clearly loves, fans will enjoy reading how Mr. Simon breathed life into a fledgling industry and even today continues to earn new fans and inspire artists to create new heroes.

(A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher.)