Walter Simonson (born September 2, 1946) is an American

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. ...

writer and artist, best known for a run on

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Comics'' in 19 ...

' ''

Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing ...

'' 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 the ...

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 is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...

'', on

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with their f ...

books including ''

Detective Comics ''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 best known for introducing the superhero Batman ...

'', '' Manhunter'', ''

Metal Men The Metal Men are a group of 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 Comic Book ...

'' and '' Orion'', and on licensed properties such as ''

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has been expanded into various film ...

'', ''

Alien Alien primarily refers to: * Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country ** Enemy alien, the above in times of war * Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth ** Specifically, intelligent extrate ...

'', '' Battlestar Galactica'' 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, artist, writer, filmmaker and entrepreneur, best known for his work as the artist on ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and as the creator, writer, and artist on the superhero horro ...

. 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'', ''New Mutants'' ...

, with whom he collaborated as penciller on ''X-Factor'' from 1986 to 1989, and with whom he made a cameo appearance in the 2011 ''

'' feature film.

Early life

Walter Simonson was born September 2, 1946 in

Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state ...

, 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 the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

, received a promotion at work that required him to relocate to

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, 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 ''Direct Currents'' is the name of several promotional features by DC Comics, including a long-running newsletter. History ''Direct Currents'' was first used as the name of a text feature appearing in DC's comics beginning in 1966.''Direct Currents ...

'' #18.

. 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 anthology comic book series featuring characters from The Walt Disney Company's films and shorts, including Donald Duck, Scrooge McDuck, Mickey Mouse, Chip ...

'' 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 comic books, as the writer and artist of the first Donald Duck stories and as the creator of Scrooge McDuc ...

, ''

Little Lulu ''Little Lulu'' is a comic strip created in 1935 by American author Marjorie Henderson Buell. The character, Lulu Moppet, debuted in ''The Saturday Evening Post'' on February 23, 1935, in a single panel, appearing as a flower girl at a wedding a ...

'', ''

Little Iodine ''Little Iodine'' is an American Sunday comic strip, created by Jimmy Hatlo, which was syndicated by King Features and ran from August 15, 1943 until August 14, 1983. The strip was a spin-off of '' They'll Do It Every Time'', an earlier Hatlo cr ...

'', 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 throughout ...

's work on ''

The Land Unknown ''The Land Unknown'' is a 1957 science fiction CinemaScope adventure film about a naval expedition trapped in an Antarctic jungle. The story was allegedly inspired by the discovery of unusually warm water in Antarctica in 1947. It stars Jock M ...

''. 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 Administration ...

's work on ''

Magnus Robot Fighter Magnus, Robot Fighter is a fictional superhero, appearing in comic books created by writer/artist Russ Manning in 1963.Steve Holland, ''Sci-Fi Art : a graphic history''. Lewes : ILEX, 2009. (pp. 102-3) Magnus first appeared in ''Magnus Robot Figh ...

'' 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, with the intent of becoming an expert on dinosaurs. In 1964 or 1965, Simonson discovered

, in particular that company's version of ''

''. 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, and into the Nordic folklore of the modern peri ...

prior to discovering

Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Publications which w ...

and

Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comics artist, comic book artist, writer and editor, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential c ...

'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

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 act ...

, 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 Jim Holdaway (1927–1970) was a British illustrator, who contributed art for numerous comic strips. His best known work was on the ''Modesty Blaise'' comics written by Peter O'Donnell. Art career Jim Holdaway was born in 1927 in Barnes C ...

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 Hernandez Palacios and

Sergio Toppi Sergio Toppi (11 October 1932, Milan – 21 August 2012, Milan)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. 19 ...

. 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

, 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, or more formally 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 ...

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

, 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 American 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 and Al Parker. Early lif ...

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 De ...

Berni Wrightson Bernard Albert Wrightson (October 27, 1948 – March 18, 2017), sometimes credited as Bernie Wrightson, was an American artist, known for co-creating the Swamp Thing, his adaptation of the novel ''Frankenstein'' illustration work, and for his o ...

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 Jack Adler (July 1, 1917 – September 18, 2011)Bails, Jerry''Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999''.Accessed Feb. 18, 2009. was an artist who worked as a cover artist and colorist for DC Comics. He was a staff member of DC's productio ...

, who in turn showed it to DC Publisher

Carmine Infantino Carmine Michael Infantino (; May 24, 1925 – April 4, 2013) was an American comics artist and 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 a comic book editor, and a science fiction agent and prominent fan. He was born in The Bronx, New York. He is best known as a longtime editor at DC Comics, where at various t ...

and

Joe Orlando Joseph Orlando (April 4, 1927 – December 23, 1998) was an Italian American illustrator, writer, editor and cartoonist during a lengthy career spanning six decades. He was the associate publisher of '' Mad'' and the vice president of DC Comics, w ...

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,

and

Bernie Wrightson Bernard Albert Wrightson (October 27, 1948 – March 18, 2017), sometimes credited as Bernie Wrightson, was an American artist, known for co-creating the Swamp Thing, his adaptation of the novel ''Frankenstein'' illustration work, and for his o ...

. 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'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...

''. 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, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men ...

's story "Cyrano's Army", which appeared in DC's ''

Weird War Tales ''Weird War Tales'' was a war comic book title with supernatural overtones published by DC Comics. It was published from September–October 1971 to June 1983. Publication history The original title ran for 12 years and 124 issues. It was ...

'' #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 La Martinière Groupe. Run by President and CEO Michae ...

edition of ''

The Hobbit ''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by 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 ''N ...

,'' and at least one unrelated print of a samurai warrior that was purchased by

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

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 ''

'' 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 ''

'' and ''

Hercules Unbound Hercules (also known as Heracles and Herakles) is a fictional Olympian god in the DC Universe based on the Greek demigod and hero of the same name. Hercules first appears in '' All Star Comics'' #8 (January 1942) as part of a Wonder Woman sto ...

'' and and co-created

Doctor Phosphorus Doctor Phosphorus (Dr. Alexander James Sartorius) is a fictional 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 Uni ...

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 lif ...

. ''

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book '' Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939 ...

'' #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 American writer, best known for his work on the ''Batman'' comic book during the 1950s in a run that included a revamp of the Batplane in ''Batman'' #61 and the i ...

. In 1979 Simonson and Goodwin collaborated on an adaptation of the movie ''

'', published by '' Heavy Metal''. It was that book that Simonson began his long working relationship with letterer

John Workman John Workman (born June 20, 1950) is an American editor, writer, artist, designer, colorist and letterer in the comic book industry. He is known for his frequent partnerships with writer/artist Walter Simonson and also for lettering the entire r ...

, 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 in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...

magazine published by Marvel's

Curtis Magazines Curtis or Curtiss is a common English given name and surname of Anglo-Norman origin from the Old French ''curteis'' (Modern French ''courtois'') which derived from the Spanish Cortés (of which Cortez is a variation) and the Portuguese and Ga ...

line. Simonson also had his first run on ''

'' at this time, working only as the series' artist alongside writer Len Wein. In late 1978,Cooke (2000) p. 25 Simonson,

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, a ...

formed

Upstart Associates Upstart Associates, sometimes known as Upstart Studios, was the name of an artists' studio on West 29th Street in New York City formed in late 1978 by four comic book creators. These artists were Howard Chaykin, Walt Simonson, Val Mayerik, and J ...

, 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'' series, penciling 12 sporadic issues from issues #4 to 23 with writer

Roger McKenzie Roger McKenzie (22 July 1971 – 25 November 1995) also known under his production aliases of Wildchild or DJ Wildchild, was an English musician and DJ. Biography Born in Southampton, England, he released many singles on labels such as ...

. Simonson began co-writing the series with McKenzie with issue #11, co-wrote some issues with

Bob Layton Bob Layton (born 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'' and '' Hercules'', and for co-founding Valiant Comics with Jim Shooter. Early life Bob Lay ...

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 a British-born American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on ''Uncanny X-Men'' from 1975 to 1991, far longer than that of any other writer,Claremont, Chris. ''Marvel ...

produced ''

The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans ''The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans'' is a crossover comic book published by Marvel Comics which features two teams of superheroes, Marvel's the X-Men and DC Comics' the New Teen Titans. Publication history In 1982, the ''Uncanny X-Men' ...

intercompany crossover In comic books, an intercompany crossover (also called cross-company or company crossover) is a comic or series of comics in which characters, that at the time of publication are the property or licensed property of one publisher, meet character ...

between the top-selling Marvel and DC titles. Simonson is best known for his work on Marvel Comics' ''

'' 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 carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-frog" '' Triadobatrachus'' is ...

for three issues and introduced the supporting character

, 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, January 26, 1936) is an American comics artist, primarily for Marvel Comics, where he enjoyed a ten-year run as artist of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk'' and an eight-year run as ar ...

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 Daredevil may refer to: * A stunt performer Arts and media Comics * Daredevil (Lev Gleason Publications), a fictional 1940s superhero popularized by writer-artist Charles Biro * Daredevil (Marvel Comics character), a Marvel comic book superhe ...

'' story written by

Frank Miller Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American comic book writer, penciller and inker, novelist, screenwriter, film director, and producer known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as his run on ''Daredevil'' and subsequen ...

but it was never completed and remains unpublished. Simonson joined his wife Louise on the ''

'' series with issue #10. In #25, the creators gave the character the

Angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles inc ...

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 "Mutant Massacre" was a 1986 Marvel Comics crossover storyline. It primarily involved the superhero teams the X-Men and X-Factor. The solo hero Thor, the New Mutants, Power Pack and Daredevil crossed over for an issue each in their own com ...

", "

Fall of the Mutants "The Fall of the Mutants" was a comic book crossover event by Marvel Comics spanning January to March 1988. It spanned three issues each of '' Uncanny X-Men'' #225-227, '' X-Factor'' #24-26, and '' New Mutants'' #59-61; unlike most crossovers ...

," and "

Inferno Inferno may refer to: * Hell, an afterlife place of suffering * Conflagration, a large uncontrolled fire Film * ''L'Inferno'', a 1911 Italian film * ''Inferno'' (1953 film), a film noir by Roy Ward Baker * ''Inferno'' (1973 film), a German ...

". In 1983, he returned to ''Star Slammers'' with another version of the story that Marvel published in ''

Marvel Graphic Novel ''Marvel Graphic Novel'' (''MGN'') is a line of graphic novel trade paperbacks published from 1982 to 1993 by Marvel Comics. The books were published in an oversized format, 8.5" x 11", similar to French albums. In response, DC Comics establis ...

'' No. 6. Simonson left Upstart Associates in late 1986.

1990s

Simonson became writer of the ''

'' 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''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for " glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is a musc ...

, Spider-Man,

Ghost Rider Ghost Rider is the name of multiple antiheroes and superheroes 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. In issue #345 he depicted

dinosaurs with feathers A feathered dinosaur is any species of dinosaur possessing feathers. While this includes all species of birds, there is a hypothesis that many, if not all non-avian dinosaur species also possessed feathers in some shape or form. It has been ...

, 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, and more recently has examined sociology and theology. He is best known for his work and research on theropod dino ...

'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 Special'' #1 for DC. His other Marvel credits in the decade included co-plotting/writing the ''

Iron Man 2020 Iron Man ( Arno Stark) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a superhero appearing as the counterpart of the superhero Iron Man in the (then) future year of 2020 set in the multiverse wor ...

'' 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. (also known 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 ...

' 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 superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byrne, are credited as being ...

'' (vol. 2) drawn by

Jerry Ordway Jeremiah 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 Earths ...

. 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 EisnerWill 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 pur ...

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) was no ...

Mike Mignola Mike Mignola (; born September 16, 1960) is an American comics artist and writer best known for creating ''Hellboy'' for Dark Horse Comics, part of a shared universe of titles including ''B.P.R.D.'', '' Abe Sapien'', '' Lobster Johnson'', '' Wi ...

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 people, English writer, best-known for science fiction and fantasy fiction, fantasy, who has published a number of well-received literary novels as well as comic thrillers, graphic nov ...

. 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 Com ...

'', with pencillers

, Joe Bennett, and Renato Arlem. 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, self-professed ladies' man, and gambler, Bat Lash's adventures have been published by DC Comics since 1968. Character ...

'' 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 (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a person who ...

'', 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 under the name "Aegis Entertainment" and expanded in subsequent years by other creators, Wilds ...

comic book series based on the online role-playing game ''

World of Warcraft ''World of Warcraft'' (''WoW'') is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released in 2004 by Blizzard Entertainment. Set in the ''Warcraft'' fantasy universe, ''World of Warcraft'' takes place within the world of Azeroth ...

''. The ''Warcraft'' series ran 25 issues and was from #15 on co-written with his wife,

. He wrote the Demon and

Catwoman Catwoman is a fictional character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Debuting as "the Cat" in ''Batman'' #1 (spring 1940), she ...

serial in ''

Wednesday Comics ''Wednesday Comics'' was a weekly anthology comic book launched by DC Comics on July 8, 2009. The twelve issues of the title were published in 14" x 20" broadsheet format, deliberately similar to Sunday newspaper comics sections. Each edition fe ...

'' in 2009.

2010s

In 2011, Simonson had a cameo role in the live-action ''

'' 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 The Hero Initiative, formerly known as A Commitment to Our Roots, or ACTOR, is the first federally recognized not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping comic book creators, writers and artists in need. Founded in late 2000 by a consortiu ...

. 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 The Rocketeer is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books originally published by Pacific Comics. Created by writer/artist Dave Stevens, the character first appeared in 1982 and is an homage to the Saturday matinee serial heroes f ...

'' 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

. 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), itself formed in 1999, and is regularly re ...

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 Operation USA (also known as OpUSA, Operation California, or OpCal) is a non profit humanitarian organization supporting health, education and relief programs at home and abroad in order to help children and families recover and thrive in the w ...

's benefit anthology book, ''Comics for Ukraine: Sunflower Seeds'', a project spearheaded by

Special Projects Editor

Scott Dunbier Scott Dunbier is an American comic book editor, best known as the Special Projects Editor at IDW Publishing. Career Dunbier rose to prominence in the comic book industry as executive editor of the Wildstorm comic book line. After several years ...

, whose profits would be donated to relief efforts for Ukrainian refugees resulting from the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. 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 Award The Academy of Comic Book Arts (ACBA) was an American professional organization of the 1970s that was designed to be the comic book industry analog of such groups as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Composed of comic-book profession ...

s for Outstanding New Talent in 1973, for Best Individual Short Story (Dramatic) in 1973 for "The Himalayan Incident" in ''

'' #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 CCI's annual co ...

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 the successor to the Kirby Awards that we ...

s, which were held at the

Baltimore Comic-Con Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...

on August 28, 2010, Simonson received the 2010 Hero Initiative Lifetime Achievement Award. It was presented to him by his wife,

. * A collection of Simonson's ''Thor'' comics shot from the original art, published as part of IDW's

Artist's Edition ''Artist's Edition'' is a line of hardcover reprint comic books published by IDW Publishing and edited by Scott Dunbier. List of Harvey Award Winners - Best Domestic Reprint Project Unlike the usual graphic novels, this project features printing ...

series, took the 2012

Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards. They are named in ...

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 53 may refer to: * 53 (number) * one of the years 53 BC, AD 53, 1953, 2053 * FiftyThree, an American privately held technology company that specializes in tools for mobile creation and visual thinking * 53rd Regiment Alabama Cavalry * 53rd Regimen ...

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. Function ...

on 31 January 2018 (). * In 2022, Simonson was awarded the

Inkwell Awards The Inkwell Award, sometimes shortened to the Inkwells, is a trophy given in the field of inking in American comic books. The awards were partially named after the Yahoo group whose members include many in the inking community, and after the p ...

All-in-One Award.

Signature

Simonson's distinctive

signature A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a Handwriting, handwritten (and often Stylization, stylized) 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 ...

consists of his last name, distorted to resemble a

Brontosaurus ''Brontosaurus'' (; meaning "thunder lizard" from Greek , "thunder" and , "lizard") is a genus of gigantic quadruped sauropod dinosaurs. Although the type species, ''B. excelsus'', had long been considered a species of the closely related ''A ...

. Simonson's reason for this was explained in a 2006 interview. "My mom suggested a dinosaur since I was a big dinosaur fan."

Technique and materials

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 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 on American ti ...

, an admirer of Simonson's, stated that he could not tell the difference, calling Simonson's brush work "as typically good and powerful as his other work." He has used Pelikan drawing ink for most of his career.

Influence

Comics creators who have been influenced by Simonson's work include Arthur Adams and

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, fantasy, and various strands of ancient and modern mythology, all centering on the mysterious and taciturn Shadow. The book was pu ...

'' #3 (artist) (2016) * ''

Dark Horse Presents ''Dark Horse Presents'' was a comic book published by American company Dark Horse Comics from 1986. Their first published series, it was their flagship title until its September 2000 cancellation. The second incarnation was published on MySpace, ...

'' #114 (writer/artist) (1996) * '' RoboCop Versus The Terminator'' #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 ''1st Issue Special'' was a comics anthology series from DC Comics, done in a similar style to their '' Showcase'' series. It was published from April 1975 to April 1976. The goal was to showcase a new possible first issue of an ongoing series ea ...

'' (

Doctor Fate Doctor Fate (also known as Fate) is the name of multiple superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original version of the character was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, debuting in ''More F ...

) #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) * ''

'' #300, 312, 321 (penciller) (1978–1980) * ''

Batman Black and White ''Batman Black and White'' refers to the comic book Limited series (comics), limited series published by DC Comics featuring 8-page black and white Batman stories. Volumes 1, 4 and 5 of the series feature all-new stories (published in 1996, 2013� ...

'' #2 (writer/artist) (1996) * '' Batman: Gotham Knights'' #6 (writer) (2000) * ''

The Big Book of ''The Big Book Of'' is a series of graphic novel anthologies published by American company DC Comics imprint Paradox Press. Publication history The ''Big Books'' were published between 1994 and 2000. Just over half of them (ten out of seventeen) ...

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 ba ...

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) * ''

'' ( Manhunter stories) #437–443; (

) #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) * ''

'' #50–66 (writer) (2006–2007) * ''

Harley Quinn Harley Quinn is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Quinn was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm as a comic relief henchwoman for the supervillain Joker in '' Batman: The Animated Series'', and debuted in it ...

'' #0 (artist, among others) (2014) * ''

'' #7–10 (penciller; also plotter on #9), #11–12 (artist) (1976–1977) * ''

Heroes Against Hunger ''Heroes Against Hunger'' is a 1986 all-star benefit comic book for African famine relief and recovery. Published by DC Comics in the form of a "comic jam" or exquisite corpse, the book starred Superman and Batman. Spearheaded by Jim Starlin and ...

'' #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'' #1–11, 13–20 (covers) #9–10, 11, 13 (writer/artist) (1997–1998) * ''

JSA Classified The Justice Society of America (JSA, or Justice Society (JS)) is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team was conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox during the Golden Age of Comic ...

'' #21–22 (writer/artist) (2007) * ''The Judas Coin'' GN (writer/artist) (2012) * '' Just Imagine Stan Lee Creating Sandman'' (penciller) (2002) * ''

Kamandi Kamandi () is a fictional comic book character created by artist Jack Kirby and published by DC Comics. The bulk of Kamandi's appearances occurred in the comic series ''Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth'', which ran from 1972 to 1978. Kamandi is a ...

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 fictional 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 cent ...

'' vol. 4 #94, 100 (artist, among others) (1997–1998) * ''

'' vol. 7 #5 (penciller) (2012) * '' Manhunter: The Special Edition'' TPB (new story: "The Final chapter") (plotter/artist) (1999) * ''

'' #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'' #1 (cover) (1975) * ''

Showcase Showcase or vitrine may refer to: *Cabinet (furniture) *Display case Music * ''Showcase'' (Bill Anderson album), 1964 * ''Showcase'' (Patsy Cline album), 1961 * ''Showcase'' (Buddy Holly album), 1964 * ''Showcase'' (Philly Joe Jones album), 1959 ...

'94'' #1 (New Gods) (writer) (1993) * ''

The Spirit The Spirit is a fictional masked crimefighter created by cartoonist Will Eisner. He first appeared June 2, 1940, as the main feature of a 16-page, tabloid-sized, newsprint comic book insert distributed in the Sunday edition of Register and Tri ...

'' #7, 8 (writer) (2007, 2011) * ''

Star Spangled War Stories ''Star Spangled War Stories'' was the title of a comics anthology published by DC Comics that featured war-themed characters and stories. Among the features published in this series were writer-editor Robert Kanigher and artist Jerry Grandenetti' ...

'' #170, 172, 180 (artist) (1973–1974) * ''

Superboy Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...

and the

'' #237 (penciller) (1978) * '' Superman'' #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 ''T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents'' is a fictional team of superheroes that appeared in comic books originally published by Tower Comics in the 1960s. They were an arm of the United Nations and were notable for their depiction of the heroes as everyday pe ...

'' #3 (penciller) (2012) * '' Unknown Soldier'' (Captain Fear) #254–256 (artist) (1981) * ''

'' #11 (artist) (2009) * ''

'' ( Demon/

) #1–12 (writer) (2009) * ''

'' #10, 72 (artist) (1973–1979) * ''

'' vol. 2 #189–194 (writer) (2003) * ''

'' #1–25 (writer, #15–25 with

) (2008–2010)

First Comics

* ''

Badger Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the family Mustelidae (which also includes the otters, wolverines, martens, minks, polecats, weasels, and ferrets). Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united ...

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 program, television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dysto ...

'' #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'' #0 (writer/artist) (1993) * '' Gen13 Bootleg'' #4 (artist), #11–12 (writer, with

Aaron Lopresti Aaron Lopresti (born January 7, 1964) is an 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, 1964''Comics Buyer's Guide'' ...

) (1996–1997) * ''Hey Kids! Comics!'' #4 (artist, 2 pages) (2018) * ''

Savage Dragon The Savage Dragon is a fictional superhero created by Erik Larsen, published by Image Comics and taking place in the Image Universe. The comic features the adventures of a superheroic police officer named the Dragon. The character first appear ...

'' #100 (inker, 6 pages) (2002) * '' Weapon Zero'' #T-1–T-4, 0, 1–13 (writer, with

Joe Benitez Joe Benitez (born May 21, 1971) is an American comic book artist. He is co-creator and penciller of '' Weapon Zero'', published by Top Cow Productions. Other titles he has worked on include ''The Darkness'', '' The Magdalena'', as well as work ...

) (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 ...

'' #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 way ...

'' #8 (artist, two pages) (1994) * '' Star Slammers'' #1–4 (writer/artist) (1994) * ''

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal 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 adv ...

: Love, Lies and the Lost City'' #1 (writer) (1993)

Marvel Comics

* ''

The Amazing Spider-Man ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its main protagonist. Being in the Earth 616, mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a bim ...

'' #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 ''Avengers vs. X-Men'' (''AvX'' or ''AvsX'') is a 2012 crossover event that was featured in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The event, consisting of an eponymous limited series and numerous tie-in books, involves the return of the Phoe ...

) #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 ...

'' #1–4 (writer/covers) (1985–1986) * '' Battlestar Galactica'' #11, 13, 15, 17–23 (writer, with

); #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 who originated in pulp magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, films (including '' Conan the Barbarian'' and '' Conan the Destroyer'') ...

'' #135 (cover) * ''

'' #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' ''New Mutants'', ''Moon Knight,'' and ''Elektra: Assassin''. Sienkiewicz's work in the 1980s ...

) (1986) * '' Dazzler'' #2 (artist, pages 11–16) (1981) * ''

Death's Head Death's Head is the name of several fictional characters appearing in British comics and American comic books both published by Marvel Comics. The original Death’s Head is a robotic bounty hunter (or rather, as he calls himself, a "freelanc ...

'' #9 (cover) (1989) * '' Doctor Strange'' #45 (inker, page 7) (1981) * '' Doctor Who'' #1 (artist, three pages), #3 (artist, one page) (1984) * '' Eternals'', maxi-series, #9–12 (writer) (1986) * ''

'' #212 (cover), 334–341, 343–350, 352–354, ''Annual'' #23 (writer; also artist on #337–341, 343–346, 350, 352–354) (1989–1991) * ''

FOOM ''FOOM'' was Marvel Comics' self-produced fan magazine of the mid-1970s, following the canceled '' Marvelmania'' and preceding ''Marvel Age''. Running 22 quarterly issues (February 1973 – Fall 1978), it was initially designed and edited by comi ...

'' #18 (photo) (1977) * '' Havok and

: Meltdown'', miniseries, #1–4 (co-writer, with

) (1989) * ''Haunt of Horror'' #2 (artist) (1973) * ''Haunt of Horror Magazine'' #1 (artist) (1974) * ''

Heroes for Hope ''Heroes for Hope: Starring the X-Men'' is a 1985 Marvel comic book designed to raise awareness about hunger in Africa. Proceeds from the comic went to the American Friends Service Committee, to assist in their work on behalf of African famine r ...

Starring the

X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in 1970 due to ...

'' #1 (inker) (1985) * ''

Howard the Duck Howard the Duck is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Steve Gerber and artist Val Mayerik. Howard the Duck first appeared in ''Adventure into Fear'' #19 (cover-d ...

'' 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 Indestructible may refer to: Music * Indestructible Record Company, an American record label 1906–1925 Albums * ''Indestructible'' (Art Blakey album), 1966 * ''Indestructible'' (Disturbed album) or the title song (see below), 2008 * ''Indest ...

'' #6–8 (artist) (2013) * ''

Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charact ...

Annual'' #8 (cover) (1986) * ''

'' 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 play ...

'' #9 (cover, with Mike Mignola) (1986) * '' Kree-Skrull War Starring the Avengers'' #1 (cover) (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 settin ...

'' #41 (writer), #60 (writer/inker) (1988, 1991) * ''

'' #6 ( Star Slammers) (writer/artist) (1983) * ''Marvel Super Heroes'' #15 (writer) (1993) * ''Marvel Holiday Special'' #1 (writer) (1991) * '' Marvel Super Special'' #3 (''

Close Encounters of the Third Kind ''Close Encounters of the Third Kind'' is a 1977 American science fiction film written and directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr, Bob Balaban, Cary Guffey, and François Truffaut. It tells the story ...

'') (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. It stars Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, R ...

'') (writer) (1978, 1981) * ''

The Mighty Thor Thor Odinson is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is based on the Thor, Norse mythological god of the same name, the Asgard (comics), Asgardian List of thunder god ...

'' #700 (among other artists) (2017) * ''

Pizzazz ''Pizzazz'' is the fifth album by American singer Patrice Rushen. Reception While she was attacked for leaving the jazz genre, Rushen was able to get a good fan base with an R&B/Pop audience. Rushen's profile in the R&B world continued to incre ...

'' #10–13 (''Star Wars'' comic) (artist) (1978) * '' The Rampaging Hulk'' #1–3 (penciller) (1977) * ''

Savage Sword of Conan ''The Savage Sword of Conan'' was a black-and-white magazine-format comic book series published beginning in 1974 by Curtis Magazines, an imprint of American company Marvel Comics, and then later by Marvel itself. ''Savage Sword of Conan'' starre ...

'' #7, 8, 12, 15–17 (artist) (1975–1977) * ''

Sensational She-Hulk She-Hulk (Jennifer "Jen" Walters) is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in ''The Savage She-Hulk'' #1 (cov ...

'' #9 (inker), #50 (artist, among others) (1989, 1993) * ''

'' #16, 49–63, 65–66 (penciller; also writer on #56–63, 65 ) (1978–1982) * ''

'' #260–271, ''Annual'' #7 (penciller); #337–355, 357–369, 371–382 (writer; also artist on #337–354, 357–367, 380) (1977–1987) * ''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 X-Men comics franchise. It features a team of superheroes called the ...

'' #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), an American film * ''What If...'' (2012 film), a Greek film * ''What If'' (2013 film) or ''The F Word'', a Canadian-Irish film Tele ...

'' (

Nova A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. Causes of the dramati ...

) #15 (penciller) (1979) * ''

: The Jungle Adventure'' (writer) (1990) * ''

'' #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 ''Marvel Treasury Edition'' is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics from 1974 to 1981. It usually featured reprints of previously published stories but a few issues contained new material. The series was published in an oversi ...

: 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 also referred to as ''Jurassic World'', is an American science fiction media franchise created by Michael Crichton and centered on a disastrous attempt to create a theme park of cloned dinosaurs. It began in 1990 whe ...

'' 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. A person who exhibits creepy behaviour is called a creep. Certain traits or hobbies may make people seem creepy to others. The internet has been descr ...

'' #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'' 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, ), though since 2007, his son Boris Kousemaker is the current owner. From 1968 to 2015, it was located ...

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 cartoonists American comics artists American comics writers Inkpot Award winners Living people Marvel Comics people Rhode Island School of Design alumni School of Visual Arts faculty Toy collectors