R.I.P. and Thanks for Everything

[Diabolical]

Tod Smith, 72.
Artist for Marvel and DC. He worked on Darkhawk, Peacemaker, Vigilante, Omega Men, What If? and more.

[anarky]

Jim Shooter, 73, cause of death likely cancer.

Again, fuck cancer.

[Tom Foolery]

Jim Shooter, 73, cause of death likely cancer.

Again, fuck cancer.

Wow. His accolades and contributions are too numerous to even begin naming. I think for most of us, he was shaping and shepherding the Marvel Universe we were introduced to when we started reading, even if we were too young to understand at the time. And then he continued to innovate and reshape the comic landscape with Valiant.

RIP Mr. Shooter, and thanks for everything.

[anarky]

Not to mention Defiant, which tanked. But not because of the stories. It was the one-two punch of Marvel's legal action draining their resources and the weird trading card zero issue that was a necessary prequel to everything else being way the fuck out of most readers' budgets. But I do give him credit for possibly the single ballsiest gimmick of the speculator era. Everything that actually came out was excellent.

Harbinger was fucking great. I know that's Valiant, but it still bears mentioning.

Also I'm sure you already know he's one of the two Marvel editors who was made into a G.I. Joe figure, all because thirteen heads couldn't neatly fit into seven rows of double screens, and because the other editor in question wrote that issue and has a goody sense of humor.

[Tom Foolery]

He wrote the first Superman/Flash race! Miller’s Daredevil run. Byrne’s FF run. Simonson’s Thor run. Stern’s Amazing Spidey run with the black costume. He added the Uncanny and made X-Men monthly. Alpha Flight. New Mutants. The original Armor Wars. Cap being ousted and John Walker taking over. The licenses for Transformers and GIJoe. Secret Wars. The original Mutant Massacre. X-Factor. Like, holy shit, it just keeps going.