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Jim Shooter, Visionary Marvel Editor, Dies at 73

He professionalized comic-book production through structured editing processes that reshaped the industry’s commercial landscape.

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Overview

  • Shooter died on June 30 at his Nyack, New York, home following a 2024 esophageal cancer diagnosis, his son confirmed.
  • He was named Marvel’s editor-in-chief in 1978 at age 27 and introduced coherent editing systems and a focus on the comic-store direct market.
  • Shooter established standardized contracts and creator royalties, attracting emerging talents such as Frank Miller and Walter Simonson.
  • Under his leadership, Marvel’s sales and profits surged, producing landmark titles including Miller’s Daredevil and Claremont and Byrne’s X-Men.
  • After his 1987 firing, he founded independent publishers Valiant, Defiant and Broadway before ending his career as creative editor at Illustrated Media.