History
Over the course of his long career, Jim Shooter created several multi-billion-dollar entertainment franchises including the TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE, and contributed extensively to others, including the AVENGERS and the X-MEN.
Jim Shooter was only 13 years old when he started writing comics professionally. He worked his way through high school with DC Comics providing scripts, layouts, cover designs and new character designs for SUPERMAN, SUPERBOY, SUPERGIRL and other DC titles. He also created a number of new characters for DC, including the KARATE KID, the PARASITE, the FATAL FIVE and CAPTAIN ACTION.
In 1976, he was hired as editor of Marvel’s entire color comics line. During his tenure in that position, Shooter collaborated with Stan Lee on the hit syndicated newspaper strip THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN. He contributed ideas and direction to the entire Marvel line, including GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, BLACK PANTHER and ETERNALS.
Shooter was appointed Editor-in-Chief of Marvel in 1978 and was given complete charge of the publishing operations. He was a key figure in the creative and marketing effort that helped revitalize the industry and establish Marvel as the dominant American comic book publisher. Marvel began producing superior comics. Driven by Marvel’s creative surge, the market boomed. Shooter was made a vice president of Marvel in 1981.
During his tenure at Marvel he worked with Hasbro toys to develop the concept for the TRANSFORMERS toy line, which Shooter personally designed for all media and became the basis for the subsequent blockbuster movies.
Shooter also supervised, influenced, and guided the development of not only the AVENGERS and the X-MEN, but also WOLVERINE, SPIDER-MAN, IRON MAN, THOR, DAREDEVIL, and the rest of the Marvel Universe. He did a great deal of writing, creation and development personally. Much of the source material for the Marvel Cinematic Universe was created under his direction. He created the living, black Spider-Man costume that became VENOM and CARNAGE. He oversaw the creation of many new characters and series, including the foundation of the Disney series WANDAVISION.
In 1989, Shooter founded his own company, Voyager Communications Inc., publishers of the hugely successful and critically acclaimed Valiant comics. Among the many properties he created for Valiant were HARBINGER, X-O MANOWAR and SHADOWMAN. He also redeveloped classic Gold Key Comics’ characters MAGNUS ROBOT FIGHTER SOLAR, MAN OF THE ATOM and TUROK, SON OF STONE. Voyager was sold to Acclaim Entertainment in 1993 for $65 million. Since then, both and TUROK, SON OF STONE, redeveloped by Shooter as TUROK, DINOSAUR HUNTER and SHADOWMAN have become hit video games.
Later, in partnership with Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video Entertainment, Shooter founded Broadway Comics, which was intended to be a development engine for film and television properties. Golden Books Family Entertainment acquired the intellectual properties of Broadway Comics as well as those of Defiant, another Shooter company, as part of its $95 million purchase of Broadway Video Entertainment in 1996.
Shooter has done development work for Fox LightFlash and Plan Z Productions; has served as a "concept doctor" for Saban Entertainment; and has created film and entertainment properties for Pantone Color Systems, Inc. and others. He has also written children’s books and live action children’s shows, created fast food premiums and even designed the Marvel float and Spider-Man balloon for the Macy’s Parade.
In 2003 Shooter cofounded Illustrated Media Group, LLC, focused on the development and creation of entertainment content. As Creative Director of Illustrated Media his credits include SEVEN and the relaunch of the classic Gold Key Comics’ characters MAGNUS, ROBOT FIGHTER, SOLAR, MAN OF THE ATOM and TUROK, SON OF STONE.
He also developed properties for screen, OMEGA POINT, CROOKED HOUSE and THE TRAVELING EXECUTIONER Series, THE BULLPEN, SEVEN, DEATHMAGE, SPECWAR and UPLOADING; and Young Adults, ANOMALIES.
Credits
During his long career, Jim has worked on a wide variety of projects. Here are some highlights:
- Legion of Super-Heroes – Writer
- The Avengers – Writer
- Daredevil – Writer
- Iron Man – Writer
- Ghost Rider – Writer
- Marvel Secret Wars I – II – Writer
- Black Panther – Writer
- Thor – Writer
- Team America – Writer
- Spectacular Spider-Man – Writer
- Mighty Samson – Writer
- Amazing Spider-Man – Writer
- Defenders – Writer
- Fantastic Four – Writer
- Marvel Team-Up – Writer
- Incredible Hulk And Wolverine – Writer
- Dreadstar – Writer
- Superman – Writer
- Superboy – Writer
- Supergirl – Writer
- Captain Action – Writer
- Action Comics – Writer
- Star Brand – Writer/Creator
- Magnus Robot Fighter – Writer
- Solar-Man of the Atom – Writer
- X-O Manowar – Writer
- Shadowman – Writer
- Harbinger – Writer/Creator
- Rai – Writer
- Archer and Armstrong – Writer
- Predator vs Magnus Robot Fighter – Writer
- Turok – Son of Stone – Writer
- Unity – Writer
- Unity 2000 – Writer
- X-O Manowar – Writer
- Eternal Warrior – Writer
- Solar: Alpha & Omega – Writer
- Origin of the Defiant Universe – Writer
- Warriors Of Plasm – Writer
- Wardancer – Writer
- Dark Dominion – Writer
- Good Guys – Writer
- Charlemagne – Writer
- Dogs of War – Writer
- Star Seed – Writer
- Fatale – Writer
- Shadow State – Writer
- Powers That Be – Writer
- Seven – Writer
