Jesse Simon pays tribute to his ancestor, an all-time comics great…
Jesse Simon is the keeper of the Joe Simon flame, and since it’s his late grandfather’s birthday — the elder Simon, a writer and artist, was born Oct. 11, 1913 — we’ve asked him to rank his 13 favorite characters created or co-created by his illustrious ancestor.
Right on.
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By JESSE SIMON
13. Brother Power, the Geek, 1968, DC. Freaks and Geeks, this time just the Geek! This one had a connection to Joe’s father as he was a tailor. Seeing a mannequin get struck by lightening and then coming to life is just another level. Joe was having fun and then so did I while reading it. He has such a unique design to him, hopefully we see him again soon!
Simon
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12. The Vision (with Jack Kirby), 1940, Timely. No one talks about Simon and Kirby’s Golden Age Vision. It’s always been a favorite of mine! A space cop who travels through smoke? So ridiculous that I’m sold! Plus: The first appearance of Vision is what John Buscema based his famous The Avengers #57 cover art on. Same pose, smoke, and men running. Without the original, there would be no Vision as we know it today. I particularly love the Vision stories from Marvel Mystery Comics #13 and #27, Simon and Kirby’s first and last time on the character.
Marvel Mystery Comics #13. Kirby pencils and inks, with possible Simon ink assists
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11. Stuntman (with Kirby), 1946, Harvey. Stuntman features some great double-page spreads. I wonder what would’ve happened if we got to see the rest of the “stunt” family that Joe and Jack were dreaming up.
Kirby
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10. The Green Team (with Jerry Grandenetti), 1975, DC. Personally, I always loved the concept of kid millionaires. The art was so playful and the stories so ridiculous. Joe and Jerry weren’t taking comics too seriously and that was a wonderful change of pace. Plus, what kid wouldn’t want to be on a Green Team. Sign me up!
Jerry Grandenetti pencils and likely inks, though possible Creig Flessel inks
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9. Boys’ Ranch (with Kirby), 1950, Harvey. No true Simon and/or Kirby fan could possibly not have Boys’ Ranch on their list. Forget the stories and dialogue, the art alone is gorgeous. Museum level. Take time to really look at the details and delicate line work, as well as the striking bold lines of the inks. Both Joe and Jack said it was among their favorite work.
Kirby and Simon
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8. Bullseye (with Kirby), 1954, Mainline. Simon and Kirby’s Western scout! The pages of Bullseye riding horses and shooting, at weird angles, always intrigued me as a kid. Joe loved drawing horses. Plus, Bullseye almost always had a smile on his face, looking like he was having fun. Or maybe it was the guys drawing him!
Kirby
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7. Private Strong (with Kirby), 1959, Archie. I always wonder what would’ve happened if DC didn’t threaten to sue over the similarities to their Man of Steel. I love the film strip on the top and side of the cover, showing Private Strong leaping into action!
Simon and Kirby
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6. Huckleberry Fink, 1962, Prize. Who could forget the mascot to Joe’s Sick magazine. Instead of MAD’s “What me worry?”, Huckleberry Fink was “Why try harder?” — poking fun at Sick being the No. 2 competitor.
Jack Davis’ original art for the cover to Sick #18, the first cover to feature Huckleberry Fink
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5. The Fly (with Kirby), 1959, Archie. Just the history of the Fly’s creation makes his placement anywhere on this list worthy. Starting as Spiderman then evolving to eventually to the Fly (then Fly-Man), this character features some of the most memorable art from the Simon and Kirby team. Issue #1 and the “Wide Angle Scream” (Joe’s humor) is captivating. As a kid I would imagine all the people trapped in the web as the Fly and Spider Spry battled it out. “Said ‘Spider’ Spry… to the fly… come into my parlor.” Classic!
Kirby and Simon
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4. The Fighting American (with Kirby), 1954, Prize. What started out as a serious character soon turned into a satire. Fighting American had some of the best villains in all of comics, Doubleheader being my favorite!
Kirby
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3. Sandman, DC. Through the multiple iterations, my favorite has always been the 1942 Sandman with Sandy. You could replace the costume and name with Batman, and all the stories would still work. (Sandman was the creation of Gardner Fox and Bert Christman, and his first appearances in the purple-and-yellow outfit were by Mort Weisinger and Paul Norris. Kirby and Simon took over in January 1942 and Sandman would soon become the cover feature of Adventure Comics.)
Kirby pencils, possible Simon inks
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2. Prez (with Grandenetti), 1973, DC. A teenager is leader of the free world! Pinned against Boss Smiley, Prez must find a way to keep order in the land and keep out the crooks. What a fun comic!
Grandenetti
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1. Captain America (with Kirby), 1940, Timely. What a surprise, said no one! That Captain America was created for the sole purpose to fight Nazis guaranteed him this spot on the list. But on a personal note, he was the character that I always remember keeping my grandfather company in his apartment. Whether it was watching Captain America throw his shield on the screen, or watching Joe magically make Steve Rogers come alive on his drawing table before my eyes, Cap was a staple of my childhood and our home.
Kirby and Simon
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Thank you for celebrating and remembering Joe. The path he paved with others is still being walked on today. It is important to remember these men and women, and the universes and stories they left behind.
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MORE
— When JOE SIMON AND JACK KIRBY First Teamed Up — 85 YEARS AGO. Click here.
— Get Your Hands on SIMON and KIRBY’s First BLUE BOLT — Remastered For Your Enjoyment. Click here.
