Joe Simon

Biography:

Joe Simon (born Hymie Simon in 1913) grew up in Rochester, New York, the son of Harry Simon, an English immigrant from Leeds, and Rose Kurland, whom Harry met in the United States. His parents first welcomed a daughter, Beatrice, in 1912, before Joe’s birth. Raised in a poor Jewish household, Joe lived in a flat that doubled as his father’s tailor shop. At Benjamin Franklin High School, he became art director of the school newspaper and yearbook, even earning his first professional pay when two universities purchased rights to his artwork.

After graduating in 1932, Simon worked for the Rochester Journal-American as an assistant to art director Adolph Edler, occasionally contributing sports and editorial cartoons. In 1934, he moved on to the Syracuse Herald before becoming art director of the Syracuse Journal American. When the paper closed, he relocated to New York City at age 23, taking on freelance illustration work for Paramount Pictures and magazines such as True Story. His break into comics came through Lloyd Jacquet of Funnies, Inc., leading to his first assignment—a seven-page Western. Soon after, at the request of Timely Comics publisher Martin Goodman, Simon created his first superhero, the Fiery Mask.

Simon eventually became Timely’s first editor and, with artist Jack Kirby, co-created Captain America. The debut issue, released in December 1940—months before Pearl Harbor—famously depicted Captain America punching Adolf Hitler. The comic sold nearly one million copies, cementing Simon and Kirby as a major creative force. However, financial disputes with Goodman prompted them to secretly negotiate a more lucrative deal with National Comics (later DC). Together, they went on to create popular series such as Boy Commandos and Newsboy Legion, which sold over a million copies monthly.

During World War II, Simon enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard, where he contributed to recruitment comics and produced Adventure Is My Career in collaboration with Milt Gross. After the war, Simon and Kirby branched into other genres, including crime, horror, and especially romance, launching the pioneering title Young Romance. They later formed their own publishing company, Mainline Publications, creating titles such as Bullseye: Western Scout and Fighting American—the latter beginning as a serious anti-Communist hero before evolving into satire.

The duo’s partnership ended in 1955, with Simon moving into advertising and commercial art, though they occasionally reunited for projects at Archie and Harvey Comics. Simon also founded the satirical magazine Sick in 1960, competing with Mad. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, he continued to develop new series, including DC’s Brother Power the Geek, Prez, and Green Team: Boy Millionaires.

In later years, Simon turned to painting and reissuing classic comic art, while also consulting on projects connected to his earlier creations. He lived to see Captain America brought to the big screen and was acknowledged as the character’s co-creator.

Simon married Harriet Feldman, with whom he had five children. She passed away in 1971. Joe Simon himself died in New York City on December 14, 2011, at age 98, and was buried with military honors at Long Island National Cemetery. Marvel Comics honored him with a dedication in Avenging Spider-Man #5.