Joltin’ Joe Sinnott – Page 2 – Prattling Before the Pratfall

Shooter’s Secret War

Jim Shooter, Virginia Romita, Joe Sinnott, 1991

Out of nowhere on Monday, it was announced that comic book writer/editor/publisher Jim Shooter had died.

On May 7, Shooter’s summer convention schedule was posted on Facebook…

Jim will be appearing at the following shows!
Big Lick Comic Con – NOVA – May 31-June 1
Heroes Aren’t Hard To Find – June 20-22
GalaxyCon Raleigh – July 24-27
Celebrate the 10th Anniversary of FarleyCon Pop Culture & Comic Book Expo! – August 2-3
TerrifiCon ™ – Connecticut’s Terrific Comic Con at Mohegan Sun – August 8-10
Dragon Con – August 28-31
See you there!

… but after missing a couple of those dates, this appeared on June 18.

Shooter had said nothing that I’d seen about him battling cancer, and considering his optimistic convention schedule I have to assume his condition must have declined very rapidly. I waited to post something about his death until the NYTimes had an obit. It’s shared here paywall-free.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/03/arts/jim-shooter-dead.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Tk8.2plK.Hai0QvTUlbwV&smid=url-share

I met Shooter only once, at a Terrificon in Connecticut. Joe Sinnott was going to be on a panel when we heard one of the other panelists was a no-show. I forget who it was, but he was a writer. I’d chatted with Shooter earlier that day, and when I heard of the vacancy I asked him if he would be willing to fill in. I told Jim that Joe would be there, he immediately agreed, and he was great.

Marvelous Joltin’ Joe

June 25 will mark five years since the passing of Joe Sinnott. I was fourteen when I first read an interview with Joe. It was conducted by Mark Evanier and Tony Isabella (now preferring to be called Jenny Blake), and published in Marvelmania No. 4.

Here’s the original published format, suitable for widescreen viewing.

An brief bio is in the same issue, with Joe sharing space with bad boy Sci-Fi writer Harlan Ellison.

Kirby Before Sinnott

The Kirby Museum’s first publishing project is here and I’m impressed. My copy of Sky Masters of the Space Force: The Complete Sunday Strips in Color came with a print and t-shirt.

Copies of the book should become available in comics shops. Publication was crowd-funded on ZOOP, with much of the interest coming from Wally Wood’s ink finishes over Jack Kirby’s pencils. Wood’s run on the comic strip was actually somewhat sporadic, until he eventually dropped out altogether.

Woody never stuck with any one thing for very long, especially after Bill Gaines limited EC to publishing MAD and nothing else. But the work Wally did on Sky Masters is outstanding and wouldn’t be equaled until Joe Sinnott’s run inking Kirby on the Fantastic Four.

(Note to mih: I will have the book with me when visiting in May.)

Words of Discouragement

The first time I met Joe Sinnott was at the 1972 New York Comic Art Convention that I attended with, and thanks to, mih.

That was the first time Joe met Jack Kirby, as well as my only time meeting Kirby. It was made extra memorable when, with me an earnest 16-year-old fanboy, Kirby actually pushed me out of his way to speak with someone! Joe never pushed me out of his way, but I used to push him around when he found a wheelchair useful. 🙂

Another interesting New York ’72 encounter was with the comic book professional named Kane who wasn’t Bob. When I mentioned my hope of drawing comic books, he replied, “Kid, we don’t need the competition.”

Using a thinly disguised name, this is another less than flattering memory of the pro in question, from the highly respected comic book writer/editor, Archie Goodwin. Keep in mind that Goodwin had previously written numerous projects for him to illustrate.