Editing Walt Simonson (section)

===1970s===
In August 1972, Simonson traveled to New York with his ''Star Slammers'' portfolio, and met with Gerry Boudreau, a friend who worked for [[DC Comics]], where, as Simonson recalls, many young artists had begun working in the 1970s, in contrast to Marvel, which Simonson perceived as more stagnant. Boudreau arranged a meeting between Simonson and editor [[Archie Goodwin (comics)|Archie Goodwin]]. After meeting with Goodwin, Simonson went to DC's coffee room, where he saw [[Howard Chaykin]], [[Michael Kaluta]], [[Berni Wrightson]] and [[Alan Weiss (comics)|Alan Weiss]] sitting together. Simonson struck up a conversation with the artists, who looked at his portfolio. Kaluta showed Simonson's work to Assistant Production Manager [[Jack Adler]], who in turn showed it to DC Publisher [[Carmine Infantino]], who after being shown the portfolio, summoned Simonson into his office. After speaking to Simonson for about ten minutes, he had Goodwin and his fellow editors [[Julius Schwartz]] and [[Joe Orlando]] give Simonson work. Simonson walked out of Infantino's office with jobs from each one of them.<ref name=DirectCurrents/>

At one point Simonson lived in the same Queens apartment building as artists [[Allen Milgrom]], [[Howard Chaykin]] and [[Bernie Wrightson]]. Simonson recalls, "We'd get together at 3 a.m. They'd come up and we'd have popcorn and sit around and talk about whatever a 26, 27 and 20-year-old guys talk about. Our art, TV, you name it. I pretty much knew at the time, 'These are the good ole days.'"<ref name=LATimes>Warner, Meredith (March 25, 2017). [http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/herocomplex/la-et-hc-bernie-wrightson-20170320-htmlstory.html "How Bernie Wrightson uncovered the soul of the monster in his work"]. ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''.</ref>

Simonson's first professional published comic book work was illustrating writer [[Len Wein]]'s story "Cyrano's Army", which appeared in DC's ''[[Weird War Tales]]'' #10,<ref name=DirectCurrents/><ref>{{cite journal|last = Cooke|first = Jon B.|title = Simonson Says The Man of Two Gods Recalls His 25+ Years in Comics|journal = [[Comic Book Artist]]|issue = 10|page = 18|publisher = [[TwoMorrows Publishing]]|date = October 2000|location= Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref> which was cover-dated January 1973. Such short back-up war stories comprised most of Simonson's early published work.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Arndt|first=Richard J.|title="Nice" Is the Word: A Few Words on Archie Goodwin|journal=[[Back Issue!]]|issue=103 |page=11|publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing|date=April 2018 |location=Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref> He also did a number of illustrations for the [[Harry N. Abrams, Inc.]] edition of ''[[The Hobbit]],'' and at least one unrelated print of a samurai warrior that was purchased by [[Harvard University]]'s [[Fogg Museum]], and included in its annual undergraduate-use loan program. Simonson's breakthrough illustration job was "[[Manhunter (comics)|Manhunter]]", a backup feature in DC's ''[[Detective Comics]]'' written by Goodwin, which cemented Simonson's professional reputation.<ref name=DirectCurrents/><ref>{{cite book|last1=McAvennie|first1= Michael|editor-last=Dolan|editor-first=Hannah|chapter= 1970s|title = DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle|publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]]|year=2010|location= London, United Kingdom|isbn= 978-0-7566-6742-9 |page=157 |quote =Together with exciting new artist Walt Simonson, [Archie] Goodwin executed seven flawless tales that chronicled Paul Kirk's hunt for the world's deadliest game." " Manhunter's award-winning revival earned undying acclaim for its talented storytellers.}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last = Boney|first = Alex|title = Hunting the Hunters: Manhunter and the Most Dangerous Game|journal= [[Back Issue!]]|issue = 64|pages = 44–50|publisher = TwoMorrows Publishing|date = May 2013|location= Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref> In a 2000 interview, Simonson recalled, "What 'Manhunter' did was to establish me professionally. Before 'Manhunter,' I was one more guy doing comics; after 'Manhunter,' people in the field knew who I was. It'd won a bunch of awards the year that it ran, and after that, I really had no trouble finding work."<ref>Cooke, Jon B. (October 2000). ''Comic Book Artist'' #10 p. 20</ref> Simonson then drew other DC series such as ''[[Metal Men]]'' and ''[[Hercules Unbound]]''<ref name="GCD">{{gcdb|type=credit|search= Walt+Simonson|title= Walt Simonson}} and {{gcdb|type=credit|search= Walter+Simonson|title= Walter Simonson}}</ref> and co-created [[Doctor Phosphorus]] with [[Steve Englehart]].<ref>{{cite book|last1= Manning|first1= Matthew K.|editor-last=Dougall|editor-first=Alastair|chapter= 1970s|title= Batman: A Visual History|publisher= [[Dorling Kindersley]]|year= 2014|location= London, United Kingdom|page= 125|isbn= 978-1465424563|quote= Engelhart and Simonson introduced readers to Dr. Phosphorus, who earned a spot in Batman's Rogues Gallery.}}</ref> ''[[Batman (comic book)|Batman]]'' #300 (June 1978) featured a story by Simonson and writer [[David Vern Reed]].<ref>{{cite journal|last= Trumbull|first= John|title= A New Beginning...And a Probable End ''Batman'' #300 and #400|journal= Back Issue!|issue= 69|pages= 49–53|publisher= TwoMorrows Publishing|date= December 2013|location= Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref><ref>Manning "1970s" in Dougall, p. 128: "Crafted by writer David V. Reed and penciller Walter Simonson, this special 34-page issue imagined a possible future where Gotham City had become the hub of Magalopolis-East."</ref> In 1979 Simonson and Goodwin collaborated on an adaptation of the movie ''[[Alien (film)|Alien]]'', published by ''[[Heavy Metal (magazine)|Heavy Metal]]''. It was that book that Simonson began his long working relationship with letterer [[John Workman]], who would go on to letter most of Simonson's work.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbr.com/walt-simonson-reflects-on-alien-the-illustrated-story/ |title=Walt Simonson Reflects on "Alien: The Illustrated Story" |last=Keily |first=Karl |date=October 30, 2012 |website=[[CBR.com]] |access-date=October 30, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/10/25/from-alien-to-thor-to-avengers-walt-simonson |title=From Alien to Thor to Avengers: Walt Simonson |last=Collura |first=Scott |date=October 25, 2012 |website=[[IGN]] |access-date=October 25, 2012}}</ref>

Starting in January 1977, Simonson was the original artist on ''[[The Rampaging Hulk]]'', a [[black-and-white]] magazine published by Marvel's [[List of magazines released by Marvel Comics in the 1970s|Curtis Magazines]] line.<ref>{{cite book|last1 = Sanderson|first1 = Peter|author-link = Peter Sanderson|editor-last= Gilbert|editor-first= Laura|chapter= 1970s|title = Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History|publisher = [[Dorling Kindersley]]|year = 2008|location= London, United Kingdom|page = 178|isbn =978-0756641238|quote= In these stories, written by Doug Moench and drawn by Walter Simonson, the Hulk contended against an invading race of aliens called the Krylorians.}}</ref> Simonson also had his first run on ''[[Thor (Marvel Comics)|Thor]]'' at this time, working only as the series' artist alongside writer Len Wein.<ref name="GCD" /> In late 1978,<ref name="Cooke p. 25">Cooke (2000) p. 25</ref> Simonson, [[Howard Chaykin]], [[Val Mayerik]], and [[Jim Starlin]] formed [[Upstart Associates]], a shared studio space on West 29th Street in New York City. The membership of the studio changed over time.<ref>{{cite book |last1= Nolen-Weathington|first1= Eric|title= Modern Masters, Volume 8: Walter Simonson|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ILopomw3UpMC&q=Modern+Masters+Walt+Simonson+Upstart&pg=PA34|access-date= January 29, 2012 |year= 2006|location= Raleigh, North Carolina|publisher= TwoMorrows Publishing|isbn= 1-893905-64-0|page= 34}}</ref>

In 1979 Simonson did writing and art on a book for the first time with his run on Marvel's licensed ''[[Battlestar Galactica (comic book)#Marvel Comics|Battlestar Galactica]]'' series,<ref name=Slush/> penciling 12 sporadic issues from issues #4 to 23 with writer [[Roger McKenzie (comics)|Roger McKenzie]]. Simonson began co-writing the series with McKenzie with issue #11, co-wrote some issues with [[Bob Layton]] and [[Steven Grant]] after McKenzie left the title, began writing the book himself with issue #19, staying on until issue #23.<ref name="GCD" />