During his time at Amherst, Simonson was interested in entering the field of paleontology. A geology major and the son of a scientist, Simonson had always seen himself working in the world of dinosaurs. It was not until March of his senior year, after spending an evening staring at the stars from his suite in Pond Dormitory, that Simonson realized he did not want to attend graduate school in geology. Since the beginning of his time at Amherst, Simonson had always had an interest in drawing, but the core curriculum left him with limited time for art classes. However, Simonson maintained his long-time love of comic book art during his years at Amherst and recalls spending countless hours reading comics at the local tobacco shop in town.
Following his passion
After graduating from Amherst in 1968, Simonson took a year off and spent time working at a local book store. In 1969, he followed his heart and applied to the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Simonson was the first student at RISD to create a comic book as his senior thesis. For Simonson, one of the most appealing aspects of comic book writing and drawing was the creativity that came along with the field. "You get to design a world and manipulate time" Simonson said. Upon graduation from RISD in 1972, Simonson took his portfolio and headed for New York City to look for work in the comic industry. He was fortunate enough to land a job with DC Comics. "It was a very exciting time" said Simonson. "There was a real influx of young talent into the business." At the time, however, he was unsure of exactly what he was looking for in a career. "I didn't want to be doing comics for a long time and then burn out," he said. Through collaboration with colleagues, Simonson has been able to keep his work fresh and new.
Among Simonson's well-known works are the comic strips of Superman, Batman, the Hulk, the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. He admits that he has yet to pick a favorite among them. During his time at Amherst, his favorite character was Thor; therefore, his work with this specific character has been of particular importance to him. He also feels very connected to the Manhunter, a character he attributes to the making of his professional reputation.
The average person is generally unfamiliar with the different levels of assembly involved in creating and putting together a comic book. Typically, Simonson said, the process involves a variety of jobs, including writing, penciling, inking and coloring. Simonson is involved in the first three facets of the production. The final step of coloring is completed on a computer by another professional.
Simonson had only good things to say about his time at Amherst. He specifically recalls the influence of professor of English William E. Coles. Simonson said that he has a special place in his heart for Coles, the man who first introduced Simonson to the "Lord of the Rings."
A storyteller at heart
Currently, Simonson is working with Michael Moorcock on the creation of a story of comics based on Moorcock's science fiction character, Elric. The first issue of "Elric, The Making of a Sorcerer" is now in stores.
What Simonson likes best about his job is being able to do what he loves while getting paid for it. "Sleeping in, not having to wear a tie and getting paid for drawing" are also high on his list. Simonson further noted that he is lucky have found a profession in which he can support himself. "I can make a living telling stories," he said. One of the perks in working in comics is the freedom. "Since it's such a small business you are kind of in control of your own destiny. Given the parameters of the industry you get to do your own stuff. I am able to tell the stories I want to tell. It isn't a committee project. I get to make those things work together," added Simonson.
When he is not busy working to create some of the best-known comics in the industry, Simonson finds himself playing video games. GameCube and Nintendo are among his favorite systems. "My favorite games are Zelda games," he commented. Simonson further adds that he enjoys the Zelda games of The Wind Waker. "It's like being inside a Chuck Jones cartoon."
Simonson and his wife, Louise, whom he fondly calls Weezie, are currently living in a suburb of New York City. He has a stepdaughter, Julianna, and two grandchildren. Once a week, Simonson teaches a senior portfolio class at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Currently, he is teaching graphic storytelling to seniors interested in going into comics. Much of the focus of the class is devoted to helping students to put together their own art portfolios.