News has reached us this week of the death of Jim Shooter, an outstanding figure in the history of American comics. Jim came to fame in 1966, as the 14-year old writer on the Legion of Super-Heroes in Adventure Comics, going on to become editor in chief at Marvel in 1978, later the creator of Valiant Comics, Defiant Comics and Broadway Comics. There are lots of obituaries all over the internet, so all I want to add here is a personal remembrance. 
I recall reading his early Legion stories as they were published, and noticing the new direction they were taking for my favourite characters, really bringing them to life. It could be said that without his ground-breaking run on the Legion, they would not have achieved their lasting popularity and ardent fan-base that the Legion still maintains today. And without that, 30th Century Comics would not have come into being, since three of our four founders met through Legion fandom. So, in a manner of speaking, Jim Shooter changed my life. 

Adventure Comics #359, my favourite Shooter Legion story

I met Jim just once, at a Glasgow Comic Convention in 1993, for drinks at the bar and later, my good friend Hass Yusuf (co-organiser) had set a room aside where we Legion fans had an extended question and answer session with Jim. I have to comment that he was a congenial and informative speaker, with a lot of patience for questions from we rabid fans. I know Jim had a reputation for being controversial, but on that night he just came across as a really nice guy with a love for the medium he had worked in all his life. 
For another personal view from someone who knew him well, you can listen to the radio show from New Yorker Ken Gale (Legion fan and friend of 30th Century) at this link: 
https://www.wbai.org/archive/program/episode/?id=58307 (Hour Of The Wolf) 
So, the comic world has lost one of its greats, and all of us in it are a little bit poorer for our loss. 

Rob Rudderham