Joe Simon, legendary comic book writer, editor, artist, publisher, and creator of such well-known characters as Captain America, was one of the pivotal creators of comics right from the early days. He is still creating and his work is still being acquired, although no longer limited to the comic medium. So influential has Simon been to the world of comics and popular culture, that Michael Chabon referenced and acknowledged Joe Simon and The Comic Book Makers in his Pulitzer-winning novel, The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. When others speculate that Joe Simon is the inspiration for one of the characters in The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Simon responds, "I've yet to read the novel, but I lived the life."