Walter "Walt" Simonson (born September 2, 1946) is an American
comic book writer and artist, best known for a run on
Marvel Comics'
Thor from 1983 to 1987, during which he created the character
Beta Ray Bill. He is also known for the creator-owned work
Star Slammers, which he inaugurated in 1972 as a
Rhode Island School of Design thesis. He has also worked on other Marvel titles such as
X-Factor and
Fantastic Four, on
DC Comics books including
Detective Comics,
Manhunter,
Metal Men and
Orion, and on licensed properties such as
Star Wars,
Alien,
Battlestar Galactica and
Robocop vs. Terminator.