Writer/editor Stan Lee (1922-2018) made comic-book history together with Jack Kirby in 1961 with Fantastic Four #1. The monumental popularity of its new style inspired Lee to develop similarly themed characters — including the Hulk and X-Men with Kirby, Spider-Man and Doctor Strange with Steve Ditko, and Daredevil with Bill Everett. After shepherding his creations through dozens of issues — in some cases a hundred or more — Lee allowed other writers to take over, but he maintained steady editorial control. Eventually, he helped expand Marvel into a multimedia empire. In recent years, his frequent cameo appearances in Marvel’s films established Lee as one of the world’s most famous faces.
Writer J. Michael Straczynski made pop-culture history with the epic TV series Babylon 5. In 1999, Straczynski penned Top Cow’s Rising Stars, leading to an offer from Marvel to write Amazing Spider-Man, a title he revolutionized. “JMS” went on to write Supreme Power, Fantastic Four, Bullet Points, The Twelve and a fan-favorite revival of Thor. The latter helped inspire Marvel’s Thor feature film, on which he shares a writing credit. JMS’ screenplay for Changeling was directed by Clint Eastwood and starred Angelina Jolie, while his other movie credits include Underworld: Awakening and World War Z. For DC Comics, he has written iconic characters Superman and Wonder Woman.
Dan Slott has built a loyal fan base by combining old-school fun with stories and characterizations friendly to new readers. Following his run on She-Hulk, Slott moved into the upper echelon of Marvel writers, launching Avengers: The Initiative and taking the reins on Mighty Avengers from Brian Michael Bendis. When Marvel gave Spider-Man a fresh start in 2008, Slott was one of several rotating writers on the thrice-monthly Amazing Spider-Man. Slott became the writer most closely identified with the web-slinger’s “Brand New Day” era, and the title hit the “Big Time” when he took over as full-time writer for a decade-long run. Slott has also turned his talents to other iconic Marvel heroes — including soaring the spaceways with Silver Surfer; helming Tony Stark: Iron Man toward Iron Man 2020; and masterminding the glorious return of Fantastic Four, leading to his long-awaited “Reckoning War.” In 2022, Slott made his way back to the Spider-Verse, teaming with legendary penciler Mark Bagley on Spider-Man.
Born Jacob Kurtzberg in 1917 to Jewish-Austrian parents on New York’s Lower East Side, Jack Kirby came of age at the birth of the American comic book industry. Beginning his career during the rising tide of Nazism, Kirby and fellow artist Joe Simon created the patriotic hero Captain America. Cap’s exploits on the comic book page entertained millions of American readers at home and inspired U.S. troops fighting the enemy abroad. When World War II ended, the public’s interest in super heroes waned; Kirby turned his artistic talents during the 1950s to other genres, such as monsters, Westerns and crime — as well as the first-of-its-kind Young Romance Comics. In 1961, Kirby returned to super heroes to illustrate what would become the defining issue in Marvel Comics history: Fantastic Four #1. Written by Stan Lee, the team’s debut revolutionized the industry overnight. In contrast to the staid artwork of his predecessors, Kirby’s illustrations seemed to leap off the page with eye-popping action and drama. For the next decade, Kirby and Lee would introduce a mind-boggling array of new characters — including the Avengers, the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, the Silver Surfer and the X-Men. Taken together, Kirby’s groundbreaking work with Lee formed the foundation of the Marvel Universe. In the early 1970s, Kirby moved to DC Comics, where his boundless creativity continued. He returned to Marvel in 1975, writing and illustrating Captain America and introducing his final major concept, the Eternals. With the explosion of TV animation during the 1980s, Kirby’s talents turned to the small screen. Comic fans quickly recognized his work on such series as Thundarr the Barbarian and Turbo Teen. Kirby died in 1994, but his influence on the comic book industry is as strong as ever. His work has inspired a generation of professional artists and modern writers who continue to explore his vast universe of concepts and characters.
Artist Mike McKone was pegged as a future industry superstar when his first work was published in DC’s JLA and Legion. In 2001, McKone collaborated with writer Judd Winick to launch Marvel’s Exiles, a surprise hit among X-fans. Two years later, he teamed with writer Geoff Johns to revamp Teen Titans for DC. Since signing an exclusive contract with Marvel, McKone’s credits include Fantastic Four, Amazing Spider-Man and Avengers Academy.
Paco Medina has illustrated a range of Marvel Comics — including New X-Men: Academy X, Captain Marvel, Thor, Venom, Marvel Team-Up, New Mutants and New Warriors, as well as relaunches of Deadpool and X-Men. Firmly established as a Marvel mainstay, Medina has enjoyed lengthy runs on Ultimate Comics X-Men, Nova and Legendary Star-Lord, as well as a major role in the Avengers storyline “No Surrender.”
