Comic Books: Tops of the Business
Knowing how to read comics, what books to begin reading, and even other media that these stories are tied into are great, but even the most popular of comics are nothing more than the ideas spewed from the minds of their writers and artists. For every comic character there is (usually) a long list of writers and drawers tied to every story they are in. So, the question is- who are the top talents in comics?
Writers
Past
Any comic book fan worth their salt (or any person who has seen any “Marvel” movie ever made) knows the name “Stan Lee,” aka the man who created the majority of the “Marvel Universe.” This includes “Spider-Man,” “Fantastic Four,” “X-Men,” and countless other characters. But, for all of the characters he created, he also wrote amazing stories for them as well. In fact, movies like “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” and “Avengers” were based on stories that he wrote way back in the 1960’s.
*Fun fact- Stan Lee didn’t actually create Captain America.
Bill Finger and Jerry Siegel, along with their artist partners, are known for creating “Batman” and “Superman” respectively, both paving the way for superheroes to exist at all. In fact, without these two men writing both “Action Comics #1” and “Detective Comics #27” we wouldn’t have any of these modern day Greek gods that we enjoy.
Modern
There are far too many amazing writers to be able to list on this post, because there have been so many spectacular creators to grace the comics’ field with their creativity. Here are just a few of them-
Alan Moore- Perhaps the most popular comic book writer of all time, Moore took the campy, child-centered medium of storytelling and brought it into the graphic, adult world that existed in the early 1980’s, with his hit book, “Watchmen.” This writer almost singlehandedly brought about a change in comics that we still see today. Other works of his include “Swamp Thing,” “V for Vendetta,” and “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.”
Frank Millar- Standing right beside Alan Moore as one of the most important comic writers in the history of the medium, Frank Miller is the man to thank for the dark, gritty Batman that we know and love. It was his story, “The Dark Knight Returns,” along with his work on “Daredevil,” that took away the silly, alien-filled Batman and replaced him with the real-world Bruce Wayne that was needed for the character to survive. Miller also created “Sin City.”
Scott Snyder- One of my all-time favorite writers, Snyder is a modern comic creator, currently in charge of the flagship “Batman” title, and who is also writing independent comics, such as “Wytches,” and “The Wake.” He takes stories of people and places them into environments and situations that mimic the true horrors that lie behind every corner in life. His approach to writing is personal, allowing readers to really step foot into the stories he is telling.
Artists
Past
There have been a lot of famous artists who created the “Marvel Universe” with Stan “The Man” Lee, all of them worthy of the title ‘Best Comic Artist.’ Steve Ditko, for one, helped create “Spider-Man” and “Doctor Strange.” Jack Kirby, on the other hand, helped create “The Avengers,” “Black Panther,” and “The X-Men.” Kirby himself was actually the man who created “Captain America.” These are the guys whose art one probably thinks of when imagining old-school comic book art.
Bob Kane (credited as the sole creator of “Batman”) was another classic comic artist, creating such detailed characters as to give some of them intricate costumes, symbols, and items, leading to creations such as “Batman’s” utility-belt.
Modern
As with writers, there are too many too many artists to list, so here is a small collection-
Jim Lee- Lee is an artist one could say has a classic comic book style, creating larger-than-life heroes that rival gods of old. Lee revolutionized the comic book industry when he broke away from “Marvel” to help create “Image Comics,” one of the first independent publishers to hit the big-time. Lee is known most for his work on “Wild C.A.T.S.,” “Batman: Hush,” and “X-Men.”
Frank Miller- Yes, the same Miller who revolutionized comics as a writer also did so with his art, creating grimy looking cities, strange physiology, and uneven panels that may sound odd in type but look gorgeous on paper.
Sean Gordon Murphy- Murphy’s style can only really be worded as ‘unique,’ showcasing his own way of drawing that creates some of the best comic art on stands today. He helped to shape the modern take on what it means to be an indie comics’ artist in today’s world. His work includes “Hellblazer,” “Punk Rock Jesus,” and “The Wake.”
This is just the surfaces surface of the great talent that is in charge of the comic industry today, and while there is no way to speak on all of these people (although I’d love to, and feel free to ask about other writers and artists to me on Twitter), but hopefully this will help new readers, or simply readers in general, get deeper into the world of comic books.
My Personal Favorites
-Scott Snyder
-Greg Capullo
-Sean Gordon Murphy
*Hey, Post Readers! Let me know what you think of these comic posts, as well as giving me suggestions on what to write on next! Please give me your suggestions! Tweet me, Ben Peterson, at: “@BenCPeterson7” on Twitter!
** Remember to support the comic business at your local comic shop, the best way to buy single issues and to buy trades/ novels in their most pristine conditions.
