Who are the most influential artists/creators in comics?

I have been curious about what artists/creators have been the most influential in shaping the comic book/graphic novel genre. Certainly, there are individuals who would appear in any comic fans list; Neal Adams, Stan Lee and, of course, Jack Kirby, but, aside from these "giants" of the genre, who would you include in such a roster -- a comic book/art "Hall of Fame", so to speak?

Frank Miller. He completely revolutionized comics with his work on Daredevil and his Ronin mini-series. He blazed a trail for everyone who followed him.

And has recently broken new ground by co-directing Sin City.

I have a lot of favorite comic artists, but ironically enough, despite comics being a very visual genre of literature, I consider the writers themselves to be the most influential. Therefore I'm just going to list the writing side of creation (though some are artists as well). In no particular order:

Jack Kirby
Joe Shuster
Stan Lee
Will Eisner
Katsuhiro Otomo
Osamu Tezuka
Mike Grell
Neil Gaiman
Alan Moore
Terry Moore
Frank Miller

...and finally, Chris Claremont (though he seems to have lost his interest in the genre). He made me want to become a writer. And now I am one. It's his fault, dammit.

Oh, when I started this thread, I inadvertantly left out my own list of important and influential comic / graphic artists;

Vaughn Bode
Berni Wrighton
Jeff Jones
Jim Steranko
Mike Nasser (aka, Mike Netzer)
Greg Theakston
Alex Toth
Alex Raymond
Burne Hogarth
Joe Kubert

of course, there are other, so many others, but this short list expresses my own personal beliefs as to who the most influential creators of comics are....and I must add, I have, for the most part, omitted artists previously mentioned.

How R. Crumb could have been omited from your list amazes me.
I guess it's a different type of genre.

as an aside, R. Crumb also was a front man for the "Cheap Suit Serenaders"

R. Crumb in my opinion was much more of a social commentator than merely an comic book artist. A true genius!!

Here’s a few that I think are or have been influential in the industry.

In no particular order:

Stan Lee
Jack Kirby
Will Eisner
John Romita Sr
Steve Ditko
Joe Kubert
Len Wein
Frank Miller
Alan Moore
John Byrne
Chris Clarmont
Jim Lee
Mark Silvestri
Todd McFarlane
Mark Waid
Jeph Loeb
Alex Ross
David Mack
Joe Quesada
Brian Michael Bendis


I'm sure I've missed a bunch of people who should be on the list. I've probably misspelled a few names too .


Bripe Klmun, if Claremont lost his intrest I'd say he got it back.
I enjoy reading his New Excalibur and Uncanny X-men. It feels like old times Quesada has got him back where he belongs and is treating him very well .

Wow, I can't believe that I missed Will Eisner. John Romita, Sr. and Steve Ditko. Shame on me! I guess it goes to show that this field of creativity, the comic book and graphic novel genres have an abundance of talent. I am especially remiss for failing to remember Will Eisner. His "Spirit" work was absolutely amazing and was innovative in both the art and the overlooked aspect of the genre -- lettering. Oh, speaking of lettering, I had better mention an old acquaintence of mine from Detroit fandom, Tom Orzechowski.

Jack Kirby Always the King!
...This is a list of my favorites...

Jim Steranko Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Jean Giraud (Moebius) The Airtight garage

Daniel Torres Rocco Vargas rocks!

Will Eisner The Spirit

Frank frazetta Lil' Abner (Ha ha)

Masamune Shirow Appleseed

A tip of the hat to you, Mr. Benevolent and thanks for the honorable mention. For a history buff, your list reflects a group of artists who've had potent messages and left a unique mark in the comics. I met Vaughn Bode at a Detroit convention at the onset of my career and he made a strong impression on me before his untimely departure.

Good to see Greg Theakston amongst such notables. His contribution and influence in the industry is frequently understated.

[edit on 29-12-2005 by MichaelNetzer]

Frank Franzetta - as a kid, Conan was the shiz for me and you can't find it better don than by Frank

Mark Texiera - The Sabertooth series, Union for Image and numerous other works (painted) brought me back to purchasing comic

Alex Ross - Kingdom Come is the pinnacle of the art form.

Well Mike, it's great to see a "notable" from the world of comic-art on ATS. First off, I would think that a forum on comics would be greatly enriched if comic book artists, such as yourself, would actively participate in a comic book forum with specialized threads dealing with various topics of interest between comic book fans and the actual creators of comics and others in the industry. ATS is the perfect venue for such an addition to the comics forum.
Perhaps this could be an issue that could be discussed. We might come up with some ideas that could be used to help bring a true dialogue between the comic art genre and those who appreciate it as a beautifully unique art form.

To reply to your post, Mike, let me say that my list is composed of people who I developed from my own position in that cauldron of comic art creativity that was Detroit in the 1970's. I don't know what was in the water in the Metro Detroit area at that time but for a brief time in the 70's, Motown was, for all intents and purposes, Gotham City or Metropolis. There was an incredibly active fandom in Detroit that was amazing to behold. The first comic book convention == ever ==, the Detroit Triple Fan Fair was held in Detroit at the dawn of that decade and Detroit was transformed into a city where, for many, "escape" from a dreary, grey city during perilous times meant finding refuge the Marvel or DC comic book universe. I was there. I know. Just as I know you, Mike. Good to see you again.

I will begin at the ending because of its significance to what will follow.

It's good to see you and I know you also, oh Benevolent Tyrant... and I'm not speaking about the talking horse.

The last email you sent me was promptly swallowed by a computer crash after reading it and I had no way to answer you. Your benevolence is omnipotent beyond measure, it would appear.

I still tell the story of how we were once overcome by the odors emitting from ether based markers as we prepared posters for a high-school campaign in your basement. How you turned to me in our bewildered state as you lettered a title and asked: "How do you spell 'L'?". I remember every small measure of benevolence you exhuded to everyone around you during our magical years in Detroit. I remember your sweet and gracious mother often and miss her dearly. Such warm memories are eternal to me.



As you know from my website, I champion a vision for the comics medium as a communicative and educational enterprise that will bring about the last great socio-political-economic rEvolution to our beleagured civilization. These issues are primordeal to all of us today - and disseminating them through the comics internet forums is a major underpinning to the path I walk. Though I can't make a promise as to the logevity of such an effort - as I live in a volatile personal time-stream - I will gladly embark on it with you - and the forum members/visitors - and sustain it for as long as it will be humanly possible... and even beyond that, if you know what I mean.



You have concisely described the cauldron from which comics fandom emerged into the world, oh wise and benevolent one. There are those who believed they knew what was in the Motown water which contributed to this cataclismic phenomenon. During some of my own excursions into the expanded awarenesses they pointed to, I also thought to disseminate these same controvercial substances into the waters of all of the major cities of the world - back then. I've since, however, come to see the folly of this method of raising the public consciousness. It is too big a task and quite dangerous given the volatile reactions so many would have under such influences.

The comics are a far more potent consciousness-raising drug and they offer a measure of safety that the others don't. There has never been one instance recorded of a fatal comics overdose. And though they could lead to harder substances such as high budget special effects films and mass online computer gaming, I believe such addictions are much easier thwarted than their counteparts in the underworld.

Good to speak with you again, my friend, and I look forward to more of the same in the time ahead.

I am pleased to see that a "notable", Michael Netzer, aka Nasser, has, for all intents and purposes, given a tacit acceptance to my my insinuated request that he participate in this thread and forum. After all, this thread is the Comics Forum and I could not think of a better addition to such a Forum than to actually have professionals in the industry, the actual creators of the comic book genre to participate here at the BTS Comic Book Forum.

I will communicate with you Mike, via email, to truly ascertain your willingness to participate in this Forum. It would be truly awesome if this could be the beginning of a revival of this Forum (as Umbrax and others would hope) to the point the Comics Forum becomes an important and respected adjunct to the amazing world of ATS/BTS.



[edit on 1/10/2006 by benevolent tyrant]

Thank you, BT, for the gracious offer and I look forward to moving ahead under your benevolent leadership.

I've delved through the extensive sections of BTS and posted a greeting in the introductions page.

BTS appears to offer a unique community environment for a wide rang of topics which are also of great interest to me. I look forward to contributing to the comics section and perhaps helping show how the comics medium engulfs the essense of all of the other sections combined.

I think it is really great that you have come here MichaelNetzer. I hope to see you around more on the site, especialy on the BTS comics forum.

Having been re-united, through BTS, with my best friend of the high-school years - and beginning to know this warm and restless community, aspiring to raise the revolution (something I identify with and also pursue), I'm sure that I'll be around for a while, Umbrax. Thanks much for the hearty welcome.

Well, Mike, I was curious about what you might use as your avatar. And you havn't disappointed me. Nice work, as usual. I especially like your Green Lantern. It looks great.

Incidentally, to all comic fans, if you have any questions that you would like to ask Mike Nasser / Mike Netzer, please U2U me so I can include it in an upcoming interview that I am planning to do with Mike for the comics Forum.

In planning the interview, I will try to include a complete bibliography -- well as complete as possible -- of Mikes' comic book work. And, perhaps, Mike would grace us with some samples of his art to post as well. If this works out as well as I hope, perhaps we can even include a period interview with other working professionals in the comic book world.

I am so happy to welcome our "resident" professional comic book artist to Above Top Secret/Below Top Secret, Mike Netzer. If you have any questions to ask Mike about the comic book industry please start posting your questions to Mike Netzer (aka Mike Nasser, as he was known in the 70's).
external image

[edit on 1/15/2006 by benevolent tyrant]

reply to post by benevolent tyrant

---

What no Glen Fabry?
His covers for the Preacher series are works of art in their own right.