X-Cellent: Unsocial Media

Peter Milligan was at the forefront of the 1990s “British Invasion,” introducing a revolutionary new breed of comic books for an adult audience. His Eisner Award-nominated DC/Vertigo series Shade the Changing Man offered a satirical look at American culture from the point of view of an alien visitor from another dimension. Enigma cemented Milligan’s reputation for unparalleled weirdness, and Human Target’s sharp deconstruction of the action-movie paradigm demonstrated his versatility. But the critically acclaimed Marvel series X-Force (later X-Statix), with its unique interpretation of the mutant condition, stands as perhaps his most popular work. His other Marvel credits include X-Men, Sub-Mariner: The Depths and 5 Ronin.

Artist Michael Allred established himself as a leading creative force in the industry with his creation Madman, which earned him three Eisner Award nominations and a Harvey Award win for Best New Series. He first came to Marvel in 2001, helping relaunch the pop-inspired and acclaimed X-Force (later X-Statix). He illustrated The Golden Plates, an adaptation of the Book of Mormon, and began a new Madman series, Madman Atomic Comics, for Image Comics. Allred and Neil Gaiman created the Metamorpho story in DC Comics’ Eisner and Harvey Award-winning Wednesday Comics, while his DC/Vertigo collaboration with Chris Roberson, iZOMBIE, was adapted into a TV series. He returned to Marvel with FF and then Silver Surfer. Allred is also an accomplished filmmaker, actor and singer/guitarist for The Gear.