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.
Roy   Thomas joined the Marvel Bullpen as a writer and editor   under Stan Lee, scripting key runs of nearly every title of the time: Amazing Spider-Man, Avengers, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, Sub-Mariner, Thor, X-Men and more. He wrote the first   10 years of Marvel’s Conan the Barbarian and Savage Sword of Conan; and launched such series as Defenders, Iron Fist,   Invaders and Warlock. At DC, he developed All-Star Squadron, Infinity Inc. and related titles,   proving instrumental in reviving the Golden Age Justice Society of America.   Thomas later became editor of Alter Ego, a magazine devoted to comic-book history, and co-scripted the   sword-and-sorcery films Fire and Ice and Conan the Destroyer.
Larry   Lieber helped introduce Ant-Man in Tales to Astonish, Iron Man in Tales of Suspense and Thor in Journey into Mystery. He also wrote   Human Torch solo stories for Strange Tales. In 1968, he and his brother, Stan Lee, collaborated on the   pivotal Amazing Spider-Man Annual #5, which revealed the secret of Peter Parker’s parents. Lieber   both wrote and drew runs on Marvel’s top Western titles: Kid Colt Outlaw, Rawhide Kid and Two-Gun Kid. Later, he scripted   Marvel UK’s Captain Britain, also contributing occasional covers.
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.
The unique, shadowy style of Gene Colan (1926-2011) most memorably appeared in long stints on Captain America and Daredevil, and all 70 issues of Tomb of Dracula — among the dozens   of other Marvel titles he has drawn. His DC work on Detective   Comics and Night Force is equally well remembered. During the Golden Age, he drew   multiple war stories for Marvel and DC alike. Colan has earned several Eagle   Awards and had professional art showings in New York City. His work on Ed   Brubaker’s Captain America at the age of 82 drew well-deserved raves.
An   unparalleled talent, Bill Everett created Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner, comics’ original   anti-hero, whose ongoing adventures set the bar for sophisticated comic-book   serials. Equally as skilled at illustrating horror and war comics, Everett   continued as one of Timely’s top artists until 1957. Once the Marvel Age   kicked off, Stan Lee brought Everett back into the fold to co-create   Daredevil and return once more to his signature creation, the Sub-Mariner.