John Byrne has worked continuously in the comics industry as both
writer and artist since 1975. After he initially collaborated with
writer Chris Claremont on Iron Fist, Byrne and Claremont moved on
to X-Men for a run still regarded as one of the title's finest.
Byrne contributed an equally famed stint on Fantastic Four, earning
comparisons to the original Lee/Kirby issues for his imaginative
plotlines and dynamic artwork. He also spun Alpha Flight into its
own title. In 1986, he revamped DC's flagship hero, Superman,
reimagining the Man of Steel in a historic project heralded by a
Time magazine cover. His remarkable contribution to the Marvel
Universe extends to memorable associations with virtually every
major hero, including celebrated runs on Captain America, Iron Man,
Sensational She-Hulk, Namor the Sub-Mariner and Thing. In the 21st
century, Byrne's considerable body of work includes IDW's Star Trek
and Angel.
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.
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.
John Romita was born in 1930 and drew for Atlas Era Marvel Comics
across many genres. By the time Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Steve
Ditko were defining the look and feel of the Marvel Age of Comics
during the 1960s, Romita had made the move to DC Comics, where he
was working exclusively behind the boards of the company's many
romance comics. It wasn't until 1966 that he returned to Marvel
Comics and the super-hero genre, drawing Daredevil before taking
over from Ditko on what was fast becoming Marvel's most important
book, Amazing Spider-Man. Romita's slick, clean craftsmanship would
be a hallmark of his tenure, and his years of drawing beautiful
women in DC's romance books paid off with iconic renderings of Gwen
Stacy, Mary Jane Watson and the other women in Peter Parker's
life.
Steve Ditko (1927 - 2018) began his comics career in the
anthologies of the 1950s, where his unique style and perspective
quickly earned recognition and respect. Recruited to join Stan
Lee's Atlas Comics, later Marvel, in 1958, his nuances contrasted
well with Jack Kirby's bombast. In 1962, in the pages of Amazing
Fantasy, Ditko and Lee brought to life Peter Parker, the Amazing
Spider-Man, changing the industry forever. Leaving Marvel in 1966,
he drew Blue Beetle and Captain Atom for Charlton, Creeper and
Shade the Changing Man for DC, and his independent effort Mr. A.
Ditko returned to Marvel during the late 1970s and remained for
much of the 1980s, co-creating Speedball, Squirrel Girl and other
characters who would prove of unexpected importance in Marvel's
later years.
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