From the Archives: Ten Classic Comic Creators You Should Be Reading

Comics has a long and varied history, with generations of readers enjoying illustrated adventures in newspapers and comic books. In that long history there are certain creators that have made an indelible mark on the medium, expanding and redefining what comics can be.

It's From The Archives Month at PREVIEWSworld and we take a look at ten of the classic comic creators you should be reading. 

Winsor McCay

Considered by many to be the first true auteur of the comics medium, Winsor McCay is best known for his Little Nemo in Slumberland newspaper strips. Full of whimsy and beautifully illustrated in an Art Nouveau style, these oversized full page comics ran in the early 1900s. Not content to change the art form on paper, McCay also explored animation creating one of the very first animated shorts in 1914 with Gertie the Dinosaur. A true visionary, McCay paved the way to expand comics as an artistic medium and to push the limits of the page. Explore more of Winsor McCay's work in Winsor McCay: The Complete Little Nemo (MAY141589) and Little Nemo in Slumberland: Many More Splendid Sundays (MAY084115).

Dale Messick 

While not the first female comic strip creator, Dale Messick put her stamp on the medium with her tenacious and irascible character Brenda Starr. Created in 1940, the stories of the glamorous and audacious female reporter was an immediate success and put Messick on the map. The perfect mix of romance and adventure drew in readers with Brenda Starr reaching the height of its popularity by the 1950s. Appearing in over 250 newspapers at that time, Messick’s character was a fierce heroine that her audience adored. Read some of Brenda Starr's adventures in Brenda Starr, Reporter Strips volume 1 (MAY111109) and Brenda Starr The Complete Pre-Code Comic Books volume 1 (MAR131192).

Will Eisner

One of the most influential creators in all of the comics medium and creator of the modern graphic novel, Will Eisner virtually wrote the book on sequential story-telling and art. His long career in comics started in the late 1930s, but it was his magnum opus starting in 1940 that truly elevated Eisner above the rest. The Spirit, a masked crimefighter steeped in crime noir and mystery became Eisner’s longest running comic series and created a character that still endures to this day. Eisner also broke new ground with his work A Contract with God, considered by many to be the first graphic novel. Working up until his death in 2005, Eisner was a true pioneer of the medium and a force to be reckoned with. Read more of Will Eisner's work in Will Eisner's The Spirit Artist Edition volume 1 (JAN120420), Will Eisner's The Spirit: A Celebration of 75 Years (APR150305), and The Lost Work of Will Eisner (JUL161747).

Tove Jansson

One of the most beloved and world renown creators of the past century, Tove Jansson and her Moomin stories have left the world a brighter and happier place. A Finnish novelist, painter, and illustrator, Jansson is best known as the creator of the Moomin series of illustrated books with the first book in the series, The Moomins and the Great Flood, being released in 1945. A huge success in her homeland and Europe, Jansson created seven more Moomin novels as well as several picture books, comic strips, and short stories. Full of eccentricity and delight, Tove Jansson’s work is a reminder that comics are more than flashy stories and superheroes but rather a medium that explores all genres. Read more of the Moomin family's adventures in Moomin: The Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip volume 1 (AUG063270) and Moomin Deluxe Anniversary Edition (SEP141384). 

Jack Davis

One of the founding cartoonists for Mad Magazine, a storied illustrator, and talented caricaturist Jack Davis know how to draw anything and everything with style and panache. Beginning his career in 1950 by working in the bullpen of EC Comics, Davis contributed to a laundry list of titles including: The Haunt of Fear, Frontline Combat, Two-Fisted Tales, The Vault of Horror, Incredible Science Fiction, Crime Suspenstories, Shock Suspenstories, and Tales From the Crypt where his redesign of the Crypt-Keeper became a standard for the character to this day. Davis also contributed to the first thirty issues of Mad, as well as Harvey Kurtzman’s other humor magazines Panic, Cracked, Trump, and Humbug. Read more of Jack Davis' work in 'Tain't The Meat It's The Humanity! (OCT121084), The Living Mummy (APR161629), and Jack Davis EC Stories Artist's Edition (DEC120481).

Wally Wood 

A contemporary of Jack Davis and an artist equal in skill, Wally Wood became a genre defining artist with his work on science fiction series for EC Comics and created the look for several popular series such as Mars Attacks and Captain Action. Wood was instrumental in creating the science fiction line of comics at EC Comics, including Weird Science and Weird Fantasy and also worked on stories featured in Two-Fisted Tales, Tales from the Crypt, and Aces High. Taking on any comic work large or small, Wood worked for DC Comics, Marvel, Warren, Gold Key, Harvey, Atlas, and more during the Silver and Bronze Age of comics. Read more of Wally Wood's work in Came the Dawn (APR121089), Thunder Agents: The Best of Wally Wood (MAR140459), and Wally Wood EC Stories Artisan Edition (FEB150412).

Osamu Tezuka

Considered to be the father of modern manga, and the Japanese Walt Disney, Osamu Tezuka is one of the most prolific and pioneering artists of the modern era. With over 700 volumes of work published containing more than 150,000 pages, Tezuka is an undeniable artistic force, not only in Japanese comics but comics worldwide. His flagship creation Astro Boy is considered to be the first modern manga and radically redefined Japanese illustration and animation to this day. As well as his work on Astro Boy, Tezuka also singlehandedly created Black Jack, Buddha, Princess Knight, Unico, and many more. His longest running work, Phoenix, was published from 1956 to the time of Tezuka’s death in 1989. Read more of Osamu Tezuka's work in Astro Boy Omnibus volume 1 (MAY150105), Princess Knight volume 1 (AUG111232), Unico (JAN131096), and Black Jack (AUG084350).

Joe Kubert  

An artist who taught the next generation of creators, Joe Kubert was an inexhaustible talent who worked nearly non-stop for over fifty years. Kubert rose to prominence in the mid-1940s working at DC Comics becoming the notable artist for characters such as Hawkman and Sgt. Rock. While he is best known for his work at DC Comics, Kubert also branched out into his own characters with Tor, Son of Sinbad, the Viking Prince, and more. His lasting legacy however may be The Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art; founded in 1976 and bosting such notable alums as Rick Veitch, Amanda Conner, and Steve Lieber among others. Read more of Joe Kubert's work in Joe Kubert Presents (AUG130306), Weird Horror and Daring Aventures (JUN121133), Enemy Ace Artist's Edition (AUG140447), and The Return of Tarzan Artist's Edition (JUN150406).  

Jack Kirby

Crowned with the well-earned nickname “The King”, Jack Kirby was an artist like never before and a talent that has never been matched. Starting with his co-creation of Captain America, Kirby worked through the 1940s and 1950s for various publishers until finding himself at Marvel Comics. Here Kirby teamed up with Stan Lee to change the face of modern comics as we know them by co-creating the Fantastic Four, X-Men, and Hulk among others. By the 1970s Kirby moved to DC Comics where he created the Fourth World Saga and New Gods. See more of Jack Kirby's work in Jack Kirby Kamandi Artist Edition (FEB150411), Jack Kirby Mister Miracle Artist Edition (SEP140451), Jack Kirby New Gods Artist Edition (DEC130371), and the Jack Kirby Mighty Thor Artist Edition (JAN160388).   

Steve Ditko 

Often called the J.D. Salinger of comics, Steve Ditko has made a permanent mark on the medium of comics. Starting his career in the studio of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, Ditko quickly rose into his own with his work at Charlton Comics. His work at Marvel was brief but memorable as he created both Spider-Man and Doctor Strange with Stan Lee. While at DC Comics he was responsible for creating or co-creating The Question, The Creeper, Shade the Changing Man, and Hawk and Dove. Still creating comics today, Ditko has eschewed fame to focus on his independent projects like the hero Mr. A. See more of Steve Ditko's work in The Art of Steve Ditko (JAN130460), Steve Ditko Omnibus Volume 1 (APR110208), and Steve Ditko Archives Volume 1 (MAR141167).