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Names you might want to know
There are many authors and artists who stand out in the comics industry. Here is a short list of some names you might read or hear about -- though this is by no means a complete list. If I attempted that, I'd be typing all year! I bet you can't guess how many of these guys started out in their teens.

Brian Michael Bendis
One of the hottest current writers, Brian Michael Bendis has worked tirelessly to push the boundaries of his art, from his first noir crime drama Goldfish to his deft take on Spiderman, Ultimate Spiderman.

notable contributions
Torso
Ultimate Spiderman

Will Eisner
The master of American comics (after all, he is the one the award is named after). Born in 1917, Will Eisner contributed to the golden age of comics with his creations The Flame and most notably The Spirit. While producing The Spirit, he also began the American Visuals Corporation, a company devoted to creating comics and cartoons. He also taught cartooning at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He remains a powerful force within the industry as both participant and inspiration.

notable contributions
The Spirit
A Contract with God, often cited as the first graphic novel

Stan Lee
Chairman of Marvel Comics -- he joined when he was only sixteen (gives us all something to shoot for!) and created some of the most beloved superheroes: Spiderman, Daredevil, The Incredible Hulk, The X-Men... the list goes on and on.

notable contributions
the Marvel Age of Comics, really, including all characters above

Scott McCloud
Probably best know for writing Understanding Comics, he also wrote the ever popular series Zot!.

notable contributions
Zot!
Understanding Comics
Reinventing Comics

Frank Miller
Another now-famous writer who started out as a teenager (this time 17), Frank Miller worked his way up through Marvel to become one the most invigorating writers of the industry in the 80s. He is usually associated with The Dark Knight Returns, and thus partly responsible for a major shift in American comics toward giving superheroes "feet of clay," but is also repsonsible for creating Elektra, one of the more popular female characters, and working on Daredevil.

notable contributions
The Dark Knight Returns
Batman: Year One

Alan Moore
Another landmark creator from the 80s, Alan Moore is the other half of the revolution revamping comics. Pushing the envelope with complex plots, intellectual questioning, and an intense sense of myth and history, he began a new era of comic writing. His Watchmen is considered one of the most complex and intriguing investigations of the psychology of superheroes -- just why would someone decide to put on a costume and become, basically, a vigilante, anyway? -- and remains brilliant with the passage of time.

notable contributions
Watchmen
From Hell

Osamu Tezuka
Osamu Tezuka holds much the same revered position in Japan as Will Eisner does in America. He's considered one of the most influential and important creators of manga, and his style has affected the entire nations industry.

notable contributions
Adolf

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