Top 10 Unsung Heroes: Comic Book Writers That Never Got What They Deserved
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Before comic book films became a billion-dollar Hollywood industry, the average comic book fan could name their favorite comic book writers from memory. Most of today’s comic book culture fans are casual or non-readers of actual comics.
Almost all of today’s billion-dollar comic book films and shows were influenced by old stories written decades ago. Those writers are now either forgotten, unappreciated, or unrecognized. Everyone knows the name Stan Lee, but there are so many comic book writers who never received full public recognition for their contributions.
This is a list of 10 comic book writers who have not gotten the full recognition they deserve in current-day comic book culture. These writers, 10 representing so many more, were prolific, multitalented, award-winning, and responsible for stories that inspired a lot of the comic book films, shows, video games, and cartoons you enjoy right now.
Gardner Fox (1911 – 1986)
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Gardner Fox was one of the most influential and creatively pioneering comic book writers of the early and mid-20th century. His indelible influence on comic book culture is mostly forgotten. He was the Stan Lee of Golden and Silver Age DC Comics, without the bombastic PR personality. Fox co-created Hawkman, Flash Jay Garrick, Zatanna, Batgirl, and Dr. Fate. He created the first superhero team, the Justice Society of America, and the multiverse. A prolific writer and novelist, Fox wrote over 4,000 comic book scripts in his lifetime.
Len Wein (1948 – 2017)
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Len Wein was one of the most vital comic book writers and editors who ever worked at Marvel or DC. X-Men #1 from 1963, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby was a minor hit and later canceled in 1970. It could have been forgotten as an IP. Wein relaunched the title in 1975 and created the modern X-Men we know today. He co-created Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, Thunderbird, and Colossus. Wein co-created Swamp Thing, Abby Arcane, Lucius Fox, Amanda Waller, Cheetah, and the Human Target for DC. He wrote and edited pivotal stories with characters that would later become household names and Hollywood IP successes.
Kurt Busiek
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Looking forward to the upcoming Thunderbolts film? Writer Kurt Busiek created the Thunderbolts comic in 1997 which inspired the film. The characters were introduced as a new superhero team in issue #1, but on the final page were revealed to be the Masters of Evil in disguise led by Baron Zemo. It was one of the most shocking comic book events of the pre-internet age that still reverberates to this day. Busiek also wrote the “Kang Dynasty” storyline in Avengers comics. His other works include Marvels, Iron Man, Superman, JLA, Astro City, and Conan amongst many others.
Gerry Conway
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Prolific comic book writers like Gerry Conway deserve more recognition and creative praise than they get. Conway wrote The Amazing Spider-Man #121 and #122 in 1973, the issues where the Green Goblin killed Gwen Stacy and Spider-man failed to save her by seconds; the moment was cinematically reimagined in 2014’s Amazing Spider-Man 2. He co-created Scarlet Spider, The Punisher, and Carol Danvers. For DC, Conway co-created Killer Croc, Jason Todd, Power Girl, and Firestorm. Conway is also a successful novelist, TV writer and producer, and screenwriter.
Steve Englehart
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Steve Englehart created comic book characters in the 1970s and 1980s who helped make the MCU a billion-dollar powerhouse. Englehart co-created Star-Lord, Mantis, Shang-Chi, Betty Ross, Nomad, Wiccan, Madame Hydra, and many others for Marvel. The tentacled monster Dr. Stange fought in 2022’s Multiverse of Madness was based on Shuma-Gorath, co-created by Englehart. Englehart also created the fan-favorite Green Lantern Kilowag. He wrote influential comics like Avengers, Dr. Strange, Detective Comics, Green Lantern, Heroes for Hire, and more.
Alan Grant (1949 -2022)
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Alan Grant was one of the greatest comic book writers of his generation in the 1980s and 1990s and contributed influentially to current Batman lore. He was a renegade philosopher who imbued his stories with his controversial beliefs and strived to enlighten readers to think critically. Grant co-created iconic Batman villains like Anarky, Ventriloquist, Victor Zsasz, and Ratcatcher. He wrote under his name and pseudonyms for almost every major and independent publisher in his area. Grants notable works include Detective Comics, Batman: Shadow of the Bat, L.E.G.I.O.N., and The Demon.
Dwayne McDuffie (1962 – 2011)
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Remember the Damage Control bureaucrats tasked with cleaning up cities after superhero battles in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming? Dwayne McDuffie co-created them back in 1989 in one of his earliest writing gigs. One of his greatest contributions to comic culture occurred in the 1990s when co-founded Milestone Media to showcase comics with a majority of African-American characters and other races. He co-created Static (Static Shock), Hardware, Icon, Rocket, and many other Milestone characters. McDuffie was a prolific animation writer and producer on cartoons like Ben 10, Teen Titans, Justice League, and more.
David Michelinie
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David Micheline is one of the greatest comic book writers ever because it’s hard to keep track of his accomplishments. He radically redefined Tony Stark’s character in the 1970s and 1980s. He introduced Stark’s alcoholism, upgrading Stark’s armor often, and having multiple suits of armor, an idea showcased in 2013 Iron Man 3. Loki throwing Stark out of Avengers Tower in 2012’s Avengers as Stark assembled his armor while falling was based on an old Michelinie story. Michelinie co-created Marvel characters like Jim Rhodes, Justin Hammer, War Machine, Ghost, Venom (and Venom as an antihero), Carnage, and Scott Lang’s Ant-Man.
Roy Thomas
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From the late 1960s to the 2000s, prolific writer and editor Roy Thomas created countless comic book characters and scripts for Marvel and DC that defined the genre. Thomas helped launch the first Conan the Barbarian comic at Marvel. He co-created Wolverine, Luke Cage, Carol Danvers, Iron Fist, Dane Whitman (Black Knight), Morbious, Havok, Banshee, Red Guardian, Valkyrie, Ultron, Yellowjacket, Man-Thing, Red Sonja, and The Defenders, just to name a few. He also co-created Infinity, Inc., a comic about the children of legendary heroes taking up the legacy. It’s an understatement to call him one of the best comic book writers ever.
Marv Wolfman
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Marv Wolfman is one of the renowned comic book writers who has been active since the 1960s. Wolfman published one of Stephen King’s first horror stories in a fanzine in the ‘60s. He wrote one of the greatest comic stories ever, Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985. Plot points from that story have been copied by other publishers, and writers, and used in many films and shows. Wolfman co-created Marvel characters Blade, Dracula, Bullseye, Black Cat, and Nova. For DC, Wolfman co-created Cyborg, Deathstroke, Nightwing, Starfire, Beast Boy, Raven, Tim Drake, Adrian Chase (Vigilante), Anti-Monitor, and many more.
Discover Old and New Comic Book Writers Today
The most popular comic book characters are owned by large corporations and these writers worked as independent contractors. No one disputes such. Still, this era of comic book films and pop culture wouldn’t have existed without their contributions.
Writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster created Superman in 1938 and sold it to DC for $130. Adjusting for inflation, that’s $2,800 today. DC made tens of billions on Superman since. The heirs of Siegel and Shuster have been legally embroiled with DC in copyright, ownership, and creator credit issues from the 1940s to today. Since 2013, any DC comic book featuring Superman now features a special creator credit acknowledging Siegel and Shuster.
The comic book writers on this list may never receive similar acknowledgments since Superman is a global icon. Still, they and so many unsung comic book writers deserve long-overdue recognition for their achievements.
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Allen Francis is a full-time writer, prolific comic book investor and author of The Casual’s Guide: Why You Should Get Into Comic Book Investing. Allen holds a BA degree from Marymount Manhattan College. Before becoming a writer Allen was an academic advisor, librarian, and college adjunct for many years. Allen is an advocate of best personal financial practices including saving and investing in your own small business.
