Stan Lee? Chris Claremont? Will Eisner?
Stan Lee? Chris Claremont? Will Eisner?
At the time, probably Stan.
There came a time when the Old Gods died! The Brave died with the Cunning! The Noble perished locked in battle with unleashed Evil! It was the last day for them! An ancient era was passing in fiery holocaust!
The greatest at the time has to go to Stan Lee.
But i often wonder where Marvel would be right now if Chris Claremont had not dusted off and gave fresh life to the Failed Xmen.
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At the time, I would have said Denny O'Neil. I don't even have to think about it, that's the name that comes to mind. Stan Lee had worn out his welcome by then and was considered old hat. He had that very weird manner of writing that most people found difficult. Of course, O'Neil's writing now also seems to have the marks of time. But back around 1980, he appeared to be the gold standard.
I won't necessarily say that he was the greatest, but Roy Thomas name belongs in the discussion. I feel he's often under appreciated.
That was also the era when Wein and Levitz were building their names.
If we’re talking superhero comics, probably Stan Lee.
For the crowd that didn’t like superhero comics, probably Harvey Kurtzman. EC comics had an outsized reputation for quality and he excelled in multiple genres (humor, war, adventure.)
There was also the argument that the best talent were writer/artists like Charles Schultz, George Herriman, Will Eisner, Walt Kelly, Milton Caniff, Carl Barks, or New Gods Jack Kirby
Last edited by Mister Mets; 04-17-2021 at 01:44 PM.
Sincerely,
Thomas Mets
I'm not sure Lee was looked upon as "the greatest". It's clear that books with Lee's name took the superhero world by storm in the sixties. But even in the seventies, there were ramblings of how much was Lee and how much Kirby and Ditko shared in that revolution. Pre-1970, Stan Lee was certainly part of the who's best discussion. At least in the US market. Those with a better handle on Japan and other countries may have names worthy of consideration.
A name I am going to throw out is Denny O'Neil who got some kudos and who referbished DC's Trinity AND dudes called Green Lantern and Green Arrow.
I’ll don the mask and wear the cape
If I am super, how can I wait?
There came a time when the Old Gods died! The Brave died with the Cunning! The Noble perished locked in battle with unleashed Evil! It was the last day for them! An ancient era was passing in fiery holocaust!
There came a time when the Old Gods died! The Brave died with the Cunning! The Noble perished locked in battle with unleashed Evil! It was the last day for them! An ancient era was passing in fiery holocaust!
This is true. but the Xmen is one of if not their biggest brand and have been for a long time. I think had Claremont not reinvented the Xmen that they would have waited many more years before they became huge, if that even would have happened. most likely they would have ended up a cult like franchise with in marvel.
This Post Contains No Artificial Intelligence. It Contains No Human Intelligence Either.
I’m thinking about Jack Kirby.
“Strength is the lot of but a few privileged men; but austere perseverance, harsh and continuous, may be employed by the smallest of us and rarely fails of its purpose, for its silent power grows irresistibly greater with time.” Goethe
Definitely. Stan's blustery huckstering was a major reason for Marvel's Silver Age stuff going from a niche set of stories to a worldwide empire. As creative, brilliant, and imaginative as Kirby and Ditko were, far FAR fewer people would have seen or even knew of their work if it wasn't for Stan.
I’ll don the mask and wear the cape
If I am super, how can I wait?
Claremont's role in The X-Men's breakout cannot be exaggerated, or his impact on Marvel (and, arguably, all superhero comics) as a whole. Nonetheless, it minorly annoys me when he's given credit for remaking the X-Men. That was Wein and Cockrum, the latter of whom was on the title for two long runs with Claremont, including those that introduced Phoenix, the Shiar and their Imperial Guard, The Brood (arguably Marvel's most terrifying species), and Magneto's elevation to a serious menace, and his transformation into a complex anti-hero figure.
Claremont was - undeniably - great. But he owes much to others.
So is the question who do we now consider the greatest writer before Moore came on the scene? Or who was considered the best writer then, right before Moore gained prominence.
There came a time when the Old Gods died! The Brave died with the Cunning! The Noble perished locked in battle with unleashed Evil! It was the last day for them! An ancient era was passing in fiery holocaust!