8 Incredible Creators That Changed Comics Forever

4. Will Eisner

Will Eisner was a clear pioneer of the comics industry, and led the way with The Spirit.

The character, created in 1940, starred in newspaper strips across the United States for decades, and - along with the Shadow - formed the basis for the quintessential pulp hero. During WW2, Eisner would also produce a number of wartime pamphlets as a part of his service, and collaborated with the army to create easy to follow instructional manuals in Vietnam too.

In the latter stages of his career Eisner also produced a number of graphic novels, beginning with A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories - a book dedicated to New York's immigrant communities. It proved to be a real milestone in the medium, and illustrated with great elegance why Eisner was such a legend within it.

Today, the Eisner Award is given to writers, artists and other talents of the medium as a celebration of its brightest minds. Seeing how he smashed perceptions of what a comic book could be, it seems like a fitting tribute.