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People often praise comic books for either the character development or the writing style. In some cases people resonate with both. Therefore, if you want to know who ranks highest among the greats, we’ve listed down the top 5 comic book artists you definitely need to watch out for. 

Top 5 Comic Book Artists in 2024

1. Jack Kirby

Known as the King of Comics, Jack Kirby is a popular self-taught comic book artist, writer and editor. Numerous classic characters in the Marvel and DC universe can thank him for their creation. In fact, he’s regarded by many as the most influential creator of all time. 

Throughout the years, Jack Kirby’s passion for comics influenced future generations of artists and readers. His ability to draw out of this world characters combined with his amazing storytelling continues to be legendary. 

2. Will Eisner 

Will Eisner is the creator of well-known comics such as The Spirit and Contract With God. Highly regarded as a great artist and an absolutely incredible storyteller, Will Eisner’s comics continue to engage readers across. generations

Will Eisner was a pioneer in many ways. He was one of the first to play around with panels so they looked like windows of an apartment building. Additionally, he designed the title to act as an edge, and a brilliant storytelling tool. All of this barely scratches the volume of his work. 

3. Neal Adams

Oftentimes, comic book illustrations are described as cartoony and unrealistic. However, Neal Adams changed the industry with his realistic illustration style.

His work from the late Silver and Early Bronze ages of comic books, influenced today’s art styles. Furthermore, the expressions of his characters were something comic readers hadn’t seen before. Some say his shading helped pave the way for illustrations that look almost 3D. 

4. Carl Barks

Carl Barks—known for his Disney comic books—is the artist we can all thank for Donald Duck’s family. His most important contribution is Scrooge McDuck.

Although his style is Disney-inspired, Barks’ contributions to stories and overall storytelling are out of this world. He influenced future comics, films,  and even has an asteroid named after him! 

5. Harvey Kurtzman

Harvey Kurtzman is best known for being the creator of Mad Magazine. However, outside of his works on satire and parody, he is an absolutely remarkable comic book illustrator.

He leans towards a minimalist artistic style where everything is broken down to the absolute essentials. As a result, he has maintained a unique storytelling style over the years. 

Read more: 15 Graphic Designers You Need to Know in 2024

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The world we live in today thrives on visuals. Except, not all of us know where it started. This is why in this article, we will give you an overview of how discoveries and inventions of the past helped shape the future of graphic design we know today.

But before we go further, let’s start with the most basic question—what is graphic design?

What is Graphic Design?

In short, graphic design is all about communicating through visuals. Anyone can engage and inform a group of people just by combining several elements such as text, images, colors, and shapes.

Graphic designers today use trends, behavior study, and color psychology as a basis for their art. By using this strategy, they can seamlessly attract and communicate with a targeted audience to enhance their chances of conversions. 

This is no different from the way prehistoric men used to communicate in the early years. As a way of communicating through imagery, design elements were also combined to speak on behalf of the artist.

Where it all started: Cave Paintings 

“Cueva de las Manos or Cave of the Hands is located in an isolated area in the Patagonian landscape of southern Argentina.” Image from Touropia

The history of graphic design started in 38,000 BCE, during the prehistoric era.

Studies have shown that even before the invention of graphic design tools and gadgets, humanity already has displayed a gift for communicating through art called “cave paintings.”

Cave paintings are engravings found in cave walls and ceilings that date back to the Ice Age 40,000 to 14,000 years ago. In fact, the first cave paintings found by scientists in Altamira, Spain dates back to the Stone Age. 

“The Magura Cave is one of the largest caves in Bulgaria. Prehistoric cave paintings decorate the cave walls which date back about 8000 to 4000 years ago.” Image from Touropia

These cave paintings are commonly made out of carbon black and red pigments:

• Ancient people used either burnt bones or charcoal to make carbon black pigment.
• On the other hand, they used red ochre—also known as hematite or iron oxide—to make red pigment. This is the most common chemical compound and widespread coloring tool associated with cave paintings.

Most of the paintings consist of similar subjects. For example weapons, animals, and handprints are commonly found on the wall or ceilings of caves.

Even if it may seem like the ancients used these paintings to communicate from one generation to another, it’s still unclear if they were trying to communicate with a human being or their god.

The First Writing System: Sumerian Written Language 

In the history of graphic design timeline, the next form of graphic design is the visual formation of the alphabet.

Sumerian Cuneiform. Image from Britannica

The Sumerians of Mesopotamia invented the first writing system known to man in c. 3300 to 3000 BCE called “Cuneiform.”

Due to its wedge-shaped style of writing, archaeologists derived the name Cuneiform from the Latin word ‘cuneus’ which means ‘wedge’. These wedge-like characters are made by gently pressing a reed stylus into soft clay to make word signs or pictographs. 

Cuneiform. Image from Pinterest

The Cuneiform was commonly used to record a variety of information such as personal letters, myths, stories, temple activities, and business trade. Sumerians used pictographs (or icons as we know them today) as graphic symbols to convey different messages through their resemblance to physical objects.

This goes to show that even in the early years, humans can already understand what a symbol stands for despite how complicated it may look. 

The Invention of Paper and Chinese Printing 

Woodblocks Wei Lizhong used to make a duplicate of the Diamond Sutra, the world’s oldest dated printed book. Photo: Courtesy of Wei Lizhong. Image from SCMP

Experts credit China for having the most discoveries for different types of printing methods as well as the invention of paper. 

The invention of Paper

Early Chinese paper. Image from Pinterest

Testaments and rules are just a few of the foundations that created the world we live in today. 

Humans in the early years had an urgent need to delegate important information to one another in written form—but their limited resources only allowed them to write in wooden blocks, rocks, clays, leather, silk, and bamboo.

All of these materials were useful for a time, however, they slowly became a problem—either they were too heavy or too expensive to use daily. 

It wasn’t until 105 AD when a eunuch court official in China named Ts’ai Lun (or Cai Lun) thought of inventing paper just by using scraps of old rags, tree bark, and fishing nets. 

After a few years, a Buddhist priest named Damjing brought the invention of paper to Japan and had widely scattered in different parts of Asia before it spread to the Middle East and Europe. 

First Stage of Printing: Woodblock

Woodblock printing. Image from Storymaps

The first-ever image and scripture printed came from China during the Tang Dynasty in 618-906 AD. Sui Emperor Wen-ti sent an order to print Buddist images and scripture by wooden matrices that they engraved, inked, and pressed onto a sheet of paper.

Second Stage of Printing: Movable 

Movable printing. Image from Pinterest

A Chinese artisan and engineer named Bì Shēng invented a movable type of printing in 972–1051 AD.

The movable type utilizes movable components to reproduce written elements of a document usually on paper. 

Instead of carving an entire book into one huge block, characters are now carved into small clay blocks that enabled them to save an immense amount of time. 

Thanks to Bi Sheng’s invention, printing is now easier for the people in ancient China.

Remembering Ancient Forms

Image from Frontiers Blog

In conclusion, graphic design is a dynamic and broad field.

Nevertheless, new designers don’t even know the origin of the tools and techniques they are using. 

For those who work in the creative industry, let’s not forget that all of the modern tools we have today are only made possible through the invention of paper, printing, letters, pictographs, and color pigments by artists that came before us. 

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Take a peek at our pricing page to see the best package that suits your design needs. Can’t find the perfect one? Reach out to one of our Yetis today to create a custom package—just for you.  

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