you also said list 10th to 1st - I don't know if I can, I look at different things in each of my 10 - so I'll use "time" and the little boy in me that said "oh, I have to get that by so-and-so".

Artists:

Jack Kirby

Steve Ditko

 - the 2 guys that made me love comics

John Buscema

Gene Colan

 - can you tell I was a "Marvel Man"?

Wally Wood

Gil Kane

 - and these 2 guys got me to spread my wings over to DC when I wanted more

Joe Kubert

Curt Swan

Neal Adams

 - and I became a Marvel and DC man

 - then I quit

 - then there was this one guy that brought me back ...

John Byrne

there are others, many that you have mentioned in your lists, that I eliminated for one reason or another (basically a comic strip artist, not enough body of work, good and enjoyable but not great, drew before my peak collecting days, etc.) Note: I didn't sneak their names in here.

Writers:

the little boy in me very seldom said "so-and-so wrote this, I'm going to buy it!" the only times I went after a comic because of the writer, regardless of whomever the artist was, was when the writer was:

-Stan Lee

-Roy Thomas

-Denny O'Neil

and then there were the writer/artists:

-Jack Kirby

-Joe Kubert

and, of course,

-John Byrne

and I stop. I know the names of many other writers, but I cannot think of a story that stands out and "sparkles" at me; none I can say I got the comic only for the story, and not the art - I guess comics are just too visual for me. (again, I'm not going to sneak in any names, so my list stops at 6 - does this disqualify me?)

this was a fun exercise, though - nice break from writing up my Will.

Artists