ROY THOMAS joined Marvel as a writer and editor under Stan Lee, scripting key runs of nearly every Marvel title: The Amazing Spider-Man , The Avengers , Daredevil , Doctor Strange , The Sub-Mariner , Thor , The X-Men and more. He wrote the first ten years of Marvel's Conan the Barbarian and Savage Sword of Conan ; and launched the Defenders, Iron Fist, The Invaders and Warlock. At DC, he developed All-Star Squadron , Infinity Inc. and related titles, proving instrumental in reviving the Golden Age Justice Society of America. He co-scripted the sword-and-sorcery films Fire and Ice and Conan the Destroyer . Throughout it all, Thomas has edited the award-winning magazine Alter Ego , contributing heartily to the research and history of the medium. BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH, a British expat , took American comics by storm in the late '60s. After initial efforts on The X-Men , Daredevil and Nick Fury, Agent of S.

H.I.E.L.D ., it was Windsor-Smith's turn on Conan the Barbarian that gave him the platform to showcase his prodigious talent. He also turned in memorable work drawing The Avengers and Doctor Strange in Marvel Premiere , after which the artist started his studio, The Gorblimey Press, producing original stories and art prints. Windsor-Smith returned to Marvel in the 1980s and '90s on Machine Man and various X-Men stories, including "Lifedeath" and the character-defining Wolverine tale, "Weapon X.

" He also helped launch the Valiant Comics universe, which included his creation Archer & Armstrong , and broke boundaries with his tabloid-format Barry Windsor-Smith: Storyteller series and Eisner Award-winning graphic novel Monsters . JOHN BUSCEMA (1927-2002) literally wrote the book on being a Marvel artist--namely, How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way --and few were better qualified. His career began in 1948 as a member of the Timely/Marvel Bullpen. He left the field for advertising in the mid-'50s, but Stan Lee coaxed him back to comics in 1966. Buscema followed with a celebrated run on The Avengers with the first Silver Surfer series. He subsequently succeeded Jack Kirby on Fantastic Four , Thor and other titles. By the time of his retirement in 1996, Buscema had penciled nearly every Marvel title--including over 100 issues of his personal favorite, Conan the Barbarian .