Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over 80 years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media.

Born in 1917 and raised in New York City, Jack “King” Kirby is one of the most influential comics artists of all time. Partnered with Joe Simon, he created Captain America in 1940, and later, with partner Stan Lee, Kirby created The Fantastic Four, The X-Men, and The Hulk, among others. Although he passed away in 1994, his memory lives on through the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame and in the Will Eisner Hall of Fame.

Born in 1924 in Ossining, New York, Dick Ayers was best known for inking Jack Kirby’s 1950s and early 1960s Marvel work, including early issues of the Fantastic Four. He also had a ten-year run penciling Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos. In 2007, he was inducted into the Will Eisner Hall of Fame.

Born in 1929 in New York City, Don Heck is best known as one of the co-creators of the iconic Marvel characters Iron Man, the Wasp, Black Widow, and Hawkeye. He was the main penciler of the Avengers during the 1960s.