Dave Johnson, a Pittsburgh native who moved to Georgia during childhood, grew up alongside his older sister. Although he initially discovered comics at a young age, his passion for the medium was reignited in the late 1970s, inspired by Chris Claremont and John Byrne's iconic run on The Uncanny X-Men. Citing John Byrne and Michael Golden as key influences, Johnson's artistic journey began with studying painting at the Art Institute of Atlanta. However, his focus shifted toward illustration, captivated by its ability to convey information instantly through a single image. Speaking at WonderCon in 2009, he compared this approach to designing billboards: "You have five seconds to deliver a message." This philosophy shaped his approach to comic book covers, emphasizing bold, simple designs that instantly communicate their essence. Jimmy Palmiotti is a multi-award-winning writer and comic artist and the co-founder of Event Comics, Black Bull Media, Marvel Knights, and most recently Paperfilms, where he currently partners with Amanda Conner and Justin Gray. Together they have created and co-created: Monolith, 21 Down, The Resistance, and The Twilight Experiment for DC Comics as well as The New West, The Pro, Gatecrasher, Beautiful Killer, Ash, Cloudburst, Trigger Girl 6, Splatterman, Thrill Seeker, Trailblazer, Ballerina, and the TV series, Painkiller Jane.

Palmiotti's other comics work includes Powergirl and Jonah Hex for DC Comics, The Last Resort for IDW, Back to Brooklyn for Image Comics, Spartacus for Devils Due, and Time Bomb for Radical Comics. He currently has New West in development at New Regency films and writes All-Star Western for DC Comics' the New 52.