Philip Gordon Wylie (1902?71) was a prolific writer of fiction and essays. Many of his books have been adapted for film, and his critical and philosophical views influenced the development of science fiction. Just as Gladiator inspired the creators of Superman, his The Savage Gentleman and When Worlds Collide contributed to the characters Doc Savage and Flash Gordon.

Gerard Jones is a teacher, former comic book writer, and author of nonfiction books. His works include Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and The Birth of the Comic Book and The Undressing of America: How Our Culture Wars Over Sex and Privacy Were Born as well as many other books and comics.