| Bill Finger is 'only' a bonus answer, because technically Batman (or "The Bat-man") was created as a character by Kane the artist. Finger (and, particularly, Gardner Fox) created many of the trappings we now associate with the character in his text, but they were - vital - *additions* to the character, not part of the creation. (Not that the creation wasn't inspired by/ripped off from Doc Savage and the Shadow and Flash Gordon et al.) Jerry Robinson's contributions - Robin, Joker - are also arguably as important, but not original parts of the creation.
John Higgins coloured Watchmen, and it was his design and colour scheme that added a lot to the reading experience. So while it's rightly often co-credited to Moore/Gibbons only, Higgins is an important figure, and was so from the very start.
Dringenberg and Kieth were instrumental in the design and look of the key characters in Gaiman's Sandman, and are listed as co-creators for that reason, I believe. There'll be a breakdown online somewhere, I'm sure.
The Simon/Kirby Sandman for DC shares little more than a name with Gaiman's myth-and-legend Vertigo creation, hence the "(Vertigo)," and their omission. |