Comics Terminology - Creative Team

A comic book's creative team (or sometimes creators) generally refer to the same individuals: those responsible for the specific creation of a particular book or story. However "creators" can also refer to the individuals who first wrote/drew a particular character or title. For example, the character of Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, but while they are that character's "creators," they are not per se the creators/creative team of every title featuring him.

The "creative team" usually refers to two main roles, with around four subsidiary ones. Primarily, the term refers to the writer and artist. This latter term is usually used to refer to the penciler, but also includes the role of an inker and colorist. There is usually also a letterer involved in the hands-on "creation" of a comic book, and then an editor behind-the-scenes. Any combination of these people (that includes the key roles of writer and artist) can reasonably be said to refer to a "creative team":

The "term describes the individual(s) who created the comic book in question. A writer, artist, letterer, and editor will usually be credited in the comic book. Note that these functions can be performed by one or more people, acting collectively or individually. A comic book may have one writer and multiple artists, for example, or may be the creation of a single person."

The complete creative team on a small press, independent or self-published comic will likely be smaller than that on a more mainstream title. At its most basic, the creative team can see just one person filling every necessary role; at its most complex it includes a considerably larger group.