In retrospect, 2003 is the year of reinvention of the pop star. No longer were Disney kids like Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera turning out cutesy songs for the under-17 set – or going through a “Can’t Be Tamed” phase. Instead, both Timberlake and Aguilera – as well as Beyoncé – knew that to have lasting careers, they need to produce songs to appeal to all ages – or at least to those under 30. In 2003, you didn’t need to be embarrassed to add “Crazy in Love” or “Rock Your Body” to your homecoming playlist alongside the latest trance track or The White Stripes. After all, everyone else had been listening to them all summer long, anyway. Check out this class’s suggested playlist after the jump.

Now that movie studios have seen success in The Dark Knight, 300, Sin City and most recently, Alan Moore’s Watchmen, they will almost certainly be clamoring at the door for even more graphic novels to adapt into feature films. So here are the 5 graphic novelists you should know – before Hollywood destroys their work.