Who has made D&D great?

[Celebrim]

In your opinion, what designers/developers/authors/artists/etc have made D&D great over the years, OTHER THAN GARY GYGAX (which is a given, I think)?

IMO, the list of people making D&D great would run something like this:

0) Gary Gygax (the given)
1) Tracy Hickman
2) Monte Cook
3) Eric Noah
4) Tom Moldvay
5) Graeme Morris
6) Douglas Niles
7) David Cook
8) Skip Williams
9) Jonathan Tweet
10) Frank Mentzer
11) Bruce Cordell

 

[Orius]

I think nearly all the greats have been mentioned. The ones I agree with are:

Designers:
Dave Arneson
Monte Cook
Jonathan Tweet
Skip Williams
Ed Greenwood
Weis & Hickman
Rob Kuntz
Bruce Cordell
Jeff Grubb
Sean Reynolds
Erik Mona

Artists
Erol Otis
Dave Trampier
David Sutherland
Larry Elmore
Jeff Easley
Clyde Caldwell
Keith Parkinson
Todd Lockwood
Wayne Reynolds
Arnie Swekel
Brom

Peter Adkison: not just for saving the game and influencing 3e, but he deserves credit for rebuilding the bridges that TSR burned with Gary and Dave.

And I don't think anyone mentioned Tony DiTerlizzi. He defined the look of Planescape, and even his non-Planescape art was pretty good.

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

All of those mentioned.
I'm not good with names, but I would give my salutations to all of them.

I would like to mention Jon Pickens, Ed Greenwood, and Steven Schend My cheers to all three of them.

Edena_of_Neith

 

[CharlesRyan]

Let's not forget Kim Mohan, for his influence on Dragon Magazine over many years, and, as the Managing Editor of RPG R&D for the entire lifetime of 3rd edition, his subtle but profound influence on how that edition was communicated to us.

 

[Arkhandus]

Erik Mona, Mathew Sernett, James Jacobs, Mike McArtor, and the rest of the folks that brought us Dragon and Dungeon Magazines in the 3E era, have to be mentioned. Unfortunately I can't remember all their names.