Some of the computer-related visionaries of the last few decades earlier thought big, original things -- and we first heard of them because something they did was not only significant, but also conspicuous, and had their name on it -- then they went into relative obscurity, but continued to work quietly.
That's not the only scenario, but it's one of the best ones. Some of the least-appealing scenarios that come to mind, anecdotally, are delicate (e.g., human frailties; life happens), or things people otherwise don't like to talk about.
Regarding the "magazine visionaries", and people who wanted either to be those, or to be part of whatever movements/scenes they heard about, Patrick S. Farley's story is the best public explanation I know of. http://electricsheepcomix.com/almostguy/