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Educate Me On Will Eisner

Started by Mac Man,

29 posts in this topic

Mac Man

Mac Man

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Okay, my background in collecting is predominantly Marvel with the only real DC representation coming in the form of Batman. That covers over 98% of my comic experience. I know nothing about Will Eisner other than his signature looks a helluva lot like the Walt Disney signature.

 

So, for those of you who are fans, fill me in!

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KingOfRulers

KingOfRulers

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He basically pioneered the idea of a graphic novel. He created strips as well, such as Spirit, but I admire his graphic novel work. I've started New York: The Big City, and really enjoy it. I've also read "A Contract with God" which was pretty good, although I haven't finished it. His art style is great. Everything looks as it "should". He can make his style very polished but also rough, depending on the message he wants to get across I suppose. His art is very fluid. It is hard to describe his style, except to say that it always works, and looks how it should.

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MK Ultra

MK Ultra

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Well he's dead so substitute used to or something. Phil's comic shoppe in Margate had him as an autograph guest back in 1987 or so. I had gotten a little sketch and signature, but I sold it a year and a half ago or something like that.

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TheWatcher

TheWatcher

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He's probably the greatsest visual storyteller comics have ever seen. He transformed the comic book into an art form. His stories could be funny and dramatic at the same time. Some of the best reads out there, but I'm biased.

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rodan57

rodan57

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Okay, my background in collecting is predominantly Marvel with the only real DC representation coming in the form of Batman. That covers over 98% of my comic experience. I know nothing about Will Eisner other than his signature looks a helluva lot like the Walt Disney signature.

 

So, for those of you who are fans, fill me in!

 

Try this as an introduction-- Wikipedia: Will Eisner

 

Dennis

 

p.s. He was truly a gifted artist. He visited Sheridan College, Oakville, Ontario, in '78 or '79. I watched him create a Spirit page with virtually no pencil prep. He went to the brush with only the barest of outlines.

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Detroit MIke

Detroit MIke

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The academy awards of comics isn't called the Eisner Awards for nothin'. An interesting note is that he kept ownership of the Spirit and made the system work for him. Eisner was always on the cutting edge. I met him once and he was extremely nice.

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Mac Man

Mac Man

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The academy awards of comics isn't called the Eisner Awards for nothin'.

 

This way part of why I wanted to get some background on him. The other reason, the really motivating reason, is because I read a critical review of his "Contract With God" trilogy that compared him to Bernard Malamud. He was one of my favorite American authors, and if there is some form of connection between the two, I thought Eisner might be worth giving some consideration.

 

From what I've seen, "The Spirit" is his most well-known work, but what would you say his best work?

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TheWatcher

TheWatcher

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The academy awards of comics isn't called the Eisner Awards for nothin'.

 

This way part of why I wanted to get some background on him. The other reason, the really motivating reason, is because I read a critical review of his "Contract With God" trilogy that compared him to Bernard Malamud. He was one of my favorite American authors, and if there is some form of connection between the two, I thought Eisner might be worth giving some consideration.

 

From what I've seen, "The Spirit" is his most well-known work, but what would you say his best work?

 

I would say post-war Spirit.

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drewincanada

drewincanada

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The academy awards of comics isn't called the Eisner Awards for nothin'.

 

This way part of why I wanted to get some background on him. The other reason, the really motivating reason, is because I read a critical review of his "Contract With God" trilogy that compared him to Bernard Malamud. He was one of my favorite American authors, and if there is some form of connection between the two, I thought Eisner might be worth giving some consideration.

 

From what I've seen, "The Spirit" is his most well-known work, but what would you say his best work?

 

His storytelling was superlative, and he was a master of visual composition: incredible use of contrast, shape, scale, etc. to pull you into a frame (or a complete page) and make your eye move exactly where he wanted it to move. He was doing stuff in the 30s and 40s that is still innovative and utterly compelling today.

 

I personally think the pre-war Spirit was his best work, but A Contract With God is another example of great visual storytelling. Again, put it in perspective: it was the first of its kind, and is still one of the best of its kind.

 

(I treasure my 1st/signed/limited copy of A Contract... :headbang: )

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Duffman_Comics

Duffman_Comics

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Got one of them too Drew, along with the Spirit portfolio and a couple of signed "City" prints that even the wife likes and allowed me to frame and put 'em up in the hallway.

 

I suggest you try to get some reader copies of the Warren/Kitchen Sink reprint series, Great stories, excellent production values and some are even in colour.

 

For purists, get a hold of the two Harvey comic books (25c squarebound) put out in about 1966. Mostly reprints, but from memory there were one or two new Spirit stories.

 

I sort of envy you, reading the stories for the first time. He was truly a giant of the industry.

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