He had a lot to say about what it was that eisners body of work taught him as a storyteller and hes included a list of tales that every fan should read. Comic book will eisners spirit magazine feburary 1975 no 6. In addition to the sevenpage feature that led off the spirit section, eisner also wrote and edited the two fourpage backup features, mr. When speaking of will eisner its easy to lapse into hyperbole. Will eisners career spanned the entire history of comic books, from his formative days in the 1930s through the 1940s, when he revolutionized narrative sequential. Will eisner s legendary newspaper comic creation was denny colt, a police detective that took on the identity of the masked vigilante, the spirit, upon seemingly being resurrected after his death.
Jan 11, 2005 when speaking of will eisner its easy to lapse into hyperbole. Eisner and iger split, though, when eisner came up with the idea for the spirit, which involved a brilliant new approach in comics. My favourite comic book hero, will eisners the spirit i will. The influences of eisner and his studio upon the comic art that followed him are inestimable. Mar 18, 2019 stan lee interviews will eisner the spirit in glorious monotone. This award was created when the kirby awards were split in two in 1988. What i learned was that the spirit was a detectivetype comic written in the 1940s. Making will eisner dizzy in his grave two terrible versions of. Reprints of william eisners the spirit, published by.
In fact, the mask and gloves that are the spirit s trademarks were a concession to his publishing partner, who didnt think the series would sell without having a bona fide masked hero. Eisners intent was to have a series that focused on characters and storytelling, rather than to create a superhero comic book. Over the next 68 years he changed the world of comics, fathering the graphic novel and expanding the literary potential of the genre. Feb 09, 2018 while there are other people who qualify for the title, it isnt hyperbole to say that will eisner is one of the greatest comic book artists in the history of the world. Eisner s intent was to have a series that focused on characters and storytelling, rather than to create a superhero comic book. R kyle wanted to bring the comic book out of the juvenile field. The character names remind me of al capps variety used in the lil abner strips sand sarief for example. Dubbed the most influential comic book artist of all time, will eisner began his professional comic career at the age of nineteen. He first appeared june 2, 1940, as the main feature of a 16page, tabloid sized, newsprint comic book insert distributed in the sunday edition of register and tribune syndicate newspapers. The character names remind me of al capps variety used in the lil abner stripssand sarief for example. In the period he wrote the spirit principally the decade or so after wwii, many comics were very formulaic. Will eisner is commonly recognized as the father of the graphic novel and is considered one of the most innovative and influential comic book artists of the 20th century. Will eisner was drafted in 1942 to fight in world war ii. Contentsshow publication dates last issue will eisner s the spirit.
William erwin will eisner march 6, 1917 january 3, 2005 was an american comics writer, artist and entrepreneur. In 1940, eisner created what would become his most wellknown character, the spirit. The sixth of march is, of course, the birthday of eisner, a storyteller best known for creating the groundbreaking comic strip the spirit in will eisner born william erwin eisner is considered one of the founding fathers and. The film is based on the newspaper comic strip the spirit, by will eisner, and produced by oddlot and lionsgate films. One of the effects of this is that often the spirit is a guest in his own series. That time will eisner drew an oversexed m16 comic book for.
Will eisner and the century of comics as art print magazine. He was one of the earliest cartoonists to work in the american comic book industry, and his series the spirit 19401952 was noted for its experiments in content and form. Comic book will eisner s spirit magazine april 1976 no. Welcome to the three hundredth and fortysecond in a series of examinations of comic book legends and whether they are true or false. First appearing as a comic book insert in 1940, the spirit told a complete story in seven pages each week. Mar 06, 2017 and this summers san diego comiccon international home of the eisner awards has begun to formulate several willful programming events. The spirit was created by will eisner and everett arnold at the request of henry martin, a sales manager for the des moines register and tribune syndicate. Today, march 6th, would be will eisner s 100th birthday. The spirit is a fictional masked crimefighter created by cartoonist will eisner. In celebration of the 75th anniversary of will eisners iconic and groundbreaking character. Seven classic 19481949 spirit stories are reprinted.
Death, taxes andthe spirit starring the spirit and ward healy. Mar 03, 2014 in the 1970s he returned to the spirit for a series of new stories published by warren and kitchen sink, and drew new covers for kitchen sinks extensive reprint series of the postwar spirit. Today, march 6th, 2017, marks what would have been will eisners 100th birthday. Darwyn cooke famously followed in eisners footsteps by bringing the spirit to modern audiences at dc from 2006 to 2008. The stories were also published in comic book format in various quality comics by publisher everett busy arnold, a business partner of eisners. Will eisners legendary newspaper comic creation was denny colt, a police detective that took on the identity of the masked vigilante, the spirit, upon seemingly being resurrected after his death.
Will eisners the spirit comic read will eisners the. He is considered one of the most important contributors to the development of the medium and is known for the cartooning studio he founded. He was one of the earliest cartoonists to work in the american comic book industry. He died on january 3, 2005 in lauderdale lakes, florida, usa. Characters main characters the spirit denny colt wikipedia. Find the value of the dynamite entertainment comic will eisners the spirit volume 1. At a time when most comic book companies were mass. Mar 02, 2020 will eisner, william erwin eisner, american comicbook artist born march 6, 1917, brooklyn, n. When i created the spirit, eisner once said, i never had any intention of creating a superhero. Each year comic con international honors retailers from around the globe with the will eisner spirit of comics retailer award, named after the visionary creator of the spirit. Will eisner s illfated baseball comics series was later reused as a spirit story.
For those not in the know, will eisner wrote and drew the spirit, the comic that practically invented the language of the comic book medium. Will eisner is universally acknowledged as one of the great masters of comic book art. Will eisner, william erwin eisner, american comicbook artist born march 6, 1917, brooklyn, n. This book is really tight and appears never to have been read. Will eisner s the spirit is published by dynamite entertainment. This week is an all will eisner comic book cover for the spirit vital 52 pages flattermann. Mar 06, 2017 today, march 6th, 2017, marks what would have been will eisner s 100th birthday.
The spirit was printed in full comics that were placed in newspapers in 1940 the newspapers were concerned over the comic boom with superheros. For sale the spirit warren magazine 4 5 6 will eisner 1974 1975 rare out of print comic book art magazines emorys memories. Read will eisners the spirit comic online free and high quality. When will eisner returned from his military service during world war ii, he took back control of the weekly spirit comic book, which appeared as. Harveys shortlived revival of eisners beloved strip nevertheless introduced his influential work to a new generation of fans, including many artists, writers and fandom organizers. The spirit stories have been reprinted in several comic book series and collected. Will eisner, an innovative comicbook artist who created the spirit, a hero without superpowers, and the first modern graphic. Jul 20, 2019 this years will eisner comic book awards saw multiple comic book titles, creators and entities win in their respective categories, but friday nights ceremony at san diego comiccon belonged to. The members of the kirby awards hall of fame were all considered to have been inducted into the eisner awards hall of fame. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times.
Will eisner and the evolution of the graphic novel. When will approached comic con about initiating the award in the early 1990s, he wanted to do so as a way to acknowledge the important role that comics retailers play in the industry, nurturing the relationship between creators and their readers. Eisners intent was to have a series that focused on characters and storytelling. That time will eisner drew an oversexed m16 comic book. Will eisners illfated baseball comics series was later reused as a spirit story. While there are other people who qualify for the title, it isnt hyperbole to say that will eisner is one of the greatest comic book artists in the history of the world. Masters of comic book art eisner, kirby, ditko, adams. Anthonys comic book art original comic art will eisner. The pamphlet was actually 32page comic written by none other than will eisner, a cartoonist and writer who had created the spirit, a popular comic book series about a masked crime fighter. Today, march 6th, would be will eisners 100th birthday.
The comic book legend is perhaps best known to fans today as the namesake for the prestigious annual comic book awards, the eisners, his popularization of the term graphic novel, and his superhero creation, the spirit. Jan 05, 2005 will eisner, an innovative comic book artist who created the spirit, a hero without superpowers, and the first modern graphic novel, died monday in fort lauderdale, fla. Dc comics have published a 26volume set of will eisners the spirit. Eisner spirit past recipients comiccon international. Will eisner, an innovative comic book artist who created the spirit, a hero without superpowers, and the first modern graphic novel, a contract with god, died on monday in. Will eisners the spirit is published by dynamite entertainment. When will eisner returned from his military service during world war ii, he took back control of the weekly spirit comic book, which appeared as a supplement in newspapers across the country.
Will eisner signed limited edition 1990 spirit casebook hardcover kitchen sink presents eighteen classic comics noir stories from the 1940s. William erwin eisner was an american cartoonist, writer, and entrepreneur. A few of the popular myths are that he singlehandedly created the graphic novel and the educational comic, and even conceived the newspaper comic book format. For twelve years, the original adventures of masked crime fighter denny colt appeared in newspapers and comic books. His famous weekly newspaper comic book insert, the spirit, made him one of the most influential comic book creators of all time. The spirit first appeared in print as the star of a syndicated comics feature known now as the spirit section produced by eisners studio. Eisner retailer award current info comiccon international.
The spirit was just a regular joe who fought crime with his brains and with his fists. It was said that will eisner, the creator, had raised comics to an art form and that he was ahead of his time. Eisner was one of the earliest star artists in the golden age of comic books, as he and his partner jerry iger had a business where they would package comic book material for comic book companies to purchase. How a rejected will eisner baseball comic became an issue of. Plus a new sevenpage retelling of the spirits origin by eisner and chuck kramer. Will eisner, an innovative comic book artist who created the spirit, a hero without superpowers, and the first modern graphic novel, died monday in fort lauderdale, fla. What is your will eisner s the spirit comic book worth. He was a writer, known for the spirit 2008, the iron giant 1999 and blackhawk. The spirit is a 2008 american neonoir superhero film written and directed by frank miller and starring gabriel macht, eva mendes, sarah paulson, dan lauria, paz vega, scarlett johansson, and samuel l. Eisner doesnt need to lean on graphic sex id heard of the spirit, and specifically, its important place in comic book history, but i always suspected it would be kind of a letdown. The comic book greats will eisner with stan lee youtube.
He first appeared june 2, 1940, as the main feature of a 16page, tabloidsized, newsprint comic book insert distributed in the sunday edition of register and tribune syndicate newspapers. A giant in the comics field, his reputation has gained mythical status. This years will eisner comic book awards saw multiple comic book titles, creators and entities win in their respective categories, but friday nights ceremony at. The spirit was a weekly comic book that was inserted into newspapers across the country like detroit, minneapolis and chicago during the 1940s. The same friend, however, asked me what was up with the ebony white character. Will eisners legendary newspaper comic creation was denny colt, a police detective that took on the identity of the masked vigilante, the spirit, upon seemingly. For seven decades, he was vitally instrumental in creating and shaping the comic book form, in elevating the quality of its writing and art, in revealing and expanding its graphic potential, in popularizing its respectability on a global scale, and in educating and inspiring generations of aspiring comics artists. Get the best deals on spirit comic book collections when you shop the largest online selection at. Will eisners career spanned the entire history of comic books, from his formative days in the 1930s through the 1940s, when he revolutionized narrative sequential art with his internationally famed weekly newspaper supplement series the spirit, to the 1970s, when he created the contemporary graphic novel form. Will eisner was born on march 6, 1917 in brooklyn, new york city, new york, usa as william erwin eisner. In the 1970s he returned to the spirit for a series of new stories published by warren and kitchen sink, and drew new covers for kitchen sinks extensive reprint series of the postwar spirit.
John dibello picks of the greatest spirit title pages. How a rejected will eisner baseball comic became an issue. Death, taxes and the spirit starring the spirit and ward healy. Stan lee interviews will eisner the spirit in glorious monotone. If you enjoy comics, graphic novels ala frank miller. See more ideas about will eisner, comic books art and comic art. In 1978, eisner wrote and drew the pioneering graphic novel, a contract with god.
Comic book artist, eisner award winner for best comicsrelated magazine, celebrates the lives and works of great cartoonists, writers and editors from all eras through indepth interviews, feature articles, and unpublished art. Below is a reflection on eisner that i wrote after learning of his death, originally published at aiga online and resurrected here in his honor. Will eisners standing as a pioneer of comic book art and storytelling make the spirit a real landmark, worth having a look at, to rediscover the potential of the. What is your will eisners the spirit comic book worth. Find the value of the dynamite entertainment comic will eisner s the spirit volume 1. William erwin eisner march 6, 1917 january 3, 2005 was an american cartoonist, writer, and entrepreneur. What makes the spirit stories magical, however, is that eisner seemed unconstrained by the limitation of the comics genre. Read will eisner s the spirit comic online free and high quality. Nov 01, 2005 what i learned was that the spirit was a detectivetype comic written in the 1940s. In 2011, ign ranked the spirit 21st in the top 100 comic book heroes of all time.
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