Encyclopedia of Comic Books and Graphic Novels

172 EISNER, WILL

EISNER, WILL (1917–2005). Wil-

liam Erwin Eisner was a comic book

creator, graphic novelist, teacher,

entrepreneur, and advocate for

comics. Eisner’s pioneering body of

work infl uenced generations of cre-

ators and encouraged acceptance

of intellectually adult comics. His

collection A Contract with God

and Other Tenement Stories (1978)

is often cited as the fi rst graphic

novel, a designation that, while not

entirely accurate, appropriately en-

capsulates Eisner’s infl uence on the

form’s development.

Eisner’s fi rst work was a pirate

strip for Wo w Comics, in 1936.

Shortly thereafter, he organized

Eisner and Iger Studios, with

partner Jerry Iger, to produce new

material for the booming fi eld. Eis-

ner’s creations during this period

included Blackhawk, Doll Man,

Uncle Sam (the superhero), and

Sheena, Queen of the Jungle.

In 1939, publisher of Quality

Comics, Everett Arnold, off ered Eisner the chance to create a comic book supplement

for the Des Moines Register and Tribune syndicate; Eisner was off ered Th e Spirit, a

masked detective character. Eisner sold his interest in the studios to Iger in order to

concentrate on the new comic. Debuting in June, 1940, Eisner’s Spirit stories brought

genuine sophistication to comics, including psychologically insightful character stud-

ies, urban crime and corruption tales, humor, horror, and the fi rst comic book media

satires, riff s on bestsellers and movies. Th e initial run of Th e Spirit ended in 1952. Eis-

ner concentrated on educational comics, most signifi cantly the U.S. Army’s P*S, Th e

Preventive Maintenance Monthly. Eisner served as its artistic director from 1951 until

1971.

Expanding on A Contract with God, Eisner continued to develop the graphic novel

form. In his last years, he adapted stories from novels or myths, including the West

African epic Sundiata (2002); he fought anti-Semitism in Fagin the Jew (2003) and

Th e Plot: Th e Secret Story of Th e Protocols of the Elders of Zion (2005).

Eisner was also a pioneer theorist of the comics medium. Teaching at the School

of Visual Arts in New York, his important lectures formed the basis of three seminal

Comic book artist Will Eisner, in his Tudor City studio
(1941). Photofest