118 CRANDALL, REED
“Th e Street Singer” relates the bittersweet tale of one of the men who, during the
Great Depression, gave impromptu concerts in the narrow spaces between the tene-
ments. Eisner writes of his memory of one such singer who brought a “bit of theatrical
glamour to the grim alley. Th e mystery of who he was has remained with me over the
years. Finally, with this book about tenement life, I was able to immortalize his story”
(Eisner 2006, xvi). Eddie is taken under the wing of an aging diva who promises him
a singing career; however, after spending the money she has given him for clothing on
drink, he realizes that he has no idea of how to fi nd her again since neither one of them
used their real names during their encounter. Th e third story, “Th e Super,” is a chilling
account of a young child preying on the unlikeable and detested superintendent of the
building. Th e girl’s manipulations result in the poisoning of the superintendent’s dog,
the stealing of his money, and even his suicide. Th e character of the super is based on a
custodian Eisner remembers as a child. Th e splash page title for this tale is reminiscent
of the splash pages for Th e Spirit, and is perhaps, as Dauber (2006) suggests, an indi-
cation of the vast dichotomy between the super in this tale and that of the superhero
archetype (291). Finally, “Cookalein” takes place outside of the tenements themselves
but involves the dreams and the ensuing misrepresentations of some of the tenants as
they vacation in the Catskill Mountains. Th ese tenants utilize their vacation to escape
their dismal existence by pretending to be something or someone else. Th ree of the
many subplots involve Goldie and Benny, who are pretending they are wealthy in their
attempts to fi nd rich spouses, and Willie, who represents himself as much older in his
attempt at sexual conquests. Th is is a complex and interwoven tale that is a coming-of-
age story for 15-year-old Willie but involves rape, adultery, and unforeseen consequences
for those pretending to be something other than themselves.
Selected Bibliography: Andelman, Bob. Will Eisner: A Spirited Life. Milwaukee:
M Press, 2005; Dauber, Jeremy. “Comic Books, Tragic Stories: Will Eisner’s American
Jewish History.” AJS Review 30(2) (2006): 277–304; Eisner, Will. Th e Contract with
God Trilogy: Life on Dropsie Avenue. New York: W.W. Norton, 2006; Kannenberg,
Gene. Jr. 500 Essential Graphic Novels: Th e Ultimate Guide. New York: Collins Design,
- 165–66; Sabin, Roger. Adult Comics: An Introduction. London: Routledge, 1993;
Sherman, B. “Return to Dropsie Avenue.” Th e Comics Journal 267 (April/May 2005):
92–93.
Gail de Vos
CRANDALL, REED (1917–82). Reed Crandall was one of the most talented and prolifi c
illustrators of the Golden Age of comics. A master of feathering and cross-hatching,
he brought his deft technique to the pages of numerous comic book publishers. He
graduated from the Cleveland School of Art in 1939 and by 1940 was employed by
the Eisner-Iger shop where he worked on Jungle Comics for Fiction House. In 1941,
he inked some of Jack Kirby’s art in Captain America. Upon seeing his Fiction House
work, Quality Comics publisher “Busy” Arnold convinced Eisner to let Crandall work
