Will Eisner

Will Eisner

March 6, 1917

January 3, 2005

Artist/Writer

The Spirit
Joe Dope

“A Contract With God”
“Comics and Sequential Art”
“Graphic Storytelling”
"The Plot:The Secret Story of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion"
Check out other works from Will Eisner

Although he is considered by many to be the father of the graphic novel, this may not be the case. “A Contract With God” came out in 1978 and there have been other comics out as early as 1964 with graphic novel in the title.

Will Eisner is considered by many to be a legend in comic books. Although his characters and creations are not very much in the mainstream of such popular creations like Superman or Spider-man, his influence on the people who make those characters is notable. People like Jack Kirby, Bob Kane, and Lou Fine all worked under Eisner as budding artists. Will Eisner’s most popular character has got to be, “The Spirit.” During the late 30’s and through the 40’s, Eisner’s “The Spirit” was produced in newspapers and magazines. Many current comic book creators cite “The Spirit” as a heavy influence on their ideas of storytelling in the comics’ medium.

Eisner is also credited with leading the way in terms of making comic books a serious medium of art. Comics have long been considered, “kids stuff,” and not something to be taken seriously. With his release of the graphic novel, “A Contract With God,” in 1978, Eisner has forged a path to allow creators to tackle serious issues in modern society, not just jokes and superheroes.

Because of all of this, there has been an award created in his honor. The Eisner Awards were formed in 1988 and have long been a coveted award. These may be considered the “Oscars” of the comic book world.

Will Eisner was still working on creating and contributing to comic books right up until his death on January 3, 2005. His last published work was, “The Plot: The Secret Story of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion.” This was published in May of 2005.