Will Eisner: A Comics Biography

Are you a fan of superhero movies? Then thank Jewish American creators. Just about every classic DC and Marvel character was invented by artists who to some degree identified as Jewish, like Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster, who created Superman, Bob Kane, who created Batman, and Jack Kirby (Joe Kirzberg) & Stan Lee (Stanley Lieber), who created the Fantastic Four and countless other Marvel heroes. Will Eisner never changed his name, but much to his regret, he passed on Siegel & Shuster’s Superman pitch. He never published their most famous characters, but Kirby was a staff artist and Kane freelanced for Eisner’s company. While his most popular character, The Spirit, might not be quite as famous, Eisner’s story really is the history of comic books. That becomes clear in Stephen Weiner’s graphic novel-bio, Will Eisner: A Comics Biography, illustrated by Dan Mazur, which is now on-sale at finer book and comic shops.

Eisner grew up poor, in and around New York City, as the son of a frustrated artist. He often heard the sort of antisemitic comments that have become shockingly resurgent on today’s university campuses. Of course, Eisner couldn’t have afforded college, even if he had graduated from high school. He had to work to support his family during the Great Depression.

Eisner did not merely work. He was an entrepreneur, who built a successful art studio for comic companies that we might describe as a packager in the current publishing vernacular. Kirby was one of the many staff artists, as was Joe Kubert (creator of Sgt. Rock).

However, Eisner eventually walked away for the chance to create a weekly mini-comic book syndicated to newspapers around the country. That character was The Spirit, who finally had a big movie treatment in 2008 that unfortunately flopped. Regardless, among real comic fans, the Spirit is considered the pinnacle of masked crime fighters.

Weiner includes considerable discussion of Eisner’s early work, as well as the tragic biographical evets that inspired A Contact with God, his first great “literary” graphic novel. Arguably, it is hard to conceive of a more American life than Eisner’s. Yes, he was the son of immigrants—Jewish immigrants. He was also a veteran during WWII, an enterprising innovator who truly “pulled himself up buy his bootstraps” during the absolute nadir of our country’s economic history, as well as a family man.

Anyone who knows comics should recognize the Eisner name (since the medium’s highest awards were named in his honor). Yet, he deserves respect and attention for his achievements well beyond the comic book community. While Mazur’s art is not especially Eisner-esque, he often incorporates dynamic typographical designs into his illustrations, in ways that clearly pay tribute to the master. As a result, Weiner and Mazur conclusively make a case that Eisner is a true American master, fittingly using the medium he refined and perfected. Very highly recommended, Will Eisner A Comics Biography released this week.