Will Eisner by The Spirit or The Spirit by Will Eisner?
By MAGGIE THOMPSON
Toucan, The Official Blog of Comic-Con International & WonderCon Anaheim
The two openings to Bob Andelman’s Will Eisner: A Spirited Life (M Press, 2005 and TwoMorrows, 2015) provide examples of creators who came to Will’s work via reprints of his early tales. Michael Chabon wrote, “As a publisher, a packager, a talent scout, an impresario, and as an artist and writer, Will Eisner had created the world of comics as I knew it. But until I saw some of the later … reprints, I really had no idea who he was or what he had done.” Neal Adams wrote, “What I got from Will Eisner was a like mind. He was nothing like me, but in the areas of processing thought, moving forward, and taking a chance, we were absolutely like thinkers. If I were scratching around for an idea or I needed someone to bounce something off of, Will was the guy.”
Whether you were a fan, a student, a would-be pro, or a long-time creator, Will was the guy. Thanks to the vitality and health of the art form he helped to develop, we can continue to learn from what he left us.
