Happy Will Eisner Week! The Cartoon Library is happy to once again participate in this celebration of Eisner’s legacy, so that we can share with you some of the amazing items in the Will Eisner Collection that resides here. The collection contains original and published work by Eisner and by various artists who worked for him, as well as correspondence, articles, commercial publications and more.

Last year we highlighted originals from The Spirit, a copy of Eisner’s commercial work for Gre-Solvent (the money from which he used to start Eisner & Iger Studio), and an original from Eisner’s military cartoon Joe Dope.

Eisner was drafted into the service in early 1942, and spent his next three years working on a number of cartooning projects for army training programs, including his well-remembered pieces for PS- The Preventative Maintenance Monthly magazine (originally titled Army Motors). Even after returning to civillian life in 1945, Eisner would continue on as the art director for Preventative Maintenance until 1972.

Below, found in the Eisner archive, are his military dog tags, identification card, and Aberdeen Proving Ground Pin.

Will Eisner’s military dog tags. From the Will Eisner Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum.

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The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!