Will Eisner Books

Will Eisner’s work on The Spirit was, in its way, as groundbreaking as Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane. Both artistic achievements rewrote the book on sequential storytelling and had lasting impacts on all that followed them. Featured within these pages are 17 Spirit stories all from Eisner’s peak period, 1946 – 1950, generally regarded as his best work on The Spirit. Eisner is also considered to be the founding father of the Graphic novel, with the publication of A Contract with God in 1978. He is also the namesake of the Eisner Awards, the “Academy Awards of the comics industry, held each year at Comic-Con International. An Artisan Edition collects stories, covers and pages that have been reproduced from the original art. While appearing to be in black and white, these images have been scanned in color, allowing the reader to view them as closely as possible to the original art. Ink gradients, blue pencil, corrections, and more are all clearly visible, all the wonderful subtle nuances that make original art so special and unique. The only way to better view these pages if you were standing over the artist’s shoulder as they were drawn.

Will Eisner's groundbreaking influence on sequential art is highlighted in this comprehensive catalogue, showcasing over 175 illustrations from his original works. The collection celebrates his innovative storytelling and artistic contributions, particularly through his newspaper series The Spirit and his pioneering graphic novels, starting with A Contract with God. Featured essays by notable figures in the field, along with dual English and French text, enhance the exploration of Eisner's legacy, as presented during the 2017 Will Eisner Centennial Celebration exhibitions in Angoulême and New York.

Frimme Hersh breaks his contract with God and ends up as a Depression-era slumlord, while Jacob Shtarkah strives to help an old friend trapped in Nazi Germany and struggles with poverty and the corruption of the residents of Dropsie Avenue.

The narrative explores the rich history of Dropsie Avenue, illustrating its evolution through four centuries and the diverse communities that have inhabited it. Eisner vividly captures the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, showcasing the personal stories of residents that reflect broader social changes. This graphic depiction offers a compelling panorama of urban life, emphasizing the resilience and transformation of the neighborhood over time.

An intimate self-portrait of the American icon Will Eisner, and a chronicle of the career that launched a new art form.

The final volume of Will Eisner's celebrated instructional trilogy explores the critical principle of body grammar in comics storytelling.

"This inaugural Norton Critical Edition of a graphic novel features Will Eisner's A Contract with God, originally published in 1978 from Baronet Press. Eisner's pioneering work draws on his upbringing in the Bronx to produce realistic narratives surrounding Jewish American culture within New York City's tenements. Excerpts from A Life Force (1988), Invisible People (1993), and Dropsie Avenue (1995) are also included in this edition, followed by Eisner's thoughts on the American graphic novel. "Reviews and Assessments" section presents the reactions of Eisner's contemporaries, selected from multiple art and comic journals of the time. "Criticism" offers modern analyses of Eisner's work in respect to art, race, and underrepresented history. A selected bibliography and chronology are also included"--

A series of vignettes, in graphic novel format, built around elements that make up New York City--its buildings, people, trash and treasures.

One of four extraordinary graphic novels celebrating the Big Apple, from the master of American comics art.

Master of the Comics medium Will Eisner offers more of his imagination to his readers with this tale of real people simply experiencing life. Set during the Depression, A Life Force tells the hard-luck story of a tenement dweller living in the same neighborhood that served as the setting for A Contract with God. Eisner's everyman, Jacob Shtarkah, and his family and neighbors come to life in this moving urban portrait.