Plot
Will Eisner's greatest legacy may be the graphic novels he championed and created. It is certain that Eisner is an American original who has made more innovations in the field of comics than any other artist, permanently altering the face of American pop culture. This beautifully illustrated biography explores the fascinating life of Eisner, detailing a career that exceeds six decades in which Eisner spearheaded the cause of comics for adult readers and created the first graphic novel, A Contract with God. His influence has been felt by such diverse talents as Jack Kirby and Batman creator Bob Kane. Underground comics legend R. Crumb and Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonists Jules Feiffer and Art Spiegelman have hailed Eisner's cinematic approach to comics and his enduring character The Spirit. From his childhood to educating Army soldiers to famously turning down a proposal for Superman, Eisner's personal and professional life is told in dramatic detail. Andelman spent almost three years interviewing Eisner, researching his life and work, and interviewing his friends, family, and the creative talents he inspired over a seventy-year career. Among those who spoke about either their personal experience with Eisner or the way in which he touched their careers were: Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, Neil Gaiman, Denis Kitchen, Mort Walker, Chris Browne, Joe Kubert, Jim Warren, Roy Thomas, Stan Lee, Dave Sim, Joe Simon, Denny O'Neil, Joe Quesada, Patrick McDonnell, Jules Feiffer, and Neal Adams. This book features never-before published stories about Eisner's first partner, Jerry Iger, related by his great-nephew, Walt Disney Studio CEO Robert Iger. Michael Chabon, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay which is based in-part on interviews with Eisner, contributes a stirring introduction to Will Eisner: A Spirited Life