Michael Dooley shot this photo of books for sale at Skirball in late June. It's always a pleasure to see my biography, Will Eisner: A Spirited Life, in such great company as Michael Chabon (who wrote the introduction to A Spirited Life), Arie Kaplan, Jules Feiffer, Stan Lee, Danny Fingeroth and David Hajdu.
Here's what Michael had to say about the shot:
I went to the Skirball to see ZAP! POW! BAM!
It was partly to familiarize myself with the show if the subject comes up at my SDCC "comics/museums" panel discussion –Sunday, JULY 26Comics Arts Conference Session #15: "Comics In Museums —
1:00-2:30 pm
Room 30AB
How do comics bridge the worlds of popular art on the stands and fine art on museum walls?"
Kim Munson (Munson Art Consulting) revisits the 1983 "Comic Art Show" at the Whitney. Michael Dooley (Art Center College of Design) covers two shows, the 1990 "High and Low" exhibit and the 2005 "Masters of American Comics," with emphasis on the works of Kurtzman and Spiegelman. Denis Kitchen (Underground Classics) discusses new trends in museum exhibitions and discusses the just-concluded “Underground Classics” show at the Chazen Art Museum and other shows he has worked on.
I'm sure your book and the others will be available in the Skirball Gift Shop (which is right outside the entrance to the comics exhibit) until the show closes on August 9th.
Thanks again, Michael, for sharing this.
Incidentally, I've interviewed many of the other writers represented in the picture above on "Mr. Media Radio." Check 'em out!
(Don't forget: You can now order the audiobook edition at Audible.com!)
Labels: Arie Kaplan, Comic-Con, Danny Fingeroth, David Hajdu, Jules Feiffer, Michael Chabon, Michael Dooley, Skirball, Will Eisner A Spirited Life
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Carl Jansson, a former manager of Comic Universe in Fountain Valley, CA, responded to ComicBookResources.com's call for "shelf porn," by sending in pictures of his comics and memorabilia collection:
"This is one of four similar bookshelves located throughout the house," Jansson wrote. "This one is mostly my Will Eisner library, oversized books, and assorted Doctor Who books. I am a big Doctor Who fan, as you will see a few pictures from now. Also, statues!"
For more pictures from Jansson's collection, click here!
Labels: Carl Jansson, comic book shelf porn, Comic Universe, ComicBookResources.com, Will Eisner
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As a teen, I read all the Doc Savage paperbacks and found them imaginative and thrilling. It will be great to see another comeback for Doc, Renny, Ham and the gang!
Read all about it HERE!
Labels: Blackhawk, Dan DiDio, DC Comics, Doc Savage, The Shadow, Will Eisner's The Spirit
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ParkaBlogs.com reviews a 2007 book by Greg Preston from Dark Horse called The Artist Within. It features photos of artists in their work areas and one of the photos is of Will Eisner. Click here to see more photos from the book and to read Parka's entire review.
Will Eisner
Labels: Greg Preston, Parka, ParkaBlogs.com, The Artist Within, Will Eisner
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http://blog.seniorennet.be/deryckerepoplaski
CONTACT/ Atelier"Au bout du monde": 19 Rue de l'Agal, 30170 Saint Hippolyte du Fort, France, 0033 (0)4 66 93 02 67
Le site de la galerie du bout du monde, http://galerie-boutdumonde.com
Labels: Pete Poplaski, Rika Deryckere, Will Eisner
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Over at PopMatters.com, shathley Q picks this panel from Will Eisner's often overlooked graphic novel Last Day in Vietnam and explains why it is a favorite.Labels: graphic novels, Last Day in Vietnam, PopMatters.com, shathley Q, Will Eisner
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By Rob M. Worley May 13, 2009
Mania.com
Source: Various
In what appears to be, in part, fallout from the underperformance of Frank Miller's 'The Spirit', Variety reports that Odd Lot Entertainment chief Deborah Del Prete is paring ways with the company after 23 years.
According to Variety's sources, the spectacular crash-and-burn of the comic-based movie is a contributing factor, although Odd Lot CEO Gigi Pritzker denies that it is the sole reason behind the departure. Indeed, Odd Lot has embarked on a multiyear first-look deal with Del Prete's new shingle Coronet Films.
Also contained in the article is mention that Del Prete and Pritzker have "moved off" of plans to have Frank Miller direct the revamp of 'Buck Rogers'. However, that shouldn't be taken as a sign that they're swearing off the comic-creator-turned-filmmaker.
"Frank was a fantastic partner, and while everybody was disappointed the film didn't perform better, it wasn't the end of the world," Pritzker said. "You always try to mitigate risk, but this is a very mercurial business and you take a swing and sometimes you don't hit it. At the end of the day, we'll be OK. Certainly, when things don't go as planned, it presents an opportunity for people to step back and think about where you are going. Deborah and I have been together for 23 years, and we've been fortunate enough to enjoy many triumphs, but we had the desire to go in different directions. We are friends as well as partners and we will continue to do projects together."
Labels: Buck Rogers, Deborah Del Prete, Frank Miller, Gigi Ptitzker, Mania.com, Odd Lot Entertainment, Rob M. Worley
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Labels: Brian Bolland, F.J. DeSanto, Justiniano, Michael Uslan, Newsarama, Walden Wong, Will Eisner's The Spirit comic book
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Marco Antonio Barbosa, JB Online
RIO - Há muitos apostos – todos positivos – que podem ser reunidos ao nome de Will Eisner. O quadrinista americano (1917-2005) é creditado como introdutor da influência da linguagem cinematográfica nas HQs. Criou um dos mais icônicos super-heróis de todos os tempos, o Spirit (1940). E foi um dos primeiros a apostar no formato hoje conhecido como graphic novel: histórias longas, narrativas adultas, abordagens literárias. Um dos mais interessantes aspectos de sua longa obra, entretanto, às vezes fica em segundo plano: seu papel como arguto observador do cotidiano urbano. É essa faceta que sobressai no belíssimo álbum Nova York: a vida na grande cidade (Tradução de Augusto Pacheco Calil. 440 páginas, R$ 55), que inaugura o Quadrinhos na Cia., novo selo da Companhia das Letras dedicado apenas à dita “arte sequencial”.
O calhamaço de mais de 400 páginas é, na verdade, a compilação de quatro graphic novels que o artista lançou num momento que, para qualquer outro artista, poderia ser considerado como “crepuscular”. No fim da década de 70, com mais de 40 anos de carreira nas costas, Eisner apostou firme no formato dos “romances gráficos”, combinando uma abordagem artística absolutamente realista com uma rara percepção da poesia (e do surrealismo) que se esconde nos becos e vielas desfavorecidos da Grande Maçã. Nova York, a grande cidade (1986), O edifício (1987) e Pessoas invisíveis (1993), além do Caderno de tipos urbanos (uma coleção de vinhetas essencialmente visuais sobre a cidade) estão no pacote.
Click HERE to Keep Reading (or Pretending)!
Labels: by Will Eisner, graphic novels, Jornal do Brasil, New York City
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By Thomas Haller Buchanan
In 1951, as Eisner was leaving the Spirit behind him, he created Connie Rodd, a sex kitten serious about Army equipment. It was her job to keep soldiers on the beam for maintenance of army issue. She (and Eisner) stayed with it throughout the Vietnam War, in a publication called P*S, delivered primarily to motor pool GIs. I picked up a number of the magazines when I was in the army, and the art was very effective in teaching such dry subjects.
Eisner did some of the artwork, but it was mostly produced by a staff of eight artists and writers, including 3 technical illustrators. Some of the artists over the years were Klaus Nordling, Dan Zolnerowich (of Sheena fame), Mike Ploog, Chuck Kramer, and Murphy Anderson. Anderson took over direction of the magazine after Eisner left in 1972.
Somewhere in my stuff I have a really nice cover that Eisner executed solo for an M-16 rifle manual. I actually used that publication when I learned to clean and assemble my weapon. When I find that cover, I'll post it.
Click HERE to Keep Reading!
Labels: Chuck Kramer, Connie Rodd, Dan Zolnerowich, Klaus Nordling, Mike Ploog, Murphy Anderson, PS Magazine, sex kitten, Will Eisner
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By Sam Gafford
Today, May 20th, is the 110th birthday of Everett "Busy" Arnold, one of the prime movers of the Golden Age of comics! And he was born in Providence, RI, to boot!
Growing up in Rhode Island, Everett had a nasty habit of talking in class which earned him the nickname, "busybody". Shortened to "Busy", it would stick with him for the rest of his life. After graduating from Brown University in 1921, "Busy" worked in various printing companies and was the Eastern sales representative for NYC's Goss Printing Company during which time he sold presses to Eastern Color Printing which would later publish the first American comic book, Famous Funnies #1, in 1934.
After investing in several comic book enterprises, "Busy" formed his own company (Comic Favorites, Inc.) in collaboration with three newspaper comic strip syndicates. In 1937, "Busy" published Feature Funnies which mixed reprints of popular comic strips like "Joe Palooka" with new material purchases from the new comic "studios". These "studios" were companies built solely to supply the exploding comics market with material that they produced and then sold to publishers. For most of his new material, "Busy" relied on the successfull Eisner and Iger studio. Unlike many other small publishers of the time, however, "Busy" also cultivated an 'in-house' staff of creators.
Labels: Busy Arnold, by Will Eisner, Jerry Iger, The Spirit weekly comic book section
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Artist Alex Robinson did this cool panel for the March 9, 2009 issue of New York magazine (pg. 89). The second image in the top row recalls te artist's time as a Will Eisner student at the School of Visual Arts in New York. See it full-sized HERE! (Thanks to pal Julie Moos for pointing this out!)Labels: Alex Robinson, Gotham, New York magazine, School of Visual Arts, Will Eisner
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