WizardUniverse.com: Eisner Documentary Review

WHY ‘A CONTRACT WITH GOD’ SEISMICALLY
ALTERED MORE THAN COMICS

Andrew D. Cooke’s ‘Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist’ closed at Tribeca on Sunday and opened up a wealth of perspectives on the creator and his work, but its portrait of the first graphic novel will change many readers’ understanding of its significance to Eisner

By Brian Warmoth

Posted May 7, 2007 3:00 PM

As “X-Men” opened the floodgates for spandex-clad heroes to lay golden eggs like factory farm chickens in Hollywood, interest in the creators who reshaped genres and changed the course of comics bubbled up in art theaters and DVD markets. “Crumb” and “American Splendor” pried open movie theaters’ eyes to peer at two figureheads of underground comics, R. Crumb and Harvey Pekar, respectively. Now, with its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, director Andrew D. Cooke’s “Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist” blows open nearly a century of history to frame the life of the man who created the Spirit, coined the term “graphic novel” and effectively invented the splash page, cementing his place as one of comics’ creative godfathers.

What comics did for Eisner, however, and where the importance of his landmark graphic novel A Contract With God lies in Eisner’s personal history, his body of work and the history of comics, sculpt the centerpiece of this hugely personal and important look at the life of Will Eisner.

Read the entire review here!

Fan Review: Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist

Brian Postman

(Note from Bob Andelman: Brian Postman was a student of Will Eisner's in the 1970s and a frequent correspondent of mine since publication of my biography, Will Eisner: A Spirited Life. When he told me he had been to the world premiered of Andrew D. Cooke's documentary, Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist, I invited him to submit this review to the site. Your comments are also welcome; click on the "Comments" button at the end of Brian's post.)

I was looking forward to seeing WILL EISNER:PORTRAIT OF A SEQUENTIAL ARTIST, because I had seen the trailer,and it brought back many memories of studying with him at the School of Visual Arts from September 1977 to June 1980.

I saw the movie at the Tribeca Film Festival on Thursday night,and it was spectacular. one of the most interesting documentaries I've seen in a long time.

There was a lot of footage and photos of the young "twenty-something" Will Eisner,as well as the more "mature" Eisner who returned from World WarII. He talked of his beginnings with "Eisner and Iger" a comic book art studio he started with Jerry Iger in the '30s ,as well as his ground breaking work on The Spirit,and his life and work after The Spirit,including his close-knit family life and starting American Visuals. This continues right up to him working on A Contract With God, which is considered among the first graphic novels.

Watching this movie really open up the floodgates of my memories of the late 1970s and working with him as a teacher. He was definitely tough,but he tried to instill in us to try and go beyond comic books, and tell stories that were more than just superheroes punching each other!

The only thing in the movie that seemed inaccurate was a part toward the end talking about his teaching at SVA. They showed footage of Peter Bagge, who I'm pretty sure wasn't one of Will's students -- I knew him at SVA -- but then again, it's been 30 years! It's possible he took Will's class briefly.

I really miss Will Eisner; he was a great guy. Go see this movie! -- Brian Postman

Will Eisner Movie: Tribeca Film Festival Schedule

Will Eisner Documentary: World Premiere at 2007 Tribeca Film Festival

Jon. B. Cooke, Will Eisner, and Andrew D. Cooke
at the 2004 Comic-Con International in San Diego.
(© 2006 Montilla Pictures. All Rights Reserved.)

Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist, a documentary directed by Andrew D. Cooke and written by Jon B. Cooke, will have its world premiere at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival in New York. The Festival announced that the documentary on Eisner's life and career will be part of the third and final group of feature film selections in its Discovery, Showcase and Family Film Festival selections, for the sixth annual festival, taking place April 25-May 6, 2007.

For an in-depth interview with documentary director Andrew D. Cooke, click here.