I think the only thing cooler than seeing your book published... is seeing it published in another language!
So it delights me to announce that my authorized biography, WILL EISNER: A SPIRITED LIFE, has been published in Spain by NORMA Editorial as WILL EISNER: EL ESPIRITU DE UNA VIDA, with translation by Raúl Sastre.
You can read brief excerpts in Spanish at Con C De Arte:
"NO QUERÍA QUE FUESE UN SUPERHÉROE" and
SE SENTÍA MOLESTO CON FRANK.
You can order a copy of this new Spanish edition from
La Isla Libros.
REVIEWS!
The reviewer gives the Spanish language edition four stars --
Altamente Recomendable -- "Highly Recommended"
(Translations to English by FreeTranslation.com):
"Will Eisner is to the comic what Shakespeare and Cervantes to the literature or what Orson Welles and John Ford to the movies. A teacher of teachers. A precursor, an inventor of forms and of language. For the screenwriter Alan Moore "Eisner is to a large extent the person responsible for that the comics have brain". It was reading one of its histories when decided what would be of greater. Neil Gaiman, writer of The Sandman and American Gods, compares the importance of Eisner with the Velvet Underground in the popular music. "Perhaps only some five thousand people were bought in their moment a disk of the Velvet, but all and each one of them they finished forming a group of music. If you discovered to Eisner to the adequate age, ¿why were going to wanted to do another thing?"
"The shadow of Will Eisner is infinite and its influence transfers the border of the comic. Michael Chabon, Frank Miller, Art Spiegelman, Spielberg or Tarantino have recognized publicly its debt with him. Norm continues expanding its indispensable Library Will Eisner with the publication of this official biography written by Bob Andelman after more than two years of conversations with the teacher. An opportunity for, through its person, to see the evolution of the American comic along this century, since its starts as industry in the thirties with the first comic books (then called comic magazines) to the current situation where the graphic novel occupies a space increasingly more prominent.
"All began when in 1937 a Will Eisner of only 19 years met with Sam Iger, its leader until closed the blind the magazine "Wow!", and he proposed to mount a study of comics that to sell materials to all the editorial that needed it. It had just been born the Study Eisner & Iger. Here is the most interesting part of the book: that of the Eisner as pioneer of the American comic. They are a hundred full long pages of anecdotes of the juicier. By them they will parade names as Bob Kane (creative of Batman) always with more time for the women that to draw, he provided to Eisner its first loving appointments, although these were of payment and Eisner did not know it. Or as Jack Kirby (perhaps the unique rival capable one to do him shadow like pioneer of the creative, American comic along with Stan Reads of mythical personages of Marvel Comics as the Captain America, the Four Fantastic, Hulk, the Patrol X and Thor among others) that began working in its study.
"Although the great revolution of Eisner arrives with "The Spirit", magazine that was distributed weekly with some newspapers. The first apparition of the detective of the antifaz was June 2, 1940 in five Sunday with a thrown in all the country of million and middle of copies. Each week seven pages appeared that revolutionized the world of the comic. Eisner was capable of counting a history of black series, series "B" or of what was in only 7 pages and utilizing multitude of resources. The vignettes did not have limits, experienced week in, week out. Mythical they are the a single vignette presentation pages where each time the logo was different. With "The Spirit" Eisner broke the confined design of page in which the comic had moved up till then. It suffices to look at some of the precious volumes of "The files of The Spirit" that here has also published Norm to see the modernity that, more than sixty years later, still they remove their pages. Pure lesson of narration by images that has influenced so much contemporary filmmakers.
"The book is profusely documented, with numerous illustrations and photographs that complement the reading. We will know its difficult infancy in the years of the Great Depression. The relation with its Even brother and its wife Ann, all a life. The death of its daughter Alice by leukemia with only 16 years. The long tunnel that supposed the experience of the magazine PS, a bulletin for the army where carried out illustrations. The resurrection of the hand of the graphic novel, term that if did not invent yes recognition contributed him. "Contract of God", published in 1978, is respected for many as the first graphic novel.
"Its last years are full of masterpieces of the comic (never stopped to draw, each time with more ambitious projects) and of recognitions. The prizes of the American comic (the Oscar of the comic to understand us) carry their name. By something Eisner is the teacher of teachers of the American comic. All to their feet."
"Of the hand of Editorial Norm this book arrives us where reproduces himself the work carried out by Bob Andelman, who during more than three years was being interviewed with one of the pillars of the comic modern, creator of the call graphic novel, obtaining that the father of Spirit touched all the aspects of his life. Since its influences, to biographical details of its life, passing for its relation with other authors of its epoch as Kirby, Siegel or the same Stan Reads, as well as its relation and influence in younger authors, like Alan Moore, Dave Sim or Neil Gaiman.
"Indispensable book for the lovers of Will Eisner and a recommendable book for all those that want to know a little more on the world of the comic, cash from inside."
Labels: BANDA DESEÑADA COMICS, Con C De Arte, maumau Barcelona, Michael Chabon, Neil Gaiman, NORMA Editorial, Raúl Sastre, Will Eisner: A Spirited Life, WILL EISNER: EL ESPIRITU DE UNA VIDA
This item was posted by Brent Frankenhoff, a writer at CBGXtra.com:
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