Will Eisner Week 2010 (WillEisner.com)

Image via Wikipedia

Will Eisner Week will take place from February 28th to March 6th, 2010.  

Join WillEisner.com in an ongoing celebration promoting graphic novel literacy, free speech awareness, and the legacy of Will Eisner.

This is the second annual celebration of Will Eisner's contribution to comics and American culture and is offered as a springboard to advance education of comics and graphic novels in all communities around the world.  

This year's theme is The Reading Revolution: Will Eisner and the American Graphic Novel. 

Public events are currently being planned during Will Eisner Week including venues at The Minneapolis College of Art & Design, The Savannah College of Art and Design, and by the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund in New York City.  If your organization is interested in participating or receiving information please e-mail the website administrator or post in the Forum under the Will Eisner Week topic.  

In addition to events, a variety of academic papers and group activity assignments are being generously donated by comic educators and will be available on this site. Our wish is that these materials will inspire you to have your own events in your community. Ideas include events held at schools, libraries, and book groups. 

Will Eisner Week is a collaborative project of The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, The Will & Ann Eisner Family Foundation, and a variety of Comic Institutions.  Will Eisner Week is chaired by Assistant Professor Barbara Schulz from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design assisted by the Will Eisner Week organizing committee. 

It's Will Eisner Week Around the World!

Diana Schutz image via Wikipedia

The first week of March will mark the inaugural Will Eisner Week, a celebration of Will Eisner's legacy in graphic novel literacy and free expression. A collaborative project of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, The Will & Ann Eisner Family Foundation, and a variety of comics institutions, Will Eisner Week is chaired by the Minneapolis College of Art and Design's Assistant Professor Barbara Schulz. Will Eisner Week will be celebrated this year from March 1 to March 7, commemorating the 92nd anniversary of Eisner's birth.

Will Eisner Week is intended as an ongoing celebration that will promote graphic novel literacy, free speech awareness, and the legacy of Eisner himself to a broad audience. This first annual celebration is themed "The Spirit of A Legend," examining Will Eisner's seminal Spirit comic, as well as the spirit inherent in his work that has inspired generations of comic readers and artists. This theme will be explored at events in Minneapolis at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, in Savannah at the Savannah College of Art and Design, and in New York City.

In addition to events, a variety of academic papers and group activity assignments are available on WillEisnerWeek.com

These include:

• Diana Schutz: Comic Artist Will Eisner
• Diana Green: Other Trench(ant) Coats: Dr. Drew and the Wraith as
• Spirit Pastiches
• Frenchy Lunning: The Hero High Above the City
• Ivan Brunetti: Worst. Page. Ever.
• Paul Karasik: Will Eisner, Grandaddy to the SuperHero Generation.

Will & Ann Eisner Family Foundation President Carl Gropper says, "The Foundation is very excited to be working with three such prestigious organizations to celebrate the accomplishments and the position of the Graphic Novel in current culture. Will Eisner spent his seven decades-long career showing what could be accomplished with Sequential Art and Will Eisner Week will continue that work. In 1978 no mainstream publisher would publish Will Eisner's first graphic novel and in 2008 the graphic novel was the one of the few areas of growth
in all media including publishing, television, and the movies adding billions to the worldwide economy."

CBLDF Executive Director Charles Brownstein says, "Will Eisner was a staunch advocate of comics and free expression throughout his life. His work for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund was tireless, and we are proud to honor his legacy through this initiative. Over time, we hope that Will Eisner Week will be used to focus ever more attention on graphic novel literacy and the wide range of free expression that comics encourage."

Check out www.willeisnerweek.com for more information.

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