Will Eisner, creator of The Spirit, is dead

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

Link only from the O Globo newspaper by now, in Portuguese:

http://oglobo.globo.com/online/plantao/148104681.asp

Edit: OK, I'll translate:

American cartoonist Will Eisner, 87, passed away yesterdey night of complications from a heart surgery he underwent December 22. Considered a legend in the comics world, he created in 1939 his most famous character, The Spirit, a detective who fought crime in the fictitious town of Central City. Despite his age, he was still in activity. His latest graphic novel, "The Plot", will be released this year.

[Fovea]

1. How sad.

But he was creating until the last, and you have to respect that.
RIP Will.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

2. English link thanks to mac56

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/departments/syndicates/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000745535

[Lorien]

3. More from a friend at DC comics:

BULLETIN
>> Will Eisner dies at 87
>>
>>
>>
>> WILL EISNER: A SPIRITED LIFE
>> eNewsletter No. 14
>> January 4, 2004
>>
>> An occasional source of information about
>> legendary artist and writer Will Eisner
>>
>>
>>
>> By Bob Andelman
>>
>>
>> Legendary comics and graphic novel artist and writer Will Eisner died
>> last night, Monday, January 3, 2005, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at
>> the age of 87, following complications from quadruple heart bypass
>> surgery.
>>
>> Will Eisner didn’t create Superman, Batman, Spider-Man or even Archie
>> and Jughead. Some comic book fans may scratch their heads when asked
>> to describe his work. But every artist and writer in comic books, as
>> well as graphic artists across the entire spectrum of modern
>> illustration, television and film, owes a debt to him.
>>
>> In 1941, Eisner created a goofball detective named Denny Colt who died
>> (not really) and was reborn as “The Spirit,” the cemetery-dwelling
>> protector of the public — and pretty girls in particular. The Spirit
>> possessed no superpowers. He couldn’t see through his girlfriend’s
>> clothing the way a curious alien like the Man of Steel might
>> scientifically investigate Lois Lane. And he wasn’t a brilliant
>> technologist like Batman, imagineering hokey gadgets and psychedelic
>> compounds for all-night parties with the Joker.
>>
>> The Spirit broke so many molds:
>>
>> • Eisner was the strip’s artist and writer, a feat that is still rare
>> today.
>>
>> • The Spirit was published and distributed as an insert in Sunday
>> newspapers, ala Parade magazine. It was seen weekly by as many as
>> 5-million people from 1941 to 1952.
>>
>> • No two Spirit sections looked alike. Although most commercial
>> operations – from Superman to Pepsi-Cola – spend millions of dollars
>> testing, proving and marketing their logos, Eisner thought it was more
>> challenging to change The Spirit’s masthead every week – for 12 years.
>>
>> • The Spirit was a fun, mature read, aimed at adults but accessible to
>> kids.
>>
>> For all of these reasons, The Spirit was published and reissued in
>> various forms almost uninterrupted for 60 years. Its look, feel and
>> smartass humor is timeless, which accounts for the countless revivals.
>>
>> Eisner, who went to high school with “Batman” creator Bob Kane,
>> provided first jobs in the comics business to everyone from Jack Kirby
>> (co-creator of “Captain America” and the “Fantastic Four”) to
>> Pulitzer-winning writer and artist Jules Feiffer.
>>
>> If not for Eisner’s influence, Pulitzer Prize winner Art Spiegelman
>> might never have published his graphic novel Maus: A Survivor’s Tale
>> (Eisner is credited with popularizing — if not inventing — the medium
>> of the graphic novel with the 1978 publication of his graphic story
>> collection, A Contract With God) and fellow Pulitzer Prize-winner
>> Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay would have
>> been missing quite a few Eisner-inspired tales.
>>
>> For comic book professionals, the highest honor in the industry is
>> either an Eisner Award, named for Eisner and given out every summer at
>> Comic-Con International in San Diego, or a Harvey Award, named for
>> Eisner’s late friend Harvey Kurtzman, the creator of Mad magazine and
>> Playboy’s “Little Annie Fanny,” given every April in Pittsburgh.
>> Kurtzman, who discovered talents as diverse as R. Crumb and Gloria
>> Steinem, passed away in 1993, making Eisner the last man standing.
>>
>> Literally.
>>
>> At every Eisner Awards ceremony, each recipient was handed his or her
>> award by the man himself.
>>
>> Several years ago, a big red velvet chair was put on stage for Eisner.
>> The Eisner Awards promoters said, “Come on, Will, you shouldn’t have
>> to stand up all this time; here, have a seat.” Eisner sat on it
>> briefly, got a laugh out of it, but then he stood up again, and stayed
>> on his feet the rest of the night. Eisner demonstrated his strength of
>> character and enduring physical wherewithal by standing on stage
>> throughout the entire presentation, shaking hands and personally
>> congratulating the winners. Because there is a different presenter for
>> each award, no one else stood for as long as Eisner.
>>
>> That’s why, when Eisner handed the 2002 Eisner Award for Best
>> Serialized Story (Amazing Spider-Man #30-35: “Coming Home”) to writer
>> J. Michael Straczynski and artists John Romita Jr. and Scott Hanna,
>> Straczynski thrust the award in the air and remarked, “You know, you
>> get the Emmy, you don’t get it from ‘Emmy.’ You win the Oscar, you
>> don’t get it from ‘Oscar.’ How freakin’ cool is this?”
>>
>> Published in November 2004, DC Comics’ The Will Eisner Companion is
>> the first comprehensive, critical overview of the work of this
>> legendary writer/artist. Divided into two sections — his Spirit work
>> and his graphic novels — this authorized companion features all-new
>> critical and historical essays by noted comics historians N.C.
>> Christopher Couch and Stephen Weiner, as well as alphabetical indexes
>> relating to all aspects and characters in his oeuvre. Also includes a
>> chronology, a bibliography and suggested reading lists, as well as an
>> introduction by Dennis O'Neil.
>>
>> A new generation of comics fans learned about the man in the 1970s
>> when underground comix publisher Denis Kitchen began reprinting “The
>> Spirit” stories and eventually produced new stories of the character
>> by top comic book talent including Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and Neil
>> Gaiman. Kitchen became one of Eisner’s closest friends and confidants,
>> as well as his personal representative and literary agent (with Judith
>> Hansen). (Kitchen can be reached via email at [e-mail].)
>>
>> More recently, “John Law,” a 56-year- old Will Eisner character, was
>> given fresh life and adventures in 2002 by Australian artist and
>> writer Gary Chaloner as an online comic book hero at ModernTales.com.
>> In December 2004, Law returned to print in IDW Publishing’s “Will
>> Eisner's John Law” hardcover trade paperback. These stories were the
>> first original John Law adventures published since Eisner worked on
>> the character in 1948. This edition includes both new material and
>> classic John Law tales by Eisner himself.
>>
>> And Eisner’s final — and likely most controversial — graphic novel,
>> The Plot, finished last summer, will be published this spring by W.W.
>> Norton.
>>
>> Will Eisner was the wizard behind the curtain, except in his case, the
>> magic was real.
>>
>> There will be no funeral service, per Will’s wishes. “Will and I hated
>> funerals,” his wife, Ann, said the morning after his death. “We made
>> plans long ago to avoid having them ourselves.” He will be buried next
>> to his late daughter, Alice, who died in 1969. Surviving Will are his
>> wife, Ann, and his son, John.
>>
>> Cards may be sent to:
>> Will Eisner Studios
>> 8333 W. McNab Road
>> Tamarac, FL 33321
>>
>> Unofficially, in lieu of flowers, you might consider a donation in
>> Will’s name to the American Cancer Society — his daughter died of
>> cancer — or the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, which Will was known to
>> have supported.
>>
>> On a personal note, I am crushed. Will and I started working on what
>> began as an autobiography and morphed into an authorized biography
>> three years ago this month. His friendship and camaraderie was like
>> none other. (Will Eisner: A Spirited Life will be published in July
>> for Dark Horse Comics’ new M Press imprint.)
>>
>> In the days to come, if you’d like to share a story or a thought about
>> Will and need an outlet, I’ll make this newsletter available to anyone
>> who’d care to contribute. Just reply to [e-mail]
>> and I’ll share your words with an international audience of Eisner
>> fans and media.
>>
>> Today is a very sad day for the the world of arts and letters.
>>
>> MEDIA: You may quote freely from this obituary, as long as credit is
>> given to Bob Andelman, author of the authorized biography, Will
>> Eisner: A Spirited Life.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> WILL EISNER LINKS
>>
>> Will Eisner Official Site; Who is Will Eisner?
>> http://www.willeisner.com
>>
>> Fagin the Jew, Doubleday Books
>> http://www.randomhouse.com/doubleday/catalog/display.pperl?0385510098
>>
>>
>> Will Eisner’s John Law, New Adventures Online
>> http://www.johnlaw.us.com
>>
>> Wildwood Cemetery: The Spirit Database
>> http://www.angelfire.com/art/wildwood/
>>
>> Will Eisner Original Art For Sale
>> http://deniskitchen.com/
>>
>> DC Comics’ Will Eisner Library
>> http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/dc_category.html?cat=eisner
>>
>> Dark Horse Comics
>> http://darkhorse.com
>>
>> NBM Publishing
>> http://www.nbmpub.com/fairytales/eisner/eisnerhome.html
>>
>> PODGallery
>> http://www.podgallery.com/eisner
>>
>> The Spirit Checklist
>> http://www.luckymojo.com/spiritchecklist.html
>>
>> Rare Eisner: Making of a Genius
>> http://www.comicartville.com/rareeisner.htm
>>
>> Kitchen & Hansen Literary Agency
>> http://www.kitchenandhansen.com
>>
>> Who is Bob Andelman, Anyway?
>> http://www.andelman.com
>>
>> Please share the “Will Eisner: A Spirited Life eNewsletter” with your
>> friends.
>>
>>
>> If you’d like to subscribe, send an e-mail to
>> [e-mail] with the words “Eisner Newsletter” in
>> the subject line.
>>
>> If you’d like to unsubscribe, send an e-mail to
>> [e-mail] with the words “Unsubscribe” in the
>> subject line.
>>
>
>
>
http://homepage.mac.com/josemarzan/

[Old Mouse]

4. An amazing talent

A sample of the finest in American creativity.

[StaggerLee]

5. RIP

I loved the Spirit. I also read A Contract With God. Good stuff.

He will be missed.

[AZCat]

6. Sad, but I am glad he was able to be creative this long

I have been a long-time reader of Eisner's work, and am sad that he has passed. I am in the process of aquiring the reprints of his "The Spirit" work, released in color by DC Comics. They are $50 a pop, but each book covers half a year. For those interested, Eisner's work is the first book and then picks up again in book 12 - he was in the army in between those books (for WW2) and several other artists covered for him while he was gone.


R.I.P. Will... :(

[PleadTheFirst]

7. Damn.

Will Eisner is one of my idols. ... I'm at a complete loss for words right now.

:(

[Kelvin Mace]

8. DAMN!!! Him AND Kelly Freas!

[David Zephyr]

9. Sorry to hear this.

Never thought I'd see a post about the great Will Eisner here. Thanks.

[Smirking_Chimp]

10. One of the very best comic book artist ever.

He combined realism and with caricature, his backgrounds were dark and moody, and his style is unmistakeable. When I first discovered the Spirit, I was hooked on his storytelling, and inspired by his artwork, I collected just about everything he ever did. My cousin used to get me Eisner graphic novels as birthday gifts, because he knew I was such a fan. When I considered selling my comics, I decided then I would never give up my Spirits.