Books by Will Eisner
Born: 03/06/1917; Died: 01/03/2005Will Eisner Biography & Notes
Will Eisner is regarded as one of the most influential figures in comics, or sequential art, as he termed it. Born in Brooklyn in 1917, he began his 70-year professional career as a teenager. In the late 1930s, he and Jerry Iger opened one of the first comic book studios; employing such future luminaries as Jack Kirby (the co-creator of Spider-Man and Fantastic Four) and Bob Kane (Batman's creator). In 1939, Eisner launched The Spirit, a Sunday newspaper serial concerning a masked avenger notable for possessing no superpowers. During World War II, Eisner started a new venture, writing and illustrating instructional comics for the U. S. Army, and later produced educational comics for other audiences. Eisner coined the phrase "graphic novel" in 1978 to refer to a new serious work of his, A CONTRACT WITH GOD, concerning a Jewish immigrant's moral downfall after he believes that God has abandoned him. Subsequent graphic novels, often incorporating autobiographical elements--particularly his youth in the tenements and his experiences of anti-Semitism--included THE DREAMER, DROPSIE AVENUE, TO THE HEART OF THE STORM, and his final book, THE PLOT, an exploration and condemnation of "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion." In 1988, the comic book community created a now-prestigious set of awards bearing his name, given out yearly for excellence in the genre. Will Eisner died on January 3, 2005.
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101 Outerspace Jokes by Will Eisner ( 1986) |
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The Art of Will Eisner by Will Eisner, Catherine Yronwode, Denis Kitchen ( 1982) |
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Autobiographix by Frank Miller, Linda Medley, Sergio Aragones, Bill Morrison, Paul Chadwick, Will Eisner, Jason Lutes, Sean Konot, Metaphrog, Paul Hornschemeier, Dan Jackson, Farel Dalrymple, Eddie Champbell, Richard Doutt, Arnold Pander ( 2003) |
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Bernet by ( 2003) |
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The Best of the Golden Age Sheena 1 by Bob Powell, Matt Baker, Dan Zolnerowich, Joe Doolin ( 2008) |
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The Best of the Spirit by Will Eisner ( 2005)
DC Comics has incrementally republished the entirety of Will Eisner's influential comic THE SPIRIT, first published in 1940. This is the first chance, however, for readers to get a selection of the masked, fedora-wearing crime fighter's adventures. This collection of 22 stories showcases the breadth and consistency of Eisner's work--his storytelling techniques, use of color, strategic deployment of genre-mixing. Meet the femme fatales and arch-enemies and get to know one of comics classic heroes.
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The Best of the Spirit by Will Eisner ( 2005)
DC Comics has incrementally republished the entirety of Will Eisner's influential comic THE SPIRIT, first published in 1940. This is the first chance, however, for readers to get a selection of the masked, fedora-wearing crime fighter's adventures. This collection of 22 stories showcases the breadth and consistency of Eisner's work--his storytelling techniques, use of color, strategic deployment of genre-mixing. Meet the femme fatales and arch-enemies and get to know one of comics classic heroes.
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The Blackhawk Archives by Will Eisner, William Woolfolk, Dick French ( 2001)
Organized by Blackhawk, a young aviator seeking vengeance on his family's killers, Andre, Olaf, Chuck, Stanislaus, Hendrickson, and Chop-Chop battle the Nazis.
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The Building by Will Eisner ( 1987) |
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The Christmas Spirit by Will Eisner ( 1995) |
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City People Notebook by Will Eisner ( 1989) |
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Comics & Sequential Art by Will Eisner ( 1985) |
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Comics and Sequential Art Principles and Practices from the Legendary Cartoonist by Will Eisner ( 2008) |
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A Contact With God by Will Eisner ( 1997) |
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Contract With God by Will Eisner ( 1985)
Will Eisner invented the term "graphic novel" to differentiate this serious work from the superhero exploits typically chronicled in comic books. As such, it served as a precursor to works in a similar vein by other author/artists, including Art Spiegelman's MAUS and Marjane Satrapi's PERSEPOLIS. Based on Eisner's childhood experiences, A CONTRACT WITH GOD collects four tales that illuminate the daily lives of the inhabitants of a Bronx tenement during the 1930s, illustrated by evocative, realistic sepia-toned art. The title story concerns a pious Jew who writes out a contract with God. When his adopted daughter Rachele dies suddenly, he considers the contract breached, repudiates his faith, and becomes a slumlord. The second concerns a street singer's brief chance at fame, the third is a glimpse at the desperately lonely and deeply misunderstood tenement super, and the fourth recounts various sexual dramas occurring during summer vacation in the Catskills. While the stories are somewhat grim, they are not entirely so, and there is definitely a strong sense of the poetic in the tragedies that he portrays.
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The Contract With God Trilogy Life on Dropsie Avenue by Will Eisner ( 2005)
The legendary graphic novel and the sequels that launched an art form.
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Dating and Hanging Out by Will Eisner ( 1966) |
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Dreamer by Will Eisner ( 1988) |
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Dropsie Avenue The Neighborhood by Will Eisner ( 1995) |
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Eisner / Miller A One-On-One Interview Conducted by Charles Brownstein by Will Eisner ( 2005)
Cartoonist-turned-director Frank Miller and comics icon Will Eisner talk shop. They discuss the art and business of comics, working in movies, influences, and reflect candidly on their careers in this gracefully edited book and beautifully illustrated (with drawings and photographs) book. Published three years before Miller's adaptation of Eisner's classic THE SPIRIT came to the big screen, this provides fans of both artists with contextual insights.
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Expressive Anatomy for Comics and Narrative Principles and Practices from the Legendary Cartoonist by Peter Poplaski, Will Eisner ( 2008)
A final installment in the late illustrator's instructional trilogy explores the principles of body grammar in comics storytelling, covering such topics as body mechanics, movement, and facial expression. Original.
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Fagin El Judfo / Fegin The Jew by Will Eisner ( 2004)
A graphic novel adaptation of the story of Oliver Twist from Fagin's perspective recasts the character as a complex and troubled anti-hero who struggles with prejudice, poverty, and anti-Semitism.
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Fagin el judio / Fagin The Jew by Will Eisner ( 2004) |
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A Family Matter by Will Eisner ( 1998)
Family Matter tells the story of a day in the life of a typical family gathered for a birthday party. In the span of twenty-four hours, the darkest family secrets are revealed. Long suppressed memories surface -- betrayal, abuse, greed, incest, and worse. The strained family comes together, only to be torn apart. The first new graphic novel from Eisner since Dropsie Avenue is darker than you might expect. One of his best.
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Faster than a Speeding Bullet The Rise of the Graphic Novel by Stephen Weiner ( 2004) |
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Golden Age Sheena The Best of the Queen of the Jungle 2 by Bob Powell, Joe Doolin, Dan Zolnerowich, Matt Baker ( 2009) |
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Golden Age Sheena 3 The Best of the Queen of the Jungle by Will Eisner ( 2009) |
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Graphic Storytelling by Will Eisner ( 1995) |
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Graphic Storytelling and Visual Narrative Principles and Practices from the Legendary Cartoonist by Will Eisner ( 2008) |
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Invisible People by Will Eisner ( 1993) |
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La conspiracion / The Plot La Historia Secreta De Los Protocolos De Los Sabios De Sion by Will Eisner ( 2005) |
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La narracion grafica/ Graphic Storytelling and Visual Narrative by Will Eisner ( 2009) |
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La vida en vinetas, historias autobiograficas/ Life In Pictures, Autobiographical Stories by Will Eisner ( 2009) |
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Last Day in Vietnam by Will Eisner ( 2000) |
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A Life Force by Will Eisner ( 1988) |
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Life on Another Planet by Will Eisner ( 1996)
It's the near future, and the first evidence of intelligent life on another planet reaches Earth--a signal from space. Eisner tracks the effects around the world as mankind discovers we're not alone in the universe. It's the ultimate combination of science-fiction situations and Eisner's masterful depictions of human emotion as men and women under stress discover who they really are!
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Life, in Pictures Autobiographical Stories by Will Eisner ( 2007)
A visual self-assessment by the creator of
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Michael Chabon Presents... The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist by Chris Offutt, Eddie Campbell, Howard Chaykin ( 2006) |
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Minor Miracles Long Ago and Once upon a Time Back When Uncles Were Heroic, Cousins Were Clever, and Miracles Happend on Every Block by Will Eisner ( 2009) |
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Moby Dick by Herman Melville, Will Eisner ( 2001)
Ishmael, a sailor, recounts the ill-fated voyage of a whaling ship led by the fanatical Captain Ahab in search of the white whale that had crippled him, in a story told in comic book format.
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The Name of the Game by Will Eisner ( 2002)
Chronicles the struggle for power and privilege of the Arnheim, Ober, and Kayn families as each tries to ensure its family's future with marriage and children.
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Name of the Game by Will Eisner ( 2008)
A tale loosely based on the author's wife's family is a multi-generation saga in which the power and privilege of an American dynasty are shaped by wealth, marriage, and jealousy. Reprint.
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New York The Big City by Will Eisner ( 2007)
In unforgettable style, captures the grit and grime of Avenue C--a world filled with street musicians, overflowing sewers, and peeping toms. 10,000 first printing.
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The Outer Space Spirit by Wallace Wood, Jules Feiffer, Will Eisner ( 1982) |
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The Plot The Secret Story Of The Protocols Of The Elders Of Zion by Umberto Eco, Will Eisner ( 2005)
Presented in graphic-novel format, an examination of the 1905 plot fabricated by anti-Semitic secret police that was used to accuse Jewish leaders of wanting to take over the world discusses the contributions of such individuals as Tsar Nicholas II, Henry Ford, and Adolph Hitler, tracing how Protocols became an internationally accepted truth and tragically succeeded far beyond propagandistic ambitions.
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The Plot The Secret Story of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion by Will Eisner ( 2006) |
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The Princess and the Frog by Jacob L. Grimm, Wilhelm K. Grimm, Will Eisner ( 1996)
A good prince, turned into a frog by a spiteful wizard, exacts from a princess a promise which she is reluctant to fulfill, despite his kindness and her desire not to hurt him.
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Signal from Space by Will Eisner ( 1983) |
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The Spirit Femmes Fatales by Will Eisner ( 2008) |
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The Spirit Archives January 2 to June 25, 1944 by Will Eisner ( 2002)
The Spirit continues his battle against Nazi spies and underground criminals in the eighth volume of this comprehensive collection of Spirit Sunday strips. Reprinting in full color the classic strips from January 2 - June 25, 1944, these tales have the masked crimefighter facing off against some of his greatest enemies: such as Killer Ketch, Dr. Peroo, and the lethal Black Marx. Also included in this hardcover masterwork is a gallery of remarkable artwork that Will Eisner created for the Army during World War II.
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Spirit Archives 19 by Will Eisner ( 2006)
Reprinting the Spirit sections from July 3 to December 25, 1949, Will Eisner's masterwork continues through one of its greatest periods in THE SPIRIT ARCHIVES VOL. 19, featuring the classic stories "Ye Olde Spirit of '76," "Death of Autumn Mews" and "Ten Minutes" as well as an introduction from Stephen Weiner, co-author of THE WILL EISNER COMPANION.
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Spirit Archives 22 by ( 2007)
Will Eisner's masterwork continues through one of it's greatest periods in WILL EISNER'S THE SPIRIT ARCHIVES VOL. 22, collecting the Spirit Sections from January though June 1951 and featuring such classic stories as "Death is my Destiny," "The Octopus is Back" and "The Hero!"!
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The Spirit Archives 24 by Will Eisner ( 2008)
Don't miss this massive final volume in the SPIRIT ARCHIVES series! The final installments of Eisner's weekly Spirit stories reaches its conclusion in this volume of adventures from the early 1950s, including the lushly illustrated series that took The Spirit from Central City to the surface of the moon.
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The Spirit Archives 25 by Will Eisner ( 2008)
The penultimate volume in The Spirit Archives presents the rarely-seen daily Spirit comic strip in its entirety, which ran from October 13, 1941, through March 11, 1944. Full of adventure, suspense and fun, this volume is a must-have for Spirit fans!
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Spirit Archives 26 by Will Eisner ( 2009)
The very last SPIRIT ARCHIVES volume brings this award-winning series to a spectacular end! This amazing collection features nearly impossible-to-find post-1952 Spirit material by legendary creator Will Eisner including stories originally published by companies including Harvey Comics, Kitchen Sink Press, The New York Herald Tribune and many more! Closing the door on DC's massive republishing effort of classic comics spotlighting the Spirit, this volume is a genuine collector's treasure trove. Old fans and new readers alike won't want to miss this farewell edition!
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The Spirit Casebook by Will Eisner ( 1990) |
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The Spirit Color Album by Will Eisner ( 1983) |
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Spirit Jam by Will Eisner ( 1998) |
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The Spirit Lunch Box by ( 2001) |
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Sundiata A Legend of Africa by Will Eisner ( 2002)
A retelling in comic strip form of the African epic in which an ugly, crippled child grows up to become the liberator and founder of the great empire of old Mali.
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To the Heart of the Storm by Will Eisner ( 1991)
Based loosely on the author's life, this graphic novel explores the bigotry, social change, and economic reversal experienced by a Jewish family in the years prior to World War II.
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To the Heart of the Storm by Will Eisner ( 2008)
A sweeping historical work inspired by prejudice, assimilation, and anti-Semitism in the western world prior to World War II takes readers from eighteenth-century New York, to Vienna during World War I, to Depression-era America. Reprint.
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What's in What You Eat by Will Eisner ( 1983)
Lists the content of water, calories, protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals in hundreds of basic foods.
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Will Eisner Color Treasury by Will Eisner, Catherine Yronwode ( 1981) |
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Will Eisner Reader 7 Graphic Stories by a Comic Master by Will Eisner ( 1991) |
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Will Eisner Sketchbook by Will Eisner ( 1996)
Now you can watch Will Eisner, father of the graphic novel and creator of The Spirit, as he creates some of the greatest masterpieces of sequential art! This glorious sketchbook is filled with concept sketches, character studies, fabulous Eisner cityscapes, and much, much more!
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Will Eisner's Hawks of the Seas by Will Eisner ( 2003) |
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Will Eisner's John Law Detective Dead Man Walking by Will Eisner ( 2004) |
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Will Eisner's New York Life in the Big City by Will Eisner ( 1986) |
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Will Eisner's New York, the Big City by Will Eisner ( 1986) |
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Will Eisner's Shop Talk by Will Eisner, Milton Caniff, Jack Kirby ( 2001)
Filled with vibrant illustrations, essential information, technical secrets, amusing anecdotes, and fascinating history lessons, a pioneer in the comics industry presents a spectacular collection of interviews with other masters of the comics medium including Jack Kirby, Joe Simon, Gil Kane, Joe Kubert, Jack Davis, and Milton Caniff. Original.
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Will Eisner's Spirit Casebook by Will Eisner ( 1998) |
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Will Eisner's The Spirit 20 Archives by Will Eisner ( 2006)
Will Eisner's masterwork continues through one of its greatest periods in WILL EISNER'S THE SPIRIT ARCHIVES VOL. 20, collecting the Spirit Sections from January 1 to July 2, 1950 and featuring such classic stories as "Sand Saref," "Sammy and Delilah" and "The Good Old Days."
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Will Eisner's the Dreamer by Will Eisner ( 1986) |
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Will Eisner's the Spirit Archives July 6 to December 28, 1941 by Will Eisner ( 2000)
Continuing the comprehensive and chronological reprinting of Will Eisner's most famous creation, the Spirit, this full-color hardcover edition contains the Sunday strips that originally appeared in newspapers from July 6 - December 28, 1941. Reflecting the current affairs of World War II, the Spirit joins the fight against real world evil as he travels to Damascus and goes up against Nazi spies in occupied France. Also included in this volume are the returns of Silk Satin, Dusk, and the Christmas Spirit.
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Will Eisner'sThe Spirit Archives 23 by Will Eisner ( 2007)
Eisner's masterwork continues through one of its greatest periods in WILL EISNER'S THE SPIRIT ARCHIVES VOL. 23, collecting classic Spirit Sections from late 1951 and featuring such classic stories as "Heat," "The Counterfeit Killer" and "The Man from Mars."
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Los archivos de the spirit 16 by Will Eisner ( 2009) |
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El comic y el arte secuencial/ Comics and Sequential Art by Will Eisner ( 2009) |
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