I am Kyle's self-indulgence

Will Eisner, a pioneer of comics art in America, died on Monday. His influence on comics simply cannot be stressed enough. Scott McCloud views him as a Don Quixote figure whose vision of comics as an art form came long before its time. In the 1940s to early 1950s, Eisner developed a rich, beautiful, and unique style of visual storytelling in The Spirit, a "superhero" comic (of a hero with no powers) which stood apart from all its contemporaries in terms not only of style, but of literary merit.


Eisner temporarily left the world of commercial comics to create instructional comics for the U.S. army, only to return in 1978 with A Contract with God, the first "graphic novel." In fact, it was Eisner himself who coined this phrase to show that his new work was different in form and content from all comics that had come before.


It is a testimony to Will Eisner's influence that the comics industry's most prestigious award was named after him while he continued to be active in creating some of comics' greatest works, even winning his own Eisner awards. He continued to grow as an artist even up to his death, and his passing is a sad occasion for the comics industry.


I hope my words have at least done some justice to the man who revolutionized an art form. If you want to read a more professional obituary, I recommend The Chicago Tribune.


Update as of January 5: In honor of the late Mr. Eisner, The Onion A.V. Club has re-run a recent interview, in which Eisner discusses his numerous innovations and his continuing vision of comics' future:

"I would like to see the comics industry reach a point where good comics material is reviewed in The New York Times and treated at a level equivalent to oil paintings and good literature. I'm hoping we'll see more of that. I believe it will happen, and I'm hoping to be around when it does."