Last week, the departments of Serials (ie comic books) and Prints & Photographs (ie original art and posters) put on small exhibit for a couple of hours in recognition of Will Eisner's 100th birthday. In addition to Spirit comic books, there was original art by Eisner, as well as other comics and comic book pages.



 

  



More pictures are on Flickr.

Dec 6th 12pm AFI Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist

thanks to Liz for the tip

WILL EISNER: PORTRAIT OF A SEQUENTIAL ARTIST
Sunday, December 6, 12:15 pm
AFI Silver Theatre

Will Eisner started working in comics in the1930s, just as they were moving from reprints of newspaper strips to tabloids featuring original material, and Eisner had some of the most original creations of all.  He combined elements of art, literature and film that eventually led to a successful career in what he called "sequential art," the forerunner of today's graphic novels.  Starting in 1939, his gritty crime fighter series The Spirit incorporated "film noir" as well as elements of the Jewish experience and the fight against anti-semitism. Featuring interviews with Michael Chabon, Art Spiegelman, Jules Feiffer and others, this visually imaginative documentary captures Eisner's groundbreaking genius. USA, 2007, video, documentary, 96 minutes, Director: Andrew D. Cooke

SPECIAL GUEST Andrew Cooke, Director

For tickets and information about other WJFF films please visit WJFF.org

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I just finished transcribing Alan Fern's interview of Jules Feiffer at the Cosmos Club in Washington last year, on the occasion of the McGovern award. It will appear in the Fall 2008 issue of the International Journal of Comic Art. Subscribe now!

Here's a sample, with Feiffer talking about bringing his portfolio to show to Will Eisner and being told his art was no good:

...But I had long ago established a habit of responding to unpleasant truths by not hearing them, or changing the subject, and I sure as hell was not going to walk out of this meeting with Will Eisner, my hero, with my tail between my legs, being told I had no talent. This was not the way this was going to end, so I started improvising and the only thing I could think of talking about was him and his work. Now here was a guy who had revolutionized comic book art and he had three highly crafted professionals in the other room who didn’t give a damn about his work. Who thought he was kind of out of date, and didn’t know anything about his career, and then he met me and I had a whole dossier. I knew everything he ever had done. I could talk about it not just as a little boy, but as a knowledgeable fan. He had no choice but to hire me as a groupie.

[audience laughs]