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Cover to Will Eisner's SVA Gallery #7 (School of Visual Arts, New York).
Click for larger image. |
In addition to producing a legacy
of great work from across different periods of his life
— from The Spirit to his graphic novels —
Will Eisner also taught cartooning at the School of Visual
Arts in New York. Many of today's graphic novelists and
industry professionals in North America were students of
Eisners.
It's from these years of teaching that
Eisner authored two definitive works examining the creative
process, Comics
and Sequential Art and Graphic
Storytelling. A third and final book in
this trilogy — on dynamic figure drawing — is
due for posthumous release in by W.W. Norton.
Throughout the '80s and until his untimely
death, Eisner travelled as much as he could, giving lectures
and attending conventions, spreading the word about the
value and potential of comics as an artform as well as an
educational tool. He spent many hours speaking with aspiring
cartoonists, encouraging them to persist, to develop their
own styles and experiment with the different aspects of
graphic storytelling.
In 1988, The
Eisner Awards were established in his name.
Presented each year at Comic-Con
International in San Diego, these awards have grown
to become the 'Oscars' of the comic book industry and acknowledge
the finest sequential art work of the year. Importantly,
the ceremony also features the Will Eisner Spirit of
Comics Retailing Award, honouring retail outlets and
their owners.
* * *
Will Eisner has been cited as an inspiration
by comics' creators from all corners of the world and from
all areas of the artform. As a creator who helped define
the very language of comics, his influence will be felt
for years to come. He will remain one of the most important
and inspirational forces in the comics' field.
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