Will Eisner, creator of "The Spirit", passed away.

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Will Eisner Dies At 87

NEW YORK - Cartoonist/graphic novelist Will Eisner died last night in Florida following quadruple heart bypass surgery. He was 87.

His newspaper connection included creating "The Spirit" insert for Sunday papers from 1940 to 1952. Jules Feiffer worked under Eisner on that comic feature from 1946 and 1951.

Eisner received the 1995 Milton Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award and the 1998 Reuben Award as cartoonist of the year from the National Cartoonists Society.

One of the greats. Just read his book on sequential art.

It can truly be said that Eisner wrote the book on how to create comics.

He was justifiably a giant.

the spirit was _great_.

In June of 1940 Will Eisner created The Spirit, a comic serial which would appear weekly in the Sunday newspaper.

The Spirit, a "middle class crimefighter", was the hero persona of young detective Denny Colt. Colt, presumed killed in the first three pages of the first serial, would later reveal that he had not died but was in suspended animation from one of the arch villain Dr. Cobra's experiments. When he awakened in Wildwood Cemetery, he established a base there and, using his newly gained anonymity, began a life of fighting crime wearing only a small domino mask, blue business suit, fedora and gloves for a costume. The Spirit would bring justice, funding his adventures with the money from his own estate and the rewards from capturing villains.

During World War II Eisner enlisted in the army. While Eisner was away, the newspaper syndicate kept The Spirit going by having ghost writers and artists to continue the strip till his return. Many fans, however, believe the best stories of all are those which Will Eisner penned and drew. Eisner developed a cinematic style; through the use of shadows and different angles of view he draws the reader into the seedy atmosphere of his stories. The 1st frame of series became famous for working the title "The Spirit" into the background or scenery.

Compared to contemporary properties, The Spirit has proven highly durable as one of the most respected American comic book series from the Golden age of comic books.

That's just what he wants you to think.

I knew he'd gone in for heart surgery.

Dammit.

He was my favorite.

Comic Book Pioneer Will Eisner Dies at 87
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: January 4, 2005

Filed at 3:48 p.m. ET

MIAMI (AP) -- Will Eisner, the artist who revolutionized comic books with the popular newspaper supplement "The Spirit" and taught generations of soldiers how to maintain their equipment with the "Joe Dope" series, has died. He was 87.

Eisner died Monday at Florida Medical Center in Lauderdale Lakes of complications from quadruple bypass heart surgery last month, according to Denis Kitchen, Eisner's publisher for three decades.

"He was absolutely the greatest innovator the industry ever saw," Kitchen said.

(snip)

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/arts/AP-Obit-Eisner.html?oref=login