Name: Will Eisner
Alias: The father of the graphic novel
Affiliation: None
Bio: Will Eisner put himself into his work – literally! In the graphic novel To The Heart of the Storm, we see a young Will Eisner growing up and confronting anti-Semitism in New York during the 1930s and ‘40s. Most recently, a posthumous anthology of autobiographical stories was just released; this guy truly is a legend!
Strength: Ability to write and draw graphic novels well into his 80s, when most of his contemporaries had retired or died. At the time of his death in early 2005, Eisner had been involved in the comics industry for a record 69 years.
Weakness: People who asked him how much their copy of Action Comics #1 would be worth if their mom hadn’t thrown it out.
Exemplary Jewish Value: Like filmmakers Woody Allen and Barry Levinson, Will Eisner continuously made graphic novels about the Jewish experience. His books warned audiences about the ever-present specter of anti-Semitism, and the evils of prejudice.
Real World Organizational Match: American Jewish Historical Society- For the man whose work touched upon so much of the American Jewish experience and the documentation of the tribe’s history. From Contract with God, Name of the Game, Fagin the Jew to The Plot.
Biblical Validation: "How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures….When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth." (Psalms 104: 24, 30)
The Spirit #1
Contract With God: Considered by some to be the first graphic novel
The Plot: Eisner’s last work about the the conspiracy of the Protocols of Zion
