Gallery: New Bio of Comics Legend Will Eisner Is Packed With Rare Art
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This 1974 poster combines an unprecedented team-up of The Spirit and Sheena, Queen of the Jungle (along with less momentous appearances by Uncle Sam and the Hawks of the Sea.) (THE SPIRIT and WILL EISNER are trademarks owned by Will Eisner Studios, Inc. and are registered in the U.S. Trademark Office. Illustrations/photographs provided by the Estate of Will Eisner and the collection of Denis Kitchen unless otherwise indicated.)
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Original art for the splash art of “The Haunted House,” *The Spirit* No. 28 (12/8/1940). A favorite of Eisner’s, this image would later serve as the cover of the program for the 1968 International Convention of Comic Art; the New York City event was Eisner's first-ever comic book convention, and celebrated him as its guest of honor.
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Original art for the splash of “A Legend,” *The Spirit* No. 321 (7/21/1946).
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“The Story of Gerhard Schnobble,” *The Spirit* No. 432 (9/5/1948). Eisner’s favorite *Spirit*, it was perhaps a metaphor for his own frustrations, as his work “flew” but achieved little recognition outside the comics community.
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The *New York Herald Tribune*, 1/9/1966. The Trib’s magazine section *New York* devoted an issue to the comics phenomenon, including a new Spirit story by Will Eisner (the first one in 14 years).
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The original art for the wraparound cover painting for *The Spirit Magazine* No. 20 (Kitchen Sink Press, 1979).
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Original art for the Kitchen Sink Press cover of *A Contract with God* (1985).
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Eisner was supportive of comics shop retailers and a go-to guy for illustrations, such as this promotional poster for the 2000 San Diego Expo, a trade show where publishers would present their lines.
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Unpublished original art intended for *City People Notebook* (1989).
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Original art for *Michael Chabon Presents: The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist* No. 6 (Dark Horse, April 2005). These were Eisner’s final pages before he entered the hospital for the last time, and they would become the first new Spirit story written and illustrated by Eisner in decades, marking the Spirit’s final appearance by his creator. Eisner was one of Michael Chabon’s key sources in writing his Pulitzer Prize–winning novel *The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay*.
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Original 1996 art for “The Last Hero,” an unpublished Spirit story..
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Splash page for “The Thing,” *The Spirit* No. 426 (7/25/1948).
