Will Eisner

Will Eisner (1917-2005) was part of the birth of what is known today as the American comic-book industry, creating titles like Blackhawk and Sheena, Queen of the Jungle in the 1930s. In the 1940s, he created The Spirit, a character whose comic series was published for twelve years as an 8-page newspaper Sunday supplement, a unique and innovative format that had a weekly circulation of 5 million copies. As a technical officer at the Pentagon during World War II, Eisner was a pioneer in using comics for troop training, a creative job he continued to perform as a civilian under contract with the U.S. Army, as well as for General Motors or elementary schools, until the late 1970s

In 1978, Eisner created the concept of the “graphic novel” with A Contract with God, giving rise to an entirely new literary genre. He would later create nearly twenty more graphic novels. In 1988, the Eisner Award was established, the most important in the American comic industry and named in his honor. Eisner received recognition and numerous awards worldwide, including a lifetime achievement award from the National Foundation for Jewish Culture (2002)

Venturing beyond his usual fiction and memoir narratives, in The Plot Eisner delved into new territory where he could apply his skill as a graphic storyteller. In what would be his last work, Eisner recounts the sordid, yet fascinating, story of one of the most destructive lies of the 20th century.

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