BGuthrie Photos: DC -- Library of Congress -- Exhibit (Agile): William Eisner

DC -- Library of Congress -- Exhibit (Agile): William Eisner:

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. LOCEIS_171005_004.JPG: Will Eisner (1917-2005) The year 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of cartoonist and comic book creator Will Eisner (1917-2005), an artist so influential to comic book publishing that the industry's highest award is given in his name. He inspired and continues to inspire generations of cartoonists. He transformed the world of comics, first with his most famous, moody strip, "The Spirit," which ran from 1940 to 1952, and then with his book-length A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories (1978) that popularized the term graphic novel. He used innovative storytelling, layouts, and art in his newspaper comic strips and comic books. His genius appealed to artists and fans alike.
2. LOCEIS_171005_006.JPG: Early Works: Uncle Otto represents the earliest known sequential artwork of Will Eisner, which was completed while still a teenager. These lost works were almost completely unknown but represent his first published efforts. Uncle Otto, the pear-shaped man with a stovepipe hat, was subsequently published in the first issue of Jumbo Comics, under the pen name Carl Heck. In it, Uncle Otto appears on the front cover and in the story, "Sanitary hot dog factory -- visitors invited." The issue contained other Eisner stories as well, under various pseudonyms: Willis B. Rensie, W. Morgan Thomas, and Morgan Thomas. The stories' subjects were as varied as his names: Sheena, Queen of the Jungle, pirate Hawk of the Seas, spy ZX-5, and golfer Tom McAuliffe.
3. LOCEIS_171005_008.JPG: Eisner as Comic Book Publisher: Following World War II, Will Eisner launched his own publishing company with several short-lived comic books. Two of the titled held by the Library, Baseball Comics and Kewpies, demonstrate the range of his comic interests and skills.
4. LOCEIS_171005_014.JPG: Jumbo Comics no. 1 (September 1938)
5. LOCEIS_171005_016.JPG: Baseball Comics no. 1 (Spring 1949)
6. LOCEIS_171005_018.JPG: Kewpies no. 1 (Spring 1949)
7. LOCEIS_171005_021.JPG: The Spirit, no 12 (Summer 1948)
8. LOCEIS_171005_025.JPG: Queen of the Jungle: One of the first female comic characters to have her own title series, Sheena: Queen of the Jungle pre-dates Wonder Woman #1, which was published in July of 1942. Sheena first appeared in British publication Wags #1 (1937), and debuted the next year in the US in Jumbo Comics #1 (1938). Inspired by H. Rider Haggard's 1886 jungle novel She, Eisner and partner S.M. "Jerry" Iger introduced their adventurous heroine under the pseudonym W. Morgan Thomas. Sheena no. 1 (Spring 1942)
9. LOCEIS_171005_029.JPG: Will Eisner. Lost Work of Will Eisner: The Earliest Comics of the Legendary Cartoonist
10. LOCEIS_171005_034.JPG: Rivals for a Hero's Affection: This rare original drawing by Will Eisner for The Spirit features an altercation between two female admirers of the title character, aka Denny Colt. In his early classic comic, Eisner unveiled a new kind of hero, one who marshalled his considerable wits and human strength to fight crime. As a superhero without superpowers, he stood out from other comics superheroes and attracted both adult and young readers. Although Eisner was drafting during World War II, he enlisted aid from fellow cartoonists to continue his signature creation -- it ran for more than a decade, from 1940 to 1952.
11. LOCEIS_171005_046.JPG: Aiding the War Effort: During World War II, Eisner produced colorful instructional posters for the U.S. Army that stressed safe handling of equipment through the comic bumbling of his character G.I. Joe Dope. Following his military service, Eisner established the American Visuals Corporation, through which he produced an illustrated series of preventive maintenance booklets for the Defense Department, in additional to education materials for such corporations as General Motors and schools. In 1969 he illustrated a guide to the M16A1 rifle (notorious for misfiring) that appealed to soldiers and suggestive chapter titles such as "How to Strip Your Baby" and "What to Do in a Jam." The thirty-two-page booklet was issued to soldiers serving in Vietnam.
12. LOCEIS_171005_059.JPG: Don't be a dope! Handle equipment right. When the Stukas begin to attack isn't the time to make up for a lack of cleaning your gun -- which won't shoot at a Hun with a month's gummy. 1943
13. LOCEIS_171005_062.JPG: Eisner's Patriotic Superhero: Will Eisner's Uncle Sam first appeared in National Comics #1 (July 1940), which was published by Quality Comics. He was a mystical being, originally the spirit of a slain patriotic soldier from the American Revolutionary War, who emerges whenever his country needs him. Only either issues were published. Uncle Sam Quarterly no. 1 (Autumn 1941)
14. LOCEIS_171005_066.JPG: The M16A1 Rifle: Operation and Preventive Maintenance, 1969
15. LOCEIS_171005_073.JPG: The Underground Eisner: Snarf no. 3 is the only underground comic with a front cover by Will Eisner -- he did not really approve of underground comix or comics although he appreciated their innovation techniques. While Eisner and underground comic publisher Denis Kitchen were in discussions about releasing Spirit reprints, Eisner agreed to do a cover for Snarf no. 3. The Snarf cover depicts the Spirit and Commissioners Dolan busting into the Krupp Comic Works office, located in a sewer and populated by hippies and artists. Snarf no. 3 (November 1972)
16. LOCEIS_171005_082.JPG: Popularizing the Graphic Novel: Published in 1978, A Contract with God is credited with popularizing the use of the term graphic novel. Following an author's introduction, "A Tenement in the Bronx," the book contains four stories set in a tenement building. The stories are Eisner's personal memories growing pu in a Bronx tenement. The book is considered a milestone in American comics history not only for its format, but also for its literary aspirations. Eisner wanted to created something more serious than The Spirit. A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories, 2000
17. LOCEIS_171005_085.JPG: Response to 9/11: Will Eisner responded artistically with unusual promptness to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. He depicts a man sitting before a TV set as it explodes while broadcasting a view of Ground Zero and includes the shocking detail of blood spilling from the monitor onto the floor. Alone and covered in ash, this everyman mirrors the immobilizing horror felt by so many in the face of national tragedy and calamity. Created in his later years, Eisner's haunting image reflects a strong personal response to the event. His drawing also demonstrates the narrative and expressive capacity of the single panel genre when practiced by a master. Reality 9/11, September 11, 2001. Ink brush, ink wash, opaque white, and plastic overlay with tempera. Gift of the artist.
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2017 photos: Overnight trips this year: Civil War Trust conferences in Pensacola, FL, Chattanooga, TN (via sites in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee) and Fredericksburg, VA, a family reunion in The Dells, Wisconsin (via sites in Ohio, Indiana, and Wisconsin), New York City, and my 12th consecutive San Diego Comic Con trip (including sites in Arizona). Ego strokes: For some reason, several of my photos have been published in physical books this year which is pretty cool. Ones that I know about: "Tarzan, Jungle King of Popular Culture" (David Lemmo), "The Great Crusade: A Guide to World War I American Expeditionary Forces Battlefields and Sites" (Stephen T. Powers and Kevin Dennehy), "The American Spirit" (David McCullough), "Civil War Battlefields: Walking the Trails of History" (David T. Gilbert), "The Year I Was Peter the Great: 1956 — Khrushchev, Stalin's Ghost, and a Young American in Russia" (Marvin Kalb), and "The Judge: 26 Machiavellian Lessons" (Ron Collins and David Skover). Equipment this year: I continued to use my Fuji XS-1 cameras but, depending on the event, I also used a Nikon D7000. Number of photos taken this year: just below 560,000.
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