Will Eisner, 1917-2005

On January 3, 2005 at 87 years of age, Will Eisner passed away.

Eisner was the creator of the comic book graphic novel. As a writer and artist, he was a leading proponent of the thought that above all, comics were Art.

He inspired many generations of artists to tell their stories through sequential storytelling I first became aware of his work in the 80's. As a kid, I was too busy reading X-Men and the Fantastic Four to be bothered with serious issues.

When I finally dove into his work in the last few years, it was only because I was interested in his method of graphic storytelling. Eventually, I bought a copy of one of his sketchbooks and was totally blown away. It was the artistic equivilent of discovering the Beatles.

He attended some of the shows I had been to, but as a non-fan, I never sought him out. It's a mistake I will regret for the rest of my life. He was a storytelling giant.

At least I can take comfort in having his library of works available to me at any time. Rest in peace.