Will Eisner died yesterday after a bypass operation. He was 87, and so it seems rather churlish to insist that he stick around to watch the industry he helped establish die painfully in a rash of gimmicks and bad ideas. He was a brilliant artist and an exceptional writer. A sort of primordial Frank Miller in many ways, I suppose. My favorite work of his was "The Spirit." Often in these circumstances it is fashionable to talk about historical influence, or how great the man was, or to joke about personal encounters. I, however, prefer to look at his comics and say "Damn, this guy was good!"
Posted by Mike Chary at January 4, 2005 11:57 AM