Graphic Novel Pioneer Dies at 87
Reuters 2005/01/5
Will Eisner stands next to a poster of ''The Spirit'' a masked comic book hero he created in the 1930s, in this photo taken at his studio in August 1999. APNew York
Will Eisner, a master of American comics and a pioneer of the graphic novel who gave his name to the comic industry's equivalent of the Oscars, has died at the age of 87, his publisher said on Tuesday.
Eisner died in Florida on Monday from complications following quadruple-bypass surgery.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1917, Eisner was the son of Jewish immigrants and grew up in New York tenements that were the inspiration for much of his graphic novel work.
"A Contract with God," published in 1978, is considered to have launched the art form of the graphic novel.
His most famous character was "The Spirit," a masked crime fighter who protects the innocent in Central City using only his guile and his fists. The comic strip ran in Sunday newspapers from 1940 until 1952.
Eisner was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1942 and helped produced posters to entertain the troops.
The comic industry awards known as the Eisners are named after him.
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