1917-
Comic-book Writer and Artist

A Man of Many Talents.

Will Eisner was one of the most innovative and talented comic-book writers, artists, and editors of the late 1930s and the 1940s. Best known for writing and drawing The Spirit, he was also prominent in the industry for creating several memorable characters, among them Blackhawk and Sheena, Queen of the Jungle. In the case of The Spirit, he was also one of the few comic-book figures from this period to retain control over his creation.

An Early Start.

Born in Brooklyn, Eisner entered the new field of comic books in 1936 while still a teenager. With Jerry Iger he formed a company that produced comics for different publishers, including Fiction House, Fox, and Quality. (One artist for the Eisner-Iger partnership, Bob Kane, soon went on to create Batman.) During this period he and Iger created Sheena, drawn...