#willeisnerweek

We’re celebrating the Will Eisner’s centennial birthday!

...and you can too by checking out one of his most famous characters--Joe Dope! During World War II, Joe was the guy you didn’t want to be: too stupid and lazy to follow directions or take care of his equipment. A fictional character drawn by Eisner, Joe endangered his fellow soldiers--and served as a great way to teach the critical importance of preventive maintenance.     

The entire run of Eisner issues of PS Magazine (issues 1 to 299) may be found in VCU Libraries Digital Collections. 

(Clockwise from upper left: Marie Severin, Jill Thompson, Sheena C. Howard, Lynda Barry)

Marie Severin, whose career with Marvel spanned 3 decades, got her start as a colorist in EC Comics in 1949. She was inducted into the Will Eisner Comics Hall of Fame in 2001.

Jill Thompson has won six (!!!)  Eisner Awards, her first for Best Painter in 2001 for her book Scary Godmother.

Dr. Sheena C. Howard was the first black woman to win an Eisner. Her book Black Comics: Politics of Race and Representation won Best Scholarly/Academic Work in 2014.

Lynda Barry received the Eisner for Best Graphic Album in 2003 for One! Hundred! Demons! and another for Best Reality-Based Work in 2009 for What It Is.

Today begins Will Eisner Week! 

Will Eisner was a giant in the field of sequential art; the father of the graphic novel. In fact, the "Oscars" of the comic book world are called the Eisner Awards.

To celebrate the centennial of his birth, we're sharing some of the amazing graphic novels in our comic arts collection. 

The Arrival - Shaun Tan

Duncan the Wonder Dog  - Adam Hines

Sloth - Gilbert Hernandez  

Tillie Walden (CCS ‘16) received an Eisner Nom for Best One-Shot/Single Issue in 2016 for her graphic novel I Love This Part, now available from Retrofit Comics.

Lucy Knisley’s (CCS ‘09) Displacement received two Eisner noms in 2016! Om nom nom!