Dean's World

Defending the liberal tradition in history, science, and philosophy.

Will Eisner: 1917 - 2005

Will Eisner is dead.

Most of you have no idea what that means. So all I can say is that the 20th Century produced some artistic names that will be remembered 100 years hence. Names such as:

Orson Welles

Stanley Kubrick

Les Paul

Leni Riefenstahl

Pablo Picasso

Ernest Hemingway

Frank Lloyd Wright

Marilyn Monroe

Frank Sinatra

Jimi Hendrix

Andres Segovia

Muddy Waters

Ansel Adams

Robert Frost

Robert Heinlein

Also among them will undoubtedly be:

Will Eisner.

Don't recognize all those names? That's okay. You don't have to. Future generations will.

(Thank you for letting me know, Jerry.)

Related Posts (on one page):

  1. More On Eisner
  2. Will Eisner: 1917 - 2005
Posted by Dean | Permalink | Technorati Trackbacks
B. Durbin (www):
That's too bad. I'd heard he was sick. And since Kelly Freas died a few days back, that's TWO legendary artists in the first few days of 2005. Yikes.
1.4.2005 1:38pm
Physics Geek (mail) (www):
Bummer. I actually remember Sheena. After the fact, though.

Does it make me old when I say that I recognize ALL of the names that you listed?
1.4.2005 1:48pm
Mythilt (mail):
I'll second what B. Durbin said, erg.
1.4.2005 2:19pm
Kacie Landrum (mail) (www):
Nah, it doesn't make you old. I recognize all but two names and I'm 20.
1.4.2005 6:16pm
EdCone (mail) (www):
Jack Frost?
1.4.2005 7:05pm
Dean Esmay (www):
Gah. Robert. Robert Frost.

Fixed. %-)
1.4.2005 7:26pm
John_B (mail) (www):
Dean, you missed the obit of Kelly Freas, another great illustrator whose work ranged from Mad Magazine to a multitude of SF/Fantasy magazine covers. Just saw it in the AP Obituaries.
1.4.2005 8:35pm
EdCone (mail) (www):
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,
Poet laureates nipping on your nose...

just having fun wit' ya. happy new year.
1.4.2005 8:36pm
Mythilt (mail):
Is it just coincidence that it was also the one year anniversary of the Mars rover 'Spirit'?

Prolly, but still cool.
1.4.2005 8:40pm
Dean Esmay (www):
John: Freas was a very cool illustrator. Will Eisner was a fine draftsman, but the really cool thing about him was how many storytelling techniques he created or adapted. The comics were much more primitive before he came along, and his influence has reverberated outward into other mediums. It's even influenced film makers and software developers, although sometimes they don't realize it.

Ed: Nah, you nailed me. ;-)
1.4.2005 9:04pm
Steven Malcolm Anderson (www):
Will Eisner created "The Spirit", and he wrote a book "Comics and Sequential Art". That book formed much of the basis for Scott McCloud's excellent "Understanding Comics", which is not only the best understanding of comics that I have ever seen, but one of the best understandings of art, language, and the human mind.

These men and women you list, Dean, were all great, and they will all be remembered.
1.5.2005 2:08am
jlb (www):
Wow, I'm not the only one familiar with Andres Segovia? Cool!
j
1.5.2005 12:55pm