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WILL EISNER (1917-2005) •
Original Spirit Art
August 15, 1948. Page 3 from “Junior President
Election”
Eisner Plays Politics! Scratchie
Parlay, the bookie’s son, gets nominated for Junior
President of the USA in this 1948 Spirit page. Developed
against the backdrop of the 1948 presidential election
pitting Harry Truman against Thomas Dewey, Eisner
channeled his love for city politics into a delightful
romp about what happens when kids get to run their own
political conventions. On this page, the elated nominee
for the Waterfront delegation Scratchie Parlay runs home
to share the news. His proud father puts his shady work
aside to share in the pride of his son’s news.
This page boasts terrific atmospheric details, especially
the portrayal of the bookie’s office with the howling
phones and overstuffed clipboards. Scratchie and Poppa
burst with animated pride conveyed through precise penwork
and shading. The last panel portraying the father and son
embrace “is mine, art and writing,” Eisner recalled in a
1980s interview, singling out this story as a reflection
of his storytelling concerns in contrast to assistants Jules
Feiffer and Andre LeBlanc
who were active in developing the strip at this time. Many
collectors consider 1948 to be the
pinnacle year for Eisner’s Spirit, and although this page
doesn’t feature The Spirit himself, it’s a prime example
of Eisner’s humane eye for emotion and detail.
Medium/Size/Condition: Brush, pen, and
ink on Bristol board measuring 16 3/8 x 23 inches (42 x 58
cm). Some White-out. Paste-up page number in lower right
corner, likely from KSP reprint program. Excellent
condition.
Further reference: Much
other Eisner art, plus out-of-print graphic novels,
Spirit comic books and magazines,
signed serigraphs,
his Famous
Cartoonist
Button, and numerous other
Eisner-related items are accessible from our sister
store Steve
Krupp’s
Curio
Shoppe. Just type his name (or The
Spirit) into our search bar.
Provenance: The Will Eisner estate is
exclusively represented by the Denis Kitchen Art
Agency, an affiliate of Steve Krupp’s Curio Shoppe and
Gallery. This drawing is warranted to be an authentic
original created by Will Eisner, and sold on behalf of
his estate. Note: Image is © Will Eisner Studios, Inc.
Reproduction for commercial purposes requires
permission. |
