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WILL EISNER (1917-2005) •
Original Spirit Art
March 26, 1948. Page 7 from “Ward Healy”
A rare 4-tier Eisner page crammed with exquisite
characterization! Commissioner Dolan takes
center stage in this outstanding page from the 1948 Spirit
political corruption satire “Ward Healy.” Eisner’s acting
is first rate on this page, showcasing crooked political
party goons’ trying to turn the table on Dolan’s
corruption investigation by selling out one of their own,
a surveyor who they believe they’ve sealed into an
underground tunnel. Unbeknownst to them, the fool’s
incompetence is their undoing because he tunnels right
through Dolan’s office!
Everyone is afraid of Ward Healy’s political party
influence – even Dolan. When he bumps off surveyor Honest
John Sliderule and replaces him with bumbling Transit
O’Plumb, Healy thinks he’s in the clear to overcharge the
city and skim his take on the construction materials. He
sends O’Plumb off on a tunnel project, where his
incompetence makes a profitable mess for Healy. Meanwhile,
Spirit investigates the receipts to prove Healy’s
malfeasance. In the end, when it looks like Spirit and
Dolan have the receipts, Healy fingers an associate to
take a rap for bumping off Sliderule and tries to
strongarm Dolan into forgetting about the receipts,
telling him that O’Plumb is the key witness and long
missing. Except the crooks’ plan to sideline O’Plumb
backfires when his incompetence finds him tunneling
straight into Dolan’s office. While the page-count
restrictions make Eisner resort to cartoon logic in the
storytelling, the characterization of cheap, bumbling,
incompetent, and venal political bosses more than make up
for it. And then there’s all that peak Spirit artwork to
admire!
The acting and linework on this page are extraordinary.
Delicate pen work alternates with confident brushstrokes
creating playful and expressive characterization. In each
panel, Eisner’s characters jockey to come out on top
displaying a wide range of emotions: from agitation,
smugness, anger, anxiety, and surprise, to satisfaction
and defeat. The page’s bottom tier is a rare delight,
depicting an animated jailbreak attempt in outstanding
pantomime.
Many collectors consider 1948 to be
the pinnacle year for Eisner’s Spirit: this page is a
masterclass in comics acting and an outstanding example of
Eisner’s artistic prime. An excellent stand-alone Spirit
page for the knowledgeable collector.
Medium/Size/Condition: Brush, pen, and
ink on Bristol board measuring 16.5 x 22.5 inches (42 x 57
cm). Some White-out and correction scraping. Rubber cement
discoloration along the top and bottom margins outside of
image area, but overall in 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. |
