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WILL EISNER (1917-2005) •
Original Spirit Art
Feb 17, 1946. Page 4 from “Blubber”
Dynamic characterization and action! Will
Eisner hits his stride in this page from “Blubber,” the
ninth story in his groundbreaking post-war run on The
Spirit! Eisner moves the action out of Central
City for the first time, sending the Spirit on a mission
to track down the deadly pirate Batt! Here we see Eisner
staking his claim to make The Spirit stand
shoulder to shoulder with newspaper adventure strips of
the era like Milton Caniff’s Steve Canyon and
Roy Crane’s Buz Sawyer with exotic settings and
daring action. This page could easily stand on its own as
a Sunday page with its spacious composition and thrilling
pace.
The title character, Blubber, was a short-lived
replacement for Ebony, who Eisner had just written out in
a prior story. Blubber was a quick-witted, well-spoken
Eskimo boy with a penchant for adventure who helped Spirit
on this caper and followed him home to Central City.
Eisner’s mature voice and style shine through with every
line. Cross-eyed Captain Batt is quirky, duplicitous,
sinister, and absurd. Fine penwork defines the landscape
while fluid, sensuous brushstrokes articulate the figures.
Fine hatching defines the textures of the sea vessels
while white ink adds dimension to the glassy arctic bay.
Although the Spirit doesn’t appear on this page, it is
unmistakably Eisner, and shows the artist hitting his
stride.
Medium/Size/Condition:Brush, pen, and
ink on Bristol board measuring 14.75 x 23.25 inches (37 x
59 cm). Paste-up lettering in panel 4. Minor touches of
White-out in panels five and six. Some white ink in panel
six to convey contrast. Some wash marks and discoloration
at edges, with a pristine image area. Uneven cut mark at
edge outside of image area. 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. |
