FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS
EDITOR: Gary Groth and Dirk Deppey
200 pp., B&W and Color, $9.95
COVER: Photo of Will Eisner
The April/May 2005 edition of THE COMICS JOURNAL has all the usual material. The “Newswatch” section details the case of the Georgia comic book retailer whom police charged with obscenity because he gave a child a Free Comic Book Day comic with a cartoon depiction of a naked Pablo Picasso, including full frontal. There is an update of Stan Lee vs. Marvel, and a three-page obituary of Irwin Donenfeld, the publisher of DC during what is now known as the Silver Age.
“Firing Line” contains reviews of the pitiful The New Smithsonian Book of Comic-Book Comics, Seth’s Bannock, Beans and Black Tea (created with his father, John Gallant), Optic Nerve #9, Alan Moore and Jose Villarubbia’s The Mirror of Love, and several others. “Bullets,” the section for reviews smaller than the meatier “Firing Line,” reviews, has a dead-on look at the 2004 film, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and DC’s collection of the hit mini-series, Formerly Known as the Justice League and two other books.
The bulk of TCJ #267 is a memorial to Will Eisner, who died on January 3, 2005. Many people have a lot to say about this giant of comic book art. EC historian John Benson offers part of an oral reminiscence he recorded with Eisner in 1973 and an interview with Eisner Benson conducted in 1968. There is another interview of Eisner done by Arie Kaplan (2003). TCJ Managing Editor interviews cartoonist Mike Ploog about Eisner.
Appreciations and other essays are offered by Scott McCloud, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Michael Chabon, comic strip historian R.C. Harvey, Cerebus creator Dave Sim, comic book historian Ron Goulart, Steven Grant, and many more, including a one-page comic by Jeff Smith offering a memorial through one of his Bone characters. TCJ Editor-in-Chief Gary Groth closes the book with a memorial done in his own inimitable style.
This isn’t just another issue of the Journal. It’s a keepsake. Not only does it contain a comprehensive look at Eisner’s career and his influence on other comic book artists, the Journal’s “Comic Section” (yes, an actual section of comix) has 40 pages of rare Eisner comics. In addition, there are numerous examples of Eisner’s work sprinkled through out the memorial section. In the early months after his passing, this special issue of The Comics Journal was the last word on Eisner.
