Emanuel William Erwin Eisner was born March 6, 1917 in Brooklyn, New York. His father, Samuel Eisner was born in Hungary in 1886. His mother, Fannie Ingber, was born in Romania in 1891. His siblings were Julian and Rhoda. His father worked as a painter for a theater.
In 1935 Will Eisner graduated from Dewitt Clinton High School, after which he studied for one year at the Art Students League. His first professional work as an artist was drawing cartoons for newspaper ads in The New York American.
In 1936 he wrote and drew features for WOW What a Magazine! edited by Jerry Iger. That same year they formed the Eisner-Iger Shop to produce comic books for Fox, Fiction House, and Quality Comics. Eisner created Sheena, Uncle Sam, Lady Luck, and Blackhawk. His partnership with S. M. Iger lasted until 1939.
In 1940 Eisner was hired by Cowles Register & Tribune Newspaper Company to create “The Spirit” as a syndicated Sunday comic strip supplement.
In 1942 Will Eisner was drafted. After basic training he was assigned to edit the army ordnance journal Firepower in Washington, D.C. While in service he also developed the use of comic art for instructional training manuals and maintenance publications. His work often featured the character "Joe Dope."
During his three years of service the Eisner Shop produced material for Quality Comics and ghosted "The Spirit" comic strip for newspaper syndication.
After the war Will Eisner began American Visuals Corporation to make promotional comics for various industries.
In 1952 "The Spirit" stopped appearing in syndication, and Will Eisner agreed to produce a maintenance safety magazine for the Army called "PS."
Eisner was briefly president of the Bell-McClure Newspaper Syndicate.
During the 1970’s and 1980’s he taught at the School for Visual Arts in NYC.
In 1978 he produced the graphic novel "A Contract with God."
Will Eisner married Ann Weingarten and had two children, John and Alice.
In 1985 he published "Comics and Sequential Art" as a inspiring record of the artform's technical mastery.
Will Eisner dedicated his final years to documenting comics history by conducting in-depth interviews with artists, writers and editors. Many of these were transcribed for publication by the Two Morrows Publishing Company.
In 2001 he published "Shop Talk" a graphic novel recounting the colorful history of the talented people who worked at the Eisner Shop.
He died at the age of eighty-seven on January 3, 2005 in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida.
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EISNER SHOP ARTISTS from 1940 - 1952
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1940
Dave Berg
Tex Blaisdell
Nick "Cardy" Viscardi
Will Eisner
Lou Fine
Bob Powell
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1941
Dave Berg
Tex Blaisdell
Nick Cardy
Chuck Cuidera
Will Eisner
Lou Fine
Bob Fujitani
Fred Kida (backgrounds)
Alex Kostuk (backgrounds)
Alex Kotzky
Joe Kubert (assists)
Bob Powell
Zoltan Szenics (lettering)
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1942
John Belfi (inking)
Tex Blaisdell
Nick "Cardy" Viscardi
Jack Cole
Chuck Cuidera
Will Eisner
Lou Fine
Bob Fujitani
Alex Kostuk (backgrounds)
Alex Kotzky
Joe Kubert (assists)
Bob Powell
Aldo Rubano (backgrounds)
Klaus Nordling
Chuck Mazoujian
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1943
John Belfi (inking)
Jack Cole
Martin DeMuth (lettering)
Will Eisner
Lou Fine
Jack Keller (backgrounds)
Robin King (inking)
Don Komisarow (inking)
Alex Kostuk (backgrounds)
Alex Kotzky
Joe Kubert (assists)
Bob Powell
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1944
Martin DeMuth (lettering)
Will Eisner
Robin King (inking)
Bob Powell
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1945
Will Eisner
Klaus Nordling (backgrounds)
Jack Spranger
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1946
Will Eisner
Jules Feiffer
Klaus Nordling
Sam Rosen (lettering)
Jack Spranger
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1947
Will Eisner
Jules Feiffer
Jerry Grandenetti
Abe Kanegson (letering)
Klaus Nordling
Samm Schwartz (lettering)
Jack Spranger
Manny Stallman
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1948
Will Eisner
Jules Feiffer
Jerry Grandenetti
Abe Kanegson (lettering)
Klaus Nordling
Ben Oda (lettering)
Manny Stallman
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1949
Will Eisner
Jules Feiffer
Jerry Grandenetti
Abe Kanegson (lettering)
Klaus Nordling
Ben Oda (lettering)
Manny Stallman
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1950
Gene Bilbrew
Tex Blaisdell
James Dixon (inking)
Will Eisner
Jules Feiffer
Jerry Grandenetti
Abe Kanegson (lettering)
Klaus Nordling
Ben Oda (lettering)
Dan Zolnerowich (backgrounds)
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1951
Gene Bilbrew
James Dixon (inking)
Will Eisner
Jules Feiffer
Jerry Grandenetti
Klaus Nordling
Ben Oda (lettering)
Don Perlin (inking)
Al Wenzel
Wally Wood
Dan Zolnerowich (backgrounds)
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1952
Will Eisner
Al Wenzel
Wally Wood
Dan Zolnerowich
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