Life, in Pictures: Autobiographical Stories

What is perhaps his last work, this book contains three graphic novels and two stories, with introductions that not only tell the stories behind the stories, but place them in context of early life in the comic field and in American Jewish culture of the time.I've loved his autobiographical work since I met him at a Smithsonian program on comics 20 years ago, have most of his books, and bought this particular book with a gift card I received for Christmas. It cost me only a few bucks, and its bottom edges are shelfworn down to the cardboard, but......it has a tag that says it belonged to the Mid-Manhattan Branch of the New York Public Library. The city in which he lived for most of his life. Priceless.

After a lifetime of loving graphic novels I ran into Will Eisner compáratively late and it was a revelation. He draws people better than anyone could see them with their own two eyes, and his sketches of New York makes me want to go back to The Big Apple so I could cry with it!! Also, no matter how satirical he chooses to be, his compassion with the whole big muddle shines through in every panel on every page. Nobody in graphic arts should ever miss out on Will Eisner - he is a genius!

All of Mr. Eisner's works are brilliant. He is a true creative genius. This autobiographical effort is a particular favorite of mine, and I think it's some of his very best work. It's amazing that he was able to produce the sheer volume of work that he did in one lifetime. Fascinating stuff.

Eisner is very much the godfather of the modern graphic novel. There’s a reason the field’s most important award is named for him. This compilation volume brings together five previously published pieces, two of them quite long, which are drawn from his own life and ancestry, if not entirely in a factual sense, then in tone and in general approach. “The Dreamer” is a bout a young cartoonist in the late 1930s, on the threshold of his career, a time when comics themselves were about to become something extraordinarily original as an art form. It also shows Eisner as the canny businessman he was in addition to being a fine technical artist. And if you’re a fan of early comics, there are lots of players here you will recognize. “To the Heart of the Storm” opens and closes with a young man on a troop train in 1942, headed for an unknown destination in the American South, who has been pulled away by the war from his growing career in the comics field. It tells, in flashbacks, what it was like growing up in the heavily prejudiced world of the first half of the last century. For Jews, that meant daily assaults by anti-Semitism. But the most important story here, to my mind, is “The Name of the Game,” which following two very different Jewish families from the late 19th century up to World War II and shows how prejudice exists everywhere, even within a group so widely discriminated against. “A Sunset in Sunshine City” is more minor, an exploration of what it means to leave everything behind and to face the last years of your life alone. And “The Day I Became a Professional” is a very short bit, basically a cocktail party story that will bring a smile.Eisner’s art is always realistic in style. It’s straight line drawing, with moody backgrounds and detailed facial expressions that bring out the characters in his stories. No superheroes here -- you’ll find those in his award-winning *Spirit* comic strips of sixty years ago -- but lots of real people. This volume is basic reading for anyone who appreciates graphic fiction.

Will Eisner's LIFE, IN PICTURES: AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL STORIES collects three of Eisner's full-length graphic novels plus a couple of short stories in one affordable 500-page hardcover. One of three such collections from publisher WW Norton, this volume contains those works most closely associated with Eisner's life, providing insight on old age, his years as a struggling artist during the Great Depression, growing up Jewish, World War II, and even his wife Ann's family history.In the short "A Sunset in Sunshine City", a widowed retiree moves to Florida, leading to big changes not only for himself, but also his family."The Dreamer" is a revealing look at the birth of the comics industry in the late `30s - early `40s, warts and all. Will's caricatures of himself, other Golden Age personalities, and events are explained in fascinating annotations by Dennis Kitchen."To The Heart of The Storm" is told in flashbacks as a newly-drafted Eisner heads for camp via train. During the journey, he reflects on the joys and trials of his youth, his family history, and his experiences with anti-Semitism."The Name of the Game" shows the great lengths people will go to in order to increase their social standing through marriage.The collection concludes with another short story - "The Day I Became a Professional" - and several pages of character studies.While these stories are not exact representations of Eisner's life and family history, they do provide fascinating insight as to what makes him tick. The three longer stories are available in their own paperback editions, but for the money, you're better off buying this hardcover. It's a true bargain.

A Masterpiece!!! Grand literature in graphic novel form!

Given as a gift