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9/11 Remembered: Will Eisner's Reflections On The September 11 Tragedy

Posted 9/11/10 10:01 am EST by in interviews


Will EisnerHaving experienced firsthand the ferocity and horrors of World War II and wars in Korea and Vietnam on both the national and personal level, like all of us, veteran writer/artist Will Eisner saw something nine years ago he never thought possible: a devastating terrorist attack on New York City and the Pentagon. While both attacks were horrific, the strike and subsequent destruction of the World Trade Center in New York City hit closest to home for Eisner, who grew up in the city and lovingly showed it as a character in many of his works.

Just days after the tragedy of September 11, 2001, MTV News producer Brian Jacks spoke to the native New Yorker about the tragic and emotional events that had gripped his city. Will Eisner has since passed away, but his thoughts are just as poignant today as they were nine years ago. Read More...

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Will Eisner's 'A Contract With God' Tagged For Film Adaptation

Posted 7/26/10 8:00 am EST by in News


A Contract with God movieWill Eisner left behind a lifetime of work that goes well beyond "The Spirit" when he died in 2005, and few creators can claim to have pushed the graphic novel into popular existence the way he did with his book "A Contract with God." Now, a group of directors and producers that includes former DC Comics editor Bob Schreck have announced that they plan on bringing Eisner's story collection to film.

"Getting to know Will Eisner was one of the great honors of both my personal and professional journeys," Schreck said in a press release. "We are all well aware that the work ahead has a very high bar of excellence to aspire to set by Mr. Eisner's pioneering achievements in storytelling." Read More...

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Veteran's Day Special: An Interview With Will Eisner

Posted 11/11/09 11:29 am EST by in interviews


Will EisnerEDITOR'S NOTE: The following interview with comics legend Will Eisner originally ran on Splash Page one year ago on Veteran's Day. While we normally shy away from re-posting stories from the archives, this conversation seemed to merit an exception, and is presented here in full again on the day when we remember the nation's veterans—a group of which Eisner was a member three times over. So, if you first read this interview a year ago, please excuse its return to the front page of the site—but if you're anything like me, you won't mind giving it another read. -RM

Will Eisner is well known today for creating "The Spirit," his blue-clad superhero that received the Hollywood treatment at the hands of Frank Miller last year. But lesser known is that Eisner was a veteran of no less than three major wars: World War II (where he was an enlisted man) and Korea and Vietnam, where he was a civilian contracter eventually obtaining the rank equivalent to a brigadier general. I was fortunate enough to know Will, and four years before his death in 2005, we chatted at length about his military service, how it related to "The Spirit," and his views on the extreme stresses of war.

In honor of both Veterans Day and Will Eisner, enjoy this rare look inside the mind of the revered comics legend on this most serious of topics. Read More...

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'The Spirit' Director Frank Miller On The Legacy Of Original Creator Will Eisner

Posted 12/22/08 3:45 pm EST by in DC Comics, News


'The Spirit' by Will EisnerWe've been giving quite a bit of real estate to "The Spirit" lately in anticipation of this Thursday's release of the film -- so much so, in fact, that you probably know all there is to know about the film without actually seeing it! From the reading habits of its stars to Samuel L. Jackson's Octopus wardrobe, and more posters and publicity photos than you can shake a red necktie at, it's been hard to contain our interest in "The Spirit."

While we've already delivered a heap of get-excited quotage from "The Spirit" director Frank Miller, we're always interested in more from the iconic comic book writer/artist-turned-big budget Hollywood auteur -- especially when he's talking funnybooks. Thankfully, SuperHeroHype has our hook-up today, with an extensive, in-depth Miller interview about his relationship with "Spirit" creator (and war hero), Will Eisner, and the lessons learned from him. Read More...

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Veterans Day Exclusive: 'The Spirit' Creator Will Eisner's Wartime Memories

Posted 11/11/08 3:22 pm EST by in News


Will EisnerWill Eisner is well known today for creating "The Spirit," his blue-clad superhero that's currently receiving the Hollywood treatment at the hands of Frank Miller. But lesser known is that Eisner was a veteran of no less than three major wars: World War II (where he was an enlisted man) and Korea and Vietnam, where he was a civilian contracter eventually obtaining the rank equivalent to a brigadier general. I was fortunate enough to know Will, and four years before his death in 2005, we chatted at length about his military service, how it related to "The Spirit," and his views on the extreme stresses of war. In honor of both Veterans Day and Will Eisner, enjoy this rare look inside the mind of the revered comics legend on this most serious of topics.

MTV: Where were you when Pearl Harbor was attacked?

WE: I was sitting in my studio eating a roast beef sandwich which my mother prepared for me [laughs]. I was working on “The Spirit.” I was really shook up listening to it. I was listening to the opera at the time…it was a Carnegie Hall concert. I remember the thing was cut off and they announced the attack on Pearl Harbor. And I was really shook up because I realized that this was gonna be it. I’d be drafted. Read More...

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Lionsgate Clarifies 'The Spirit'...Did Fan Backlash Have Anything To Do With It?

Posted 8/21/08 12:22 pm EST by in DC Comics, Music


The SpiritThis morning, Lionsgate released a new synopsis of Frank Miller's upcoming take on the classic comic book series, "The Spirit," updating the cast listing and clarifying exactly what the film's all about.

In synopsis 2.0, it's explained that "The Spirit" follows a rookie cop (Gabriel Macht) who seemingly returns from the dead in the hopes of stopping a criminal mastermind known as The Octopus (Samuel L. Jackson) from destroying Central City for his own devious purposes. It then goes into the cast of female characters which, "[surround] him at every turn." Read More...

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Is Frank Miller's 'The Spirit' Already A Flop?

Posted 8/14/08 4:43 pm EST by in Commentary, DC Comics


'The Spirit'Comic fans can be a tough bunch to please, and wildly unpredictable at times. Let's face it, who among us would've imagined Robert Downey Jr. to not only nail the role of Tony Stark in "Iron Man," but make it one that fans could only imagine him as?

That said, when word got out that comic icon Frank Miller would be writing and directing an adaptation of Will Eisner's "The Spirit," it was almost as if you could hear the excited applause through the message boards and blogs. However, after Lionsgate released the film's second trailer for the film recently, that anticipation for Christmas 2008 quickly devolved into to pure fanboy angst.

So what went wrong? Read More...

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Cover Artist

Splash Page welcomes Ed Tadem to our cover artist family (our custom-designed theme up top). Currently working on the forthcoming "Avengers" animated series, Tadem's work can also be seen in the "Jackie Karma" issues of Image's "'76," and in "Pop Gun, Volume 1." Ed Tadem can be found online at EdTadem.com.
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