April 1976 - Warren's Spirit magazine may be my all-time favorite format for Will Eisner's classic creation.There's something charmingly cruddy about the cheap paper and hyperbolic ads in the back that just seem to work for me, in a way that the glossy, high-quality DC Archives series do not.
Apparently, I'm in the minority on this, because Warren's Spirit series was never that big a hit, only lasting sixteen issues. Even now, copies of the magazine can be found eBay for just a dollar or two, which is astounding considering how much great material Warren crammed into any given issue.
I don't see any point doing reviews of the stories, since what the hell could I have to add? So let's just show the always-superb, always-inventive splash pages Eisner gave us with these nine stories:
Needless to say, an excellent issue!
5 comments:
Actually, 16 issues for a magazine featuring (at the time) 30-year-old reprints of a character seems pretty good, especially considering the market at the time, just before the direct market took off.
Like you, I like this format a lot--the greyish newsprint seems to work with the stories better than the pristine white that Kitchen Sink used when they took over the title. And probably the only thing that I dislike about Eisner's artwork is the pale/pastel colors he tended to use on the Kitchen Sink covers--I really prefer the bold tones used by Warren.
One reason these books may not have much of an aftermarket is that the reprint selections were scattered, rather than chronological.
Count me among the lovers of this run.
It's where I first saw Denny Colt, after the tantalizing reprint in Fieffer's book.
And the new covers & occasional color stories were great.
Best,
-Craig W.
P.S. - Please God, don;t let Frank Miller screw this up!
> P.S. - Please God, don;t let Frank Miller screw this up!
I know what you mean--the noir aspect is just one part of the Spirit. The characterization, relationships, clever plotting, and humor are just as important--and I wouldn't call Miller strong in these.
This was my first expose to Eisner back in a cold winter nite in early 74 with#1. I remember thinking man this guy draws just like MIKE PLOOG, HEY, I was 11!What did I Know about comics history. loved those mags still do!And to later find out that Ploog worked for Bill well,IRONIC is all I can say.what and artist and storyteller. Him,Kirby,Foster,LOU FINE,WOOD,WILLIAMSON,BECK,SWAYCE RABOY, the were the master of the Golden age. As always great post ROB.
man, I missed this... :(
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