The Dreamer
Encyclopedia
The Dreamer is a 1985 thinly disguised autobiographical graphic novel
by Will Eisner
about his early years as a comic book
artist
in the 1930s, with a particular focus on his years as part of Eisner & Iger
studios.
The book delves into the early years of the comic book industry and how the idealistic Eisner and his more pragmatic partner organized a business to supply material for publishers.
The incidents Eisner adapts for the story include how Jack Kirby
frightened off a mobster who was attempting to intimidate his employer. A major plot point is how Eisner's principles and ideals sometimes complicated his business affairs such as the adaptation of the account of when he refused to perjure himself in court in a copyright
infringement lawsuit
over Wonder Man
and thus cost his business a major account (In actuality, court records found in 2010 indicated Eisner did claim under oath that Wonder Man was his original creation).
Eventually, Eisner decides to leave this successful life behind when he accepts the opportunity to produce a comic book for a newspaper syndicate, which resulted in the creation of The Spirit
.
A later edition of the book contains a reference guide to the characters and their real world analogues.
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
by Will Eisner
Will Eisner
William Erwin "Will" Eisner was an American comics writer, artist and entrepreneur. He is considered one of the most important contributors to the development of the medium and is known for the cartooning studio he founded; for his highly influential series The Spirit; for his use of comics as an...
about his early years as a comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
in the 1930s, with a particular focus on his years as part of Eisner & Iger
Eisner & Iger
Eisner & Iger was a comic book "packager" that produced comics on demand for publishers entering the new medium during the late-1930s and 1940s period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books...
studios.
The book delves into the early years of the comic book industry and how the idealistic Eisner and his more pragmatic partner organized a business to supply material for publishers.
The incidents Eisner adapts for the story include how Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
frightened off a mobster who was attempting to intimidate his employer. A major plot point is how Eisner's principles and ideals sometimes complicated his business affairs such as the adaptation of the account of when he refused to perjure himself in court in a copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
infringement lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
over Wonder Man
Wonder Man (Fox Publications)
Wonder Man is a fictional comic book superhero, created by Will Eisner, whose first appearance was Wonder Comics #1 .The character is of some historical significance by virtue of the lawsuit that resulted from his only appearance....
and thus cost his business a major account (In actuality, court records found in 2010 indicated Eisner did claim under oath that Wonder Man was his original creation).
Eventually, Eisner decides to leave this successful life behind when he accepts the opportunity to produce a comic book for a newspaper syndicate, which resulted in the creation of The Spirit
The Spirit
The Spirit is a crime-fighting fictional character created by writer-artist Will Eisner. He first appeared June 2, 1940 in "The Spirit Section", the colloquial name given to a 16-page Sunday supplement, distributed to 20 newspapers by the Register and Tribune Syndicate and reaching five million...
.
A later edition of the book contains a reference guide to the characters and their real world analogues.
External links
- The Dreamer on the official Will Eisner site
- Comicology: A review of The Dreamer