New York is where Will Eisner was born, where he lived and where he worked; the city became his source of inspiration, and naturally found its way into his work. Will Eisner was a pioneer and an innovator of the art of comics, both in terms of graphic design and visual narrative. His groundbreaking graphic novel A Contract With God, and Other Tenement Stories characteristically draws upon his memories of growing up in the Bronx, while his city was the very subject of works such as New York: The Big City, City People Notebook, The Building, and Invisible People, which also form parts of the collection Will Eisner's New York: Life in the Big City. It is hardly surprising then that the relationship between the artist and the city became the subject of a major exhibition at the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art in 2011:
Will Eisner both knew and loved New York; which is why I think he was disinterested in glamour, and neither glorified the city, nor turned it into an exploitative spectacle, as it is often the case. He preferred to focus on the atmosphere of poor neighbourhoods, and the memories of abandoned buildings; most importantly, his work overflows with affection for, and understanding of, the dispossessed and the marginalised, struggling to get by. Another insightful aspect of his work is that it offers a fascinating view of the supposedly familiar aspects of living in the city, such as the experience of time while commuting, the everyday smells one may come across, or the sense of space in both crowded and empty streets; in the context of Will Eisner's art, they all become extraordinary and unique experiences.
If I was to choose just one representative example of Will Eisner's relationship with New York, that would be Life, one of the six images included in City: a narrative portfolio, which was released in 1980 and is sadly out of print. Life is an amazing panel both in terms of scope and detail – and, perhaps more importantly, in terms of atmosphere, which has been a trademark feature of Will Eisner's art (right-click on the image to enlarge):
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