What the hell is a wing-shot?

Another reminder why they call it the Eisner

The Post-war Spirit stories have such beautiful, fully realized quality that it's easy to forget that comics was a very young medium, still in the process of being invented by its creators, particularly Eisner, the artist who, as Jules Feiffer put it, was the artist other artists stole from.

The story of P'Gell is justly remembered for the extraordinary sexuality of the titular character, but it also shows Eisner playing with visual storytelling, using the repeated motif of translucent curtains to suggest depth and build mood and enhance the sensuality of the piece.

Great stuff.

Introducing Frankie

Briefer was still growing as an artist and a writer when he created comics' first ongoing horror series and the medium was still in its infancy, but nonetheless there are signs of major talent in this 1940 story. Powerful images. A fine eye for composition and panel-layout. A flood of visual and narrative ideas.

Enjoy.

"Shakespeare made enjoyable"

Stories by Famous Authors Illustrated was a knock-off of Classics Illustrated. As far as I can tell both the title and the publisher never made any real impression, but some of their ad copy is good for a chuckle.

Another stylish cover by L.B. Cole

Sunday Afternoon Culture Corner with Basil Wolverton

Joe Kubert and the importance of sucking

The following story sucks.

There are glimpses of talent here but on the whole it's crude and ugly, like something a teenager might draw.

As a matter of fact, it was drawn by a teenager. This seems to be the first story published by Joe Kubert, who would, in a few years, produce some of the most beautiful and influential comics of the Golden and Silver Age. He was able to do that, in part, because he was in a field where a young artist could support himself while learning his craft.

The first requirement for achieving greatness is the opportunity to suck.