Will Eisner's THE SPIRIT

[Edward]

I've read the old Spirit reproductions done over the years and am currently on the second volume of the Archivedstrips in color. "The Spirit" was/is ground breaking work in comcs. Eisner invented and transcended the genre at the same time. The film is absolutely the worst piece of trash ever done. A classic example of everything that could go wrong with a film going wrong. Samuel L. Jackson in an SS Uniform. I'll leave it at that.

Worf

I found that hilarious - it wa just such an in-your-face clash of visuals. Added to the surreality of that sequence... but I'm unfamiliar with the source material, so. I must look at it.... I'm just often a little wary of comics from that era. I was more than a little disturbed when I read the original early Iron Man stuff to discover it chock-full of anti-Soviet propaganda and the likes which had dated very, very badly.

[Worf]

I found that hilarious - it wa just such an in-your-face clash of visuals. Added to the surreality of that sequence... but I'm unfamiliar with the source material, so. I must look at it.... I'm just often a little wary of comics from that era. I was more than a little disturbed when I read the original early Iron Man stuff to discover it chock-full of anti-Soviet propaganda and the likes which had dated very, very badly.

If you thought the Iron Man of the 60's was red baiting The Spirits of the 40's and 50's will have you screaming in outrage. "The Spirit" comic strip was/is a product of its time. Stereotypic of its depiction of blacks, women, asians and mexicans. Still, even then it broke some ground. The Spirit's main sidekick and assistant if a young black kid of indeterminant age called "Ebony White" (I know, I know). He's depicted in terribly caricaturized form, big lips, big eyes, big feet, but despite this flawed depiction he is not simple comic relief he saves The Spirits life time and again, captures Nazi Spies the works. And millions of black kids loved The Spirit comic because, even though they were depicted in a less than flattering manner AT LEAST THEY WERE DEPICTED!!!

Women fare little better with Eisner. Commissioner Dolan's daughter starts out being little more than bubble headed bleach blonde. But even she begins to evolve. She opens her own dective agency and eventually, over the years becomes a stronger and far more intelligent character who is strong enough to make her way in her own world. So while Eisner played to the predjudices of his audience at the time he also began to erode them, drip by drip by having his characters grow and evolve.

Worf

[Edward]

If you thought the Iron Man of the 60's was red baiting The Spirits of the 40's and 50's will have you screaming in outrage. "The Spirit" comic strip was/is a product of its time. Stereotypic of its depiction of blacks, women, asians and mexicans. Still, even then it broke some ground. The Spirit's main sidekick and assistant if a young black kid of indeterminant age called "Ebony White" (I know, I know). He's depicted in terribly caricaturized form, big lips, big eyes, big feet, but despite this flawed depiction he is not simple comic relief he saves The Spirits life time and again, captures Nazi Spies the works. And millions of black kids loved The Spirit comic because, even though they were depicted in a less than flattering manner AT LEAST THEY WERE DEPICTED!!!

Women fare little better with Eisner. Commissioner Dolan's daughter starts out being little more than bubble headed bleach blonde. But even she begins to evolve. She opens her own dective agency and eventually, over the years becomes a stronger and far more intelligent character who is strong enough to make her way in her own world. So while Eisner played to the predjudices of his audience at the time he also began to erode them, drip by drip by having his characters grow and evolve.

Worf

Everything has to deal with its time, I suppose. There's a point where if you're too radical, you simply don't get heard. Softly, softly, and all that. t certainly is interesting to look back at a lot of these things - it's the same with English sitcoms from the Seventies: a lot of them have jokes and racial stereotyping that would be frowned on now, and yet could at the same time be groundbreaking. In Rising Damp, it was always Rigsby's ignorance in relation to his black tenant that was the butt of the joke rather than the gentleman himself. I must give the Eisner stuff a go sometime, though.