August 27, 2010 12:00PM EDT

Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist

Director Andrew Cooke fills us in on his TFF 2007 doc about the seminal graphic artist, now available on DVD and Blu-Ray.



Eight years ago, two brothers decided to make a documentary about one of their childhood heroes. We saw the story of an innovative artist and writer as a vehicle to confront prejudices about an art form we dearly loved but which has been dismissed by “serious” critics as childish and unsubstantial: the comic book. Sure, Crumb and American Splendor were magnificent films, but they were about eccentrics, social outcasts. Odd balls.

Will Eisner was different. First off, the guy wore a business suit. During his 60-year-plus career, he brilliantly walked that delicate tight rope between commerce and art, and in doing so created some of the most enduring art of the 20th century. He was the godfather of the modern graphic novel (a phrase he coined) and his seminal A Contract with God is considered by most as the masterpiece that started it all.

But who, outside of hardcore comic fans, knew who Eisner was, knew that the Oscars of comics were called the Eisner Awards, knew that Eisner was the inspiration for a Pulitzer prize-winning novel? Not many people. Joined by executive producer/editor Kris Schackman, my brother Jon Cooke and I set out to change that. In 2002, using our own savings, we began production, interviewing an eclectic group of authors and artists—such as Kurt Vonnegut, Michael Chabon, Jules Feiffer, and Art Spiegelman. Utilizing high definition technology, we captured the stunning detail of pen and ink artistry as it had never been seen before.
 


In 2007, we were rewarded for our hard work with an invitation to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. From that auspicious beginning, Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist went on to win the Audience Award at the Washington Jewish Film Festival and became an official selection in over 25 film festivals worldwide. In July 2010, after an 8-year adventure, we’ve finally released our documentary on DVD and Blu-ray: the brothers’ dream realized.

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Find Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist now at montillapictures.com and Amazon.com.