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alternative newspaper in Milwaukee and I was publishing my first work in the paper; but I never had the opportunity to talk to him after he began his work as Eisner’s editor. Eisner trusted Schreiner implicitly, and it would have been good to hear Schreiner talk about his experiences. I had to settle for Dave’s “Stage Settings” column in The Spirit comic book, in which Eisner discussed each of his postwar Spirit entries—a column that was later picked up and beautifully produced by Tom Heintjes. Even though we didn’t talk, I owe Schreiner a lot, as I do his widow, Lesleigh Luttrell, who listened to my nonstop talking and, when I came up for air, provided me with valuable information about her husband and the photo of Dave and Will in this book.

Lucy Caswell oversees the Eisner collection at Ohio State University, and she and her staff were very helpful in answering my questions about Eisner and the collection and in supplying me with many of the photos in this book.

My most sincere appreciation to my agent, David Black, his assistant, Antonella Iannarino, and the staff at the David Black Literary Agency. David, I hope this book finds a place among all those impressive books in your office. It would certainly be an honor.

Margaret Maloney, my editor on this book, had worked on previously published books by Will Eisner, and her enthusiasm for Eisner and this biography was absolutely infectious. Working with her was a pleasure. Additional thanks to Kathy Belden and the staff of Bloomsbury.

Thanks to friends and family, who offered support, encouragement, or a good ear when needed: Al and Diane Schumacher, Susan Schumacher, Ken and Karen Ade, the folks at Franks Diner (especially past, present, and honorary “Backroom Boys”): I’m honored to know Mike Gordon, who was extremely helpful in the making of this book.

Finally, I’d like to thank my children—Adam, Emily Joy, and Jack Henry—for teaching me what really counts in life. It really is a chocolate-coated habanero pepper.

—Michael Schumacher

March 1, 2010

A N O T E O N T H E A U T H O R

Michael Schumacher is the author of ten books, including Dharma Lion, Crossroads, There but for Fortune, Mighty Fitz, and, most recently, The Wreck of the Carl D. He lives in Wisconsin.

BY THE SAME AUTHOR

Reasons to Believe: New Voices in American Fiction

Creative Conversations: The Writer’s Complete Guide to Conducting Interviews

Dharma Lion: A Critical Biography of Allen Ginsberg

Crossroads: The Life and Music of Eric Clapton

There but for Fortune: The Life of Phil Ochs

Francis Ford Coppola: A Filmmaker’s Life

Family Business: Selected Letters Between a Father and Son,

by Allen and Louis Ginsberg (editor)

Mighty Fitz: The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Mr. Basketball: George Mikan, the Minneapolis Lakers,

and the Birth of the NBA

Wreck of the Carl D.: A True Story of Loss, Survival, and Rescue at Sea

Copyright © 2010 by Michael Schumacher

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information address Bloomsbury USA, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

Published by Bloomsbury USA, New York

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Schumacher, Michael.

Will Eisner : a dreamer’s life in comics / Michael Schumacher.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-60819-013-3 (hardcover)

1. Eisner, Will. 2. Cartoonists—United States—Biography. I. Title.

PN6727.E4Z78 2010

741.5'6973—dc22

[B]

2010011283

First published by Bloomsbury USA in 2010

This e-book edition published in 2010

E-book ISBN: 978-1-60819-524-4

www.bloomsburyusa.com