On the Mount Rushmore of titans in the comic medium, it would be an unthinkable crime to leave Will Eisner absent from that edifice. From his work on everything from The Spirit to A Contract with God to Comics and Sequential Art and so much more, Eisner’s work has been fundamental in transforming the art of comics in a way that still reverberates across the medium today.
In celebration of the contributions of Will Eisner, the renowned Philippe Labaune Gallery in New York City is hosting a month-long exhibit of Eisner’s works, starting yesterday, featuring seminal works from every period of his 80-year-spanning career. Visitors of the exhibit will be encounter works that display his innovative and creative mind, ranging from his war-time drawings to the aforementioned A Contract with God and The Spirit and beyond.
I spoke with Philippe Labaune recently about the curation of the pieces for the Will Eisner exhibit at the Will Eisner Exhibit in New York’s Philippe Labaune Gallery, the art visitors can expect to view, his favorite Eisner pieces, and why Eisner was such a foundational talent of the graphic novel and comic book medium.
I first learned about Will Eisner as a kid when I stumbled across Comics and Sequential Art at my local library. I was hooked and I’ve consumed as much of his work ever since. If anyone deserves his own exhibit for his contributions to the craft of comics, it’s Eisner. And if anyone is going to give Eisner’s work the tribute and care it deserves, it’s Philippe Labaune.
FreakSugar: It’s no exaggeration to say that Will Eisner is a giant in comics and, as mentioned in the press release for the exhibit, is undeniably the Father of the Graphic Novel. How long have you wanted to tackle doing an exhibition of his work?
Philippe Labaune: I’ve wanted to do an exhibition of Will Eisner’s work since we opened the gallery. He’s had such an immense influence on the comic world, not just in terms of artistic style but in how we think about storytelling in the medium. Eisner’s work transcends the typical boundaries of comics and really set the foundation for what we now know as the graphic novel. His unique approach to blending text and imagery has inspired generations of artists and writers. He didn’t just push the limits of comic art – he completely redefined what was possible in terms of narrative. Shining a light on his contributions was always something that was on my mind. So, it’s been a long time coming, and we’re excited to finally bring this exhibition to life.
“Walls of Jericho.” Art by Will Eisner.
FS: Mr. Eisner has such a body of work in his decades-spanning career. How did you decide which pieces to show?
PL: From the start, I knew I wanted pieces from A Contract with God. All of Eisner’s work is significant, but that book, in particular, holds a special place for me – it’s a landmark in the medium, a book that changed the conversation around what comics could be. So, when I started discussing the exhibition with Denis Kitchen, I made it clear: A Contract with God had to be part of it.
I knew the first story, A Contract with God, had been sold over 15 years ago, so my focus shifted to the three other stories in the book, The Super, The Street Singer, and Cookalein. Out of those, the last two are “light” in the sense that the subject matters and even the drawings are closer to Eisner’s regular sequential art. It feels like he wanted to breathe after the first story which is so close to his own experience of losing a child at a young age (Eisner lost his daughter to leukemia at the age of 16). The Super stood as the strongest and closest to the vein of the first story in both the atmosphere and drawing style. It is a powerful piece of storytelling that showcases Eisner’s mastery of blending text and imagery. I was thrilled when Denis told me the family of the late artist was willing to give us The Super. It is a story filled with the deep emotional weight that made A Contract with God so groundbreaking. The fact that we get to present sequentially is something really special that we have never done before. It’s a first for our gallery.
FS: I said, Will Eisner was a comics powerhouse. What made him so special, both to the medium and to you?
PL: Eisner believed that the power of comics is in their ability to communicate complex ideas through both words and images. He used the page itself as a way to convey emotion, atmosphere, and pacing, enhancing the overall narrative experience. That influence can be seen everywhere today, but beyond his artistic skill, what makes Eisner’s work endure is the depth of his themes. He tackled issues like race, poverty, grief, and the moral complexities of life – subjects that remain especially relevant today as when he first explored them. For me, growing up, comics weren’t just an entertainment tool, but also a way of dealing with emotions. I experienced the loss of my father at an early age, and during that time, comic books became a form of comfort while he was sick. They offered a way to process emotions and to escape. I appreciate Eisner because his stories are deeply human, filled with a level of emotion that resonates on a very deep level. FS: Do you have a favorite piece or work by Mr. Eisner?
PL: One of my favorite works by Eisner has to be the page from A Contract with God titled “No! No! Not To Me,” page 22. It’s such a pivotal moment in the book, and when I first saw it, I knew I had to have it. Plus, I think “getting high on your own supply” is one of the perks of being a gallery owner. The emotional depth that Eisner captured in that single page is incredible—the character’s anguish is raw and real, especially in his expression and the pose. It’s unmistakably Eisner, showcasing his ability to convey complex human emotions with just a few lines. The pose itself, so dramatic and powerful, feels like it truly represents the themes of the story. It’s one of those pages that really sticks with you long after you’ve seen it, and I feel fortunate to be able to add it to my collection.
“Air Ordinance T-Slot.” Art by Will Eisner.
FS: What is something you wish everyone knew about Mr. Eisner? What appreciation do you hope this brings to visitors of your exhibit?
PL: What I hope people take away from this exhibition is just how much Will Eisner changed the way we think about comics—not just as entertainment, but as a serious artistic and literary form. Eisner was a pioneer in demonstrating that comics could tell deeply personal, emotionally complex stories, that they could wrestle with serious themes and resonate on a level far beyond traditional genre expectations.
This show is about honoring that legacy. It’s about giving people a chance to see firsthand why Eisner was so important—not just to comics, but to storytelling as a whole. His influence is everywhere, from the way graphic novels are respected today to the way visual narratives are constructed across different media.
By putting these works in a gallery setting, we’re emphasizing that Eisner wasn’t just a great comic artist—he was a master of his craft, someone who pushed the boundaries of what the medium could achieve. Whether someone walks in already familiar with his work or is encountering it for the first time, my hope is that they leave with a deeper appreciation for what he accomplished and how profoundly he shaped the art form.
The Will Eisner Exhibit in New York’s Philippe Labaune Gallery will be open to the public from February 13, to Saturday, March 8. There will be an opening reception on February 13 from 6 PM to 9 PM.
From the official press release about the exhibit:
This month the renowned Philippe Labaune Gallery in New York City will host a career-spanning exhibition of legendary cartoonist Will Eisner’s artwork, featuring groundbreaking work from every stage of the artist’s career from 1941 to 2002. Organized in collaboration with Denis Kitchen and the Eisner estate, the exhibition honors Will Eisner’s artistic vision and significant contributions to the medium, offering an opportunity to experience firsthand the creativity and innovation behind his iconic work. In addition to war-time drawings, pages from Eisner’s beloved The Spirit, and New York The Big City comic strips, the exhibit will feature an almost complete sequential presentation of A Contract with God: The Super.
Known as the father of the graphic novel, Will Eisner’s comic career began when his cartoons were featured in 1936’s Wow Magazine. From there, the pioneering artist and writer went on to create the fan-favorite hero The Spirit and help shape the comic book medium as we know it today. A Contract with God is considered to be the first modern graphic novel and remains the holy grail of sequential art. Written a few years after losing his young daughter to leukemia, A Contract with God is Eisner’s most personal work composed of 4 stories set in a Tenement in the Bronx. “The Super” is a dark and touching exploration of the tensions between the tenants and their superintendent that reminds readers that nothing is as simple as it seems. Eisner’s passion for the comic form and profound empathy are visible on every page.
“Eisner believed that the power of comics lies in their ability to communicate complex ideas through both words and images,” said Philippe Labaune. “Eisner’s innovations were not confined to his own craft; he was also a teacher and advocate for the comic book medium as a serious art form. His educational efforts helped bridge the gap between comic books and fine art, making him a central figure in the movement to elevate comics as legitimate literary endeavors.”
The Philippe Labaune gallery is located at 534 West 24th Street in New York and is open from Thursday through Saturday, from 10am to 6pm. The roots of Philippe Labaune Gallery have a strong European influence: among the artists are esteemed creators such as Lorenzo Mattotti, Nicolas de Crécy, Guido Crepax, Dave Mckean or François Schuiten. In recent years, American artists such as Landis Blair, Rebecca Leveille Guay, Frank Miller, and Peter de Sève have helped Philippe Labaune Gallery to foster a community of overlapping art collectors and comic fans from all over the world.
The Will Eisner Exhibit will be open to the public from February 13, to Saturday, March 8. There will be an opening reception on February 13 from 6 PM to 9 PM.