Episode 217: Will Eisner's The Spirit

The Comics Canon

In this episode, we take a long-overdue look at one of the most acclaimed crimefighters in comics history, Will Eisner’s The Spirit!

Published in its own special insert in Sunday newspapers in the 1940s and early 50s, The Spirit featured seven- and eight-page stories about a masked hero in a suit and tie who helped the police of Central City fight criminal masterminds, underworld figures and slinky femmes fatales. Initially influenced by the pulps, The Spirit soon became known for short stories that showcased Eisner’s genre-defying imagination and visual invention—stories in which the Spirit himself often wasn’t even the main character!

Starting with the 1940’s “The Origin of the Spirit,” we dive into eight tales that demonstrate the wide range of this influential comic. But does The Spirit have what it takes to kick back in that tastefully appointed crypt known as … The Comics Canon?

In This Episode:

· Curt has a dream

· Who was handling Paste Pot Pete’s branding?

· Is The Spirit the Citizen Kane of comics?

· Will Eisner’s Shop Talk

· Two of the Spirit’s femmes fatales

· The Story of Rat-Tat the Toy Machine Gun

· Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Join us in two weeks as we mark the upcoming release of Joker: Folie a Deux and other Batman-related properties with a handful of stories featuring everyone’s favorite clown prince of crime, the Joker!

Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook, Bluesky or The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter!

And as always, thanks for listening!