''The Dreamer'' is a 1985 thinly disguised
autobiographical graphic novel by
Will Eisner about his early years as a cartoonist for
comic books in the 1930s, with a particular focus on his years as part of
Eisner & Iger studios.
The book delves into the early years of the comic book industry and how the idealistic Eisner and his more pragmatic partner organized a business to supply material for publishers.
The incidents Eisner adapts for the story include how
Jack Kirby frightened off a
mobster who was attempting to intimidate his employer. A major plot point is how Eisner's principles and ideals sometimes complicated his business affairs such as the adaptation of the account of when he refused to
perjure
Perjury (also known as foreswearing) is the intentional act of swearing a false oath or falsifying an affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to an official proceeding."Perjury The act or an inst ...
himself in court in a
copyright infringement
lawsuit
-
A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil actio ...
over ''
Wonder Man'' and thus cost his business a major account. (In reality, Eisner did testify on the stand that ''Wonder Man'' was an original creation.
[Quattro, Ken]
"DC vs. Victor Fox: The Testimony of Will Eisner"
''The Comics Detective'', July 1, 2010
WebCitation archive
)
Eventually, Eisner decides to leave this successful life behind when he accepts the opportunity to produce a comic book for a
newspaper syndicate, which resulted in the creation of ''
The Spirit''.
A later edition of the book contains a reference guide to the characters and their real world analogues.
References
External links
''The Dreamer''on the official Will Eisner site
1985 graphic novels
1985 comics debuts
American graphic novels
Comics set in the United States
Autobiographical graphic novels
Books by Will Eisner
Comics by Will Eisner
Comics about comics
{{graphic-novel-stub