Will Eisner was an American cartoonist, writer, and entrepreneur and one of the earliest cartoonists in the American comic book industry. He was best known for The Spirit (1940–1952), a series noted for its experiments in content and form, and for popularizing the term "graphic novel" with A Contract with God in 1978. His other books include Last Day in Vietnam, a collection of short war stories, and The Plot, a graphic novel on political and cultural history. The Eisner Award, given each year for achievements in comics, is named in his honor.
