At the time, The Spirit Magazine was Eisner's outlet for publishing serialized portions of his current graphic novels, as well as reprints of favorite Spirit strips from decades past. With the addition of the conversational interviews that are being collected into Shop Talk this spring, The Spirit Magazine also became a source of incredible insights into the working philosophies and techniques of the comics industry's greatest contributors, captured in the most appropriate environment for such observations -- the artist's studio. Before his run of interviews was over, Eisner documented intimate and informative conversations with Milton Caniff, Gill Fox (discussing comics great Lou Fine), Gil Kane, Harvey Kurtzman, Joe Kubert, Jack Davis, C.C. Beck, Neal Adams, Jack Kirby, Joe Simon, and the only non-artist of the group, Phil Seuling. The 250-page Shop Talk collects these interviews for the first time, giving Eisner fans and comics historians what may be the most remarkable and insightful looks into the medium of comics ever documented.
"Beginning in 1984 I undertook recording a series of discussions with people I regarded as important contributors to the comic-book medium. These are not traditional interviews -- rather, they are intended as unguarded, after-hours shop talk between working professionals," said Eisner. "In order for a medium to mature it has always seemed necessary for practitioners to know something about the thought process and working philosophy of its most influential creators."
Will Eisner's Shop Talk will be released as a thick, black-and-white, softcover collection on April 25, available for the retail price of $19.95.