Jack Cole and Will Eisner comparison

[acm_scott]

I may be really out of line on this, but I'm going to ask it anyway. I've been a fan of Eisner since I first found out about him back in the mid 80's with the Kitchen Sink reprints of "The Spirit". I've only recently been reading the Jack Cole's plastic man here at the DCM. Is it just me or do they seem to have very similar styles? If you agree, or this is common knowledge, or you think I'm more wrong than any person has ever been wrong in all of recorded human history please let me know what you think.

Thanks,
Scott

[Yoc]

Cole ghosted on the Spirit for Eisner during WW2 Scott.  He also produced a Spirit type knock-off for Smash Comics called 'Midnight'.  I agree there are similarities in their styles though Cole goes more over the top IMO.

You can learn a TON of fun stuff about Cole at 'Coles Comics' blog run by DCM member and friend Paul C. Tumey -
http://colescomics.blogspot.ca

This entry in particular touches on Cole's work on the Spirit -
http://colescomics.blogspot.ca/2009/09/is-this-cole-spirit-186-jack-coles.html

Take care,
-Yoc

[acm_scott]

Upon reflection if I had done a modicum of research, and seen that Cole produced Midnight, my question would have been answered. I was to hasty with my post. Now I have maybe the dumbest and or the most obvious questions here at the DCM forum. I hope they build a statute in my honor.

[Drusilla lives!]

No question is too dumb to ask here Scott, I should know.

Btw, I didn't know (or recall) that Cole ghosted for Eisner either (but then again, didn't just about everybody ghost for him back then?) so it's not that dumb a question imo... although I probably would have used google first.  

[Yoc]

Hi Scott,
No worries on the question.  We're happy to have your posts.

[Ami_GFX]

Both artists were very good at comedy. Cole was much more of a cartoonist and Eisner was a bit more restrained but reading some of the late 40s spirit stories still has me in stiches. I find Coles work from the early 40s much better and more mature but Eisner really hit his stride after World War Two was over. I started to read Eisner's Spirit with the first Warren black and white Spirit magazine in 1974. Due to Coles unfortunate death in the 50s, he wasn't as well know in the 70s comic fan culture and I've really only discoved him recently due to DCM and the Cole blog.

[Yoc]

My first GA love was the wonderful Silver Streak #6 cover with the sinister Claw on the front.  It took a while to learn who did the art but I was dying to read the book for decades before finally seeing scans show up here.  Cole was very versatile and should be much better known today.  The Plastic Man archives helps.