Last Spirit Newspaper Comic Wasn’t 70 Years Ago
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The Spirit by Will Eisner and assistants ran as a newspaper comic book insert
from June 2, 1940 until October 5, 1952, 70 years ago.
That is what many comic histories will tell you, though there are a few that will note that 13 years and a few months later Will Eisner created a new five page comic of The Spirit for the January 9, 1966 edition of The Sunday Herald Tribune.
From “Will Eisner: The Centennial Celebration (1917-2017)”
But no one mentions the 1990 – 1991 daily series of The Spirit that Will Eisner produced for his then local newspaper The News of Boca Raton.
On October 11, 1990 (a Thursday) The Spirit appeared as an ongoing newspaper comic strip, the first time since that October 5, 1952 end of his weekly Spirit Section.
The comic strip would run seven days a week (the Sundays being the same format as the dailies) until September 29, 1991 (a Sunday).
It is said that Eisner reworked selected issues of the 1940 – 1952 run to create the new dailies,
and that seems to be the case.
Above the April 23 and 24, 1991 dailies,
below opening page of the May 19, 1946 “Spirit Section.”
Above is page six of the May 19, 1946 issue of The Spirit,
below are the May 5 and 6, 1991 dailies of The Spirit.
Between the 1966 Herald Tribune five pager and the 1990 daily strips The Spirit would make a comeback in comic books. Harvey Comics, underground comix, and Warren and Kitchen Sink would bring Eisner’s masterpiece back to life.
But Denny Colt as a newspaper comic strip ended in 1991. But not his comic strip appearance.
The Spirit reappeared in 2017 not with his own strip but as a guest star in Dick Tracy.
Daddy Warbucks, Hotshot Charlie, and Dick Tracy © Tribune Content Agency
The Spirit, Denny Colt, Mr. Carrion, and P'Gell © Will Eisner Studios Inc.
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