Sundiata - A Legend of Africa retold by Will Eisner

(Nantier-Beall-Minoustachine, 2002) Eisner did amazing things, but this is not one of them. While noting that griots are the storytellers of West Africa he decides an absurd talking evil rock is a better narrator, and more importantly, he leaves out the best part of the story - Sundiata's mother, the Buffalo Woman. Anyhow, it is kind of my fault this stinks. My dad is a scholar who researched this tale and Eisner reached out for consultation, sending my dad reproductions of a completed, fully painted graphic novel. My dad realized it was lacking but asked me what he should say, and seeing that it was a completed painted book by a very old, legendary artist, and that it was mediocre but not egregiously bad, I said it would be too much work for him to change things, so just say it's OK. In gratitude Eisner sent us two originals. And then I realized my terrible mistake. Even in his mid-80s Eisner was nimble, quick, and loose, and was doing loose ink drawings, Xeroxing them to paint upon, and then whipping out the color with ease. He could have made major adjustments with little effort, and I underestimated him. Not my best moment, but I do have an Eisner original! Of a talking evil rock.