“The Eisner Wars” at La Contemporaine, April 16–July 3, 2026

A new exhibition opens at La Contemporaine in Nanterre from Thursday, April 16, to Monday, July 3, 2026. Titled “Eisner’s Wars: A Comic Book Creator Confronts War and Anti-Semitism,” it explores the close connection between Wil Eisner’s (1917–2005) career and the issues of his time through his work. An immersion in history, memory, politics, and the personal.

Throughout his career, Will Eisner helped establish comics as a form of expression for adults, using his art as a tool for analysis, critique, and deconstruction in the face of the worst weapons of war: ignorance, prejudice, and discrimination. If you’d like to learn more, follow the pencil strokes!

The exhibition focuses on three main themes.

First, visitors can view around a hundred reproductions of drawings, comic strips, posters, and military magazines created by Wil Eisner.

The second part of the exhibition highlights the artist’s iconic characters, such as the bumbling soldier Joe Dope and the mechanic Connie Rodd.

Finally, the end of the tour is devoted to the author’s career. Visitors will discover his graphic novels and manifestos (such as “In the Eye of the Storm,” “Fagin the Jew,” and “The Plot”), as well as works that play a pivotal role in preserving memory and combating antisemitism.

Two lectures are being organized in conjunction with this exhibition:

• Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at 4:00 p.m., featuring Benjamin Herzberg and Didier Pasamonik, the exhibition’s curators;

• Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., featuring Gilles Ciment, titled “Eisner: A Graphic System.”

Learn more about La Contemporaine 

Will Eisner, whose real name was William Erwin Eisner, is one of the founding figures of modern comics and a leading pioneer of American comics. He is best known as the creator of The Spirit (a fictional character appearing in the American daily newspaper Register and Tribune Syndicate), as well as for developing the concept of the graphic novel. In his work, Will Eisner analyzes and explores human relationships, the impacts of war, and anti-Semitism. Even today, long after his death, his influence remains strong in the worlds of comics and literature. His name is even given to the “Oscars” of the comic book world: the Eisner Awards.

Practical information: 

Thursday, April 16 through Monday, July 3, 2026
La Contemporaine
200 Avenue de la République
92000 Nanterre
Open Tuesday through Saturday, 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Free admission