PS Magazine

Will Eisner - best known for his influential comic book series The Spirit and his groundbreaking graphic novel A Contract with God - believed in the teaching power of comics, and from 1951-1972 he produced PS Magazine for the U.S. Army. This Preventive Maintenance Monthly, called PS because it was a postscript to the standard technical manuals, was aimed at teaching American soldiers everything about weapons safety for vehicles, aircraft, firepower, and electronics. Eisner illustrated these vital lessons in drawings, pin-ups, step-by-step guides, and comic strips. This collection contains the best of Eisner''s 227 issues of PS Magazine, reproduced in a portable digest format. This relatively unknown portion of Eisner''s career is finally explored-the missing link between his comic book work and his later, mature graphic novel style. The magazine was digest-sized, with a comic book-style cover and full-color comics alongside technical, safety, and policy information. Each story starred Joe Dope and was a cautionary tale: a soldier who ignores preventive maintenance learns of its importance the hard way. Our book reproduces the best of the stories featured in full color and packaged in a portable format. These comics, published monthly between 1951-1972, are a missing link in Eisner''s career, and are also a testament to the teaching power of comics.