Tue Aug 5, 2008 — by Van Jensen

Man Finds Will Eisner Printing Plates

Rare cartoons turn up

Here's a story that might be more suited to PBS's Antiques Roadshow than a comics audience, but it's pretty cool nonetheless.

A man in Woodbury Heights, New Jersey picked up some old printing plates and then, years later, he checked them out and found some were of little-known Will Eisner cartoons.

This article in the South Jersey Courier-Journal retells the story.

In his studio, Getsinger stood by thin, metal comic strip printing plates stacked neatly in hundreds of rows. The collection's value is unknown, but Getsinger believes the entire collection is worth more than $1 million with printing and publishing possibilities.

Getsinger has two almost-complete collections of Will Eisner's first published comic strips, "Harry Karry" and "Uncle Otto."

"I found these "Harry Karry' plates by a "Willis B. Rensie,' which is Eisner spelled backward," Getsinger said. "I did some research and also learned that these "Life in the Roar' comics by "Kane' were early comics of "Batman' creator Bob Kane.

"It's like discovering the Holy Grail."

Getsinger has more than 80 plates of Kane and 85 plates of comic book legend and "The Spirit" creator Eisner, who died in 2005.

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