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The title of this story was inspired
by a bestselling 1946 book: Forever Amber by Kathleen
Windsor (adapted the following year into an Otto Preminger film).
This Valentine story features The Spirit's sidekick, Ebony
White trying to impress a new girlfriend named As Ever
Orange. Also introduced is an African American army captain
Fraternization H. Shack, a rival with a very proper British
accent (and a character who will return in later episodes). Ebony
dons a Spirit mask throughout this story, to underscore his affiliation
with The Spirit. Will Eisner, who was sensitive
to some criticism that Ebony could be construed as having racist
overtones, depicts Ebony in this story as being self-conscious
about his "minstrel accent." Humiliated by As Ever's
put-down, Ebony decides to go to school to improve his English.
The story ends with Ebony taking a train to school and, thus,
an unexpected leave of absence from the strip. He is replaced
temporarily by an Eskimo boy named Blubber in the subsequent
February 17, 1946 story. (The original "Blubber" art
is also available from this agency.)
Complete 7 page story.................$10,000
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