An Ode to Jewish Comics
Plus: a movie recommendation
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July 25, 2025 // 29 Tamuz, 5785
This week, a reflection on the role of Jews in comics from our producer, Lanni Solochek, who attended San Diego Comic-Con this week.
One of the beautiful things about Judaism, for me, is the way it shows up in every part of my life. At SDCC, I attended a talk with Mark Zaid about The Jewish Experience in Comics looking at how Jewish creators shared their own experiences through their characters.
Countless beloved heroes and characters (think Superman A.K.A. Kal-El, Magneto, The Thing, and more) come from the minds and hearts of Jewish creators, like Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. Those characters and writers play out the best and the worst of Jewish history, and their stories have always been a way of sharing the deeply Jewish experiences of coming to a new world, fighting fascism, and protecting the stranger. Art Spiegelman used Maus to talk about The Holocaust, Kitty Pryde lit her menorah with her parents, and The Thing had a Bar Mitzvah. Comics, and creative media as a whole, have always helped its writers and readers navigate the complicated, the exciting, and the mundane of Jewish life.
The news is difficult and, as a person who likes to escape into media, I hesitate most days to pick up something new for fear that it may be too close to reality. But seeing reflections of our world isn’t always bad — sometimes, it helps remind me that there is community in shared experiences.
Plus, I think we can all agree that there’s something deeply satisfying about Captain America punching a Nazi.
Read on, comic nerds.
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Before we go
Lanni recommends “Thirteen,” a story inspired by real life about a mother who is determined to honor her profoundly disabled child with a Bat Mitzvah.
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Shabbat Shalom Chutzsquad!
Hi there! I was at Comic Con, and while this panel was on my schedule, I was there with my daughter and had to be flexible throughout the whole experience. That is actually something I expected, but now I'm sad I didn't get to connect with Lanni. I've been listening to your Podcast since Josh was on it, so you don't need to convert me to fan status. Also? I knew all the information from this particular post, as I have several books on it. I DID go to one of Jack Kirbys panels, and wrote about it on Substack, so maybe give it a read? Nu?
If you could tell me how to connect with Lanni, I would love to reach out to her to start a dialogue. Shalom and Make Mine Marvel! (If you know you know)