The Quest for Jewish Belief and Identity in the Graphic Novel

Illustrations

Illustrations 1.1. J. T. Waldman, Megillat Esther. The inside of Haman’s evil heart 11 1.2. Robert Crumb, The Book of Genesis Illustrated. God drives a stricken Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden 16 1.3. Basil Wolverton, The Wolverton Bible. With a T-shirt and a short haircut, Wolverton’s King David looks very much like a contemporary American 20 2.1. Art Spiegelman, Maus. The bar code superimposed on vladek’s concentration camp uniform brings vladek’s experience into the present 33 2.2. Art Spiegelman, Maus. A photo of vladek in the narrative helps demonstrate the authenticity of the story 35 3.1. Martin Lemelman, Mendel’s Daughter. An angel’s hand touches Mattaleh’s mother’s sister Yetala 43 3.2. Miriam Katin, We Are on Our Own. Miriam’s father speaks the truth to her mother 50 3.3. Sid Jacobson (writer) and Ernie Colón (artist), Anne Frank. Diagram of the hiding places of the Frank family members 55 3.4. Trina Robbins Lily Renée, Escape Artist. Photo of Lily Renée superimposed on a viennese building 57 3.5. Joe Kubert, Yossel. Rendition of photo showing Nazis forcing Jews out of the Warsaw Ghetto 64 3.6. Pascal Croci, Auschwitz. Drawing of the faces of gassed people 66 4.1. Will Eisner, The Plot. Philip Graves studies plagiarized excerpts from The Protocols of the Elders of Zion 86 4.2. Joann Sfar, The Rabbi’s Cat. The rabbi’s cat disputes theological issues with the “rabbi’s rabbi.” 91 4.3. Joann Sfar, The Rabbi’s Cat. A giant Ethiopian Jew tells a Russian Jewish painter that there are no white Jews 99 x Illustrations 4.4. Joann Sfar, Klezmer. Book One. The beautiful runaway Chava sings a Yiddish song 103 4.5. James Sturm, Market Day. The Jewish rug maker’s imagination transforms reality into abstract designs 105 4.6. vittorio Giardino, A Jew in Communist Prague. The Prague apartment of Jonas and his mother 109 5.1. Will Eisner, A Life Force in The Contract with God Trilogy. Jacob Shtarkah discovers that he has a lot in common with a cockroach 125 5.2. Martin Lemelman, Two Cents Plain. A layered rendering of Lemelman’s father 133 5.3. Harvey Pekar (writer) and Dean Haspiel (artist), The Quitter. A drawing of Harvey’s clothes and stance captures his personality 139 5.4. Harvey Pekar and Joyce Brabner (writers) and Frank Stack (artist), Our Cancer Year. Harvey is helped down the stairs by Ju 143 5.5. “Yip” Harburg, “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” Sharon Rudahl’s touching rendition of the impoverished speaker of the Depression-era song 147 5.6. Ben Katchor, The Jew of New York. The book’s title in Hebrew letters 151 5.7. Leela Corman, Unterzahkn. The former prostitute and now-actress Esther holds her dead sister’s baby 154 6.1. Sharon Rudahl, A Dangerous Woman. The intense faces of Alexander Berkman and Emma Goldman as Berkman learns how to prepare a bomb 162 6.2. Diane Noomin, Glitz-2-Go. The elder George Bush and DiDi 171 6.3. vanessa Davis, Make Me a Woman. Davis’s honest rendition of her facial profile 174 6.4. Aline Kominsky Crumb, Need More Love. The Crumbs’ rendition of the family’s move to France 181 6.5. Miss Lasko-Gross, Escape from “Special.” Rendering of Melissa’s hypocritical response to a friend’s belief in God 184 7.1. Rutu Modan, Exit Wounds. Hebrew statement from the Bible on the wall in the background, showing God’s grace toward Koby 187 7.2. Etgar Keret (writer) and Asaf Hanuka (artist), Pizzeria Kamikaze. Mordy speaking to an Arab suicide bomber 193 7.3. Ari Folman (writer) and David Polonsky (artist), Waltz with Bashir. The narrator, Ari Folman, as he witnesses the results of the Sabra and Shatilla massacre 199 7.4. Galit Seliktar (writer) and Gilad Seliktar (artist), Farm 54. Efrat protectively holding an Arab boy’s rabbit 203 Illustrations xi 7.5. Miriam Libicki, Jobnik! Miriam continues to pray regularly while in the army 205 7.6. Sarah Glidden, How to Understand Israel in Sixty Days or Less. Glidden tries to explain the social and political situation in Israel to outsiders 213 7.7. Harvey Pekar (writer) and J. T. Waldman (artist), Not the Israel My Parents Promised Me...