Chutzpah: The Jewish Voices Behind American Comics

Abstract

A companion to the Chutzpah: The Jewish Voices Behind American Comics exhibit at the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), this curator's guide elaborates on a selection of key Jewish Marvel characters as seen at MoPOP while expanding on the exhibit's themes of Jewish identity and resilience. Since their creation, comic books have been a powerful tool in combating hatred and they continue to be today along with creating a safe space for Jewish readers. The guide contains an essay on American antisemitism during Marvel's golden and silver eras (1930-1960s), how Marvel's Jewish staff were responding to it, and how that same antisemitism has carried through to the present. In looking at contemporary antisemitism the power of comic books to combat antisemitism and promote empathy is examined.