Praise for The Jewish Graphic Novel

"The graphic novel is a vital and emerging genre, and this is the only book that focuses on its relation to Jewish culture, literature, and history. A highly readable and informative collection that will be of great interest to readers across a wide range of disciplines."—Deborah R. Geis, editor of Considering MAUS: Approaches to Art Spiegelman's "Survivor's Tale" of the Holocaust

"The People of the Book—the epithet is no longer sufficient. More appropriate: The People of the Book and the Image. Samantha Baskind and Ranen Omer-Sherman, leading a cadre of exegetes, explain what makes the combination."-Ilan Stavans, author of Mr. Spic Goes to Washington

"Will Eisner coined the term “Graphic Novel” in 1976 for A Contract with God, his account of the Jewish Diaspora experience. It has since become the label for complex illustrated texts - some fiction, some non-fiction; most a striking mix of both. The growth of the “Graphic Novel” also tracks with the rise of a post-modern, global Jewish culture in the later 20th century. The Jewish Graphic Novel is thus both a history of the genre as well as a history of its particular place in the growing, self-conscious world of contemporary Jewish self-representation. A brilliant and original book!"—Sander L. Gilman, Author, Multiculturalism and the Jews 

"Few attempts have been made to publish an anthology of academic essays on Jewish graphic novels. The Jewish Graphic Novel is a wonderful attempt to fill this void. The collection brings together four essays on specific books, five essays comparing pairs of graphic narratives, two overviews, two cartoonist interviews, an in-depth look at a Jewish comic book character, and an illustrated essay about Jewish biographical comix. Highly recommended for public, academic, and high school libraries, particularly those that already have significant Judaica graphic novel collections."—Association of Jewish Libraries Newsletter

In the 1970s and 1980s Jewish cartoonists such as Will Eisner were some of the first artists to use the graphic novel as a way to explore their ethnicity. Although similar to their pop culture counterpart, the comic book, graphic novels presented weightier subject matter in more expensive packaging, which appealed to an adult audience and gained them credibility as a genre.

The Jewish Graphic Novel is a lively, interdisciplinary collection of essays that addresses critically acclaimed works in this subgenre of Jewish literary and artistic culture. Featuring insightful discussions of notable figures in the industry—such as Will Eisner, Art Spiegelman, and Joann Sfar—the essays focus on the how graphic novels are increasingly being used in Holocaust memoir and fiction, and to portray Jewish identity in America and abroad.

Featuring 87 illustrations, this collection is a compelling representation of a major postmodern ethnic and artistic achievement.

Samantha Baskind is an associate professor of art history at Cleveland State University. She is the author of Raphael Soyer and the Search for Modern Jewish Art.

Ranen Omer-Sherman is Gabelli Senior Scholar of Arts and Sciences and an associate professor of English at the University of Miami. He is the author of Israel in Exile: Jewish Writing and the Desert.