Not only do comic book superheroes Batman and Superman disguise themselves to save the world, but, according to former Marvel group editor Fingeroth, they also disguise their Jewish heritage and values. In Fingeroth's debut, he uncovers Jewish themes in comics history, starting with the introduction of Superman in 1938 and ending with a look at what the current crop of Jewish mainstream comics creators are doing with the freedom to explore overtly their religion. Chronicling the creation of each new "Jewish" superhero, Fingeroth notes the concurrent changes in the comic industry, including the audience shift from children to adults and the effect of comic critic Fredric Wertham. Looking back at the gold and silver eras of comics, he uses close reading and artist testimony (Stan Lee, Joe Simon and Will Eisner among them) to explore parallels between Superman and Moses, Spider-Man's morality tales and the Torah, Fantastic Four arch-nemesis Hate Monger and Hitler, and others. Fingeroth's theories can seem far fetched-Bruce Wayne must be Jewish, Fingeroth claims, because Jewish creator Bob Kane does everything he can not to mention it-there's nothing here that wouldn't be at home (or much appreciated) in a spirited debate among hard core fans.
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"Like a Yiddish theater play on the old Jewish Second Avenue, or like a really good comic book, Danny will make you laugh, cry and, best of all, he'll make you think."
- From the foreword by STAN LEE
"Not only do comic book superheroes Batman and Superman disguise themselves to save the world, but, according to former Marvel group editor Fingeroth, they also disguise their Jewish heritage and values. In Fingeroth's debut, he uncovers Jewish themes in comics history, starting with the introduction of Superman in 1938 and ending with a look at what the current crop of Jewish mainstream comics creators are doing with the freedom to explore overtly their religion. Chronicling the creation of each new "Jewish" superhero, Fingeroth notes the concurrent changes in the comic industry, including the audience shift from children to adults and the effect of comic critic Fredric Wertham. Looking back at the gold and silver era of comics, he uses close reading and artist testimony (Stan Lee, Joe Simon, and Will Eisner among them) to explore parallels between Superman and Moses, Spider-Man's morality tales and the Torah, Fantastic Four arch-nemesis Hate Monger and Hitler, and others. Fingeroth's theories can seem far-fetched- Bruce Wayne must be Jewish, Fingeroth claims, because Jewish creator Bob Kane does everything he can not to mention it- there's nothing here that wouldn't be at home (or much appreciated) in a spirited debate among hand core fans." -
Publishers Weekly Annex"Danny Fingeroth's Disguised as Clark Kent...should be a key book for students of the superhero genre."
—Peter Sanderson, Comics in Context #201. (Peter Sanderson )
"
Disguised as Clark Kent: Jews, Comics, and the Creation of the Superhero comes from a comics industry veteran who explores the backgrounds of famous superheroes and their creators - who, as it turns out, were largely young American Jewish men from Eastern European backgrounds. The focus on the hero icon in history, Jewish history and culture, and the comics industry as a whole thus makes for a strong recommendation not just for Judaic studies collections, but for any collection strong in either comics or cultural icons and analysis." -Diane C. Donovan,
Midwest Book Review, January 2008 (Donovan, Diane C. )
" Fingeroth's book is an easy, intriguing read, exploring the histories of superheroes and their creators. This is clearly a topic in which Fingeroth is eminently well-versed." —NBA, Jewish Book World, Spring 2008
(NBA )
Mention in Today's Books/ Bookweek
The A-List
"The analogy between superheroes and Jewishness is odd, considering they were created as potent symbols of America. But it comes as less of a surprise when we learn that most of the writers and publishers in the comics industry from the 1930s onwards were Jewish. Indeed, the creators of the most famous superhero of them all, The Man of Steel (aka Superman), were DC Comics' Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, both born in 1914 to Jewish immigrants... I found a resonance there for me and something other people would be curious about." —The Jewish Chronicle, February 28, 2008
"A very thoughtful, very smart, very readable exploration of its subject.It is an essential book for any serious student of comics history and a darn swell read to boot."
-Tony Isabella, Comics Buyer's Guide (Tony Isabella )
“Like a Yiddish theater play on the old Jewish Second Avenue, or like a really good comic book, Danny will make you laugh, cry and, best of all, he’ll make you think.”
- From the foreword by STAN LEE
"Not only do comic book superheroes Batman and Superman disguise themselves to save the world, but, according to former Marvel group editor Fingeroth, they also disguise their Jewish heritage and values. In Fingeroth's debut, he uncovers Jewish themes in comics history, starting with the introduction of Superman in 1938 and ending with a look at what the current crop of Jewish mainstream comics creators are doing with the freedom to explore overtly their religion. Chronicling the creation of each new "Jewish" superhero, Fingeroth notes the concurrent changes in the comic industry, including the audience shift from children to adults and the effect of comic critic Fredric Wertham. Looking back at the gold and silver era of comics, he uses close reading and artist testimony (Stan Lee, Joe Simon, and Will Eisner among them) to explore parallels between Superman and Moses, Spider-Man's morality tales and the Torah, Fantastic Four arch-nemesis Hate Monger and Hitler, and others. Fingeroth's theories can seem far-fetched- Bruce Wayne must be Jewish, Fingeroth claims, because Jewish creator Bob Kane does everything he can not to mention it- there's nothing here that wouldn't be at home (or much appreciated) in a spirited debate among hand core fans." -
Publishers Weekly Annex"Danny Fingeroth’s Disguised as Clark Kent...should be a key book for students of the superhero genre."
—Peter Sanderson, Comics in Context #201. (, )
"
Disguised as Clark Kent: Jews, Comics, and the Creation of the Superhero comes from a comics industry veteran who explores the backgrounds of famous superheroes and their creators - who, as it turns out, were largely young American Jewish men from Eastern European backgrounds. The focus on the hero icon in history, Jewish history and culture, and the comics industry as a whole thus makes for a strong recommendation not just for Judaic studies collections, but for any collection strong in either comics or cultural icons and analysis." -Diane C. Donovan,
Midwest Book Review, January 2008 (, )
" Fingeroth's book is an easy, intriguing read, exploring the histories of superheroes and their creators. This is clearly a topic in which Fingeroth is eminently well-versed." —NBA, Jewish Book World, Spring 2008
(, )
"The analogy between superheroes and Jewishness is odd, considering they were created as potent symbols of America. But it comes as less of a surprise when we learn that most of the writers and publishers in the comics industry from the 1930s onwards were Jewish. Indeed, the creators of the most famous superhero of them all, The Man of Steel (aka Superman), were DC Comics’ Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, both born in 1914 to Jewish immigrants… I found a resonance there for me and something other people would be curious about." —The Jewish Chronicle, February 28, 2008
"A very thoughtful, very smart, very readable exploration of its subject.It is an essential book for any serious student of comics history and a darn swell read to boot."
-Tony Isabella, Comics Buyer's Guide (, )
