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Arie Kaplan

From Krakow to Krypton: Jews and Comic Books Paperback – Illustrated, September 8, 2008

by Arie Kaplan (Author), JT Waldman (Foreword), Harvey Pekar (Foreword)

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Jews created the first comic book, the first graphic novel, the first comic book convention, the first comic book specialty store, and they helped create the underground comics (or “Comix”) movement of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Many of the creators of the most famous comic books, such as Superman, Spiderman, X-Men, and Batman, as well as the founders of MAD magazine, were Jewish. From Krakow to Krypton: Jews and Comic Books tells their stories and demonstrates how they brought a uniquely Jewish perspective to their work and to the comics industry as a whole. Over-sized and in full color, From Krakow to Krypton is filled with sidebars, cartoon bubbles, comic book graphics, original design sketches, and photographs. It is a visually stunning and exhilarating history.

Print length

240 pages
Language

English
Publisher

JEWISH PUBLICATON SOCIETY
Publication date

September 8, 2008
Dimensions

8.4 x 0.7 x 10.9 inches
ISBN-10

0827608438
ISBN-13

978-0827608436
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"In From Krakow to Krypton, Arie Kaplan threads together the disparate elements of comicdom--Jewish culture, geek culture, fandom, sci-fi, adolescent power fantasies, outsider art, and the New York City of reality and myth--and ties them all together. . . . A smart, fun book."—Danny Fingeroth, author of Disguised as Clark Kent: Jews, Comics, and the Creation of the Superhero

"A new and fascinating look at the history of comic books . . . you really don't have to be Jewish to thoroughly enjoy this trip down comic book memory lane.”—Al Jaffee, long-time MAD Magazine contributor and author of the forthcoming Talltales

From the Back Cover

From Krakow to Krypton: Jews and Comic Books Arie Kaplan

Since their creation in the 1930's comic books have become a part of our nation's vocabulary, forever changing the way we think about stories, pictures, and what makes a hero. In From Krakow to Krypton, Arie Kaplan unmasks the Jewish subtexts of these stories and showcases the unique contributions Jews have made to this American art form. The book features original interviews with legendary figures such as Will Eisner, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Al Jaffee, Neil Gaiman, Jerry Robinson, and Art Spiegelman, giving fans an inside look at the people behind the stories.

"Arie Kaplan has written a miracle of a book, as comprehensive as it is entertaining; a virtual Jew's Who of the comic book universe." --Larry Gelbart, legendary TV writer/screenwriter (M*A*S*H, Tootsie)

"In From Krakow to Krypton, Arie Kaplan threads together the disparate elements of comicdom--Jewish culture, geek culture, fandom, sci-fi, adolescent power fantasies, outsider art, and the New York City of reality and myth--and ties them all together .... A smart, fun book." --Danny Fingeroth, author of Disguised as Clark Kent: Jews, Comics, and the Creation of the Superhero

"A new and fascinating look at the history of comic books ... extremely well documented and profusely illustrated. You really don't have to be Jewish to thoroughly enjoy this trip down comic book memory lane." --Al Jaffee, long-time MAD Magazine contributor and author of the forthcoming Talltales. Arie Kaplan is a comedian, MAD Magazine writer, and author of the new comic book miniseries Speed Racer: Chronicles of the Racer. His other comic book credits include the DC title Cartoon Network Action Pack and the Papercutz series Tales from the Crypt. Arie lectures all over the country about comic books, comedians, and popular culture. He is the author of Masters of the Comic Book Universe Revealed! and he's also written for MTV, Cartoon Network, and PBS Kids.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ JEWISH PUBLICATON SOCIETY; Illustrated edition (September 8, 2008)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0827608438
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0827608436
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.15 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.4 x 0.7 x 10.9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,072,923 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #254 in Comic & Graphic Novel Literary Criticism
- #324 in Comics & Graphic Novel History & Prices
- #4,801 in Literary Criticism & Theory

Customer Reviews:
24 ratings

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Arie Kaplan

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Arie Kaplan is the author of more than two dozen books, including "LEGO Star Wars: Face Off,"

"LEGO Star Wars: The Official Stormtrooper Training Manual," "The Jurassic Park Little Golden Book," "Swashbuckling Scoundrels: Pirates in Fact and Fiction," and the award-winning "From Krakow to Krypton: Jews and Comic Books." He has also written several graphic novels, including "Speed Racer: Chronicles of the Racer," "Shadow Guy and Gamma Gal: Heroes Unite," "The Penguins of Madagascar: Penguins on a Mission," and "The New Kid from Planet Glorf." In addition to his career as an author, Arie is a screenwriter for television, video games, comic books, and transmedia. He lives in New York City.

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RAUL DASILVA

Don't miss this one.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 16, 2008

Verified Purchase

Written in Queens, NY, made in China but pure American is Arie Kaplan's From Krakow to Krypton, the story of how the Jews created comic books and brought to the United States a Mississippi-like watershed river of illustrated stories, humor and adventures that fired up every kid's imagination, lifting them from the doldrums of an otherwise tedious world.

From Krakow to Krypton starts at the very first comic book created by Charlie Gaines (Ginsberg) during the Great Depression and flows from there fed by continuous tributaries but also through the dams and rough waters created by folks fearful of this new industry. Crisp, color illustrations adorn the journey.

Imagine having a spanking new copy of the cover of ACTION Number One Published in June 1938- the magazine that not only heralded in Superman but all the Superheroes that today are making Hollywood history and stunning box office grosses. This is a must for everyone who loves the Comic Book and like Levy's Real Jewish Rye; you don't have to be Jewish to love it.

Raúl daSilva; author: first place national book festival prizewinner, The World of Animation.

5 people found this helpful

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Joe S.

even more new insights

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 30, 2013

Verified Purchase

as stated before in regard to another book on the same subject, some of the material in this book was not new to me, since I've been reading many books lately on the history of comics, but this book has a lot in it that is new to me. I loved comix as a kid growing up. Now that I learn the story behind them, I have a a new appreciation of the subject

2 people found this helpful

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Josef C Haddad

amazing

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 14, 2019

Wonderful

Superman Jewish? OY!!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 24, 2013

Verified Purchase

Great book. Lots of interesting info on Jewish immigration and super heroes. Critical examination of the subject in depth. Wow

One person found this helpful

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pnina

recipient loved it,

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 16, 2014

Verified Purchase

Given as a gift, recipient loved it,

One person found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Good Book!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 25, 2008

Verified Purchase

A good, solid book! Amazing how Kaplan, keeps things straight and in order.

Entertaining and informative!

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J. G. Schulze

An excellent history of comic books.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 6, 2017

A few weeks ago, we attended the Arkansas Literary Festival, 2017. We saw Arie Kaplan’s presentation on his book, From Krakow to Krypton: Jews and Comic Books. We bought a copy of his book after seeing the presentation. The book is a history of comic books from a Jewish perspective. That’s almost redundant. Many, if not most, of the early artists, writers, and publishers of what we have come to know as the comic book were of Jewish heritage. The history of comic books is from a Jewish perspective.

As a youth, I read a lot of comic books. I started out with DC Comics: Batman, Superman, The Flash, and Green Lantern. I’ll admit it; I even bought my share of Aquaman comics. Later, I graduated from DC to Marvel. My favorites were Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Daredevil, and Iron Man. Also, of course, I read quite a lot of Mad Magazine and its competitor Cracked.

My comics reading wasn’t limited to actual comics. The first biography I remember reading was The Mad World of William M. Gaines, by Frank Jacobs. William Gaines became, and remains, one of my real-life heroes. I have continued to be interested in my comic book heroes. I can’t say that I’ve seen all the super-hero movies that have come out, but I’ve seen most of them. I’ve waited for some of them to come out on cable.

Enough about my credentials to review this book. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the back-story of the comic books we enjoyed as children, teenagers, and young adults.

Kaplan’s book is an excellent history of comic books. He starts at the beginning, 1933, when Funnies on Parade was published by Max Gaines, the father of the modern comic book, as well as the father of the aforementioned William Gaines. Kaplan digs deep, and tells us about the well-known heroes as well as the unsung heroes of the modern comic book industry. He tells the story of Bill Finger, the forgotten co-creator of Batman. He writes about Jack Kirby, whose contributions to the Marvel comics universe were often uncredited.

He tells us about the villains of the history of comic books. Dr. Frederick Wertham (also Jewish; even the villains are Jewish here) attacked comic books as contributing to juvenile delinquency. Dr. Wertham’s crusade dealt a near-fatal blow to the comic book industry. Politicians recognized a good issue and joined the attack. The industry tried to defend itself against the witch hunt. Particularly targeted were the books published by William Gaines. Gaines defended himself heroically before Congress, but ultimately the panic prevailed, and all of his books but Mad, which he had converted to a magazine format, went out of publication. Comics publishers who wanted to survive submitted to the Comics Code Authority, a self-censorship organization.

Comic books bounced back from the attack. Even under the restrictive Comics Code, DC and Marvel were able to create interesting and entertaining stories. And of course Mad Magazine, refitted to avoid control under the Comics Code Authority, became a major influence on American culture.

Now, as we all know, comic book movies are a major source for the movie industry. And comic books themselves are still a major industry, entertaining children and adults alike.

I recommend this book highly.
J.G. "Gerry" Schulze

3 people found this helpful

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Tim Lasiuta

Remarkable

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 17, 2008

Once upon a time, I read comic books for enjoyment. I used to buy Howard the Duck, Spiderman, Batman, Nova, and the 1970's Marvel westerns. That was then, this is now.

At the tender age of 40 plus, I finally learn that the creators of my favorite books were Jewish! Not that it made a difference to my enjoyment that Bob Kane, Stanley Lieber, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby, Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, and so many others had a Judaic background, but now that I know that, some pieces have fallen into place.

Arie Kaplan has written "From Krakow to Krypton", and explores the Jewish mythologies one more time. Danny Fingeroth, in "Disguised as Clark Kent", also took on the monumental task of studying the origins of the characters and their circumstances with relation to Jewish teaching. Both books are marvelous, and come across a little differently. "Krakow to Krypton" breaks the development of the comic book age into Golden, Silver, and Bronze with discussions centering on different topics and the logical progression from Eisner to Lee to Spiegleman.

While comic books were not overtly Jewish, the concept of `strange visitor from another planet' and the `last survivor' reflect the Jewish transition during passages to America to escape oppression. Images like Clark Kents' bespectacled, book worm, mild mannered was stereotypical of being Jewish. Even the name, Kal-el, while it sounded neat to readers of the time period contained Hebrew. Roughly translated, it means "All that God is". Jewish readers would have picked up on that, while others would miss that entirely. The myth of Golem could even be read into Superman (as Eisner did).

What is remarkable about this book is the depth of the discussion and the obscure examples of Judaic references in specific issues. For instance the prayer by the Thing from Fantastic Four (2002) is outstanding. Joe Kuberts' Ragman, Yossel: April 19, 1943, and Caper by Winnick make Kaplans' point beautifully. Throughout the life of Will Eisner, his work evokes a certain aura of Jewishness, and if we consider "Contract With God", "Zion", and the Spirit, the influence is powerful. If we add into the mix, the X Men by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Chris Claremont, the aliens within us theme is even stronger.

I was mesmerized by the easy to read, easy to digest, and most importantly, the passion that Kaplan displays for his subject. Well chosen art accompanies the book, yet I hope the final pictures are taken from flat books (not bound in hardcover).

Viewed as a series of two books, Krakow and Disguised should be primary sources for truly academic discussions why comics aren't just for kids anymore.

I highly recommend "From Krakow to Krypton", just after morning prayers.

7 people found this helpful

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