Superheroes & Schlemiels - Jews & Comic Art: Jewish Museum of Australia

Superheroes & Schlemiels - Jews & Comic Art: Jewish Museum of Australia

Artists have immortalized for centuries stories of great battles, triumphs and defeats, depicting these on walls, floors, ceramic vessels, stone tablets and animal skins.

This was a means of communicating to their people, enemies and the generations to come, what happened at that particular time and place. Who the key players in that event were. Who were the villains and of course who were the heroes.

The first recorded ‘comic’ illustration was by Benjamin Franklin, who drew and published the first editorial cartoon in an American newspaper in 1754. The cartoon was of a snake with a severed head and words which read ‘Join, or Die;’ a message to the remaining colonies, which were still not part of the United States.

Swiss, Rudolph Töpffer birthed the first graphic novel in 1827. Töpffer later published The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck in a form of a book, which is now believed to be the first comic book. The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck crossed the Atlantic in 1842, and became the first comic book to be published in the United States.

At the beginning of the 20th century strips of pictures were printed in magazines and newspapers, where a series of actions were illustrated narrating a story, most of the time funny – hence the name ‘comics’ – sometimes dramatic stories of heroes fighting against their evil nemeses.

A new exhibition featuring amazing comic book art is currently going on at the Jewish Museum of Australia in St Kilda. The exhibition was created by the Musée d’art et d’histoire du Judaïsme (Paris, France) and in cooperation with the Joods Historisch Museum (Amsterdam, Holland).

The fascinating and engaging interactive exhibition exposes visitors to the comic strip, and how this seemingly meaningless illustrated short story in the local newspaper - evolved in the US - into what became a multi-million dollar industry, spawning TV shows, films and a multitude of marketing paraphernalia associated with the characters depicted in them… and behind these creations were some incredibly talented Jewish artists, hence the name of the exhibition: Superheroes & Schlemiels, (schlemiel: Yiddish word meaning, a bumbling fool).

The Jewish Museum of Australia in St Kilda, is a demure building. Upon entering it, one does not expect to find such a jewel as this exhibit inside - Superheroes & Schlemiels. It features reproductions and original works by Art Spiegelman (Maus), Harvey Kurtzman (MAD), Jack Kirby and Stan Lee (The Fantastic Four and X-Men) and of course Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel (Superman).

These men are ‘superheroes’ to artists around the world (myself included) who have emulated their illustration and storytelling style. They are ‘superheroes’ to children everywhere who because of their creations, got a chance to watch Superman, Batman and many others come to life on television and in film. And, of course they are ‘superheroes’ in the Jewish community, who honours them – and many other artists, including some local talents – in a wonderful exhibition, which is probably the best kept secret in Melbourne.

Superheroes & Schlemiels is well worth experiencing, and for the period of the exhibition, anyone who dresses up as a superhero gets in free. I'm dusting off my Wonder Woman costume.

Superheroes & Schlemiels: Jews & Comic Art from the Musée d’art et d’histoire du Judaïsme (Paris) in cooperation with the Joods HIstorisch Museum (Amsterdam)
3 May – 30 August 2009

COMPLEMENTARY KIDS PROGRAMS - For under 18s
Parental supervision required for under 14s
Meet the Makers, Demonstrations by special guest cartoonists, Jewish Museum of Australia
$10 per session
Sunday 5 July, 10.30am: Sarah Howell
Sunday 2 August, 10.30am: Mitch Vane