These Ain’t Your Archie Comics

The history of comic books is inseparable from the history of Jews. Most pioneers in the genre were Jewish — Will Eisner, Stan Lee, and Art Spiegelman, to name just a few — and the newest member of their ranks is J.T. Waldman, author and illustrator of Megillat Esther, the world’s first scholarly, religious graphic novel. Taking its cue from the rich Hebraic tradition of Midrash, Waldman re-tells the Biblical story of Esther in pen-and-ink images and English and Hebrew text, incorporating multiple readings from the Talmud and a few interpretations of his own.

The work has been universally praised by the both the Jewish community and by graphic novelists, and now you can see Waldman’s skills in person at Growing Up Comix: The Work of Cartoonist JT Waldman, opening today at Art/Center South Florida on Lincoln Road. The exhibition spans his entire life, beginning with his childhood imitations of famous superheroes. Those of you who’d like to meet Waldman in the flesh, check out the opening reception Saturday night, March 21 at 7.
Fri., March 20, 2009