From Krakow to Krypton: Jews and Comic Books - Softcover

"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 -- Al Jaffee "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 -- Danny Fingeroth

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.