Comments on: New book about Funnyman, a Jewish superhero from the Golden Age of Comic Books http://boingboing.net/2010/04/29/new-book-about-funny.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Tue, 21 May 2013 03:57:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: holtt http://boingboing.net/2010/04/29/new-book-about-funny.html#comment-774400 holtt Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-774400 I'm curious why one would want to 'label' a comic character with a specific religion. Is it so Jewish readers would find it easier to project themselves onto the character? Time to go back and re-scan Understanding Comic to see how it fits... I’m curious why one would want to ‘label’ a comic character with a specific religion. Is it so Jewish readers would find it easier to project themselves onto the character? Time to go back and re-scan Understanding Comic to see how it fits…

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2010/04/29/new-book-about-funny.html#comment-774673 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-774673 http://www.jewcy.com/post/israel_man_and_diaspora_boy http://www.jewcy.com/post/israel_man_and_diaspora_boy

]]> By: Delaney http://boingboing.net/2010/04/29/new-book-about-funny.html#comment-774441 Delaney Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-774441 Wasn't the first Jewish super hero Jesus? Wasn’t the first Jewish super hero Jesus?

]]> By: MaxEmerika http://boingboing.net/2010/04/29/new-book-about-funny.html#comment-775217 MaxEmerika Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-775217 "What the hell is 'Wings'?" - some 90s teenager :-) “What the hell is ‘Wings’?”

- some 90s teenager

:-)

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2010/04/29/new-book-about-funny.html#comment-775479 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-775479 "What the hell is the 90s?" --Any kid today “What the hell is the 90s?”

–Any kid today

]]> By: holtt http://boingboing.net/2010/04/29/new-book-about-funny.html#comment-774495 holtt Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-774495 Christ, what an asshole. Christ, what an asshole.

]]> By: TimDrew http://boingboing.net/2010/04/29/new-book-about-funny.html#comment-774757 TimDrew Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-774757 Nah, that would have been Moses. He was like the Jean Grey of his time... Nah, that would have been Moses. He was like the Jean Grey of his time…

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2010/04/29/new-book-about-funny.html#comment-774534 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-774534 Interesting: The character looks an awful lot like Danny Kaye (née Kaminsky). Interesting: The character looks an awful lot like Danny Kaye (née Kaminsky).

]]> By: _OM_ http://boingboing.net/2010/04/29/new-book-about-funny.html#comment-774549 _OM_ Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-774549 ...Oy vey! Even *I* forgot about Funnyman. But Don Markstein didn't: http://www.toonopedia.com/funnyman.htm …Oy vey! Even *I* forgot about Funnyman. But Don Markstein didn’t:

http://www.toonopedia.com/funnyman.htm

]]> By: sirkowski http://boingboing.net/2010/04/29/new-book-about-funny.html#comment-774554 sirkowski Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-774554 Is this real??? Is this real???

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2010/04/29/new-book-about-funny.html#comment-798880 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-798880 This is really to insulting my heritagee, but I am a big fan of comic books so might have to live with this. I am really close with my dad though, because we spent some special time together when we were young, and I remember he told me that he was a superhero and I couldn't tell my mom or else. All my friends at Cornell think I am weird but its oks. Joshua Max Kaufman Activism This is really to insulting my heritagee, but I am a big fan of comic books so might have to live with this. I am really close with my dad though, because we spent some special time together when we were young, and I remember he told me that he was a superhero and I couldn’t tell my mom or else. All my friends at Cornell think I am weird but its oks.

Joshua Max Kaufman
Activism

]]> By: guavajellyfish http://boingboing.net/2010/04/29/new-book-about-funny.html#comment-965300 guavajellyfish Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-965300 written by Kavalier and Clay?! written by Kavalier and Clay?!

]]> By: johnphantom http://boingboing.net/2010/04/29/new-book-about-funny.html#comment-774593 johnphantom Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-774593 FTA from wiki about Siegmund Breitbart: "He lifted a baby elephant. While holding on to the elephant, he climbed a ladder and held a locomotive wheel by rope in his teeth while 3 men were suspended from the wheel." I am going to have to call bullshit on this one. FTA from wiki about Siegmund Breitbart: “He lifted a baby elephant. While holding on to the elephant, he climbed a ladder and held a locomotive wheel by rope in his teeth while 3 men were suspended from the wheel.”

I am going to have to call bullshit on this one.

]]> By: devophill http://boingboing.net/2010/04/29/new-book-about-funny.html#comment-774595 devophill Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-774595 I don't think Siegel or Shuster labeled him as Jewish. Also, although "Yiddishisms' are mentioned I wish they'd show a panel or two where they were used! I didn't see anything that sounded more Jewish than any other superhero dialogue (which was being written by mostly Jewish writers at the time anyway!) I still want to read this book, though! I don’t think Siegel or Shuster labeled him as Jewish. Also, although “Yiddishisms’ are mentioned I wish they’d show a panel or two where they were used! I didn’t see anything that sounded more Jewish than any other superhero dialogue (which was being written by mostly Jewish writers at the time anyway!) I still want to read this book, though!

]]> By: TheCrawNotTheCraw http://boingboing.net/2010/04/29/new-book-about-funny.html#comment-774859 TheCrawNotTheCraw Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-774859 "You mean Paul McCartney was in a band before *Wings*?!?" - some 80s teenager “You mean Paul McCartney was in a band before *Wings*?!?”

- some 80s teenager

]]> By: rebdav http://boingboing.net/2010/04/29/new-book-about-funny.html#comment-774604 rebdav Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-774604 My J-dar flashes with most superheroes, c'mon Superman, Spiderman, Batman... Sounds like should go have a le'chaim after mincha with their buddies Goldman and Greenman. My J-dar flashes with most superheroes, c’mon Superman, Spiderman, Batman… Sounds like should go have a le’chaim after mincha with their buddies Goldman and Greenman.

]]> By: Jack http://boingboing.net/2010/04/29/new-book-about-funny.html#comment-774607 Jack Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-774607 Well, the thing is even <i>Car 54: Where Are You?</i> is an extremely Yiddish show, but it doesn’t wear it on it’s sleeve. I mean, watch some of the episodes like when the kid gets Bar Mitzvahed or an old Jewlish lady gets evicted from her home. From my perspective, most folks who were only born—let’s say—in the last 25 years really don’t know or appreciate how much a Yiddish POV has contributed to the world of comedy, comics and pop culture. Not too many people actually even connect the Jewish aspects of many superheros either. But once you get it, it makes all the sense in the world. So marketing this book as an entry point to saying "Look, check out this aspect of secular Jewish culture that is part of the zeitgeist..." is a decent idea. An aside, I really wish more modern media creators would embrace the idea of mixing humor and seriousness the way old Jewish creators did. Look at the original <i>Taking of Pelham 1-2-3</i> versus the remake: The remake has 100% no humor and sucks. The original is filled with New Yorkisms and slightly Yiddish humor and darkness. It's an awesome film. Well, the thing is even Car 54: Where Are You? is an extremely Yiddish show, but it doesn’t wear it on it’s sleeve. I mean, watch some of the episodes like when the kid gets Bar Mitzvahed or an old Jewlish lady gets evicted from her home.

From my perspective, most folks who were only born—let’s say—in the last 25 years really don’t know or appreciate how much a Yiddish POV has contributed to the world of comedy, comics and pop culture. Not too many people actually even connect the Jewish aspects of many superheros either. But once you get it, it makes all the sense in the world.

So marketing this book as an entry point to saying “Look, check out this aspect of secular Jewish culture that is part of the zeitgeist…” is a decent idea.

An aside, I really wish more modern media creators would embrace the idea of mixing humor and seriousness the way old Jewish creators did. Look at the original Taking of Pelham 1-2-3 versus the remake: The remake has 100% no humor and sucks. The original is filled with New Yorkisms and slightly Yiddish humor and darkness. It’s an awesome film.

]]> By: dasboogiewoogie http://boingboing.net/2010/04/29/new-book-about-funny.html#comment-819180 dasboogiewoogie Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-819180 Moin, Moin from Texas! If you like Jewish entertainment of the 1920s, you might like Brendan McNally's dark comic novel "Germania" (Simon & Schuster, 2009), about the Flying Magical Loerber Brothers, four somewhat magical, Jewish vaudeville entertainers and onetime child stars who were the toast of Berlin before WWII and who reunite during the surreal, three-week "Flensburg Reich" of Admiral Doenitz, Hitler's very unlucky successor. Moin, Moin from Texas!
If you like Jewish entertainment of the 1920s, you might like Brendan McNally’s dark comic novel “Germania” (Simon & Schuster, 2009), about the Flying Magical Loerber Brothers, four somewhat magical, Jewish vaudeville entertainers and onetime child stars who were the toast of Berlin before WWII and who reunite during the surreal, three-week “Flensburg Reich” of Admiral Doenitz, Hitler’s very unlucky successor.

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