Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Contemporary Scribes: Jewish American Cartoonists

2001; Purdue University Press; Volume: 20; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1353/sho.2001.0075

1534-5165

Helena Frenkil Schlam,

Diverse scientific research topics

The list of artists who defined and shaped American cartoon art includes many Jewish names. America has offered many immigrant groups the possibilities of achievement, and Jews, coming from a strong literary tradition which nurtured both a comic and an ironic view of the world, have been drawn to this fast-developing and uniquely American art form since the beginning of the twentieth century. At every point in the history of cartoon arts in America some Jewish cartoonists were able to contribute their talents and ability to innovate. They brought the sharpened perspective and the moral anxiety of the outsider to this artistic expression, and, from Rube Goldberg to Al Capp, Will Eisner, and Art Spiegelman, to mention only several of the giants, they have strongly influenced the cartoon arts. The cartoonist at his/her drawing board brings to mind the image of the scribe, an old and revered profession in Judaism. Jewish cartoonists in their depiction of modern life have in some ways become contemporary scribes in a distinctly American form of communication that combines both written and visual expression.