Racism and Sexism in Comics/Jews in Comics [S-21-19]

Comic books have always reflected the broader society they are part of. The Racism and Sexism in Comics portion of this talk will discuss how minorities and women were portrayed and treated in comic books. While many of the depictions included disturbing stereotypes, there were also always comics that were ahead of their time in treating minorities and women as equals. The Jews in Comics portion of the talk will discuss how many of the best known comic books and characters were created by Jewish editors, writers, and artists. Despite this fact, until recent times, very few characters in comics were portrayed as being Jewish. What are the reasons behind both of these facts?

Dr. Zvi Szafran is the president of SUNY Canton. He is a chemist by professional background, has co-authored several books on microscale chemistry, and co-founded a national center devoted to that area. He has also been an avid comic book collector for more than 50 years. He and two colleagues were featured in an Archie comic book story on the subject of microscale chemistry and laboratory safety.

Click here for recording of first class, Racism and Sexism in Comics, 03-03-2021.

Click here for recording of second class, Jews and Comic Books, 03-08-2021.

Special Instructions: You will be emailed a Zoom invite the day before the class starts. Click on the link in the invite to open your Zoom app.

Cap: 100