How do You Draw a Jew? Ethnic Caricature in the Early 20th Century

Digital event banner for a presentation titled How do You Draw a Jew? Ethnic Caricature in the Early 20th Century by Jeff Marx. The banner includes an illustration of Abie the Agent, a red circular logo for Will Eisner Week, and bold black text on a white background.
Dates/Times

March 6, 2025
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Location



Presented by Jeff Marx

Virtual Event, March 6, 2025 beginning at 6pm ET on Zoom
This event is FREE to attend but registration is required. Please register here.

Co-presented by the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum and the Melton Center for Jewish Studies

Long before the crypto-Jew, Superman, was Abie Kabibble, who appeared in Abie the Agent, the first syndicated Jewish comic strip in America, and one of the longest running ethnic comics. Published in newspapers throughout the US from 1914-1940, Abie presented a very different image of the Jew than had previously appeared on the vaudeville stage, in novels, and on phonograph records.

Book cover of Smoothing the Jew by Jeffrey A. Marx. The cover features an illustration of Abie the Agent, a caricatured Jewish figure in a pinstriped suit, bowler hat, and yellow vest, with exaggerated facial features and a cigar in his mouth. The subtitle reads, “Abie the Agent and Ethnic Caricature in the Progressive Era.”

Marx’s slide presentation and talk focuses on anti-immigration sentiments by American nativists in the early 1900s and shares the challenges faced by Jewish graphic artists of that time who sought to present Jewish caricature in more positive ways. In doing so, they influenced how Jews were subsequently presented in comics, on the radio, and on television.

This live Zoom presentation, followed by an open discussion, is based on Marx’s latest book, Smoothing the Jew: Abie the Agent and Ethnic Caricature in the Progressive Era (Rutgers University Press, 2024) and is presented as part of the national Will Eisner Week celebration.

A middle-aged man with gray hair sits at an outdoor restaurant by the sea, wearing a blue Hawaiian-style shirt. He clasps his hands together and looks into the camera with a relaxed expression. Jeff Marx has written and lectured on a variety of topics involving the American Jewish experience, including the history of cream cheese and the origins of bagels and lox. His forthcoming article “Shh, It Vas Next Week,” deals with nineteenth century jokes and cartoons which depicted Jewish store owners as arsonists, burning down their businesses for the insurance money.

 

This event is FREE to attend but registration is required. Please register here.