JewCE: ‘Torah Comics’ Spotlight

It’s no surprise that JewCE would have comics about being Jewish and Judaism. That doesn’t mean it was the sum total of convention, though. There were plenty of Jewish creators there that sold secular books have little to do with Judaism except for the fact they were made by Jewish creators. But, of course, there were books that focused on the Jewish side of storytelling. These books largely fell into two categories: there were books that dealt with culture and history and titles that focused on religion. Most fell into the category of the former, but Torah Comics was one notable example that focused on the latter.

Torah Comics is pretty much exactly as it sounds. Writer and artist Andrew Galitzer created a comic strip style book that adapts various stories from the Torah. The format of the book really highlights the comic strip nature of the stories, which was a smart decision. A comic printed in standard size wouldn’t have had the same effect of presenting the stories in a simplistic and easily digestible matter. Plus, there is also a book of blank sequential panels available so that kids can workshop their own stories. To round out experience, Galitzer makes himself available for in person workshops.

Judaism holds strange place in regards to religion. Even though the Torah is a religious scripture, Jews also view the stories within it as part of their cultural heritage separate from religious significance. The stories should be accessible to everyone, which is not always the case. Sometimes the language within these stories can be a bit overwhelming, but comic books are well known for communicating difficult stories with ease. Torah Comics continues that tradition. There’s also a Spanish version of the book available, proving that there are no limits to how these stories should be presented and who they should be presented to.