Cartoonists Against Racism: The Secret Jewish War on Bigotry

by Rafael Medoff, Craig Yoe, Susannah Heschel (Foreword)

Horrific scenes of anti-Jewish violence in Europe filled the newsreels in American theaters in the 1930s and 1940s.

What could be done to make sure it didn’t happen in America? One Jewish organization hit upon a remarkable idea—to enlist some of America’s most beloved cartoonists to wage a war on bigotry.

Cartoonists Against Racism uncovers the secret campaign to create anti-racist comics and cartoons to flood America’s newspapers, classrooms, and union halls. Meet the artists and the work that was their ammunition in the battle for America’s soul.

The book showcases impactful anti-racism artwork from the era’s preeminent cartoonists, including multiple Pulitzer Prize winners Bill Mauldin and Vaughn Shoemaker; New Yorker cartoonists Carl Rose, Mischa Richter, and Frank Hanley; famed antiwar cartoonist Robert Osborn; Dave Berg of Mad magazine; renowned sports cartoonist Willard Mullin; noted labor cartoonist Bernard Seaman; comics artist Mac Raboy ( Flash Gordon, Captain Marvel Jr. ); and Eric Godal, who escaped from Nazi Germany and became a leading cartoonist in the American press and acclaimed artist Dick Dorgan.

Genres: Nonfiction, Comics, Graphic Novels, American History, War

152 pages, Paperback

Published July 2, 2024

Reviews

[Jill]

This was ok. I thought it was a graphic novel and it wasn't. While I did enjoy the artwork inside the book, this was just kind of boring.

[Ogi Ogas]

My ratings of books on Goodreads are solely a crude ranking of their utility to me, and not an evaluation of literary merit, entertainment value, social importance, humor, insightfulness, scientific accuracy, creative vigor, suspensefulness of plot, depth of characters, vitality of theme, excitement of climax, satisfaction of ending, or any other combination of dimensions of value which we are expected to boil down through some fabulous alchemy into a single digit.

[Lizzy B]

Great collection of comics and political cartoons supporting a patriotic anti-bigotry campaign that we could really use in our time. Some of the comic themes get repetitive, but the art is generally striking and distinctive. Loved the homespun nature of some of the editors’ commentary and the usefulness of their background context

[Robin]

An excellent resource.
A group of Jewish-American leaders hire a visionary adman that in turn cleverly employs cartoonists to change the negative perception of Jewish people. They were brilliant and effective. Many examples are presented in this unexpurgated collection.

[Sam]

A collection of cartoons fighting against antisemitism and bigotry, along with an informative introduction, make this a great addition to anyone interested in the history of comics and the role Jews played in the industry.

[Sonia R]

An important compilation for the historical record