Up, Up, and Oy Vey!: How Jewish History, Culture, and Values Shaped the Comic Book Superhero

If you ever wondered the actual origins of the golden era super-heroes and those insightful individuals who created them, this is the book for you! A fun, quick read, who knew that Superman would have his origins in the Golem myth? Great stuff!

This book is a must read for everyone who takes superheros seriously, Weinstein studies the psychology behind each of our favorites icons, and draws the links between their creators and the personage. Batman, Superman, and all the other heroes are put in the context of their creator's biblical and cultural heritage, and Weinstein does a great job on documenting and arguing that connection

I recently went to a reading of Up, Up, and Oy Vey at a bookshop in Brooklyn. I have not yet read the book, but am very interested in graphic novels and thought, what the heck, what about comics! Simcha Weinstein spoke about the book with wit, humor, and heart. His knowledge of comics and the film industry is very impressive and fascinating. He had the entire audience captivated. The book chronicles the influence of the Jewish people in the comic book industry. Some believe that Superman, Batman, and even The Thing were Jewish! I know, it's funny! But with the research that he gives, it totally makes sense. In the end, we know they are just comic book heroes, not people, but the book is an interesting and totally new account about comics. I bought the book and can't wait to read it and I suggest it to everyone!

Who would've thought Bruce, Peter and Clark were jewish names? Simcha Weinstein handles the subject matter of connecting comic book superheroes with their biblical and judaic origins with profound thought, wit, and a healthy dose of humor. Seperated into sections breaking down the major (and sometimes minor) heroes, Weinstein details the accounts of their origins and shows how, much like authors Roland Barthes and Joseph Campbell before him, how our own modern mythologies and achetypal heroes are rooted in cultural history and religion. Of special note is a centerpiece section that reprints actual comic book pages from some of our favorite heroes in full color that further drive the author's points home, sometimes with a startling clarity, such as a piece of art featuring X-Men villain Magneto wrapped in a Tallit.

This book is a must for anyone who read comic books as a child or teenager. It is funny and informative about the origins of our favorite comic book characters, including Superman, Batman, Captain America, the Fantastic Four, Spiderman, the Xmen, the Incredible Hulk and Sabra. Weinstein goes into the origins of each of these superheros and tells us how these talented Jewish comic book artists melded Jewish history, legends and culture into their stories, including the Golem. The author doesn't neglect the female comic characters either. Sabra is the most prominent 'Eshes Chayil' or woman of valor. She proceeds to 'kick tuches and take names' in her comic book appearances. I was impressed with the amount of research that the author did in producing this book. It ought to be part of the curriculum in high school literature classes along with all of those dead goyishe authors like Shakespeare.