Racism has been a hot-button issue in the United States forever. Every decade, there seems to be some major event that triggers the debate which always divides the country and starts plenty of campaigns and brawls. Cartoonists never shy away from giving their opinions on the matter whether it be about antisemitism, racism against people of color and even people of a certain religion. “Cartoonist Against Racism: The Secret Jewish War Against Bigotry” is a collection of political comics published during World War II that tackles this topic.
This collection showcases cartoons featuring a character called Mr. Biggott who acts like a bigot in every comic he appears. There are also comics telling people to vote against anyone who is against, labor, racial understanding, Catholics, Jews, Protestants, blacks and anyone foreign-born. There are even two full comics that tackle racism. One is “The Green Lama” by Mac Raboy about a superhero called The Green Lama who fights against racists. The other is “The Got The Blame: The Story of Scapegoats in History” by Sam Glankoff about how different people, things and animals were used as scapegoats for every bad thing that happened.
The art in these comics may be dated by today’s standards, but the message they portray is clear. They show what the political climate was like during World War II and how it affected various people, especially Jews. Many of these artists were Jews themselves. Each section has a short introduction to the comics and they do a great job of explaining not just the comics but why they were written in the first place and by whom. It’s great to have some background on what is about to be read.
“Cartoonists Against Racism” may feature comics that were published during World War II, but they are a great and important source of historical and cultural relevance to the modern reader. For many, these comics represent what is going on today and see them as the past repeating in the United States.
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