Weekly Kibbitz
Jewish Creators, Fans Feel Snubbed
by New York Comic Con
For the proponents of these panels and some
Jewish fans, it was a notable oversight for an indus-
try whose pioneers included a number of Jews,
especially at a time when the pop-culture industry
in general is focusing on diversity in its portrayals
and among its creators.

Michal Schick, one of three Orthodox women
who host the podcast “Nice Jewish Fangirls,” said
that her panel about discussing Jewish represen-
tation was rejected by New York Comic Con after
holding successful panels at the event from 2017 to
2019, pre-pandemic.

“We fi lled the room,” Schick said. “It was a
200-person room. I think we were the only Jewish
thing on the schedule then, too.”
After taking a break due to COVID, Schick said
she was hoping to do another panel this year dis-
cussing how the entertainment industry can tell
“respectful and exciting Jewish stories.”
“I understand it’s a very diffi cult thing to schedule
panels at a convention,” he stated. “I think this is
more likely just a lack of care than an intentional
exclusion.” Arnon Z. Shorr, an author and fi lmmaker who was
The general atmosphere on the convention fl oor
during Comic Con 2019 at the Jacob K. Javits
Convention Center in New York City
featured in a panel called “The New Face of Jewish
Comics” at the San Diego Comic Con in July, said
that the same panel was rejected from this year’s
New York Comic Con.

“That panel went really well,” Shorr said. “People
seemed to respond very positively to it.”
He made it a point to add that the panel did focus
on Jewish representation in ways “that break past
a lot of the tropes that we get in popular media.”
“A lot of the people who came up to me after
the panel said that this was really vital,” Shorr said.

“The sense that I got was that there was a hunger
for exploring Jewish identity as it’s expressed
through comics in the way that we explore so many
other identities these days.” JE
— Jacob Henry/New York Jewish Week
In Memory of
Dr. Ernest “Ernie” M. Kahn z”l
1926 - 2022
The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia mourns the
passing of Ernie Kahn. Ernie spent decades in numerous
executive and leadership positions in academia and the
Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, as well as
providing critical leadership input for a number of local
and national Jewish organizations. Our hearts are full
as we reflect on the impact he had within the Jewish
community and the legacy he leaves behind. He was a great
friend, mentor and colleague who will be missed by many.

May his memory be for a blessing and his family be
comforted among the mourners of Zion.

4 OCTOBER 20, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
Photo by Sam Aronov/Pacifi c Press/LightRocket via Getty Images
New York Comic Con is one of the biggest pop-cul-
ture events of the year, where fans come to cele-
brate their love of comic books, graphic novels,
anime and video games — and the movies and
television shows based on them.

Stars like Oscar Isaac and Drew Barrymore show
up to reveal new projects, while fans tend to dress
as their favorite characters.

The event, which ran from Oct. 6-9 at the Jacob
Javits Center, is also an occasion for dozens of
panels, ranging from star-studded reveals of new
projects to serious examinations of trends in the
industry. Some panels talked about diversity in the
comic world; this year’s lineup included separate
discussions of Muslim, Asian and Latino represen-
tation in comic books.

There was not, however, any discussion of
Jewish representation in the fi eld. The New York
Jewish Week learned that at least two panels with
a focus on Jewish representation in comic books
and the entertainment industry were rejected by
New York Comic Con’s parent company, ReedPop,
despite the success of similar panels at previous
conventions and in earlier years.