This field is a little limited. Strangely according to the Wikipedia page, most Israeli comics aren’t in Hebrew. Or at least not today.
Israeli Comics – From A Familiar Place
Like many comics, Israel’s started in newspapers. During the British Mandate, British comics like Teddy Bear Adventures were brought over to local newspapers and translated in Hebrew.
As for Israeli-made comics, the earliest I could find was Mickey-Mahoo and Elijah; it’s in Hebrew. This comic strip was created in 1935 in reaction to the translated comics from outside featuring Mickey Mouse and Felix The Cat. Hence why one of the title characters looks like Felix and has a Hebrew paraphrase of Mickey Mouse for a name. Mickey-Mahoo and his human friend Elijah would go into various misadventures. Sometimes they were your standard mischief, educational moments, celebrating Israeli holidays, other times they went back to older pictures and built on top of them.
This is because the majority of Israeli artists didn’t really have much understanding of comics’ visual language. Which is incredibly ironic considering the vast American Jewish comic creators like Joe Shuster, Jerry Siegel, and Jack Kirby. But then again, I’ve seen American creators struggle with it despite the resources. So you’ve gotta give Israel credit for building their own rather than copy everybody else.
The Israeli Comic Strips Method
It works something like this: characters and narratives are designed to identify with a child audience. If that sounds like Storytelling 101, think of this like how different people independently invented the crossbow. Besides child-aimed heroes in situations that relate to everyday life made it for all ages.
Between the 1930s and 70s a lot of comic strips got people’s attention. Some like Shroulik were made with national pride, especially against the anti-semitic remarks in certain newspapers; the creator was a Holocaust survivor. Others like Yoav Ben-Helab were ads to encourage milk-drinking. Yosef and His Brothers meanwhile shows how the average Israeli looks next to his successful neighbors. Each demonstrating Israel’s development as a country.
Small Side Note
No mention of censorship, especially after Israel won its independence from Britain after World War II. Instead they had so much nationalism and orthodox Judaism, some people thought it was overbearing.
Starting To Get Two Parties
The 70s show advancement in comics’ visual language as well as content. A good number of the latter revolves around educating people on Zionist values to promote social criticism and personal creation. Which was fitting given the turbulence of events like the Yom Kippur War and other social issues. As for the previous, comics started to look more “American” with aesthetics. For example, Yoske Mayor showed more realism especially in historical accuracy about the Jewish armed struggle in cinematic detail. So successful it was the longest running in an Israeli newspaper.
Of course there are plenty of people against Zionist narratives. Thankfully not out of bigotry but questioning the role of militarism through anarchy. The protagonists of Freak, Yosef and the Duck are comic-pathetic heroes, known today as antiheroes. More on that archetype with Skottie Young; but compared to other works that focus on anarchic reactions to conventions like They Live, they comment on how every side can get what they want or need but unknowingly hold themselves back.
Why Do Superheroes Gotta Be Patriots?
Let me give you another example from 1979, Sabraman. This patriotic superhero inspired by Superman was one of Israel’s first comic books. It has all of the Zionism of its era through a hero as the son of Holocaust survivors helping the IDF. While also incorporating a lot of the American aesthetics to the point of being released in English.
Sure it didn’t start out with blockbuster sales. You can only sell 100 copies when youths have been oversaturated with Zionistic patriotism. But it sure was a great springboard on two fronts.
Other superheroes would appear in between his appearances in the 70s and 90s. Each sharing that sense of patriotism like Uri-On and Shaloman. As well as how the previous failed to find an audience. Most recently Israel Defense Comics got a new superhero called Magen: The Shield of Israel.
Israeli Comics Getting Their Recognition
Sabraman’s creator Uri Fink would later go on to create Zbang! in 1987. Zbang! is probably the most famous Israeli comic strip; still in Hebrew too. You don’t get a newspaper named after you without touching everybody’s souls. Probably with how it deals with youthful experiences and everyday life in exaggerated, caricature humor. This one is in Hebrew and has a few spin-offs as well as other creations by the creator sharing space with it, like Sabraman. This time he did get an audience.
By the 90s the comic community became more accepting of mature content. Even if most of them did come from out of the country. I’d say it’s pretty obvious why Maus got popular there if you know what it’s about. That’s despite how disillusioned youth use to scoff at this; it’s just that good a story. At least you don’t see anybody in Israel wanting to remove it from stores and libraries.
Then came the 2000s where institutions take a turn at comics. Again usually from outside, but there are exceptions like Nano Comics. This edutainment series by the Weizmann Institute got very popular for appealing to different audiences. Especially since they made an animated version.
Israeli Comics and the Future
Of course, a few artists went to self-publishing, especially with digital. Digital printing for example with cheaper paper made graphic novel distribution easier for titles like The Golem. Newspapers also took to digital with their comics including the above Zbang! Finally you’ve got webcomics like One Of Those Days featuring the slice-of-life depictions of husband and wife creators Yehuda and Maya Devir. In different languages no less.
To this day, the city of Holon hosts both a museum and cartoonist union to give creatives the support they deserve. So yeah, Israeli comics have really stood the test of time. Are things booming? I don’t know, but that’s sure not stopping anybody. One graphic novelist named Rutu Modan even has international acclaim with Exit Wounds.
Thanks for coming to the end and as always, remember to look between the panels.