We Spoke Out: Comic Books and the Holocaust Hardcover – April 17, 2018

Neal Adams, Rafael Medoff, Craig Yoe, “We Spoke Out: Comic Books and the Holocaust.” Introduction and Afterword by Stan Lee. During World Wat II, American cartoonists often illustrated their fictional heroes fighting the enemy (for example, in ‘Terry and the Pirates’ Milton Caniff’s heroes fought the Japanese; Will Eisner had Blackhawk & Co. fighting Nazis), but the cartoonists – almost all of them Jewish and descended from Jewish European refugees – did not address the Holocaust. The Holocaust was poorly reported by contemporary American newspapers, magazines, radio, and newsreels as well. Many American overseas correspondents sent accurate Holocaust reporting back to their editors: the editors rejected the copy as exagerated or beyond belief. Very late in the war the news trickled out. This is from awesomestories.com: “At the end of World War II, General Eisenhower made a decision to personally visit as many Nazi concentration camps as he could. His reason? He wanted to document the camps and their appalling conditions.“Anticipating a time when Nazi atrocities might be denied, General Eisenhower also ordered the filming and photographing of camps as they were liberated. Members of the U.S. Army Signal Corps recorded approximately 80,000 feet of moving film, together with still photographs.“Within months after the war in Europe, about 6,000 feet of that film footage was excerpted to create a one-hour documentary called "Nazi Concentration Camp". Prosecutors used the film, which is graphically gruesome, to prove that Nazi leaders, on trial at Nuremberg, had perpetrated unbelievably heinous crimes against humanity.”Starting in the 1950s and increasingly in the ‘60s and ‘70s cartoonists incorporated the Holocaust into their stories. “We Spoke Out” is the record of the cartoonists work, Seventeen stories by many of the great cartoonists of the era are printed intact in glorious color on high quality glossy paper. Intelligent commentary accompanies the stories. The stories and artwork combine into a series of riveting tales. Highly recommended.

So much of comic book history is owed to Jewish creators, and some of the most famous creators were responsible for some of the most heartbreaking fictional stories of the Holocaust. Read this book!

Telling the truth about a historical event that can never be white washed. My heart aches for those who didn't and those who survived

got it for my grandson.. an important part of our history is brought to life here in a way kids today can learn from.

Very well put together and the illustrations are on point. Colors are rich as is the clear print.

excellent bridge between history and popular culture

great

Great