"Esther" Treasure Chest of Fun and Fact v.9 #18
May 6, 1954, 4th story, p. 3. Artist unknown.
© George A. Pflaum.
"Queen Esther" Bible Tales For Young People #5 (March 1954), p. 4. Art by Mort Lawrence. © Atlas
as well as an Ivanhoe comic based on the film with Elizabeth Taylor.
"Ivanhoe" Fawcett Movie Comic #20 (Dec. 1952), p. 12. Story by Waler Scott. Artist Unknown. © Fawcett
One of the genres introduced in the 50s was the romance comic, with stories in which the characters were usually nonethnic whites with no religion specified. However, in the story “Different” written by Jack Kirby & Joe Simon – both Jewish – the female protagonist & her family were shunned because they were different from the townspeople.
"Different" Young Romance # 30 (Feb. 1951), p. 11. Story by Joe Simon & Jack Kirby. Art by Jack Kirby. © DC Comics
Just how they were different is never clarified. The family name was changed from Wilheim to Williams, suggesting that they were Germans, But there’s also a reference to the way “their kind” do business & a quip about horns on their heads. Even if the fictional family was not meant to be Jewish, it’s reasonable to assume that the story was written because Simon & Kirby were supportive of interfaith relationships.
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