(Jewish Group) How Superman, Captain America and a little-known Hollywood star fought the Nazis

[Behind the Aegis]

Jewce, at the Center for Jewish History, delvers into the Jewish origins of the comic book industry, and also explores the evolution of Jewish themes in comics, as well as the Jewish response to fascism and intolerance. Courtesy of Center for Jewish History

Inside the pages of an April 1945 edition of Fight Comics, Señorita Rio stands with her back against a wall in a narrow hallway, pistol in one gloved hand, crimson satin purse in the other. She’s poised to step inside a door, which has been left ajar. In the next panel, set inside a “waterfront dive,” two men discuss eliminating their problem: Señorita Rio.

Illustrated by Lily Renée, a Holocaust survivor and one of the earliest women to work in the comics industry, the comic about a Hollywood actress turned U.S. government spy, captures the way comics have been used to fight oppression since Superman flew into the public consciousness in 1938.

Renée’s work is on view as part of “JewCE: The Museum and Laboratory of the Jewish Comics Experience,” a new exhibit at the Center for Jewish History. Delving into the Jewish origins of the comic book industry, the show also explores the evolution of Jewish themes in comics, as well as the Jewish response to fascism and intolerance, according to Dr. Miriam Eve Mora, Co-Curator of the exhibit.

The exhibit features an impressive collection of original artworks and historical artifacts including Joe Simon’s original drawings of Captain America and the “holy grail of comics,” a 1933 “Reign of the Superman” story by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, which features the very first mention of Superman.

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