Title
“She Got Garfield: Bat-Sheva Wachtfogel - the unsung trailblazer of Comics in Israel”
Start Date
18-7-2022 11:15 AM
End Date
18-7-2022 12:15 PM
Description
Bat-Sheva Wachtfogel, a proud offspring of a well-known family of Orthodox journalists and rabbis, went on to become a trailblazer herself. First, as the only Israeli female political cartoonist of her day, creating unusual images in the Ultra-Orthodox press. Then, as an independent publisher of the bi-weekly “Iton Hacomics” (Comics Newspaper), featuring Peanuts, Garfield, Calvin and Hobbs and other lovable strips, many unprecedentedly translated to Hebrew. As the founding editor and publisher of “Iton HaComics”, Wachtfogel regularly penned original articles about comics history and culture: notable characters, artist profiles, comic book collecting and various themes such as the Holocaust in comics. Although Wachtfogel’s publication lasted only 4 years, “Iton HaComics” remains a landmark achievement. I will detail her journey from Philadelphia to Jerusalem, a cartoonist becoming an entrepreneur, signing deals with King Features and Marvel until present-day, as a YA novels writer now residing in New Jersey.
“She Got Garfield: Bat-Sheva Wachtfogel - the unsung trailblazer of Comics in Israel”
Bat-Sheva Wachtfogel, a proud offspring of a well-known family of Orthodox journalists and rabbis, went on to become a trailblazer herself. First, as the only Israeli female political cartoonist of her day, creating unusual images in the Ultra-Orthodox press. Then, as an independent publisher of the bi-weekly “Iton Hacomics” (Comics Newspaper), featuring Peanuts, Garfield, Calvin and Hobbs and other lovable strips, many unprecedentedly translated to Hebrew. As the founding editor and publisher of “Iton HaComics”, Wachtfogel regularly penned original articles about comics history and culture: notable characters, artist profiles, comic book collecting and various themes such as the Holocaust in comics. Although Wachtfogel’s publication lasted only 4 years, “Iton HaComics” remains a landmark achievement. I will detail her journey from Philadelphia to Jerusalem, a cartoonist becoming an entrepreneur, signing deals with King Features and Marvel until present-day, as a YA novels writer now residing in New Jersey.