With an Outstretched Arm

"With An Outstretched Arm" is an original papercut I made for Emmett to mark the occasion of him becoming a bar mitzvah January 2021. This papercut is inspired by him, by his Torah portion Va’era, and by the words he shared with his community as he made the transition to Jewish adulthood.

 The central imagery draws on words from Shemot/Exodus 6:6, in which God tells Moses to tell the Israelites, “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and through extraordinary marvels.” The arm of a pitcher, right to left from wind-up through delivery, delivers a miraculous pitch with an outstretched arm. Within these arms, which are an allusion to Marcel Duchamp’s “Nude Descending a Staircase,”are various comic panels which reference Emmett and the responsibility he is taking on at this special moment.

“Today I am a man,” spoken by teen super hero Robin in a Batman comic, represents the day that this thoughtful, mature boy becomes a man in the eyes of his community.

The rest of the papercut includes cut-up comics which refer to his dreams (such as sports management), his ideals (including the justice and equality embodied by Jackie Robinson), and the moment when a boy becomes a man — noteworthy in the Captain Marvel comic since that hero is actually young Billy Batson, who says the magic word (Shazam) and becomes a grown man and super hero. At right is a pitcher in the moment of wind-up, standing on a pitcher’s mound which includes the EWSK logo commissioned for Emmett for his bar mitzvah — and behind that silhouette (the outline of Sandy Koufax, in one of the many references to the Dodgers in this papercut, sacred to Emmett and his family) we find references to the marvels and miracles of the Torah portion (“I still can’t believe it!”) and to Emmett’s special day (“All stand up to see what he’s done.”). Throughout the work are additional super heroes, embodying the ideals that Emmett chooses to live up to, as well as references to moments public and private.

Comics in the papercut include:

• The All-Star Story of the Dodgers (1979)
• American Flagg #6 (March 1984) — Emmett
• Batman: The Widening Gyre #1 (October 2019) — “Today I am a man.”
• Bucky Barnes: The Winter Soldier #1 (December 2014)
• Bullseye: Perfect Game #2 (February 2011) —”All stand up to see what he’s done.”
• Decorum #2 (June 2020)
• Justice League Special Featuring Mister Miracle #1 (1989) — #13 and “Miracle”
• Los Angeles Dodgers: The Legend of the Blue Knight (April 1997) —”I still can’t believe it!”
• Power Pack #13 (August 1985)
• Shazam! Power of Hope (November 2000)
• Shazam! #2 (April 1973) —”Shazam” and “Marvel”

Paper Midrash in North Carolina

This year, since High Holidays, Rabbi Shawna and I have been in Manhattan (NY), North Hollywood (CA), Cleveland (OH), Milwaukee (WI)... and we're just getting started! This past weekend we were in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, bringing Paper Midrash to Temple Emanuel – and we had a great time, as usual.

Rabbi Mark Cohn leading Erev Shabbat services with "Paper T'filah Visual T'filah"

We started the weekend with a pop-up gallery for an intimate gathering of temple leadership, then in to services which Rabbi Mark Cohn led with "Paper T'filah Visual T'filah" (which I made in cooperation with CCAR Press).

Rabbi Shawna and I gave a visual sermon on this week's Torah portion, which we called "Lech L'cha: Boldly Go," which referenced Abraham and Sarah (of course) but also Star Trek, The Fantastic Four, Captain Marvel, Black Panther, and more.

Saturday morning we led a Paper Midrash workshop, in which participants created beautiful and meaningful midrashic interpretations of Lech L'cha, cutting up comic books just like I do in my studio.

God calls to Abram and Sarai: "Lech L'cha!"

Abraham is a super hero, surviving being thrown into the fire by Nimrod.

Sarah has her own super hero: she talks directly to God and saves Abraham!

Sarah being carried into Egypt by Abraham, disguised as his sister, IN A COFFIN.

 Saturday night Rabbi Shawna and I presented "People of the (Comic) Book," a visual history of Jews and comic books, from the very first comic book in the 1930s up to present-day Jewish creators and characters.

Ready to talk about the patriarchs: Jerome, Joseph, Stanley, and Jacob

It's such a fascinating subject, and we have so much fun revealing the semi-secret Jewish world behind Superman, Batman, the Marvel cinematic universe... so much good stuff.

Religious school students making "Fold-and-Cut Torah" projects in the Lamed Center

Sunday morning we brought our "Fold-and-Cut Torah" project to the Temple Emanuel religious school – Rabbi Shawna and I led a special program for the fifth, sixth, and seventh grade students and their parents, while the K-5 classes used our lesson plan to create their own Torah focused on the values held in common with comic books.

Learning and praying with the "Twelve Tribes" papercuts

Sunday ended with a special service for the religious school led by Rabbi Cohn that incorporated my papercuts, including my "Twelve Tribes" series – so proud to have my work used in this beautiful studying/praying/learning experience!

Want more information about bringing Paper Midrash to your community? Contact us at info@papermidrash.com for details.

"Breathe Free" and the Syrian Refugee Crisis

It hurts me to hear people like House Speaker Paul Ryan say we should close our doors – whether he says it's a "pause" or whatever. We have a welcome sign at the border, on a statue given to us by France, and it contains America's core value: we welcome the tired and weary – the refugees who seek freedom and safety. Don't turn them away! They are us!

"Breathe Free" (shown above) is a new papercut in my exhibition, "Women of Valor and Other Super Heroes," now showing at National Council of Jewish Women / Los Angeles through November 30, 2015. This was inspired by my wife's Rosh HaShanah sermon about the Syrian refugee crisis.

The original Ms. Marvel, Carol Danvers, has recently “passed the torch” to a young Muslim immigrant from Pakistan. Both dedicate themselves to the ideas of peace and freedom, and the message carved in stone at the foot of the Statue of Liberty — words written by the Jewish poet, Emma Lazarus. This papercut explores the idea of America as a nation of immigrants, with a changing demographic of people all committed to the same ideals: refuge and liberty for all.

This papercut, like all of my work, is made with cut-up comic books, including:

• Avengers [Free Comic Book Day] #1 (Jun 2015)
• Captain Marvel #1 (Nov 2015)
• Ms. Marvel #15 (Mar 1978)
• Ms. Marvel #1 (Oct 2014)

The original is already sold, but you can buy an archival giclée print at my store site.

"Number Theory"

I'm pleased to be donating a papercut to ANOTHER fundraising auction happening tomorrow – this one being held at Brave New World Comics on Free Comic Book Day (tomorrow, May the Fourth) to support the Newhall Public Library!

"Number Theory" is built on a structure of the ten basic Hindu-Arabic numerals (0123456789), and it's about the power of individuals working together. Each person has their particular strengths and skills and backgrounds, and they become magnified by the presence of others. We can all be heroes, and so the background texture for the cut is a collection of superheroes, representing the strength of diversity.

Interested in bidding? You do NOT have to be present to bid; just call the shop at 661 259 4745!

Number Theory
10" x 18"
Mixed media

"In the Garden"

“In the Garden” was commissioned by a patron in New Zealand — it's a diptych featuring two trees from the Garden of Eden: the Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life.

The trees are similar in structure, underscoring the ambiguity of whether these trees were two different trees or, in fact, the same tree — as has been posited by scholars over the years.

On the left, the Tree of Knowledge is backed with cut up texts related to the tree and the knowledge that came from it; it also features small fruits to tempt Eve and Adam. There are glimpses of the Bible, of encyclopedia entries and textbooks — with references to apples, belief, and the traditions that have sprung from this story.

On the right, the Tree of Life is alive with natural greens and browns from cut-up comic books and other textures, featuring three red fruits. The tree is a study of life, for while it is composed of wood and leaves, those are representations on paper which only symbolize those natural elements; and yet, that paper is made from wood, which of course is a more literal backing of the tree’s forms.

Comics used include:

• Animal Man #3 (January 2012)
• Azrael #3 (July 2009)
• Batman #493 (May 1993)
• Batman: Lovers and Madmen (2008)
• Daredevil: The Man Without Fear, v2 #56 (March 2004)
• Flash Annual #2 (1988)
• Green Lantern Corps #47 (June 2010)
• JLA: Liberty and Justice (November 2003)
• The Lone Ranger #25 (January 2011)
• The Power Company #4 (July 2002)
• Powerless (2005)
• Shazam! Power of Hope (November 2000)
• Teen Titans #4 (December 2003)
• Trinity #23 (November 2008)
• Vermillion #4 (January 1997)
• The Last of the Greats #5 (February 2012)

Other texts used include:

• Cavins, Dr. Lorimer V., ed. The Wonderland of Knowledge, Volume 1. Publishers Productions, Inc., 1938.
• Cohen, Mortimer J. Pathways Through the Bible. JPS, 1946.
• Cohen, The Reverend Dr. A., ed. The Soncino Chumash. Soncino Press, 1947.
• Emerson, Ralph Waldo. Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1951.
• Farb, Peter. LIFE Nature Library: Geology. TIME-LIFE Books, 1963.
• Holst, Bernhart P., ed. World-Scope Encyclopedia, Volume 1. Readers League of America, 1945.
• Raisin, Dr. Jacob S., Ph.D. The Haskalah Movement in Russia. JPS, 1913.

Photos from the PJCC gallery tour

My thanks and appreciation go out to everyone who joined me for the gallery tour yesterday at the Peninsula Jewish Community Center.

I had a wonderful time talking with you about art and Judaism, and I'm especially pleased I got to meet those of you who have been purchasing work from the show. I signed some prints and waved my hands around, talked with old friends and made some new ones.

There are still works available for purchase; check out the catalog here to see everything in the show, alongside descriptions of each piece and listings of the comics I cut up to make them – and contact me if you're interested in acquiring a piece.

Seven to Seventy

Completed a new piece tentatively titled "Seven to Seventy" (click the pix to see it larger). It's a revelation piece, with a lot of midrash in it. Look for seven bolts of lightning, Captain Marvel, pieces from a chumash index, watercolor, and more. Here are some close-up shots (click make them larger):

I expect this will be in my September show in Northern California -- details will be posted here once I get them settled.

The first ever (?) steampunk papercut: "Brave New World"

I'm happy to share a photo of my latest papercut with you, made as a gift for Portlyn and Atom!, the fine folks who helped bring you my latest show at Brave New World Comics. It's about them, so there are no doubt a few references that may go over one's head, but I believe the piece is nonetheless aesthetically pleasing. It includes bits and pieces of:

X-Men 179
OMAC
Ultimate Secret 3
Ultimate Extinction 3
White Tiger (trade book)
Superman 330 (1978)
Hulk 280 (1983)
Marvel Team-up 40 and 46 (1976)
ROM 27 (1982)
Fantastic Four 233 (1981) and 282 (1985)
Avengers 229 (1983)

See what's on exhibit at The Finegood Gallery

Right now I'm showing four pieces in a group show at The Finegood Gallery of the West Valley Jewish Community Center (West Hills, California) -- click the image above to see a larger version (but go see the show, open through October 17, to see them as they were intended to be enjoyed):

The Finegood Gallery
WVJCC
22622 Vanowen Street
West Hills, California
818 464 3218

"Number Theory: Heroes"

Just completed this piece to submit to Deloitte -- yes, my work life and art life have come together in a weird venn diagram of awesomeness.

So I made this piece specifically for Deloitte, as part of the Deloitte University project -- they're planning to decorate the campus with artwork created by the people of Deloitte. Here's what I said in my submission:

My art is a blending of traditions, using the mythos and imagery of comic books to explore themes of identity and connection to the world around us.

In this piece, which I created specifically for submission to Deloitte University, the papercut is built on a structure of the ten basic Hindu-Arabic numerals (0123456789), symbolizing the outward appearance of an organization built on – and dedicated to – numbers. But of course, Deloitte is much more than that – it is an organization of individuals, who each bring with them particular strengths and skills and backgrounds and make the organization more than the sum of its parts, and more than just about “numbers.” We are, all of us, heroes to ourselves and to others; it’s part of our shared values that we be the best we can be, and that we help others to do the same. And so the background texture for the cut is a collection of superheroes, representing our strength and diversity and commitment to individual performance, positive team dynamics, and joint success.

And yes, I do *love* where I work.

And All the People Saw the Voices(Paper Midrash)

This is a piece I've titled, "And All the People Saw the Voices," after the verse in Exodus 20:18 concerning the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. The Hebrew word for "voices" is also the word for "lightning" -- hence the symbolism here, also representing the thunder and lightning surrounding Mount Sinai. The rabbis teach that God's voice split into seven voices, which split into seventy languages -- allowing all people across the world to understand.

It's another in my series of comic book papercuts. See this -- and more! -- at "Paper Midrash," at the Merage Jewish Community Center of Orange County from January 24 through February 27, 2010. The opening reception will be from 2 to 5 p.m. on January 24.