• Light/Dark

Marvel called out for antisemitic imagery in ‘Immortal Hulk’ comic

Reader mode
Palette Swap

Palette Swap

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
11,306
www.dailydot.com

Marvel called out for anti-Semitic imagery in 'Immortal Hulk' comic

Artist Joe Bennett faced criticism for a scene involving a Star of David.
www.dailydot.com www.dailydot.com

The latest issue of Marvel's Immortal Hulk garnered negative attention on Wednesday after readers noticed anti-Semitic imagery in one of the panels. It looked like a classic dog whistle: something subtle enough to fly under the radar among non-Jewish readers, while feeling obvious to anyone familiar with anti-Semitic tropes. The scene in question involves two characters having a conversation in a jewelry shop. In the background, the window depicts a Star of David and the store's name, "Cronemberg Jewery"—without an "L."
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

77c3aed7-6a3d-448a-969kdu.jpeg


This is like a greatest hits of antisemitic tropes, with a very fucking thin veneer of plausible deniability.
Even if this was somehow an "honest" mistake like the artist claims, drawing a Star of David on a jewelry's window says a lot about the artist who made that choice, because there's nothing plausible about it in the first place.

And it's not like that shithead has bothered hiding who he is in the past :
Like all comics at a major publisher like Marvel, Immortal Hulk has an extensive creative team. The two headliners are writer Al Ewing and artist Joe Bennett, working with inkers Ruy José and Belardino Brabo, colorist Paul Mounts, and letterer Cory Petit. They are overseen by several Marvel editors. So this comic was read and edited by multiple people before going to print, although the fault lies specifically with artist Joe Bennett—a long-established DC/Marvel artist who previously caused ripples of controversy by making a transphobic comment and supporting a violent attack against the journalist Glenn Greenwald.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I'm livid that Marvel editorial are so shit at their job that they let this slip again after it already happened before on an X-Men book.

I'm livid that they let this happen to their best book, and I kind of hope Ewing throws that asshole under the bus.

They'll be pretty fucking suspect if they ever hire Bennett again. Then again, their asshole EiC got away with pretending to be a Japanese writer so what do I know.
 
Westbahnhof

Westbahnhof

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
10,124
Austria
Oh wow. I was just looking at the image at first, and thinking "I don't see it" (because I didn't look at the background). Then I saw the background, and still didn't realize the extent (just saw the star). Then I realized the full extent. What the hell.
 
ImpendingFoil

ImpendingFoil

Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
1,294
I'll buy the excuse about the backwards writing to a degree but pleading ignorance about using the Star of David combined with the artists past remarks is just gross.

They jettisoned a different artist after X-Men Gold #1 had hidden hate speech in the art, I'm hoping they do the same here also.
 
boxter432

boxter432

The Fallen
Oct 28, 2017
9,459
Westbahnhof said:
Oh wow. I was just looking at the image at first, and thinking "I don't see it" (because I didn't look at the background). Then I saw the background, and still didn't realize the extent (just saw the star). Then I realized the full extent. What the hell.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
same. escalated from ehh who cares, to well the star of david isn't necessary, to WTF
 
OP
OP
Palette Swap

Palette Swap

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
11,306
Westbahnhof said:
Oh wow. I was just looking at the image at first, and thinking "I don't see it" (because I didn't look at the background). Then I saw the background, and still didn't realize the extent (just saw the star). Then I realized the full extent. What the hell.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I read the issue yesterday and didn't notice it while reading. But once you see it, it's 100% intentional.
 
B.O.O.M.

B.O.O.M.

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,816
Could someone please explain the trope here to me a bit? I am genuinely interested in learning what it is because even after reading the description I don't quite get it.
 
crienne

crienne

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,293
B.O.O.M. said:
Could someone please explain the trope here to me a bit? I am genuinely interested in learning what it is because even after reading the description I don't quite get it.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

There's a huge stereotype of Jewish people being jewelers, bankers, etc. So not only does this use a Jewish name, but it puts the Star of David on to make sure you KNOW they're Jewish-owned, and on top of that, the word that should be "Jewelry" reads "Jewery".
 
L Thammy

L Thammy

Spacenoid
Member
Oct 25, 2017
50,134
Didn't occur to me on a glance but upon seeing the explanation... uh. I guess that could be a mistake, but it would be a hell of an unfortunate mistake.

This Joe Bennett sounds like they've exhausted the benefit of the doubt.
 
PeakPointMatrix

PeakPointMatrix

Member
Oct 25, 2017
19,356
Yeah that context with the comment changes everything. Otherwise I would have believed drawing out the letters and missing one "L" was an honest mistake. I say this as someone who when drawing out text will inexplicably forget an obvious letter even when it's written in regular orientation. But yeah, this is definitely looking intentional.
 
Zaverious

Zaverious

Member
Oct 25, 2017
451
Yeah Joe Bennett is probably done at Marvel when Immortal Hulk ends this year at issue 50. Great run just a bad dude this guy.
 
L Thammy

L Thammy

Spacenoid
Member
Oct 25, 2017
50,134
PeakPointMatrix said:
Yeah that context with the comment changes everything. Otherwise I would have believed drawing out the letters and missing one "L" was an honest mistake. I say this as someone who when drawing out text will inexplicably forget an obvious letter. But yeah, this is definitely looking intentional.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
The image itself already stretches belief because it's a typo that emphasizes "Jew" directly adjacent to a Jewish religion image.
 
TheGhost

TheGhost

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
28,137
Long Island
sqwarlock said:
There's a huge stereotype of Jewish people being jewelers, bankers, etc. So not only does this use a Jewish name, but it puts the Star of David on to make sure you KNOW they're Jewish-owned, and on top of that, the word that should be "Jewelry" reads "Jewery".
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Well shit I didn't see that even on the third glance, wtf is wrong with this guy?
 
B.O.O.M.

B.O.O.M.

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,816
Dalek said:
Trope?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

In the OP it says it should be obvious to anyone familiar with anti-Semitic tropes

DiipuSurotu said:

jewelry - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

en.wiktionary.org en.wiktionary.org

Jewery - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

en.wiktionary.org en.wiktionary.org
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
sqwarlock said:
There's a huge stereotype of Jewish people being jewelers, bankers, etc. So not only does this use a Jewish name, but it puts the Star of David on to make sure you KNOW they're Jewish-owned, and on top of that, the word that should be "Jewelry" reads "Jewery".
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
astro said:
Jewery: https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Jewery
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

oh shit. now I see 0_0 yeah that is pretty blatant

Thanks for the explanations everyone.
 
mreddie

mreddie

Member
Oct 26, 2017
44,709
The issue is they are likely keeping Joe because he cranks out the issues quick, the series is aimed to end after the summer though.

They'll likely delete his number after that.

mjc said:
Weird how the editors didn't notice this either.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

After the last few months, it's been shown the editors don't do jackshit at all.
 
fick

fick

Alt-Account
Banned
Nov 24, 2018
2,261
I figured the Star of David was just someone being familiar with the concept of Jewish jewelers, but dumb enough to think they just put up religious symbols all over.

Then I saw the dropped L.... yeah I'm thinking that might not have been accidental.

edit: I don't know if the Jewish jeweler is a negative stereotype, or even based in reality. I'm just familiar from movies...mainly Snatch.
 
Sirhc

Sirhc

Hasn't made a thread yet. Shame me.
Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,078
That's pretty fucking disgusting, totally intentional and he should be gone from the industry.

I can see how that was missed by an editor but they should have raised an eye at the star of david, could be overwork but they need to be better.
 
Mesoian

Mesoian

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 28, 2017
26,917
Huh, I just read that chapter, I completely missed it.

Unacceptable.

How are you gonna tarnish probably the best Marvel book in years with this petty bullshit man. That's terrible, get him outta here.
 
echoshifting

echoshifting

very salt heavy
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
15,021
The Negative Zone
One of the most uncomfortable aspects of this for me is that when the Syaf antisemitic coding popped up in an X-Men comic a couple years ago, a jewelry store was used in that case as well to make a subtle antisemitic joke

So nothing has changed at Marvel editorial in the intervening period, I guess
 
Watchtower

Watchtower

Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,777
The guy who snuck in the shit in X-Men was far subtler about this and got his ass persona-non-grata'd.

Hopefully this smacks this guy too, goddamn.
 
spyroflame0487

spyroflame0487

One Winged Slayer
Member
Nov 3, 2017
3,112
Im still a little suspect about him trying to write the letters backwards. I mean...like wouldn't you make the window design first and then flip in photoshop or whatever program they're using?
 
HustleBun

HustleBun

Member
Nov 12, 2017
6,077
Daily Dot should put Joe Bennett's name in the fucking headline. Marvel and DC keep hiring him (and should be called out) but he's already made shitty comments in the past- he sucks, there's no excuse for this.

There was no mistake made here. He knew what he was doing.

EtVSh-VXcAIOnJH
 

Mattersnotnow

Member
Jan 15, 2018
1,003
That's bizarre
Jewery and the star of David being in the picture don't mean anything to me, it's not funny, it's not even particularly offensive beyond stretching a stereotype but the fact that the artist felt the need to do it says a lot about what kind of person he is
 
Reader mode
You must log in or register to reply here.