Superheroes, action comics and horror stories—comics writer Neil Kleid does it all. In an unusual twist for a comics creator, however, two of Kleid’s recent books, both published by NBM ComicsLit, have pointed their story-telling lens at Jewish life and history. Brownsville, which came out in 2006, is set in 1930’s Brooklyn in the world of the Jewish mob, and his newest book, The Big Kahn, out this month, is a family drama that takes place in a contemporary Orthodox Jewish community.
The Big Kahn gets started at the funeral of a prominent rabbi, when a long lost brother of the deceased rabbi reveals to the rabbi’s family and his congregation that he wasn’t actually Jewish. With the con-artist himself about to be buried, the family is devastated; no one can ask him why or how he was able to deceive the people closest to him. The book is really the story of the people he lied to, now left to sort out their own feelings about them on their own. Illustrated by talented first-time cartoonist Nicolas Cinquegrani, The Big Kahn has been lauded as an engrossing and realistic tale. On a recent lunch break from his day-job as a graphic designer, Kleid talked to PWCW about comics, Judaism, and his workday.
PW Comics Week: You've written about different aspects of Jewish life in your two recent books. Has that just happened in the writing, or is it a project you’ve consciously decided on?
Neil Kleid: Well, I believe in write-what-you-know, and I'm an Orthodox Jew. Also, though, with any form of creative media, when you run across a story that you can directly relate to it's very exciting. Comics have always been that medium where if someone talked about [comics] on TV or film you say, “Oh, they talked about it! [in recognition].” Judaism is kind of the comic book of religion in that way. Whenever it comes up in mainstream entertainment, Jews are excited, like for the golem episode of The X Files. I just thought to myself, why can't there be Jewish comics immersed in that community, written by someone who's coming from that community? The graphic novel boom has allowed people to open up different communities—Persepolis did it—and I'm always a fan of those books. I like finding out about a background I didn't know about. As a Jewish creator writing original Jewish fiction, I'm always hoping someone will say, “Oh, I didn't know about that and I want to find out more.”
PWCW: Part of what you’re doing, then, is educating your readers.
NK:I try to provide some answers about the culture. People will ask me things like, ‘Why do you keep the Sabbath?’ and there's often a sense of ‘I don't want to insult you,’ but it’s not insulting at all. So in the books I try to say, ‘Here are some things you didn't know. Here's what a mezuzah is, here’s why we keep the Sabbath.’ I'm a Jewish creator and I want to tell stories in that world because not many others are doing that, though of course there are other great Jewish comics creators, people like Sammy Harkham, Lauren Weinstein, Sarah Glidden, Josh Neufeld, Rutu Modan, Joann Sfar and of course at times, Harvey Pekar. And that’s aside from the obvious Art Spiegelman and the late Will Eisner. I wanted to shine a light on hidden aspects of my culture and also learn about things that I didn’t know about before.
PWCW: What are some examples of what you’ve learned?
NK: With Brownsville I wanted to know more about the Jewish mafia. I also try to ask questions in my books that I really ask of myself. In The Big Kahn, Avi, Rabbi Kahn’s son, asks, “What does this mean for me?” when he finds out that his father wasn’t really Jewish. He wonders, “Does this mean I can abandon everything I've known until now?” These are similar to questions I’ve asked myself. As Jews we’re taught that God chose us and that we're going to inherit the earth but Joe Christian's been told the same thing, Muslims have been told the same thing, so how am I so dead sure? I've always been interested in questions like that and the books allow me a platform to explore them. Mainly though, it's where can I find a good story that people will want to read? If I can educate at the same time, that’s great.
PWCW: I know you have a full-time job, so how do you find time for your writing?
NK: Yeah, I have a full-time job, so I’m there from nine a.m. to six p.m. I get home around seven, spend an hour and a half with my wife and child, and then I work from about 9:30 to one a.m. It can be tiring, and there are some weekends where I'm exhausted and I don't want to work, but if you love comics and you're passionate about it then you do it.
