The bronze statues of Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster and Siegel’s wife, Joanne Siegel, who was the inspiration for Lois Lane.Earlier this year, Siegel & Shuster Society teamed up with the Maltz Museum to present “Icons in Ink: The Jewish Comics Experience,” which opened in May and runs through Sunday, Aug. 23.

The exhibit showcases Jewish creatives who have shaped the comics industry—creatives like Superman creators and Glenville natives Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster; comic book writer Harvey Pekar; cartoonist and illustrator Peter Kuper; cartoonist and author Terri Libenson; and comic book writer and artist Brian Michael Bendis.

Throughout the summer, “Icons in Ink: The Jewish Comics Experience” has hosted a variety of events for comic enthusiasts. Fortunately, there is still one special event left.

On Wednesday, Aug. 19, the Maltz Museum will host a special screening of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.”

Like the Superman connection, Cleveland also has a connection to Captain America.

The 2014 film “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” was filmed at several Greater Cleveland locations, including the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Western Reserve Historical Society History Center, Tower City, and Lakeview Cemetery Dam.

The “Captain America” screening takes place at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Admission to the outdoor movie night is free, but registration is required.

Immerse yourself
With a little more than a week left to check out “Icons in Ink,” there is still time to see the 230 artifacts, original comic art, historic memorabilia, and interactive experiences on display.

The immersive exhibit showcases Jewish creators who have been influential in the comic book industry.

Local artist Len Peralta creates an original illustration live during the 'Cleveland: Home of Heroes!' panel at Icons Fest, capturing the conversation through art.“Icons in Ink” shows the vast impact Cleveland has had on the comic book art form. There is a special section called “Cleveland: Home of Heroes!” which shares original artwork and historical artifacts from Cleveland’s most celebrated comic creators.

Naturally, this section has plenty of Superman collectibles, since this iconic hero was created here in Cleveland. It is no surprise that the world associates Superman with Cleveland’s comic scene. Yet, there are so many other comic creations from Cleveland that have shaped the industry.

“We shouldn’t forget that here in Cleveland, we created one of the most iconic characters of all time, but also since then, Cleveland has played a major role in comics history,” says Siegel & Shuster Society board member Dr. Valentino Zullo.

If you missed it
A big part of “Icons in Ink: The Jewish Comics Experience” was the two-day “Icons Fest” in July, when prominent writers, artists, scholars, and storytellers shared their knowledge about the comic book industry and their experiences with creating comics.

“You could tell that the people of Cleveland just really love comics and that came through anytime the creators were sharing their stories,” says Zullo.

Icons Fest speakers included: 

• Brian Michael Bendis
• Marc Andreyko
• Phillip Kennedy Johnson
• Ben Berkowitz and Max Berkowitz
• Jon Bogdanove
• Bernard Chang
• Gary Dumm
• Danny Fingeroth
• Matt Horak
• Amy Kurzweil
• Peter Kuper
• Terri Libenson
• Joe Rubinstein
• Joshua Sky

For those who regret that they missed Icons Fest, there’s another chance to experience it. Cleveland Public Library’s Page Count podcast, “Bendis and Andreyko: Ohio Comic Book Icons in Conversation” connects listeners with Ohio comic book royalty: Brian Michael Bendis, Marc Andreyko, and Mike Sangiacomo.

The conversation, recorded live on July 11 at the Cleveland Public Library, focused on their early collaborations, ongoing challenges, and stories from their careers.

The mind of a comics writer
Cleveland cartoonist and author Terri Libenson spoke in July at “Icons Fest,” sharing her thoughts on the impact of “The Jewish Comics Experience.” Her observations illustrate how comics can connect people across generations, backgrounds, and experiences.

Terri LibensonLibenson is a prime example of how the comics art form can make readers feel seen and valued. She created the comic stripfour “Pajama Diaries” and now devotes all of her time to writing her graphic novel series, “Emmie & Friends.”

“Pajama Diaries” tells the story of Jill Kaplan, a working mom of two girls who constantly juggles her parental duties with her career, resulting in some hilariously truthful punchlines.

“I wanted to create a sympathetic character who you could laugh along with,” says Libenson, who was a young mother of two when the strip first hit the newspapers.

The “Emmie & Friends” books are intended for middle-grade students, and each book focuses on a specific character as they navigate how to survive the chaos of middle school. As of now, Libenson has published 10 books, with her newest book due to be released in September.

Libenson’s success through her comic strip and her graphic novels made her an exemplary candidate to participate in four panels at “Icons Fest,” where she spoke about Cleveland’s influence in the comics industry, her experience navigating the industry as a female creator, and the importance of authenticity.

“Living here for so long has a profound impact on creating,” she notes. “I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that this is such a hotbed of comics creators, so you can't help being influenced by that.”

The entirety of “The Jewish Comics Experience” is very important to Libenson, she says, since it showcases and celebrates the Jewish influence in the comics industry. As a Jewish woman, she says she always strives to be authentic to herself. Often, she says, this means implementing parts of her religion into her comics.

In “Pajama Diaries,” the Kaplan family is Jewish, and several strips depict the family observing the Jewish High Holy Days. Throughout her “Emmie & Friends” series, Libenson also included Jewish content, whether it was a main storyline or a part of a character’s identity.

“It's just a natural part of their lives,” she explains. “I want that to be more mainstream, because it does reflect reality.”

Tickets
“The Jewish Comics Experience” affirms the power of Jewish comics creators to entertain, inspire, and bring communities together.

The exhibit runs through Sunday, Aug. 23. The Maltz Museum invites Clevelanders to see the history and individuality that lie beneath the strip. Visit the museum’s exhibit website for more information and to buy tickets.