This article's lead sectionmay be too short to adequately summarize the key points. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article.(January 2022)
When Hershfield had success with a Yiddish character in his comic strip Desperate Desmond, he was encouraged by his editor to create a new strip concerning Yiddishism and Jewish immigrants in the United States. The strip debuted in the New York Journal on February 2, 1914.[1]
The strip became popular and other cartoons were made.[1] The titles were "Iska Worreh" (Aug 5) and "Abie Kabibble Outwitting His Rival" (Sept 23).[2]
After the strip dated January 24, 1932, the comic strip went on hiatus, due to a contract dispute between Hershfield and the syndicate, International Feature Service. The strip resumed in 1935 with the King Features Syndicate and ran until 1940.[3]
The Sunday page included a topper. This was called Phooey Fables in January 1926, Dictated But Not Read from February until the end of 1926, and Homeless Hector from 1927 until the hiatus in 1932.[3]
Characters and story
Abraham Kabibble, known as Abie the Agent, was the first Jewish protagonist of an American comic strip.[4] Abie’s humorous caricature was a rebuttal of some of the Jewish stereotypes in caricatures, and represented a moderately successful middle-class immigrant.[5] Abie and his friends had many typical Jewish characteristics, such as their names or their use of Yiddish words and accents, they also lacked many of the negative or malicious elements, such as exaggerated physical traits, found in the depictions of Jews from this time. Abie was in many ways indistinguishable from other Americans. During 1917, the character enlisted in the United States Army to help the U.S. forces in World War I.
The character lost many of his more typical Jewish characteristics over the decades, showing his successful integration but also slowly diminishing the particular features of this comic strip.[6] The comic was produced by a Jewish artist, but can be considered discriminatory since it arguably only tried to promote the cultural assimilation of Jews as Americans, at the same time distinguishing them from other ethnicities like Mexicans or African Americans who were often depicted negatively. That, however, was the focus of the strip.[6]
In popular culture
An indication of the strip's popularity was the reference to ‘Abe Kabibble’ in the 1930 Marx Brothers movie Animal Crackers.[6]
^Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 18. ISBN0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
^ abHoltz, Allan (2012). American Newspaper Comics: An Encyclopedic Reference Guide. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press. p. 41. ISBN9780472117567.
^Paul Buhle (2000-09-28). "Walker in the Imagined City". The Nation. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
^Craig D'Ooge (1995-06-23). "'Featuring the Funnies': Exhibition Displays 100 Years of Comic Strips". The Library of Congress. from the original on 30 April 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
^ abcMoss, Richard (February 2007). "Racial Anxiety on the Comics Page: Harry Hershfield's "Abie the Agent," 1914-1940". The Journal of Popular Culture. 40 (1): 90–108. doi:10.1111/j.1540-5931.2007.00355.x.
External links
Hershfield biography at Comiclopedia
IMDb entry for Abie Kabibble Outwitted His Rival cartoon
IMDb entry for Iska Worreh cartoon
January 07, 2023
abie, agent, american, comic, strip, about, jewish, salesman, harry, hershfield, debuted, 1914, harry, hershfield, author, harry, hershfieldcurrent, status, scheduleconcluded, daily, sunday, striplaunch, datefebruary, 1914end, date1940syndicate, king, features. Abie the Agent is an American comic strip about a Jewish car salesman by Harry Hershfield It debuted in 1914 Abie the AgentHarry Hershfield s Abie the AgentAuthor s Harry HershfieldCurrent status scheduleConcluded daily amp Sunday stripLaunch dateFebruary 2 1914End date1940Syndicate s King Features SyndicateGenre s Humor immigrant Jewish life YiddishismThis article s lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article January 2022 Contents 1 Publication history 2 Characters and story 3 In popular culture 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksPublication history EditWhen Hershfield had success with a Yiddish character in his comic strip Desperate Desmond he was encouraged by his editor to create a new strip concerning Yiddishism and Jewish immigrants in the United States The strip debuted in the New York Journal on February 2 1914 1 The strip became popular and other cartoons were made 1 The titles were Iska Worreh Aug 5 and Abie Kabibble Outwitting His Rival Sept 23 2 After the strip dated January 24 1932 the comic strip went on hiatus due to a contract dispute between Hershfield and the syndicate International Feature Service The strip resumed in 1935 with the King Features Syndicate and ran until 1940 3 The Sunday page included a topper This was called Phooey Fables in January 1926 Dictated But Not Read from February until the end of 1926 and Homeless Hector from 1927 until the hiatus in 1932 3 Characters and story EditAbraham Kabibble known as Abie the Agent was the first Jewish protagonist of an American comic strip 4 Abie s humorous caricature was a rebuttal of some of the Jewish stereotypes in caricatures and represented a moderately successful middle class immigrant 5 Abie and his friends had many typical Jewish characteristics such as their names or their use of Yiddish words and accents they also lacked many of the negative or malicious elements such as exaggerated physical traits found in the depictions of Jews from this time Abie was in many ways indistinguishable from other Americans During 1917 the character enlisted in the United States Army to help the U S forces in World War I The character lost many of his more typical Jewish characteristics over the decades showing his successful integration but also slowly diminishing the particular features of this comic strip 6 The comic was produced by a Jewish artist but can be considered discriminatory since it arguably only tried to promote the cultural assimilation of Jews as Americans at the same time distinguishing them from other ethnicities like Mexicans or African Americans who were often depicted negatively That however was the focus of the strip 6 In popular culture EditAn indication of the strip s popularity was the reference to Abe Kabibble in the 1930 Marx Brothers movie Animal Crackers 6 Harry Hershfield s Abie the Agent 1917 Two Animated shorts were made in 1917 by International Film Service See also EditEdge CityReferences Edit a b Abie the Agent at Don Markstein s Toonopedia Archived from the original on March 13 2012 Lenburg Jeff 1999 The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons Checkmark Books p 18 ISBN 0 8160 3831 7 Retrieved 16 May 2020 a b Holtz Allan 2012 American Newspaper Comics An Encyclopedic Reference Guide Ann Arbor The University of Michigan Press p 41 ISBN 9780472117567 Paul Buhle 2000 09 28 Walker in the Imagined City The Nation Retrieved 2007 04 23 Craig D Ooge 1995 06 23 Featuring the Funnies Exhibition Displays 100 Years of Comic Strips The Library of Congress Archived from the original on 30 April 2007 Retrieved 2007 04 23 a b c Moss Richard February 2007 Racial Anxiety on the Comics Page Harry Hershfield s Abie the Agent 1914 1940 The Journal of Popular Culture 40 1 90 108 doi 10 1111 j 1540 5931 2007 00355 x External links EditHershfield biography at Comiclopedia IMDb entry for Abie Kabibble Outwitted His Rival cartoon IMDb entry for Iska Worreh cartoon Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Abie the Agent amp oldid 1130439588, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
