Golem: Modern Wars and Their Monsters

Written to be accessible to students, scholars, and general readers, this work examines the use of the golem, the Yiddish legend of a protective yet rebellious clay monster, in representations of war in mass visual culture, such as films and comic books, over the past 100 years. Discussion centers on the ways in which the golems of the 20th century have enabled artists to explore the violent uses of technology in the framework of modern warfare. Specific subjects explored include Paul Wegener’s WWI golem films, the golem cult of 1921 New York, Israel’s monsters of 1948, supergolem and revenge after the Holocaust, and Jewish cyborgs. The book contains b&w comic illustrations and film stills. Annotation ©2016 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)