Judisk-kodade superhjältar

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Abstract

This article explores the construction and classification of comic book superhero characters as Jewish, proposing the term “Jewish-coded superheroes” as an alternative to “Jewish superheroes” in academic analysis. The article is based on Lund’s docent lecture and grounded in an ongoing research project that aims to analyze around 100 superhero characters characterized by their creators as Jewish. I argue that the label “Jewish superheroes” is often applied in an ascriptive and normative manner, rather than analytically. By using the term “Jewish-coded superheroes”, I contend that researchers can better focus on understanding how these characters are inscribed with attributes intended for readers to recognize as Jewish, as well as the practical interests those codings may serve. The article reviews previous research and popular science works that often essentialize Jewishness, advocating instead a historicizing and process-oriented analysis. I emphasizes the importance of viewing superheroes as products of historical and cultural processes of identification and authentication rather than as bearers of inherent, essentialized identities. By examining authentication processes and classification struggles, researchers can gain a deeper understanding of how Jewishness is constructed and represented in the comic book field and beyond. The article concludes by calling for a shift in perspective within comics studies, advocating a transition from identifying “Jewish superheroes” to analyzing how these characters are coded and authenticated as Jewish. This shift, I argue, enables a more theoretically nuanced and historically grounded understanding of Jewishness in comics.