Mr. Blog's Tepid Ride

March 10, 2012

Last week I featured Christian comics so in the interest of fairness I present Mendy and the Golem.

Billed as “The World’s Only Kosher Comic Book”, Mendy Enterprises’ Mendy and the Golem first appeared in 1981. Written by Leibel Estrin and drawn by Dovid Sears, the comic book featured the offbeat misadventures of Mendy, an Orthodox Jewish boy, and his pet Golem. Other characters include Mendy’s parents, Rabbi Yaakov and Sara Klein; Mendy’s sister, Rivky; and a host of colorful supporting characters such as Moshe the Mayven; the Lone Stranger and his faithful friend Toronto; Captain Video; Dr. Hardheart and his evil robot Oy Vayder; and Professor Nemo.

The comic’s humor has been likened to that of “Rocky and Bullwinkle”, taking shots not only at pop culture, but even at the comic book and its creators. Nineteen issues were produced, and a 20th written and illustrated but never published.

Around 1983, the American musician Bob Dylan (né Robert Zimmerman) was studying Jewish scripture at the main Lubavitcher synagogue at 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, New York. At that time, a letter from “R.Z., Hibbing, Minn.,” appeared in an issue of “Mendy and the Golem.”

I actually own an issue, number 12, which you will see in the gallery below. I distinctly remember buying it in the candy store down the block from my house. They had an old spinner rack full of comics (Try finding one of those nowadays. Thanks, direct market.) and one week, among all the superheroes I saw Mendy and the Golem. It was very out of place and I never before or after saw another issue. I bought it and it is a good thing I did. While almost every other issue sells today for four of five dollars, this one sells for fifteen. Why? Beats me.

You can find the official Mendy and the Golem comic site by clicking this link.

Tags: bmj2k, Bob Dylan, comics, comics books, Dovid Sears, Judaism, Leibel Estrin, Mendy and the Golem, Mendy Enterprises, Mr. Blog, Mr. Blog's Tepid Ride, Mr. BTR, Saturday Comics