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PBS Censors Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse

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Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse

I’ll admit I haven’t had a chance to watch Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse which is airing on PBS as part of the 39th season of the award-winning documentary series American Masters. After this latest revelation, I’m not sure I want to. Originally reported by Anthony Kaufman for Documentary, PBS cut out a 90-second segment of the film where Spiegelman referred to President Trump’s “smug and ugly mug.” PBS has been embattled with the President and Republican part who have been trying to cut funding for the broadcast channel.

In May, the President signed an executive order directing federal funding cuts to PBS and NPR as well as root out other indirect sources of public financing for the two. Trump and Republicans claim the outlets “receive millions from taxpayers to spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news.’” It’s not hard to connect the dots that this is the reason for the editing demands.

According to the Documentary article, the filmmakers of the documentary were told to cut a 90 second sequence twelve days before it was broadcast on April 2017. The segment is from 2017 and Spiegelman discusses an anti-Trump cartoon he created for the 2017 Women’s March newspaper.

The filmmakers, directors Molly Bernstein and Philip Dolin, who produced the film alongside Sam Jinishian and Alicia Sams had to choose to either back their licensing deal or agree to PBS’ decision and let it be broadcast with the edit.

You can see some of the deleted scene in this Instagram post:

In the scene, Spiegelman scholar Hillary Chute says:

“In this Trump and post-Trump moment, [Spiegelman] recognized how useful Maus was as a text for people explicitly reacting to and fighting fascism.”

PBS also removed Chute’s words “in this Trump and post-Trump moment,” which alters the meaning of her comments and the original context.

The decision to censor the film was made by the programming executives at PBS National and agreed to by the leadership of WNET which is one of the largest PBS networks and makes up 350 member stations and produces American Masters.

A WNET spokesperson said in response to the edits:

“as it was no longer in context today. The change was made to maintain the integrity and appropriateness of the content for broadcast at this time.”

While that might be the official statement of WNET and PBS, it’s hard not to think the real reason is that Executive Order and Trump’s focus on defunding PBS and NPR.

It also follows a pattern of media bending over backwards to not anger Trump and Republicans. Trump has threatened and launched investigations as well as filed lawsuits in a revenge tour and media has generally caved to the mad tyrant. In December, ABC News settled a defamation lawsuit brought by Trump, agreeing to offer a written apology and make a $15 million “charitable contribution” to Trump’s future presidential foundation and museum. Trump has also filed a $10 billion lawsuit against CBS claiming they edited a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. He also sued The Des Moines Register, its parent company Gannett, and pollster Ann Selzer for publishing a poll suggesting Trump would lose Iowa. There’s an attack on free speech by the administration and instead of fighting against it, fights the media would likely win, they’re giving in, a step towards total fascist control. In PBS’ case they’re worried about funding, as if this editing would change that. In others, it’s Trump’s power over broadcast licenses and parent corporations. Jeff Bezos, whose companies true value is in their government contracts, censored The Washington Post‘s opinion section to be less critical of Trump resulting in contributors and editors to leave. Democracy didn’t die in the dark, it died when the broligarchs took over the media and news.

There’s irony in capitulating to a Fascist by censoring a documentary that is anti-fascist. Remember this when PBS says it fights for free speech during its next pledge drive.

Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse Official Trailer

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Posted two weeks ago, it looks like we missed PBS posting a trailer for Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse.

Explore the work of cartoonist Art Spiegelman and the impact of his Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel Maus, about his parents’ survival of the Holocaust. A defender of free speech, Spiegelman has spoken out as book bans spread across the country.

Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse is directed by Molly Bernstein and Philip Dolin.

American Masters – Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse, premieres nationwide Tuesday, April 15 at 10 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings), pbs.org/americanmasters and the PBS App.

SPX Announces Art Spiegelman Documentary at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center

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Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse

The Small Press Expo (SPX) has announced an exciting collaboration with the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center to present a film series celebrating comics and their impact on storytelling. This special series will feature screenings of acclaimed films and documentaries, culminating in the highly anticipated SPX 2025 weekend, that will occur September 13-14.

The series launches with the Washington, DC premiere of Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse! on Sunday, March 9, at 7:00 PM at the AFI Silver Theatre.

This intimate documentary explores the life and creative process of legendary Maus cartoonist Art Spiegelman.

Following the screening, co-director Philip Dolan will participate in a Q&A session to discuss the making of the film and Spiegelman’s profound influence on the comics world.

Throughout the year, the SPX-AFI Silver film series will continue with a diverse lineup of films celebrating comics, cartoonists, and their unique storytelling power.

In April, the series will feature Funny Pages, a teen coming-of-age story about becoming a cartoonist, screening in 35mm with a special appearance by director Owen Kline. Tickets go on sale next week at AFI.com/Silver.

Further screenings and guest appearances will be announced in the coming months.

SPX announces the World Premiere of Married to Comics at the AFI Silver Theatre

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Small Press Expo has announced the sponsorship of the World Premiere of Married To Comics, which will be held at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center on Friday, September 8, at 7PM.

Married to Comics, by veteran documentarian John Kinhart, is the story of graphic novelist Carol Tyler and her husband, the ground-breaking and influential cartoonist Justin Green, who passed away last year.

The documentary offers a rare glimpse into the life and art of two giants of autobiographical comics, who are also married. Laying their personal lives to bare in comics, including the intimate details of their troubled marriage, the two of them pioneered and set the bar for one of comics’ most important genres.

There will be on-screen appearances by famed cartoonists Chris Ware, Art Spiegelman, Phoebe Gloeckner, and Denis Kitchen, along with many others.

Following the screening, there will be a conversation between Carol Tyler, John Kinhart and the esteemed publisher, Gary Groth of Fantagraphics, the publisher of Carol Tyler’s award winning graphic novels.

The screening of Married to Comics is part of SPX 2023, which will be held September 9-10, with events throughout the D.C. area in the days leading up to the show. More information on SPX 2023 can be found here.

Nirvana Comics raises over $100,000 to give away Maus

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Maus

In January 2022, Knoxville, Tennessee’s Nirvana Comics kicked off a GoFundMe to raise money and purchase copies of Maus. Their plan was to give away the copies to local students as well as those across the US. Students interested in getting one.

The fundraising effort was in response to a Tennessee school board’s vote of 10-0 to ban the graphic novel from being used to teach about the Holocaust in school. The school board claims some of the language and images are offensive.

A little over a year later, Nirvana Comics has raised over $100,000 and given away 1,000s of copies of Maus for free across the US and the world.

The comic store has continued their mission by “doing outreach programs to use comics to teach kids” and also founded their own Free Little Library for kids.

Check out some of the highlights of their updates on their ongoing project below. You can read the full posts here and here.

One year ago something happened, maybe you’ve heard the story? In response to the local banning of the book Maus we decided to give away whatever copies we had for free to students! This rather modest plan to combat censorship soon began to grow and we launched a fundraising initiative in order to give away as many copies of Maus for free as possible. Because of you all, because so many people showed up and donated, we were able to raise over $100,000 in a week and give away literally a thousand copies of the book Maus for free across the US and around the world!

Since then we’ve worked to continue this mission by doing outreach programs to use comics to teach kids, and founding our own Free Little Library that kids can use. It’s our goal to never let a price tag stand in the way of kids and reading!

There’s just one more story to tell.

As we were locking up today one last car pulled up. A woman came into our shop and asked about the free copies of Maus.

After she received her copy she kindly thanked us and then revealed she was a child holocaust survivor. A Dutch child smuggled away at the age of 2 while her parents went on to Auschwitz.

This.

This is why we did this y’all, because we truly believe the more people are taught about this, the less likely it is to happen again.

Remembering all that happened last year and this weekend, the long hours, the harassment, the threats, the non stop work. It was all worth it.

Tomorrow we’ll open up our doors and business will resume, but the impact you made by donating your time, your money, and in several cases used copies of Maus. The impact will still be there.

Thank you for being a part of this journey with us!

Maus: with artists, organizers & critics

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12 years of podcasting & I finally did an episode about Art Spiegelman‘s Maus.

Guests

Ethan Heitner is a cartoonist who lives in New York City. among other things. Most recently he helped edit the 51st issue of the radical political comix anthology World War 3 Illustrated, available now from AK Press and subtitled “The World We Are Fighting For.”

Leo Ferguson is the Director of Strategic Projects at Jews For Racial & Economic Justice. He is the founder of JFREJ’s Jews of Color caucus, lead organizer for the Jews of Color National Convening, and a lead author of Understanding Antisemitism. He is a graduate of the Grace Paley Organizing Fellowship, The Bend The Arc Selah Fellowship, the JOIN Don’t Kvetch, Organize Masterclass, proudly Black & Jewish, a lifelong New Yorker, and a musician.

Gregory Paul Silber  is a Brooklyn-based writer, editor, and critic specializing in comic books and pop culture. His work has appeared in outlets like PanelXPanel, Shelfdust, NeoText Review, The Daily Dot, and The Comics Beat, which is home to his weekly humor column, “Silber Linings.” He is also a comic book writer and a freelance comics editor.

Gregory Silber’s Open Letter to the McMinn County Schoolboard https://www.comicsbeat.com/an-open-letter-to-the-mcminn-county-board-of-education-regarding-maus/

Greg and Elana on Jewish horror films https://progressivelyhorrified.transistor.fm/episodes/the-golem-aka

Ethan’s Zine https://www.czolgoszsyzygy.com/product/the-czolgosz-syzygy-1

Fairytales Bookstore and More Announces Maus Giveaway

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Tennessee bookstore Fairytales Bookstore and More has announced they’re partnering with school librarians to give away free copies of Maus to local students.

Those interested in donating can use the code “DONATE” and take 30% off their purchase.

The campaign is in response to a local Tennessee school board’s decision to ban Maus from being used to teach the Holocaust due to “objectionable content”.

Nirvana Comics is Raising Money to Purchase Maus for Students

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Nirvana Comics in Knoxville, Tennessee is running a GoFundMe to raise money and purchase copies of Maus. Their plan is to give away the copies to local students as well as those across the US. Students interested in getting one can message the store on Facebook or Instagram.

The fundraising effort is in response to a Tennessee school board’s vote of 10-0 to ban the graphic novel from being used to teach about the Holocaust in school. The school board claims some of the language and images are offensive.

As of the writing of this post, the effort has raised over $62,000 from over 1,900 individuals, well above the $20,000 goal.

Those Who Ban Books are Never the Heroes of the Story

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Maus

Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day and inappropriately timed is news that a Tennessee school board has removed, aka banned, Maus from the curriculum due to “language and nudity” concerns.

Maus is the Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel by Art Spiegelman about the experiences of Holocaust survivors. The Tennessee school board of McMinn County voted 10-0 to remove the book from the curriculum to be replaced by another book that didn’t feature “objectionable” content. Maus is based on Spiegelman’s parents in 1940s Poland, their experiences of anti-Semitism, and their internment in Auschwitz. Jewish people are depicted as mice and Nazis as cats.

McMinn County Director of Schools Lee Parkison stated:

The values of the county are understood. There is some rough, objectionable language in this book and knowing that and hearing from many of you and discussing it, two or three of you came by my office to discuss that.

The word “damn” was brought up as an example of an objectionable word.

Talking to CNN’s New Day, Spiegelman said:

I’m trying to, like, wrap my brain around it. …I moved past total bafflement to try to be tolerant of people who may possibly not be Nazis, maybe… They’re totally focused on some bad words that are in the book. I can’t believe the word ‘damn’ would get the book jettisoned out of the school on its own.

I think they’re so myopic in their focus and they’re so afraid of what’s implied and having to defend the decision to teach ‘Maus’ as part of the curriculum that it lead to this kind of daffily myopic response.

English language arts instructional supervisors spoke out at the meeting explainging why the book was used in the curriculum.

Board member Tony Allman showed further ignorance by stating:

We don’t need to enable or somewhat promote this stuff. It shows people hanging, it shows them killing kids, why does the educational system promote this kind of stuff? It is not wise or healthy.

Allman apparently is more offended of reminding people about the six million murdered than the six million murdered. One wonders what Allman thinks about teaching the reality of slavery, and Jim Crow in the United States which also saw hangings and kids being killed.

An instructional surpervisor responded:

I was a history teacher, and there is nothing pretty about the Holocaust, and, for me, this was a great way to depict a horrific time in history.

Mr. Spiegelman did his very best to depict his mother passing away, and we are almost 80 years away. It’s hard for this generation. These kids don’t even know 9/11. They were not even born. For me, this was his way to convey the message.

Board member Mike Cochran stated in the meeting:

I went to school here 13 years. I learned math, English, reading and history. I never had a book with a naked picture in it, never had one with foul language. … So, this idea that we have to have this kind of material in the class in order to teach history, I don’t buy it.

We highly doubt that was reality and sure Cochran has no issue with the violence, rape, and murder that is depicted in the Bible.

The issue isn’t as it stands isn’t about dropping Maus for another text to teach about the Holocaust. It’s calling it “obscenity”, a slippery slope of a claim. Even the preacher of Footloose realized their mistake and what a slope that claim is. It should also be noted that no text has been suggested to replace Maus showing that part of the argument is dubious at best.

This is the latest example of book banning that is being pushed by right-wing provocateurs to make gains politically by stoking “culture wars”.

As has been shown, a dark money network is funding campaigns against “Critical Race Theory”, something not being taught in schools. This book banning is an off-shoot of that showing these pushes are about as natural as an oral bowel movement. The “movement” is being used as a wedge issue to whip up voters and by the right since they have nothing else to run on. It pits parents vs. bureaucrats (and teachers), a match that’s pretty easy to get traction on. The movement has been working for decades and continues the right-wing push to take over at the local level, first at the state and now even lower to get their regressive agenda passed.

The controversy and backwards thinking has just shined a greater spotlight on Maus causing it to sell out and rocket to #1 in numerous lists.

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