By Shor M. Masori
SAN DIEGO — Once again, it was that time of year when nerds worldwide go to sleep giddy. Each day this past weekend, we awakened bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to see what morsels of news and hype our corporate overlords had decided to drop at the most significant comics convention and marketing bonanza in the world: San Diego Comic-Con!
Though I look young, I grew up close to my grandfather and father. I remember watching countless old cartoons with them, from Looney Tunes to Tom & Jerry to Top Cat. Top Cat is voiced by the Jewish Arnold Stang, who also is known for voicing Myrtle the Turtle and serving as Milton Berle’s sidekick on televison’s Milton Berle Show.
Mel Blanc, another Jew, originally voiced most of the Looney Tunes characters, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig. In this age of streaming, we have more options available to us than ever, and more than ever, I find myself craving my past comfort food but struggling to find it. Well, look no further! MeTV, a channel that brings back to syndication shows from the 1930s-1990s, has launched a sister channel in MeTV Toons that brings back dozens of your favorite cartoons.
As each panel member recounted at some point, MeTV Toons is bringing back your Saturday mornings whenever you’d like. The panel consisted of renowned voice actors such as the current and former voices for Bugs Bunny, Eric Bauza and Jeff Bergman; Porky Pig voice actor Bob Bergan: the voice of Lola Bunny and many female Looney Tunes characters, Candi Milo; animation historian Jerry Beck; MeTV vice chairman Neal Sabin and moderator Michael Schneider. Of them, Bergman, Bergen, and Sabin are Jewish. It was delightful to hear the voice actors seamlessly go back and forth between characters while talking to each other and the audience. Each panelist was as excited as the audience to bring back cartoons from their childhoods in crisper quality and clearer audio. They lauded the giants that came before them in the industry, expressing excitement that Chuck Jones, Tex Avery, Dawes Butler, and Mel Blanc will be back on television and can continue to inspire and elate.
Bergman specifically spoke with great respect about his mentors. He said that Dawes told him that acting as the character would bring about their voice. Dawes would puff his chest out while speaking as Yogi Bear. Bergman started because he met Mel Blanc, the man of a thousand voices, in 1980 after a college lecture. Bergman followed Blanc back to his hotel room, sheepishly knocking on the door until the diminutive man answered and begged to spend three minutes with him. Blanc heard his plea and responded, asking, “Are you Jewish or Italian?” Bergman responded, “Uh… Jewish” and was immediately told to “come on in.” Thus began the start of his voice work, eventually leading to his becoming Mel Blanc’s successor.
Voice acting is a complicated process. New actors must embody the character and honor its legacy while updating it for the times without sounding like a knockoff. As Eric Bauza said, “It’s the world around them that changes but we always try to keep the character the same.” Bergan applauded the writing, saying that writers should get the credit for keeping a character’s spirit alive. Milo agreed, stating that the voice actor’s job is to tell great stories rather than to match voices. Finally, they announced Superfriends! From the 1970s, the next show will be returning. If all of this sounds exciting, go to MeTVtoons.com and enter your zip code to see where you can watch. The rollout of the channel will be slow but consistent. Sabin said that while they want to bring it to everyone, they are a business and must remain profitable.
After taking a stroll down memory lane, I also had the chance to explore the latest developments in the beloved Star Trek franchise. The Star Trek panel unveiled some intriguing updates about the franchise. One of the most anticipated developments is the upcoming Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season, which will introduce a Hollywood murder mystery plot. In a surprising twist, four of the show’s main characters will be transformed into Vulcans. This places Spock in a unique and ironic position, as he is a half-Vulcan. The humor of the situation is not lost on the cast, who continually remind Spock of his less-than-full Vulcan status.
This portrayal resonates with many fans, as it mirrors the experiences of mixed-race individuals who often navigate the complexities of belonging to multiple cultures while struggling to fit entirely into either. American Jews, like Leonard Nimoy, the original Spock, also experience this disconnect where they are American and have been their whole lives, but often are not seen as true Americans.
A friend of mine, who is an Anglo-Catholic, once said that he feels that he is as close to the typical American as one can be. When I asked why he would be considered as such rather than me, I was met with a, “Come on, look at me!” as he told me that my father is Israeli, so I’m not thoroughly American. The strange thing was that his father was from Australia, and both of our fathers had long ago become American citizens. What else could it be making him thing he was more prototypically American?
Afterwards in Comic-Con’s biggest hall, at the Entertainment Weekly’s Bold School panel, a familiar story came from Alex Borstein, known for her role as Susie Myerson in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. When asked about her first experience as an actress, Borstein humorously recounted, “Probably when I was nine years out at the Passover Seder table.” The audience’s reaction was a mix of chuckles and laughter, leading Borstein to playfully acknowledge her heritage: “Okay, so we found the Jews in the audience.” She said that we all find our roles in the family, and hers was comic relief.
A noteworthy announcement was Ebon Moss-Bachrach being cast as the Thing, making him the first Jewish actor to portray the character. The Thing was originally created by Jack Kirby and was made to be the most similar to himself. The Thing has been one of the most outwardly Jewish characters in comics, saying the mourner’s kaddish after a friend passed, celebrating a bar mitzvah 13 years after being reborn as the Thing, and bringing the Hannukiah to the Christmas specials. Moss-Bachrach shared that Mark Ruffalo, who plays the Incredible Hulk, had offered him valuable advice on how to perform in a “motion capture” suit. Both their characters are made with motion capture technology.
After four seasons and four of the hardest years for Hollywood Amazon’s biggest show The Boys, which features a world of political satire, gore and comedy, and evil superheroes, was finally able to take the convention stage. The show is helmed by showrunner Eric Kripke, known for Supernatural, and stars Tomer Capone, known for Fauda. Both are Jewish. Due to The Boys’ success Capone has become one of the best- known Israeli actors around the world, alongside Gal Gadot, Natalie Portman, and Inbar Lavy.
During the panel Kripke announced a new Boys spinoff series, Vought Rising to be about how the mega corporation turned superhero-maker began, with Jensen Ankles and Aya Cash, two Boys alums, helming the series. Interestingly, while Cash is Jewish, she plays a Nazi heiress who can control the weather, Stormfront. Stormfront is also the name of one of the internet’s oldest Neo-Nazi forums’
If I could indulge in a personal reflection for a moment, this has been a hard year. I flew to Israel on October 6th to study for a master’s in conflict resolution and returned – after 24 hours of travel – to begin my Hajj to Nerd Mecca immediately. I came in tired and cynical, not knowing how to enjoy a convention focused on my past passions when that world feels much smaller now. Thankfully, my friends Joe and Michael Masso attended. They are beautiful cosplayers, having a different theme each day.
The brothers had transformed into Mario and Luigi Jumpman, of Super Mario Brothers video game fame, when I was with them. Hanging out with Mario and Luigi, I was brought into an entirely new convention. Not five minutes went by without someone, usually children, excitedly asking them for a picture or complimenting their costumes. For the kids, they were meeting their favorite Italian plumbers. For adults, they saw the Masso brothers’ masterful skill in costume creation and appreciated the dedication to the craft. Spectators loved seeing their favorite video game characters.
I saw the convention through the eyes of its most excited participants and the pure joy a simple costume can bring. That’s the real power of the convention.
Interestingly cosplayers love to be behind the cameras as well as in front of them. Here are a pair of photos taken by Michael Masso, for whom photography is a day job. At the left is Khonsu, God of the Moon, from Moonknight. At right is a warrior from Planet of the Apes.
To truly live in your fandom and a thousand strangers who, for those few days, share a common purpose: communal celebration. To celebrate everything from the most specific niche to the biggest brands, to be surrounded by people who get you regardless of quirks, and to get excited over the most miniature pins and most significant announcements. So, if you ever attend a comics convention, throw on a costume, or tag along with the cosplayers, you won’t be disappointed.
Shor M. Masori is a writer/ photographer for San Diego Jewish World.
What a great article! You captured many cool nostalgic memories from Looney Tunes to Super Mario Brothers.
I enjoyed reading your article. I didn’t have a pass, but I enjoyed wandering around outside the Convention Center soaking in the atmosphere and enjoying the throngs of people, some costumed. Good article.
PS: Your Grandma doesn’t know what she’s missed.
I enjoyed this article as it gave a detailed and interesting description for those of us who are non comic conners. 🙂