The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon
Presented by Molly Kelly and Kat Tigges, Chicago Public Library
Teen Services
One Book, One Chicago is an opportunity to
 Expose students to great literature– past titles have included To Kill a Mockingbird,
Neverwhere, The Crucible, The House on Mango Street, The Book Thief, and more
 Promote literacy and libraries
 Get students involved in the community
How can teachers use One Book, One Chicago in classrooms?
 Incorporate the book or its themes into the curriculum
 Offer extra credit for participation, e.g. reading the book or attending OBOC
events
 Feature it during a fun class session or invite a librarian as a guest presenter
Team up with the people around you and create a superhero that represents your
group. Assume that this hero appears in our world as it exists today.
• What powers would you want to have?
• What would you use them to accomplish?
• Who or what would you fight against? Real life villains, social injustice, nefarious
forces at play in the world, etc.
• Bonus question: what would your symbol or emblem be?
Image link; Logos © Marvel Comics and DC Comics
The inspiration behind The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, the
Golden Age of Comics provides a historical context for the superheroes we
know and love today– and the men & women who created them
 Time period: Late 1930s to early 1950s
 Why is it called the Golden Age? The dawn of comics as we know them today, in
which the format was established and many iconic characters were created
 During this time period, there were a high number of Jewish artists and writers in
the comic book industry
 When World War II began, superheroes went to war against Axis forces on
propaganda posters and comic book covers
“Comic books went to war before the United States did… this was what superheroes
were made for. Comic book covers from that period are superheroes punching out
U-boats and tying anti-aircraft guns into knots… There was a lot of very violent,
potent wish fulfillment going on there.”
Michael Chabon, interview with the Commonwealth Club of California
Citations: “Significant Books Recommended by the Union for Reform Judaism: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.” Union for Reform Judaism, 2010. Web.
Raymond, Nate. “Real Kavaliers & Clays.” Sugarbombs.com. The Amazing Website of Kavalier and Clay, n.d. Web.
“As far as the inspiration for this book, it was reading about Joe Shuster
and Jerry Siegel, the creators of Superman, and how they sold the rights
to the character to DC Comics for $100.00. That’s not what my book is
about, but it was the combination of wild imagination, male partnership,
popular art, and commercial failure that resonated, and got me started.”
Michael Chabon, interview with Failbetter.com
 Both Jewish, Siegel and Shuster were only 17 and 19 years old when
they created the iconic character (1933)
 Ultimately they sold the rights to Superman in exchange for an
employment contract and a pittance (1938)
 However, the two were fired from DC Comics when they attempted to
reclaim the character rights (1948)
 Legal battles over the rights to Superman continued for a decade after
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Siegel and Shuster’s deaths (2008)
Citations: “Significant Books Recommended by the Union for Reform Judaism: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.” Union for Reform Judaism, 2010. Web.
“Interview with Michael Chabon.” Failbetter.com. Failbetter.com, n.d. Web.
Superman’s birth name, Kal El, resembles the Hebrew words for
“Voice of God.” It can be argued that his origin story is based
on the story of Moses. Chabon’s character, Joe Kavalier, has a
similar backstory.
“I was thinking, too, of Superman… The Superman story is one
of the underlying threads of the story, coming from another
planet, leaving his parents and his world that got blown up
behind. He comes to this other world and he has to reinvent
himself.”
Michael Chabon, interview with Failbetter.com
“They’re all Jewish, superheroes. Superman, you don’t think he’s
Jewish? Coming over from the old country, changing his name
like that. Clark Kent, only a Jew would pick a name like that for
himself.”
from The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, p. 585
Citations: “Significant Books Recommended by the Union for Reform Judaism: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.” Union for Reform Judaism, 2010. Web.
“Interview with Michael Chabon.” Failbetter.com. Failbetter.com, n.d. Web.
Image citation: Ray, Fred. Superman 1.14 (January 1942), DC Comics: Cover.
 Joe Simon and Jack Kirby created the character mere
months before America entered WWII
 Simon stated that Captain America was “consciously
political” in that the creators felt that war was
inevitable and they wanted to “have [their] say”
 Both Jewish, the creators were deeply opposed to the
actions taken by Nazi Germany before and during
the war
“I want to acknowledge the deep debt I owe in this and
everything else I’ve ever written to the work of the late
Jack Kirby, the King of Comics.”
Michael Chabon, Author’s Note to The Amazing
Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, p. 641
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Citations: Raymond, Nate. “Real Kavaliers & Clays.” Sugarbombs.com. The Amazing Website of Kavalier and Clay, n.d.Web.
Wright, Bradford W. Comic Book Nation: The Transformation of Youth Culture in America. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins UP, 2001. 36. Print.
On Captain America’s very first comic book cover, he was depicted punching Adolf Hitler—
much as Kavalier and Clay’s superhero creation, the Escapist, does in Chabon’s novel.
Image citation: Kirby, Jack. Captain America Comics 1 (10 March 1941), Timely Comics [Marvel Comics]: Cover.
 Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the X-Men can be
understood as a response to World War II (1963)
 The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki led to
rumors of genetic mutation
 Backstory as metaphor for the persecution of Jews
during the Holocaust
 Hated and feared for their differences in spite of their
talents, they must remain hidden as Professor X dreams
of coexistence
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STAN LEE AND JACK KIRBY
Citation: “Significant Books Recommended by the Union for Reform Judaism: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.” Union for Reform Judaism, 2010. Web.
Image citation: Kirby, Jack. Uncanny X-Men 1 (10 September 1963), Marvel Comics: Cover.
Michael Chabon’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and this year’s One Book,
One Chicago selection
 Part I: The Escape Artist
 Part II: A Couple of Boy
Geniuses
 Part III: The Funny-Book War
 Part IV: The Golden Age
 Part V: Radioman
 Part VI: The League of the
Golden Key
 Odds & Ends
 When Joe draws his first comic book
cover featuring the Escapist punching
Hitler, he realizes that the pleasure he
got from creating this visual, brutal
beating “was intense and durable and
strangely redemptive” (p. 159). How
does Joe manage to obtain such real
satisfaction from a symbolic, imagined
victory? Why does fighting the Nazis in
the pages of his comic books become
so important to his sanity? Is there
anything in your life or your students’
lives that might benefit from using your
imagination for catharsis?
Image citation: Kirby, Jack. Captain America Comics 1 (10 March 1941), Timely Comics [Marvel Comics]: Cover.
 Golden keys: Rosa feels she was given her golden key when Sammy suggests that she
draws a comic book for dollies (p. 547) and Sammy earned his golden key by having
his secret revealed in public (p. 623). When and how do you think Joe earned or
received his golden key? What does it mean to earn or receive a golden key? What do
you think a golden key represents? What types of golden keys do your students need or
want?
 Escape from reality: “Having lost his mother, father, brother, and grandfather, the
friends and foes of his youth, his beloved teacher Bernard Kornblum, his city, his history
– his home – the usual charge leveled against comic books, that they offered merely an
escape from reality, seemed to Joe actually to be a powerful argument on their behalf”
(p.575). Why does Joe see this as a powerful argument? How could an escape from
reality be good for your students? What could you do in your classroom to create an
escape from reality?
 Share your thoughts: What did you think of the book? Did you find it accessible,
enjoyable, or tedious? What is the most challenging aspect of the text? Which section
did you enjoy the most or the least? Did you listen to it as an audiobook, and if so, how
do you think your experience differed from that of someone who read the print version?
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay is 678 pages including notes
and appendices—so how can teachers engage students with One Book, One
Chicago outside the Honors English classroom?
“In The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Joe Kavalier and Sam Clay
reimagine and redefine the comic book hero and in the process force us to grapple
with questions about heroism: what does a hero look like, why do we need heroes,
what makes one a hero—these are only some of the questions with which we
struggle alongside Joe and Sammy as they create The Escapist, their greatest comic
book superhero.”
One Book, One Chicago 2014 press release
 Explore the book’s themes of superheroes and heroism, comic books and creativity
through related titles and activities.
 Related titles include Michael Chabon Presents The Amazing Adventures of the
Escapist (Schultz and Land, eds.); The Escapists (Vaughan et al); The Shadow Hero
(Yang and Liew); and Superior (Millar and Yu).
Citation: “Introducing Our One Book, One Chicago Selection.” Chipublib.org. Chicago Public Library, 12 September 2014. Web.
Michael Chabon Presents The Amazing
Adventures of the Escapist, eds. Diana Schutz
and Dave Land
 Envisions a reality in which Kavalier, Clay,
and their beloved superhero comic The
Escapist are real
 Collects reissued Escapist comics and
provides a timeline for the character that
features different writers and artists for
each installment
 Begins with the origin story of the
Escapist, Tom Mayflower, and follows him
and his compatriots on their crimefighting adventures
Image citation: Schutz, Diana and Dave Land, eds. Michael Chabon Presents the Amazing Adventures of the Escapist. Dark Horse Books, 2004.
The Escapists by Brian K. Vaughan et al
 Envisions a reality in which Kavalier, Clay,
and their beloved superhero comic The
Escapist are real
 After he finds his father’s stash of vintage
Escapist comics in the basement,
Maxwell Roth uses his inheritance to
purchase the rights to the character and
starts his own Escapist comic with the
help of artist Case Weaver and inker
Denny Jones. But when a publicity stunt
goes awry, the trio get a lot more than
they bargained for…
Image citation: Vaughan, Brian K. et al. The Escapists. Dark Horse Books, 2007.
Tweens and teens: The Shadow Hero
by Gene Luen Yang and Sonny Liew
 Reimagining of the Golden Age comics
series The Green Turtle, in which a
masked hero defended China against the
Japanese threat during WWII
 Hank Chu is an ordinary young man who
works in his father’s grocery shop in
Chinatown, but his ambitious mother
dreams he will become something more–
a superhero!
 Contains violence and character death
Image citation: Yang, Gene and Sonny Liew. The Shadow Hero. First Second, 2014.
Older teens: Superior
by Mark Millar and Leinil Yu
 12-year-old Simon Pooni has multiple
sclerosis. Once a promising basketball
player, he has now lost the ability to walk.
When a magic monkey named Ormon
grants Simon one wish, he is transformed
into a real-life version of comic book
superhero Superior– but there’s a catch...
 Contains violence, language, and
references to sexuality
Image citation: Millar, Mark, and Leinil Yu. Superior. Marvel Worldwide Inc., 2012.
The Science of Villainy
(Science)
 What would it really take in order to build a
freeze ray, flying armor, or a death laser?
 Discuss the science behind your students’
favorite heroes and villains.
 Ask them to demonstrate their knowledge
of science concepts by researching and
breaking down super-technology in a group
project.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.9-10.1
Cite specific textual evidence to support
analysis of science and technical texts,
attending to the precise details of
explanations or descriptions.
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Angles and Explosions
(Geometry)
Image link
 Artist Roy Lichtenstein is best known for
creating comics-themed pop art.
 Turn math into art and have your students
create an “explosion” in the style of
Lichtenstein using a series of different
angles.
Image link
 The Kids Artists blog features an activity
that could be adapted for this purpose (see
image at lower left).
 CCSS.Math.Content.HSG.CO.A.1
Know precise definitions of angle, circle,
perpendicular line, parallel line, and line
segment, based on the undefined notions of
point, line, distance along a line, and
distance around a circular arc.
Cartoon Politics
(History)
 The comics and cartoons of an era often represent or
address its political conflicts, whether directly or
indirectly.
 Examples: Superman as reaction to WWII; Dr. Seuss’
political cartoons
 Supplement your history lesson with a brief
examination of political cartoons or comic books of
the period. Ask your students to interpret the artist’s
perspective on the situation(s).
 Have students work together to create a hero that will
fight against an injustice that they perceive in today’s
world.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.5
Analyze how a text uses structure to emphasize key
points or advance an explanation or analysis.
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Pop Culture Scavenger Hunt
(Current Events)
 The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay contains
many references to the Golden Age of comics, as well
as celebrities and notable names of the period (e.g.
Salvador Dalí).
 Showcase some of the book’s many pop culture
references with images and ask students to identify
them. Ask them who would be today’s equivalent.
 Ask students if they have a celebrity “hero.” If they
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could go on an adventure with that person, where
would they go and what would they do?
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1
Initiate and participate effectively in a range of
collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10
topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and
expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
Digital Comics
(Art)
 Show your students how to create simple
digital comics of their own using free
software programs.
 Paint.net: free image and photo editing tool
 Bitstrips: “cartoons of you and your friends”
with a special version for schools
 Comic Life (free 30-day trial):
comprehensive comics creation software
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.3
Write narratives to develop real or
imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, well-chosen details, and
well-structured event sequences.
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“Think about the big themes that you are exploring in your classroom and then see if you
can’t find comics and graphic novels that fit those themes. You don’t necessarily have to
feel like you’re reshuffling your curriculum; you’re just looking for material that will help
your students address… or answer those big questions.”
James Bucky Carter, author of Building Literacy Connections with Graphic Novels
With your group, brainstorm and discuss your ideas for One Book, One Chicago activities
in your classrooms.
• What are your ideas for hero-themed activities in your classroom? Do you have any
ideas for subjects outside your area of expertise?
• How might The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and/or its related content
connect with your curriculum and objectives?
• How could this theme– or these activities– apply to Common Core Standards and
concepts?
Citation: Cutler, David. “The New Teachers’ Aides: Superman and Iron Man.” TheAtlantic.com. The Atlantic Monthly Group, 2014. Web.
Teen Services and YOUmedia offer a variety of resources and programs for
high school students all over Chicagoland
 February 2014
 First Teen Summer Challenge
 Teen dedicated staff at 22 branches
across the city
 Website
 Online Resources for Teens
 Homework Help
 After High School
 Staff Picks
 Teen Blog
 Continued expansion of services
 Overview & History
 A space to hang out, mess around
and geek out (HOMAGO)
 11 Total Locations
 7 High School (Grades 9-12)
 4 Middle School (Grades 6-8)
 Programming
 Staff: Librarians, Mentors and
YOUmedia Specialists
 Thor (2011) Film Screening
 Wednesday, October 29
 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
 Near North Branch
 310 W. Division Street
 Design Your Own Comic Hero
 Thursday, November 6
 6 – 7:30 p.m.
 Back of the Yards Branch
 2111 W. 47th Street
 www.chipublib.org/events
 Thor (2011) Film Screening
 Wednesday, October 29
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
 Near North Branch
310 W. Division Street
 Design Your Own Comic Hero
 Thursday, November 6
6 – 7:30 p.m.
 Back of the Yards Branch
2111 W. 47th Street
 www.chipublib.org/events
Thank you for attending our presentation! If you have additional questions
after the conference, feel free to contact us.
Molly Kelly: mkelly1@chipublib.org
Kat Tigges: ktigges@chipublib.org