Museology Communications and Marketing Assistant Marcela Velandia (’25) spoke with Madeleine O’Connor (’25) about her experience as MOPOP’s Guest Curator. Madeleine curated Chutzpah: The Jewish Voices Behind American Comics, on display at MOPOP from March 2025-March 2026.
What inspired the theme of your exhibit?
The theme of the Jewish history of American comics was very much inspired by my love of comics but also the erasure I was seeing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe of Jewish heritage, stories, and experiences. I was incredibly struck by how MoonKnight’s (Marc Spector’s) story was spun for streaming versus his comic book origin story. Jewish trauma is ingrained in his character; however for streaming they took an angle of vilifying his Jewishness. In the comics that trauma comes from a narrow escape with a Nazi serial killer who targeted members of his congregation, not abuse at the hands of his mother while his Rabbi father stood by and watched. I found this narrative insulting to a degree, and it did not accurately depict the complexities of the Jewish experience and generational trauma. Making his Jewishness the problem was an easy way to make sure it would be received as generally palatable for a wider audience. I remember watching the show and wishing there was a way to correct this narrative.
The other major driving factor in choosing this theme was the horrific spike in antisemitism that we are seeing and experiencing. I wanted to not only humanize the Jewish community but remind people that we all have things in common. We can connect over our love of these heroes and stories and find common ground there.
What sparked your passion for curating this particular exhibit?
I adore comic books, Marvel specifically. The more I read and learned about the origins of Marvel and the characters, the more I saw something that the Jewish community should feel really proud of. There is a beautiful Jewish-American legacy in pop culture. Some of the most iconic names in comics such as Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Joe Simon were first generation Jewish-Americans defying a lot of odds. Personally, I found a lot of strength and inspiration in their stories, and it has carried into a lot of the work that I do. Truth be told this exhibit is one that had lived in my head for about 3 years before I was given the opportunity for it to become a reality.
How did you approach the selection process for the pieces in this exhibit?
There were 2 paths I followed for object selection. The first was to find objects related to incredibly recognizable characters that could draw people in. SuperMan was an easy choice especially given his Jewish history. On the flipside IronMan’s helmet was selected because it’s awesome! Tony Stark is not Jewish, but he is a deeply loved character that I knew would get people excited, plus he is portrayed by Robert Downey Jr, a Jewish actor.
The second path was about looking for comics that while not necessarily popular had bold imagery and told stories I wanted to highlight. MoonKnight is featured heavily because I finally had a chance to highlight his true origin story and how he struggles with generational trauma (he’s also one of my favorites and I would never pass up a chance to talk about him). I needed to make sure that I had evidence to back up my claims of Jewish erasure for movies and a lot of MoonKnight’s comics support that. So, the question in object selection morphs from “what will people want to see” to “what do people need to see”. Some of the cover art for Magneto Testament is absolutely haunting and some may even find it hard to look at but in telling his story as a Holocaust survivor turned villain/anti-hero that kind of bold imagery is crucial in understanding him especially in an era of heightened Holocaust denial.
What’s on the horizon for your career after this exhibit?
It is hard to say what is next for me! I have one quarter left of graduate school and honestly, I love working in the pop culture sphere, specifically this incredible Jewish niche and I would love to continue.