A Situation that Needs Remedy

There was a feature story in the New York Times this weekend about a recent comic strip/comic book that was illustrated by comic legends Neal Adams and Joe Kubert, with a forward by Stan Lee, done in support of artist and holocaust survivor Dina Babbitt. Mrs. Babbitt has been struggling to regain possession of paintings and artwork she was forced to do when she was in Auschwitz by the notorious Josef Mengele. Read the comic strip for the story of a courageous woman and the horrors she was subjected to. I’m going to assume that the creators of this comic would want it to be shown to as many people as possible, and therefore have uploaded it here for my blog visitors to read below.

The short version is that Mrs. Babbitt was forced to do all these paintings for the Nazis, and a number of have surfaced in the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum in Poland. Mrs. Babbitt wants the artwork back, but the museum has steadfastly refused to return it, nor divulge who they obtained them from. They offer no excuse or reason that justifies this position (not that one really exsists anyway).

Adams, Kubert and Lee have lent their talents to help her in this plight, and are asking the cartooning and comics community to help in two direct ways. Neal sent out a personal letter asking for such. First, you can write a personal e-mail in support of her cause to the museum itself:

Mr. Piotr Cywinski, Director
Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum
Oswiecim, Poland
muzeum@auschwitz.org.pl

Secondly, professional cartoonists can contribute a piece of original artwork to a charity auction for The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies. The funds raised will help with the Institutes pursuit and study of Mrs. Babbitt’s case. You can send the artwork to the Wyman Institute at 11738 Lovejoy St., Silver Spring, MD 20902.

Here’s the comic. Click on the pages for a closer look:

©Neal Adams

©Neal Adams

©Neal Adams

©Neal Adams

©Neal Adams

©Neal Adams

For what it’s worth, I’ll be sending in a MAD page or two.