Recent news story about The Thing

Hey all,

The local Fox news show here (WKYW, Philadelphia) was running a teaser the other night about a revelation about a 'favorite Marvel comics character'. I was otherwise occupied and ended up not sitting by my television for the next forty minutes to figure out what the story was, and haven't been able to track it down on clari or any other news outlet, so I'm wondering if anyone here might know what they were talking about.

For some reason I think that the story may have been something about the revelation that Ben Grimm was Jewish? But I just don't really think that's accurate, since I don't really see that fitting in with his whole Yancy Street image, and what not.

But I figured the most likely place to have any idea what this is would be here. So, anyone know about any major revelations that'd actually be newsworthy? (I think the last one was when Northstar 'came out' in the pages of Alpha Flight. Sheesh.)

Thanks.

revelation that Ben Grimm was Jewish? >>

There was indeed just such a revelation a few issues back.

fitting in with his whole Yancy Street image, and what not.>>

It fits in completely, actually

Well, columnist Leonard Pitts thought the Thing was worthy of mention. http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/columnists/ leonard_pitts/...

Ciao,

I'd just like to point out that I finally found a prior reference to Grimm's religion. During the previous threads on the Thing being Jewish, it was brought up that there really hadn't been any indications of Christianism in Grimm's past (thus making his recent revelation more in tune with his past). Yet...

In the Infinity Crusade (issue 2), Ben and Johnny have a discussion about their personal beliefs and Ben relates a story from his childhood regarding the death of an aunt he was very close to. In the flashback sequence, we see that the aunt was buried under gravestone marked with an angel and cross and we also see young Ben praying to God in from of a window with a fairly clear cross shape to the panes (ie. it would seem that he was praying to the cross.

Personally, I think the entre mini series is best forgotten and Ben's Jewishness is just fine, but I'd like to toot my own horn that I found something that obscure.

Beep Beep!

OK, here's my shot at a No-Prize...

Ben's aunt was either christian by upbringing and married Ben's blood uncle, or at some point in her life converted to christianity from judism. Out of courtesy to his beloved aunt's beliefs, he was praying on her behalf in the christian church she attended.

.htm

I just thought I'd mention that the drawing by Jack Kirby of Thing in 'full Jewish regalia' alluded to in this newspaper article has actually appeared in print.

It was published in the Jack Kirby Collector # 19, April 1998 on page 25b (as has been common practice with many TwoMorrows magazines, the issue was broken up into two sides). The drawing was used as an illustration in an article paying tribute to Roz Kirby (Jack's wife) who had then just recently passed away.

In the drawing, the Thing is drawn wearing a robe and yarmulke, with what I presume is a copy of the Torah open in his hands. A candelabra is evident in the background. The accompanying caption used in the magazine read 'A very special Thing drawing, which adorned the walls at the Kirbys' house for years'.

.htm

Oh yeah- I saw that. I thought it was really keen- especially when I realized- 'wait a minute- is he going to talk about the Thing being jewish?'

I almost never agree with Pitts, but does anyone else think it's really cool when you discover one of America's leading intellectuals is into comics? Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy about my favorite hobby.

Works for me. My father was Catholic. The only time I've ever set foot inside a Catholic church was for his funeral.

Sounds perfectly plausible to me.

Ok so Ben's Jewish. Big Deal. He is still a great character and all that. What was the point of the KYW piece? Did I miss it in the previous posts?

I must confess that when I first heard about this business of the Thing being Jewish, my first reaction was 'Oh jeez (or should it be Oy vey!), they're doing politically correct retcons.' However, if there's evidence in the form of a drawing by Kirby that Stan and Jack always had that in mind as Ben Grimm's background, then that's an entirely different matter.

'You can't kill the truth. Well, actually, you CAN kill it...but it'll come back to haunt you later.' (Capt. John Sheridan)