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"I was completely charmed by the 'Hereville' series. It’s a wonderful vehicle for a
coming-of-age story with a female protagonist who’s both relatable and likable."
Rabbi Joshua Breindel
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"Without a doubt, this is the best graphic novel of 2010 for kids. Bar none."
Elizabeth Bird, School Library Journal
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"Unique, laugh-out-loud funny, and thoroughly engrossing. Sequel, please!"
Tanya Auger, Horn Book Magazine
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"Mirka is the heroine that girlhood dreams are made of… Hereville is pure enchantment."
Barbara M. Moon, School Library Journal
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"Deutsch creates a beautiful, detail-rich world with a muted, ethereal palette that
masterfully blends faith and fantasy with astounding harmony. Undoubtedly one of
the cleverest graphic novels of the year."
Kirkus Reviews
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"This is a terrific story, told with skill and lots of heart, that readers of all ages will enjoy."
Publishers Weekly
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"I have finally fallen in love with my first graphic novel… the perfect bat mitzvah gift."
Sonja Bolle, Los Angeles Times
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"An elegant, subtle examination into the gender roles, deep religious roots, and everyday
cultural elements of an Orthodox Jewish society, while also being a witty,
enormously clever adventure quest... "
The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
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"Comics, and the rest of the world, for that matter, need more girl heroes like Mirka.
She will have readers cheering for her every step of the way. "
Raina Telgemeier
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"Author/illustrator Barry Deutsch offers up a mitzvah — a graphic novel which has joy,
style, lots of Yiddishkeit, adventure, and magic."
Jane Yolen
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"What do you get when you cross Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Isaac Bashevis Singer?"
The Washington Post
What a surprise!
What a surprise!
Mirka is smart!
And that ogre is pretty creepy. I’ve always noticed, the polite and refined villains scare me so much more than the ‘muahahaha’ ones.
Mirka is smart!
And that ogre is pretty creepy. I’ve always noticed, the polite and refined villains scare me so much more than the ‘muahahaha’ ones.
Is Mirka’s English a literal translation of the idiomatic Yiddish?
Is Mirka’s English a literal translation of the idiomatic Yiddish?
Cute installment. The clever ‘play for time’ ploy, eh? Things are not looking good for our heroine! Looking forward to seeing how this plays out. 🙂
Cute installment. The clever ‘play for time’ ploy, eh? Things are not looking good for our heroine! Looking forward to seeing how this plays out. 🙂
Hmmm… the Troll ought to understand Yiddish- with THAT nose! Poor guy looks like taken from a Stuermer cartoon.
Hmmm… the Troll ought to understand Yiddish- with THAT nose! Poor guy looks like taken from a Stuermer cartoon.
This is a great comic.
Time for the famous yiddshe kop to Kick In.
This is a great comic.
Time for the famous yiddshe kop to Kick In.
Thanks, everyone!
Dianne,
Yes, all dialog up to this page has been translated from Yiddish.
Geofry,
Wow, I didn’t even think of it being interpreted that way! No, I’m afraid Mirka is being sincere; she didn’t understand 90% of what the troll was saying on this page.
Niki,
Yes, the troll really does look like that, doesn’t he? I thought it would be interesting to design a monster preying on Jews out of anti-semitic caricature stereotypes.
Thanks, everyone!
Dianne,
Yes, all dialog up to this page has been translated from Yiddish.
Geofry,
Wow, I didn’t even think of it being interpreted that way! No, I’m afraid Mirka is being sincere; she didn’t understand 90% of what the troll was saying on this page.
Niki,
Yes, the troll really does look like that, doesn’t he? I thought it would be interesting to design a monster preying on Jews out of anti-semitic caricature stereotypes.
I thought it would be interesting to design a monster preying on Jews out of anti-semitic caricature stereotypes.
You wrote the cartoon so I’m not going to argue with you about what the characters are or are not doing, but the impression I got was that the troll was preying on whoever came to its* lair to try to fight it. If they were mostly Jews it was simply because Hereville was the nearest human settlement, not due to any particular malice on the troll’s part (although it may have settled where it did for a reason…) In any case, the troll doesn’t seem to be going out and attacking people–they come to it and fight. At least so far. Are we perhaps going to see the troll again…? I kind of hope so. The troll is one of the best “villains”** I’ve seen in a long time.
*I’m going with “it” as the pronoun because that was what was used in the text, IIRC. And the troll seems to me to have androgynous characteristics, for all that it appears “mostly” male.
**Villain is in quotes because, based solely on what I’ve read, the troll appears to be simply defending its lair, not attacking passing strangers. If it eats the bodies of unsuccessful challengers, well, what should it do with the bodies of people who try to rob it? Sell them for spare parts? On the other hand…I don’t want to give spoilers so I won’t mention the potential clues to the troll’s global behavior that I think I see on other pages.
I thought it would be interesting to design a monster preying on Jews out of anti-semitic caricature stereotypes.
You wrote the cartoon so I’m not going to argue with you about what the characters are or are not doing, but the impression I got was that the troll was preying on whoever came to its* lair to try to fight it. If they were mostly Jews it was simply because Hereville was the nearest human settlement, not due to any particular malice on the troll’s part (although it may have settled where it did for a reason…) In any case, the troll doesn’t seem to be going out and attacking people–they come to it and fight. At least so far. Are we perhaps going to see the troll again…? I kind of hope so. The troll is one of the best “villains”** I’ve seen in a long time.
*I’m going with “it” as the pronoun because that was what was used in the text, IIRC. And the troll seems to me to have androgynous characteristics, for all that it appears “mostly” male.
**Villain is in quotes because, based solely on what I’ve read, the troll appears to be simply defending its lair, not attacking passing strangers. If it eats the bodies of unsuccessful challengers, well, what should it do with the bodies of people who try to rob it? Sell them for spare parts? On the other hand…I don’t want to give spoilers so I won’t mention the potential clues to the troll’s global behavior that I think I see on other pages.
For that matter, you eat beef and chicken all the time, but you don’t suggest killing yourself in revenge! why not hold yourself to the standards you judge trolls by?
If trolls are man-eating monsters, didn’t God create them that way?
Isn’t killing a troll attacking a symptom…?
For that matter, you eat beef and chicken all the time, but you don’t suggest killing yourself in revenge! why not hold yourself to the standards you judge trolls by?
If trolls are man-eating monsters, didn’t God create them that way?
Isn’t killing a troll attacking a symptom…?
I must admit, at this point, I’m rooting for the troll.
Especially as it’s a no win scenario for him. (I’ll go with him, thank you.) Even if he kills her, there’s not much meat on her.
I must admit, at this point, I’m rooting for the troll.
Especially as it’s a no win scenario for him. (I’ll go with him, thank you.) Even if he kills her, there’s not much meat on her.
Wow. That wasn’t what I was expecting at all.
I’ve been reading pretty faithfully, though I’m terrible at commenting. I actually feel kind of bad for Mirka right now. Bad enough that she had to get up the courage to do this, sneak out of the house, be waylaid by her stupid brother (I mean, *I* don’t think Zindel is stupid, but then I’m not his older sister) and confront the thing, but now it’s jabbering away at her in an Outlandish Foreign Tongue. This is not how the story’s supposed to go!
And I’m loving every page. This is really wonderful stuff.
Wow. That wasn’t what I was expecting at all.
I’ve been reading pretty faithfully, though I’m terrible at commenting. I actually feel kind of bad for Mirka right now. Bad enough that she had to get up the courage to do this, sneak out of the house, be waylaid by her stupid brother (I mean, *I* don’t think Zindel is stupid, but then I’m not his older sister) and confront the thing, but now it’s jabbering away at her in an Outlandish Foreign Tongue. This is not how the story’s supposed to go!
And I’m loving every page. This is really wonderful stuff.
For that matter, you eat beef and chicken all the time, but you don’t suggest killing yourself in revenge!
Actually, I don’t (eat mammals that is), but yeah, I had this page in mind too.
For that matter, you eat beef and chicken all the time, but you don’t suggest killing yourself in revenge!
Actually, I don’t (eat mammals that is), but yeah, I had this page in mind too.
Chicken?
I was also thinking of this one. Mirka seems to be trying brute force, and it’s the troll who is showing he has his wits about him.
I know who I’m rooting for. Go Trull!!!
Chicken?
I was also thinking of this one. Mirka seems to be trying brute force, and it’s the troll who is showing he has his wits about him.
I know who I’m rooting for. Go Trull!!!
This also reminds me of the dialog between the Man in Black (Wesley) and Fezzik in The Princess Bride:
This also reminds me of the dialog between the Man in Black (Wesley) and Fezzik in The Princess Bride:
He? That troll has a purse. And yes, I was reminded of princess bride as well.
He? That troll has a purse. And yes, I was reminded of princess bride as well.
[quote] I was also thinking of this one. Mirka seems to be trying brute force, and it’s the troll who is showing he has his wits about him. [/quote]
The troll is indeed too strong physically for Mirka to beat. But he’s also being quite foolish. The smart thing to do is defeat your attacker quickly, all this formality only works to his disadvantage.
[quote] I was also thinking of this one. Mirka seems to be trying brute force, and it’s the troll who is showing he has his wits about him. [/quote]
The troll is indeed too strong physically for Mirka to beat. But he’s also being quite foolish. The smart thing to do is defeat your attacker quickly, all this formality only works to his disadvantage.
The troll is indeed too strong physically for Mirka to beat. But he’s also being quite foolish. The smart thing to do is defeat your attacker quickly, all this formality only works to his disadvantage.
Or it’s very confident. The formalities are probably there primarily to provide the troll with amusement. It can afford to be “fair” when it fights because hit knows that if everyone follows the rules that it set up then it will win. The worst that can happen is that it loses an easy breakfast. Or so it thinks now, anyway…Given that this is the story of Mirka, not the troll, there is a certain suspicion that things will not work out the way the troll expects.
The troll is indeed too strong physically for Mirka to beat. But he’s also being quite foolish. The smart thing to do is defeat your attacker quickly, all this formality only works to his disadvantage.
Or it’s very confident. The formalities are probably there primarily to provide the troll with amusement. It can afford to be “fair” when it fights because hit knows that if everyone follows the rules that it set up then it will win. The worst that can happen is that it loses an easy breakfast. Or so it thinks now, anyway…Given that this is the story of Mirka, not the troll, there is a certain suspicion that things will not work out the way the troll expects.
So?
Not much of a breakfast, as I already pointed it.
But you’re right. Mirka can’t win by brute strength. She must have some secret weapon. My bet is that the top of her head will slowly sever itself from her body and start flying around firing laser beams.
That would be cool. I’d start rooting for her, if she did that.
For now… GO TROLL!!!
So?
Not much of a breakfast, as I already pointed it.
But you’re right. Mirka can’t win by brute strength. She must have some secret weapon. My bet is that the top of her head will slowly sever itself from her body and start flying around firing laser beams.
That would be cool. I’d start rooting for her, if she did that.
For now… GO TROLL!!!
Great read. One of those comics that I stumble across and fall in love with right away 🙂
Great read. One of those comics that I stumble across and fall in love with right away 🙂
Er…so where’s 27 August’s page? Also, does Yiddish have a formal and informal form of you? If so, which one is Mirka going to use for the troll if she can get it to move out of English into a civilized language?
Er…so where’s 27 August’s page? Also, does Yiddish have a formal and informal form of you? If so, which one is Mirka going to use for the troll if she can get it to move out of English into a civilized language?
I don’t think Yiddish has formal and informal. It has male and female, singular and plural, but not formal and informal.
And I KNEW it wasn’t English! Barry, I’m sorry I keep forgetting about this comic. Not sorry for you, because you’ve got a huge readership, but sorry for ME, because I keep missing out!
I don’t think Yiddish has formal and informal. It has male and female, singular and plural, but not formal and informal.
And I KNEW it wasn’t English! Barry, I’m sorry I keep forgetting about this comic. Not sorry for you, because you’ve got a huge readership, but sorry for ME, because I keep missing out!
Yochva! Of course, Yiddish has a formal form, it is a fairly decent languague, after all, not a primitive pidgin. It’s not much in use in the US though, according to some authors (from NYC and the like, I guess) quite a bit like English and informal as thou seest. Irtsen and dutsen, is already formal and informal and part of good Yiddish.
Yochva! Of course, Yiddish has a formal form, it is a fairly decent languague, after all, not a primitive pidgin. It’s not much in use in the US though, according to some authors (from NYC and the like, I guess) quite a bit like English and informal as thou seest. Irtsen and dutsen, is already formal and informal and part of good Yiddish.
Dianne, in the situation she is in the troll has to be seen as an adult stranger, not a friend, not an equal, definitely not a pet and certainly not somebody one can disrespect:
“Ir” seems to be the basic option, but there are some other possibilities.
Dianne, in the situation she is in the troll has to be seen as an adult stranger, not a friend, not an equal, definitely not a pet and certainly not somebody one can disrespect:
“Ir” seems to be the basic option, but there are some other possibilities.
Interesting. Ir sounds like Ihr, which is the informal plural/archaic formal plural in German. If I were translating Hereville into German I’d probably have Mirka use “Ihr” for the troll…it seems like someone one should be formal with, but also maybe a little traditional. (It would be clear that she is not using Ihr in the informal plural because there is only one troll.)
Interesting. Ir sounds like Ihr, which is the informal plural/archaic formal plural in German. If I were translating Hereville into German I’d probably have Mirka use “Ihr” for the troll…it seems like someone one should be formal with, but also maybe a little traditional. (It would be clear that she is not using Ihr in the informal plural because there is only one troll.)