Course Description

This course explores the life and cultural impact of Stan Lee—born Stanley Lieber—the Jewish-American writer who transformed comic books into a modern mythology. Using Liel Leibovitz’s Stan Lee: A Life in Comics as our guide, we’ll examine how Lee’s Jewish heritage and immigrant background shaped his storytelling, values, and vision of heroism. From Spider-Man’s moral struggle to the X-Men’s fight against prejudice, Lee’s characters reflected timeless Jewish themes: justice, resilience, identity, and the tension between assimilation and distinctiveness. The course will also consider the broader role of Jewish creators in the comic book industry and how their work helped forge a uniquely American form of popular narrative in the 20th century.

Course Details

3 Tracks Offered (select one track on application form):
Track 1 CLOSED
Sundays : Nov 2, Nov 9, Nov 16, Nov 30, Dec 7
10:00–11:15 AM ET / 9:00–10:15 AM CT / 7:00–8:15 AM PT
Track 2 CLOSED
Sundays : Nov 2, Nov 9, Nov 16, Nov 30, Dec 7
8:00-9:15 PM ET / 7:00-8:15 PM ET / 5:00-6:15 PM PT
Track 3
Tuesdays: Nov 4, Nov 11, Nov 18, Dec 2, Dec 9
7:00-8:15 PM ET / 6:00-7:15 PM ET / 4:00-5:15 PM PT

Students are responsible for the purchase of their own hard copy of the book. Buy the book via Amazon here.

To apply, click “Add This Course” above. When you’ve added all your courses, click “Apply Now” below to finish your application. You’ll choose your dates in the next step.