Megillat Esther: The Graphic Tale
Welcome to the remixed 20th anniversary edition of Megillat Esther. This new iteration of the Biblical tale includes color as an annotative device to callout themes, plot points, and ideas that unlock more of the intrigue embedded in this ancient text. It was humbling to return to the Book of Esther after so long and see so much of today’s world reflected in the narrative.
As Esther’s secret identity is Hadassah, which is the Hebrew word for myrtle, I always associated her with the color green. The original edition, published by the Jewish Publication Society, shout-out to Ellen Frankel for her support of my work, included a dark green cover with black ink illustrations on unbleached white paper. In this new edition, the black is replaced with a dark green printed on a more textured untreated paper. The addition of Tekhlet blue distinguishes the main text from the subplots running through the visual narrative. Inspired by the dye used to decorate the high priests’ raiments of ancient Judea, the blue hue indicates the midrashic additions to the text that I wove into the graphic novel. The midtones are meant to bridge the ink with the paper. Preserving the markmaking from the original edition while not creating visual clutter was the focus of this update.
For new readers, approaching this text for the first time, I encourage you to excavate the historical interpretations and layered meanings of the story of Esther. For being more than 2000 years old the story is surprisingly contemporary in its treatment of topics ranging from immigration to gender politics. When the idea of this work was conceived in 1998, Monica Lewinsky was the most famous woman in the world. In 2005, when Megillat Esther was first published by JPS, the buffoon king manipulated by his advisors was known as W. In 2025, the entire world must grapple with the reality of Jewish vengeance, just as it was depicted in this story from two millennia ago.
Megillat Esther is a reflection of its audience, shifting through time and similar circumstances. It is the most obviously self-aware text in the Tanach. Grammatical flourishes and allusions to other portions of the biblical narrative abound and add to the carnivalesque nature of the story. It plays to nostalgia, stereotypes, and sensational antics to capture our attention and remind us of the sibling rivalry coursing through humanity.