Video: New Comic to Illustrate Jewish Life in Melbourne, Australia

Familiar with big Jewish communities in the United State, Europe, or Israel? Ever wonder what it is like on the other side of the globe?

Over in Melbourne, Australia, screenwriter Ted Janet and illustrator Edward Rocha are producing a comic that not only tells you about the Jewish community down under, but gets into atheism and cultish behavior.

Balaclava Junction is an Australian comic book anthology intimately portraying the culture and identity of its titular suburb, famous for being the centre of Melbourne’s Jewish community.

The book combines a graphic telling of local history with biographies of noted residents such as singer-songwriter Shelley Segal, whose ‘An Atheist Album’ took unbelievers by storm, and Raphael Aron author of five books including ‘Cults: Too Good to be True’ (Harper Collins 1999) and ‘Cults. Terror and Mind Control’ (Bay Tree 2009).

“It’s a holistic look at a community”, says writer Ted Janet, “we wanted to show people who came up in the same place but to entirely disparate views about the world.

“Our lives share common themes despite our differences.”

In the footsteps of crowdfunded projects, Balaclava Junction is offering donors the chance to be ‘extras’ in the comics pages. Those who pledge over a certain amount will be able to have a background character inspired by their likeness illustrated into the text.

The local writer, who has previously worked ‘invisibly’ for several Australian film production companies, insists on a DIY ethos.

‘Balaclava Junction asks us to reimagine our familiar avenues, schoolyards, and hangouts, as landmarks, brimming with story, mystery, and philosophy’.

We think that is an experience that most of us could use.

To support the comic visit: http:/igg.me/at/balaclava-junction