TheLantern.com reports that the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum in cooperation with the English Department at Ohio State University is bringing attention to the topic of immigration in their four-part series, "Immigration in Comics."

Where the first segment, "Immigration in Comics," focused on the early 20th century migration of Japanese immigrants to the U.S., the second will be centered primarily on the role of first- and second-generation immigrants in the 1930s during the rise of the comic book industry. Featured in that category are Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the creators of the DC Comics' character, Superman.

"Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster were both Jewish kids from Cleveland who created Superman in high school. And Superman himself is an immigrant story," said Jared Gardner of the OSU English Department. "It's the story of a young boy who gets sent from his home planet to the middle of America and takes on a new identity and lives always like all immigrants, like all Americans torn between two different identities."

Historically, animated cartoons and newspaper comic strips were used to promote racially charged stereotypes.

The second part of "Immigration in Comics" will be hosted on the campus of OSU from 7PM - 8:30PM on January 30th in the Mortar Board Centennial Suite (room 202) of the William Oxley Thompson Memorial Library.

To register to attend, email Nancy Courtney at courtney.24@osu.edu, or call (614) 688-8771. Name, phone number and email address, if available, are required for registration.