Esther is one of the great narratives of the Hebrew Bible.

The story is simply gripping, and it has the power to delight and inspire and teach

different readers and audiences at different times, the dramatic tale of Esther's winning

the heart of Achash Veroch, and then subverting the wicked Khaman, all inspired by Mordecai's

wise counsel. This practically paints a picture in the mind's eye, and this year a talented

team has come together to do just that. They've produced the

Koren-Tanakh graphic novels first installation, the book of Esther. Welcome to the Tikva podcast. I'm your

host, Jonathan Silver. My guest this week is the creator, writer, and producer of the volume,

Jordan B. Gorkinkle, or, as he is known, Gorf. By way of introduction,

let me say something about the text of this volume, and let me also say something about Gorph.

The text is complete, unabridged. It is the Hebrew text of Megalat Esther. The most

traditional reader of this text would find the same Hebrew text

and the same careful English translation as they would find in any of the other volumes of

Koren's Hebrew Bible. And then there's the graphic novel part of it. In my view, it's a

triumph, masterminded by Gorf. For those of you who don't know that name, Jordan B. Gorkinkle was an editor

at DC Comics for nearly a decade, during which he managed its signature Batman franchise.

And you can imagine, the themes of American superheroes bear on our subject.

Women and men who disguise their true identity, and then at an opportune

moment cast off their disguise in order to serve some higher purpose. This bears not a little

on our text of Esther. This week we look at his new volume, and we discuss the editorial,

artistic, and design decisions that went into his presentation of Esther.

If you enjoy this conversation, you can subscribe to the Tikva podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher,

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