Rutu Modan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rutu Modan רוּתוּ מודן
Modan in 2008
Born	Rutu Modan 1966 (age 58–59) Tel Aviv, Israel
Nationality	Israeli
Area(s)	Illustrator and comic book artist.
Notable works	Exit Wounds

Rutu Modan (born in 1966) is a talented artist from Israel. She draws pictures and creates comic books. She helped start a group called Actus Tragicus that makes comics. Rutu is famous for her graphic novels like Exit Wounds (from 2007) and The Property (from 2013).

About Rutu Modan's Life

Rutu Modan was born in Tel HaShomer, Israel, in 1966. She grew up in a place where doctors lived near the Sheba Medical Center. Her father, Prof. Baruch Modan, was a cancer researcher. He was also the head of the Israeli Health Ministry in the 1980s.

Her mother, Prof. Michaela Modan, studied diseases. She focused on diabetes research. Rutu's older sister is a doctor. Her younger sister, Dana Modan, is an actress and writer. When Rutu was ten, her family moved to Afeka in north Tel Aviv.

Rutu's Art School and Early Career

Rutu Modan finished her studies with honors. She went to the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem. After school, she worked as an editor. She edited the Hebrew version of MAD magazine. She did this with Yirmi Pinkus.

In 1995, Rutu and Yirmi started the Actus Tragicus comics group. This group creates unique comic art. Rutu won the Young Artist of the Year award in 1997. In 1998, she won an award for the Best Illustrated Children's Book. This award came from the Youth Department of the Israel Museum.

In 2005, Rutu was chosen as an amazing artist. This honor came from the Israel Cultural Excellence Foundation. Today, Rutu lives in Tel-Aviv. She lives there with her husband, Ofer Bergman, and their two children.

Rutu Modan's Published Books

Rutu Modan has created many interesting books. These include graphic novels and children's stories.

Graphic Novels

Exit Wounds

Exit Wounds was Rutu Modan's first full-length graphic novel. It tells the story of Koby Franco. Koby is a 20-something taxi driver in Tel Aviv. He meets a young soldier who was involved with his father. They both start looking for clues. They want to find out if Koby's father is still alive.

Many people praised this book. Comic artist Joe Sacco called it "profound." He said it showed human relationships in a deep way. Douglas Wolk from The New York Times liked her drawing style. He compared it to the The Adventures of Tintin books. He said her characters' body language tells the story.

Time magazine listed Exit Wounds as one of the Top 10 Graphic Novels of 2007. It was ranked number 8. The book also won the 2008 Eisner Award. This award was for Best New Graphic Novel.

Mixed Emotions

Between May and October 2007, Rutu Modan shared some of her graphic stories online. They were on The New York Times website. These stories were like a "visual blog." They were translated by Ishai Mishory.

There were six stories in total. They were all about Rutu herself and her family. Many stories showed her grandmother. Her grandmother grew up in Warsaw. She moved to Israel with Rutu’s father and uncle. This happened after Germany took over Poland.

Here are some of the stories:

• "My First Time in New York City" (May 8) – Rutu's trip to New York when she was 21. Her father went with her.
• "How I learned to Relax" (June 5) – This story is about Rutu's first pregnancy.
• "The Most Popular Girl in Warsaw" (July 3) – Rutu shares her grandmother's rules for life and love.
• "A Family Bargain" (July 31) – Rutu's family tries to help her buy a new car.
• "Queen of the Scottish Fairies" (September 4) – Rutu's son likes to wear dresses. This makes his father a bit annoyed.
• "Chez Maurice" (October 3) – Rutu goes with her grandmother to a hairdresser.

The Murder of the Terminal Patient

This was a graphic story told in 17 parts. It was published every week in The New York Times Magazine. It ran from June 29 to November 2, 2008. The story was about a famous singer. He died in a hospital under strange conditions. Two men try to find out what happened.

War Rabbit

In 2009, Rutu Modan was living in England. A publisher asked her to contribute to a collection of comics journalism. She first said no. But she later agreed after returning to Israel. This was when the Gaza War started.

The comic was 13 pages long. It was called War Rabbit. Rutu worked with Israeli journalist Igal Sarna on it. It was published in a French book. It was also available online in English.

The Property

The Property is a full-length graphic novel from 2013. It is based on Rutu Modan's own family experiences. The story is about an elderly Israeli lady, Regina Segal. She takes her granddaughter Mica to Warsaw. This happens after her son passes away. Regina hopes to get back a family property. It was lost during the Second World War.

As they explore modern Warsaw, they visit famous places. These include the Powązki Cemetery and the Warsaw Fotoplastikon. Regina has to remember difficult things from her past. Mica starts to wonder if their reasons for coming are different. She thinks they might be different from what her grandmother told her.

Minharot

Minharot (which means Tunnels) came out in September 2020. It is an adventure story. It follows the daughter and grandson of a famous archaeologist. They go on a search for the Ark of the Covenant. This search takes place in the West Bank.

Children's Books

Maya Makes a Mess

Maya Makes a Mess is Rutu Modan's first children's book. She wrote and drew it herself. It was released in 2012 by Toon Books. It is a graphic novel for young readers.

The story is about a young girl. She has very messy table manners. One day, she gets a surprise invitation. She is asked to eat dinner at the Royal palace. There, her manners are put to the test.

Rutu got the idea for this story from her childhood memories. She also got it from her own daughter, Michal. One evening, Rutu told Michal, "You eat so badly! What if the Queen invited you to dinner?" Michal answered very seriously, "Well! The Queen is a very good friend of mine. She told me that I eat perfectly."

Other children's books illustrated by Rutu include:

• Where Is?, written by Tamar Bergman, 2002.
• Dad Runs Away With The Circus, written by Etgar Keret, 2004.

Images for kids

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  Rutu Modan in 2008

See also

In Spanish: Rutu Modan para niños

• Women in Israel
• Israeli literature