The Berkowitz Brothers — Max and Ben — are an award-winning producing and writing duo (NotABillionaire.com); they also have a strong family ties to food. They grew up in the family fish business, where that food connection remains a constant.

The brothers, who live on opposite coasts — Ben in San Francisco, Max in Boston — talk to each other on the phone about 18 hours a day. Which is how the idea for their latest project, the graphic novel, “The Writer,” came about.

“Max and I were talking … about this troubling trend that we saw in comic book movies,” Ben told the Journal. “Characters, who identified as Jewish on the page, as soon as they made the jump to TV or film, their Jewish identity was getting sidelined.”

They found a way to change that.

“With the rising tide of antisemitism, we have to do our part and make a difference,” he said. “So we came up with a story where there was no way any studio could remove Jewish identity from it, because it was all Jewish.”

The Bros. quickly drafted a presentation and then cold-called their friend actor Josh Gad, and he “got it” right away. (“He knows every Jewish folktale,” Max said.)

They teamed up to create a graphic novel that celebrates Jewish folklore, mythology and the Jews who built the comic book industry.

“The Writer,” illustrated by Marvel and DC Comics legend Ariel Olivetti (who they pitched via Instagram DM), is a four-issue series, to be published as a trade paperback on April 22. The supernatural adventure comic — in the vein of an Indiana Jones story — follows Stan Siegel, a comic book writer whose life unravels when the fantastical worlds that he writes about start bleeding into reality.

“We also added a lot of our family stories into this as well, and what we grew up with, because it all takes place in Boston and Brookline, Massachusetts,” Max said. “We put our mom into the story; it’s literally Josh Gad’s character’s mom.”

Added Ben, “Our mother’s character, Liz, in the book, is constantly pushing food on the characters.”

There’s a Jewish deli in it, based off of Zaftigs, their favorite in Brookline. Plus, lots of coffee, another family favorite. Their whole family drinks about eight to ten cups a day.

“For us, food has always been the connector, bringing people from walks of life [together],” Ben said. “When our dad helped build out the family restaurant business … it was made to bring people [together] to enjoy just good, simple fish dishes.”

Originally a fish market, their grandmother had the idea to put out tables and chairs, and also cook for people.

“One of the first customers was Julia Child’s assistant [who] raved about it to Julia,” Ben said. “It was the only fish she ever bought for her show.”

While food is not solely a Jewish thing, it does come up in conversations a lot.

“Our dad has like six meals a day,” Max said. “He has a breakfast before his breakfast, then he has a snack after breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, always dessert; it’s just constant food. We’re always talking about it.”

Breakfast, specifically a deli breakfast, is the family favorite meal.

“Growing up our father would always make us the best whitefish salad,” Max said. The recipe is below.

The brothers “admit” to a controversial bagel practice: they shell out their bagels

“You can just put so much more in there,” Max said. “Chive cream cheese, then your salmon and your capers and then your whitefish salad on top, and create this beautiful bagel.”

Whether your family business is fish or creating content, you need to navigate what’s most important for work and your home life.

“At the end of the day, what kind of solved most any argument was a great meal,” Ben said. “If anything, it stops people from talking because their mouths were too full of food.”

It’s a great way for everyone to take a breath and sit down.

“I think that’s why Shabbat is so important; we’re supposed to turn off, eat a good meal and reconnect and reevaluate what we enjoyed about the week,” Ben said. “And that’s why food brings us joy.”

Learn more at www.NABvid.com and follow @BerkowitzBros and @TheWriterComic on Instagram..

For the full conversation, go to JewishJournal.com/podcasts, and check out the latest episode of Taste Buds with Deb.

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Marc’s Famous Whitefish Salad Recipe

1 1/2 lbs smoked chub: front-cut with bone in
3 scallions, chop up the green parts
2 1/2 tablespoons of light mayonnaise (we use Hellmann’s/Best Foods)
1 lemon for juice and garnish

Carefully peel the meat from the skin of the smoked chub, and remove all bones.

Using a fork, break up the fish in large flakes. Mix with clean hands.

Add the scallions. Mix.

Add the mayo – just enough to bind the salad. Mix.

Cut open the lemon and squeeze it in. Mix.

Garnish with the cut lemon rind.

Enjoy it while it lasts.

Debra Eckerling is a writer for the Jewish Journal and the host of “Taste Buds with Deb.” Subscribe on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform. Email Debra: tastebuds@jewishjournal.com.