Good Morning, The Media Savvy Leader

c1900 , Louis Rhead, Morning Journal

Good Morning

The Media Savvy Leader by David Henderson

Yesterday, at work, I received a nice new package. Dave Henderson from http://www.davidhenderson.com/ had sent me a nice, fresh new copy of The Media Savvy Leader of which he is the author. The book is due out on January 8, 2009. He sent me this book because I was on Twitter.

He might like it if you followed him http://www.twitter.com/davidhenderson . I am also on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/bookcalendar . I read my Twitter every morning. I started reading the book last night on the train home from work. The writing is very direct and understandable.

I also posted a bit about the books on Blogcatalog in two different groups,

Book Readers
http://www.blogcatalog.com/group/book-readers/discuss/entry/which-book-are-you-reading-right-now#comment_245546

Twitterers http://www.blogcatalog.com/group/twitter/discuss/entry/i-got-a-book-sent-to-me-from-a-fellow-twitterer .

I hope this helps him get a little publicity for his new book.

Today has been another busy day. I spent a little more time looking through the McGraw Hill Professional site at science books. I also compiled a list of patron requests from the reference desk.

I spent another several hours weeding more of the 300s. I also pulled damaged books and suggested books for replacement.

No new magazines came in for me to read today. I got a call to do another business program which would be a combination of computer tutoring and introduction to business. It sounds kind of interesting.

This Book Contains Graphic Language, Good Morning

The Katzenjammer Kids 1901

Good Morning

I read some more of This book Contains Graphic Language Comics As Literature by Rocco Versaci. Chapter 4 was about comics as a medium for journalism. My favorite comic book journalist is Joe Sacco who wrote Palestine and Safe Area Gorazde. Chapter 5 is on war comics. It was a a learning experience. I do not know a whole lot on World War II comics. I am vaguely familiar with Fighting Combat, Unknown Soldier, and Sergeant Rock, but not much else. I like my comics to be closer to fantasy than reality a lot of the time.

The final chapter, Chapter 6 is on comics as literature. He talks quite a bit about Classics Illustrated, a comic which I do not like at all. It tends to be poorly done and flat in my opinion. I prefer original works focused on literature. Rocco Versaci does mention Peter Kuper's interpretation of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle and Robert Crumb's Introducing Kafka which is a morosely funny interpretation of Kafka's life.

Shakespeare seems to be the standard which many comics aspire to. Mr. Versaci praises the series of Puffin Graphics Shakespeare comics. Quite frankly, I think the best theater comics are P. Craig Russell's opera adaptations including Bluebeard, The Magic Flute, The Ring of the Nibelung and Parsifal.

Later in the book, he identifies who he considers to be the most literary comic book writers, Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, and Robert Sikoryak. I have never read Robert Sikoryak, so I really can't comment on him. I would add Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis and Bill Willingham's Fables.

This book taught me quite a bit and it is worth reading if you want to learn about comics as a literary medium.

I spent some time looking through the McGraw Hill Professional books website this morning. I looked through the construction, medical, and engineering books sections. It is a useful website.
http://www.mhprofessional.com/

I think I am going to read Ice Haven by Daniel Clowes on the train home tonight. There is something about Clowes graphic novels which somehow combines absolute nerdiness with absolute coolness.