The He-Man Effect: How American Toymakers Sold You Your Childhood

I am a big fan of Brian "Box" Brown, a comics artist who uses a clean, minimalist art style to tell many a nonfiction tale. Here, I expected to get a story about toys and toy companies, but I got so much more. This book touches on many aspects of the social studies, including history, government, and psychology in explaining the arcane and calculated strategies that have shaped modern generations. This book begins with a look at propaganda from World War I and then traces how the strategies used to sell war to a population were turned to selling goods to people, notably toys, comics, and cartoons to children. 

Box Brown goes way-back to the roots of the propaganda.

Along the path of this explanation, Brown touches on many issues, including the work of psychologist (and Sigmund Freud's Nephew) Edward Bernays, a pioneer in the field of public relations; the evolution of public domain; the importance of children engaging in imaginative play; the great toy boom set off by the popularity of Star Wars, and Ronald Reagan-era policies that deregulated the connections between advertising and children's programming. As you can see, if you are interested in tracing a great many social issues about nostalgia, marketing, and public consciousness, this is the book for you. It critiques our modern culture, delving deeply into what shaped it and what we might do differently in terms of being a literate person in the 21st century. What could have been a trifling book about playthings turned out to have much more gravity.

This book's author Box Brown has drawn a number of nonfiction graphic novels. including ones about Andre the Giant, Andy Kaufman, Tetris, and Cannabis. He also published the fictional biography Child Star. Of late he is publishing a web-comic about the state of Cannabis in the USA, Legalization Nation, and is the midst of Kickstarter campaign to fund a print compilation of those strips. He speaks about his work on The He-Man Effect as well as a number of his other works in this article.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been positive. Kirkus Reviews summed it up as "a boffo cartoon history of the deliberate manipulation of children's minds." April Spisak called it "another clever, sharp, and well-researched graphic novel that explores a pop culture non-fiction topic in close detail." Timothy ONeil wrote, "It can sound hyperbolic to call this book important, but it really is... The way nostalgia and brands have been entrenched in our culture is only growing bigger, and it’s important to understand how we got here."

The He-Man Effect was published by First Second, and they have a preview and much more information here.

Child Star

Brian "Box" Brown is one of my favorite comics creators, and his prior graphic novels have been nonfiction looks at Andre the Giant, Andy Kaufman, Tetris, and Cannabis. All of these books were very well researched and obvious labors of love. His latest book is fictional, but it is based in reality and is also obviously well-sourced and personal. Child Star focuses on Owen Eugene, who displays both humor and charisma from a very young age and becomes a huge celebrity.

His life and career is clearly modeled on a melange of people such as Gary Coleman, Emmanuel Lewis, and Macaulay Culkin, but I don't think one would have to know that to enjoy this book. I am knowledgeable enough to get the references to real-life events, but I feel that readers who are not up on 1980s sitcoms and movies would just read this book as a prolonged examination of a person's life. Owen stars in commercials at first but quickly graduates into a hit TV series as well as several movies, cartoons, and other commercial venues in the form of lunchboxes and toys. And, of course, he came up with a catch-phrase that propelled him into the public consciousness but became an anchor as he grew older. Along his path through stardom, he touches a lot of people's lives.

As you can see from the excerpts above, the narrative plays out in multiple forms. There is one level of commentary that runs as a documentary, showcasing the actors, parents, and other people in Owen's life in a series of interviews. Then, there are also lengthy excerpts from fictional TV programs and movies that Owen starred in (which are colored in red, so you can tell the difference from reality).

What is impressive to me about this book is how well it plays like a documentary, with elaborate scenes from his various star vehicles included in extended excerpts. The book plays out in multiple parts, detailing Owen's rise to fame, his stream of successes, his struggles with finding work as he grew older, his disillusionment with the business side of showbiz, his fragile health situation, his dis-junction from his parents, and his eventual late-life slide into obscurity and tabloid fodder. The lengths that Brown went to in fleshing out and realizing this character and his world are extremely impressive. Also I should note the level of affection Brown has for his subject matter. Even though the TV shows and movies depicted have a tongue-in-cheek quality, this book does not parody or mock Owen, holding him in esteem while showing the pitfalls many child stars experienced. As a fan of 1980s and 1990s popular culture, I really enjoyed this book.

All the reviews I have read about this book have been positive. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly summed up, "This in-the-know skewering of celebrity and pop culture will entertain children of the ’80s as well as their own children." In a starred review in Library Journal, Douglas Rednour remarked that it was "thought provoking and poignant yet honest in its humanity." Paul's Picks called it "an impressively dense and thorough look at the child star phenomenon." Brown speaks more about his work on Child Star in this interview.

Child Star was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and much more here.

Cannabis: The Illegalization of Weed in America

First off, I meant to have this post up for April 20, but life has been hectic lately, and as you might tell, I have not been posting as regularly as accustomed. Hopefully, this is the book to get me back on track. I am a big fan of Box Brown's work, and in the past his stuff has appeared on my "Best of" year-end lists. This book is unique though in that I am not really that familiar with the topic and it's not something, like professional wrestling, video games, or comedy, that I have been a fan of. So this book was more of a learning platform for me. Cannabis: The Illegalization of Weed in America covers a lot of ground and includes lots of different insights. It shows, among other things,

the science behind getting high on marijuana

an origin myth from the Hindu tradition

a history of false assumptions and spurious science.

And I gleaned much here. For instance, I had no idea who Harry J. Anslinger was before I read this book, let alone that the man almost single-handed created the "war on drugs" as we know it. It is horrifying to see how much he relied on false claims, racism, and prejudice against immigrants to push public policies that have led to decades of abuse, misinformation, and incarceration. A large portion of the book focuses on his work, and he definitely comes off as a villain, which seems appropriate and sadly familiar to some contemporary voices I hear.

There is a lot going on in this work, and it is well researched, with a huge bibliography at the end. I think it may have benefited from some chapter headings to help steer the reader, but overall I feel it does its job well. It contains all sorts of disparate information and weaves it together into a portrayal of the modern take on marijuana use. It also makes a strong thesis for why current policies and views are misguided and wrong. I feel it is a strong piece of comics rhetoric and history, and I highly recommend it.

This book's creator Box Brown has left a big footprint in comics already, founding the indie imprint Retrofit Comics. He has also created a cavalcade of comics, mini-comics, and graphic novels, including his biographys of Andre the Giant and Andy Kaufman as well as his history of Tetris. He speaks about his work on Cannabis in this interview as well as this NPR interview.

The reviews I have read of this book have ranged from good to lukewarm. Jonathan O'Neal wrote, "Brown’s book presents an impassioned case for continuing the discussion over this very complicated issue, and with “Cannabis: The Illegalization of Weed in America,” Brown becomes an important voice in that conversation." Henry Chamberlain called it "a most remarkable book in how it packs together a disparate clump of facts and myths and makes sense of it all." Kirkus Reviews summed up, "Not as engaging as the author’s bio of Andre the Giant, but his uncluttered drawings suit his straightforward argument."

Cannabis was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and much more here.

Is This Guy For Real? The Unbelievable Andy Kaufman

I was anxious and excited to read this new biography by Box Brown. Anxious because I have read, watched, and learned a lot about Andy Kaufman over the years, and I wondered if there was going to be anything novel or revelatory about this book. Excited because I have very much enjoyed pretty much every comic, mini-comic, and graphic novel I have read by Brown, including his biography of Andre the Giant and his history of Tetris. I am glad to report that this book is fantastic.

It details Kaufman's childhood and career, hitting all the high points like his work as a stand-up, on Saturday Night Live, Taxi, and his tenure as the Inter-Gender Wrestling Champion of the World that led to his feud with "The King" Jerry Lawler. He was a unique figure, obviously very talented but also interested in seeing how far he could go to get crowds to both love and hate him. He died of cancer in 1984, but there are still those who wonder whether that was also some elaborate stunt he pulled. Probably what is most impressive about The Unbelievable Andy Kaufman is how well it ties a unifying thread through all of these proceedings. Also, it has lots of great stories that will interest people unfamiliar with Kaufman, but it still had some insights and tales I was unfamiliar with, so it should appeal to some more informed fans, too. Brown interviewed many folks to get some unique angles, and the ending especially was pitch-perfect to me.

The artwork is clean, with strong, simple lines that are surprisingly evocative. The storytelling is excellent, and overall I feel that this book is Brown's most heartfelt, mature, and best work yet. I am very much eager to see what his next project will be. For those who are interested, Brown speaks more on his work on this book in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been good. Publishers Weekly wrote, "It is a well-researched, enjoyable yarn written by the one author working in the comics medium who fans would want to tell Kaufman’s story." Pharoah Miles called it "an excellent book, which reminds me so much of how much of a virtuoso Kaufman truly was." And I agree with the reviewer at This Weblog is Unique who wrote,"The details that create funny, touching, discomfiting, and heartwarming moments make the book feel intimate and honest."

Is This Guy For Real? was published by First Second, and they have a preview and much more available here.

A preview copy of the book was provided by the publisher.

Tetris: The Games People Play

Tetris is one of the most addictive video games ever, but who kho knew that the backstory behind  it was so interesting, complex, and convoluted? And who knew it would also involve a pretty dark, grisly murder/suicide? Tetris: The Games People Play covers A LOT of ground. It gets into the origin of games, which harkens back to prehistoric times; a couple of Russian engineers designing a game; the history of the Nintendo company, and a lot of international businesses and legal dealing.

One of the things I enjoyed was how much the book captured the technological context of each time. Seeing the landscape of the 1980s in Russia, no less, lends insight into what computers were like and how programming was practiced. Certainly, I appreciate seeing how things used to be captured, especially in a time where a lot of the technology we use is so polished and removed from its source codes, etc. The simple, boxy, and somewhat clunky artwork in the book, along with the monochromatic coloring also contribute to this retro feel.

I also enjoyed reading about all of the business and legal drama that went on regarding Tetris. There were multiple large corporate interests involved, and lots of arcane legal challenges, as the game was state-owned by a communist country who employed a special operative to negotiate rights and pay rates for an increasing amount of platforms. I feel it would have been easy to get lost in the procedures, but the storytelling here is very clear and straight forward.

Not only was this book fascinating in its content, it was also compelling in its delivery. Its creator Box Brown, the man behind one of my favorite graphic novels of 2014, Andre the Giant: Life and Legend, makes a tale that is both a journalistic documentary and a suspenseful series of twists and turns. Brown has a bevy of comics credits and he also publishes a variety of others' works under the RetroFit imprint. He speaks in a very in-depth way about the Tetris book and his work on it in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read about this book comment positively on the interesting plot and situations, though one of them was more critical of the art than others. Kirkus Reviews gave it a starred review, concluding, "A clean and engaging visual style supports a story that sustains narrative drive, humanizing the characters and making readers care about every development." The School Library Journal also gave it a starred review, and Chantalle Uzan offered the verdict, "This quick, thoughtful read will find an audience among teens interested in pursuing a career in video game design or those who wonder just how video games like Tetris have spread like wildfire." Publishers Weekly commented positively that "Brown’s drawings are simple but highly effective, using a black, white, and yellow color scheme to evoke the limited or nonexistent graphics available to Alexey." James Smart offered a contrary opinion, writing that "the artwork is forgettable and the characters are flat, leaving the book feeling – in contrast to the game – all too putdownable."

Tetris: The Games People Play was published by First Second, and they have a preview and lots of information available here.

Andre the Giant: Life and Legend

Box Brown is someone whose work I follow. He makes comics and also promotes an independent spirit for other comics creators with Retrofit, the publishing company he runs. I love his desire to publish comics of all shapes and sizes. I love his clean lines and geometric figures. I love how the deceptive simplicity of his stories and his artwork combine into some truly evocative and emotional scenes. I think he has created some masterful comics and also some well done shorter pieces. I have noticed upon reflection that his stories tend to focus on exceptional loners or isolated people, like Noah from The Survivalist, who is striving to survive in a doomsday scenario, or Phoebe, a banker who is looking for some summer fun in Beach Girls.

Brown is also a big fan of professional wrestling, and I think he has found his ideal subject in Andre the Giant. Andre was huge in a couple of senses. He suffered from acromegaly, a hormonal disorder where too much growth hormone is produced. He grew to be 7 ft 4 in tall and he weighed well over 500 pounds (maybe tipping the scales at 700 toward the end of his life), and his immense size catapulted him to the top of professional wrestling. He found international fame and toured the world. He fought boxers in exhibition matches. He even went on to bigger fame in Hollywood as Fezzik in the classic movie The Princess Bride.

Brown shows all of these highlights from his life, including the incredible fact that he was neighbors with playwright Samuel Beckett, who ended up driving Andre to school when he grew too large to take the bus. But he also shows a lot of the small moments, with Andre playing cards on the road, his prankster side (he apparently was a big fan of farting in elevators), and his self-medicating with alcohol to sooth his many aches and pains. Andre is presented as a looming but tragic figure and not without faults.  Brown depicts a few instances culled from different accounts where he was casually racist and also recounts how later in life he became somewhat of a deadbeat dad. Brown makes the giant human but also shows his flaws and darker sides, and those aspects are what make this graphic biography truly compelling reading. It is simultaneously an exposé and a tribute to the man.

Box Brown speaks more about his work on this book in this interview and also this interview. He also has a lot to say about his life and career in this interview with Tom Spurgeon.

Almost all of the reviews I have seen about this book have been positive. Alan David Doane wrote, "If you don’t care about the subject matter, I suspect you’ll still enjoy Andre The Giant: Life and Legend; if you do care about wrestling in general or Andre in particular, I have to think you will love this book." Publishers Weekly called it "An engaging biography of a literally larger-than-life character." Chris Sims summed up, "There’s a love in this book, but there’s an honesty, too, and it comes through in every scene, even when the truth, strictly speaking, is exaggerated just a bit." Friend of mine and scholar Bill Boerman-Cornell regretted that there was too much drinking, swearing, and violence in this book to use it for school purposes, "because this is a subject kids would really be interested in."

Andre the Giant: Life and Legend was published by First Second. They have a preview and more information here. Another 10 page preview is also available at Tor.com.

Thank you, Gina, for the preview copy!