Wizzywig

by Ed Piskor

Overview

"Extremely pleasurable... A gripping story with lots of good, meaty forbidden knowledge and insight into the hacker mindset." -- Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing
"Wizzywig is a delight, wryly rendered and packed with dead-on details of the hacker life."-- Wired

"Wizzywig is a portrait of a cultural moment when geeks weren't just outside mainstream culture but terrifying to it." -- TIME.com Techland

They say What You See Is What You Get... but Kevin "Boingthump" Phenicle could always see more than most people. In the world of phone phreaks, hackers, and scammers, he's a legend. His exploits are hotly debated: could he really get free long-distance calls by whistling into a pay phone? Did his video-game piracy scheme accidentally trigger the first computer virus? And did he really dodge the FBI by using their own wiretapping software against them? Is he even a real person? And if he's ever caught, what would happen to a geek like him in federal prison?

Inspired by the incredible stories of real-life hackers, WIZZYWIG is the thrilling tale of a master manipulator -- his journey from precocious child scammer to federally-wanted fugitive, and beyond. In a world transformed by social networks, data leaks, and digital uprisings, Ed Piskor's debut graphic novel reminds us how much power can rest in the hands of an audacious kid with a keyboard. -- A 288-page hardcover graphic novel, 6.5" x 9".

Ed's DIY releases of chapters of WIZZYWIG have already garnered substantial accolades and a cult fan base, and we are eager to share this book with the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781603091459
Publisher:	Idea & Design Works, LLC
Publication date:	07/15/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	108 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

Editorial Reviews

In his solo graphic novel debut, Piskor does more than write a fascinating account of hacking, phone phreaking, and hi-tech hijinks. He gives us some very real insight into the peculiar motivations that define a subculture. Inspired by tales of real-life hackers like Kevin Mitnick, Piskor’s narrative follows the story of Kevin “Boingthump” Phenicle, who gets his start tapping into telephone lines as a teenager and works his way up to infiltrating the phone company and its database. At his side is his best (and indeed only) friend, Winston, who goes from helping Kevin with his hacking to defending him on the radio when Kevin is eventually caught and incarcerated. What stands out is the clarity with which Piskor is able to show us a protagonist whose mind is governed by an insatiable curiosity. Piskor also does a nice job using comics storytelling, periodically inserting radio and television broadcasts to comment on events or using an extended sequence of panels, each featuring a different character, to show the various attitudes toward his protagonist from those within and outside of the hacking subculture. Piskor superbly balances action and insight, and gives us a unique window through which to view the ingenious mind of a hacker. (July)

Publishers Weekly

Kevin "Boingthump" Phenicle can do voodoo on any phone or data system and knows enough social engineering tricks to manipulate people, too. He's not a real villain, though, just a picked-on, precocious kid starved for recognition. His crimes: phone phreaking, computer hacking, and wiretapping, for starters. Debut graphic novelist Piskor intercuts among Kevin's life story, pal Winston's attempts to ease Kevin's legal difficulties, various media commentators misrepresenting Kevin's adventures, and the word on the street from talking-head fans and enemies. The resulting cat-and-mouse saga frames Kevin as a not-so-bad guy set into a readable, tech-savvy account of how 1980s wonks could pull stunts like crashing all the phone lines on Mother's Day and rigging call-in radio contests. Indeed, Phenicle's exploits and talents are drawn from real cases. VERDICT With heavy technology content and social-issue relevance, plus hacker and comics industry in-jokes, this is a techie's dream read, enhanced by Piskor's thorough research and judiciously unpretty black-and-white art. Recommended for computer nerds and those interested in technology history, social justice, and the human/machine interface. Sexual depictions and nudity mean this is suitable for older teens and up.

Library Journal