Parecomic: The Story of Michael Albert and Participatory Economics

Description

Parecomic is a graphic novel about something that affects everyone: the economic system in which humanity is forced to live, what's wrong with it and how people might be able to change it for the better. Written by Sean Michael Wilson and drawn by Carl Thompson, Parecomic is about Michael Albert - the visionary behind 'participatory economics' - and his life's struggle as a left-wing activist in the United States. Proposed as an alternative to capitalism, participatory economics (parecon, for short) values equity, solidarity, diversity and self-management.

"SEAN MICHAEL WILSON is a comic book writer from Scotland, currently based in Japan, who has written fourteen books of comics and manga. His work includes a version of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol (with artist Mike Collins); Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights; Oscar Wilde's A Canterville Ghost; The Japanese Drawing Room (with RING horror manga artist Sakura Mizuki); and the documentary book Iraq- Operation Corporate Takeover (with artist Lee O'Connor). His version of Sweeney Todd (with artist Declan Shalvey) is forthcoming. He is presently editing the second volume of the critically acclaimed AX- Alternative Manga; the first volume was selected as one of the top ten comic books of 2010 by Publishers Weekly. Wilson has received several grants from both the English arts council and the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation in support of his Japan-related publications. b> ARL THOMPSON is a cartoonist based in Minneapolis. A graduate of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, he has

"This graphic novel challenged me to think through new ideas as well as the world we live in. Even better it did so in a way I didn't find boring or grating to read, much like some of the works referenced within it. Parecomic is a fine example of how far the comic medium has come. It's no longer ruled by only heroes in tights, it's now a tool in our greater understanding of the world and further education." -Graphic Policy "This is an accessible and serviceable introduction to the principles of parecon and the vision of one of its founders. Recommended for readers interested in alternative economic models and the legacy of the radical 1960s." -Library Journal "As a primer on the history and theory of participatory economics, this title is never short on ideas, tracing the development of Michael Albert's theories on self-management, social justice, and internationalism, and their origins in the civil disobedience and consciousness-raising movements of the late '60s and early '70s. As a student at MIT, Albert was inspired by the culture of activism to found Z magazine, ZNet, and the International Organization for a Participatory Society. Some readers may wonder why Wilson (AX: Alternative Manga) and Thompson (the webcomie Green Benches) have chosen Albert's story for treatment as a visual narrative, and that treatment definitely makes some of book's issues more palatable to a wider audience. Artist Thompson is also very adept at marrying the literal and the symbolic to allow Wilson's prose, and therefore Albert's ideas, to resonate with readers. There are moments, though, when the book stalls and readers find themselves wading through lengthy, text-heavy panel sequences featuring shots of Albert discussing a given issue. Still, Thompson and Wilson can be very inventive with their effects. Parecomic is inspired at times, and as a treatise on participatory economics, it's pretty great. As a comic, though, it's just pretty good." -Publisher's Weekly