View source for Wizzywig

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{{short description|American comic book series by Ed Piskor}}
{{distinguish|WYSIWYG|Whizziwig}}
{{Infobox graphic novel
<!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics--> 
|title               = Wizzywig
|image               = 
|imagesize           = 
|caption             = 
|schedule            = 
|publisher           = [[Top Shelf Productions]]
|origpublication = Wizzywig
|origissues      = 3 plus webcomic
|origdate        = Jan 2009 – Sep 2011
|date                = June 2012
|genre = [[Alternative comics]]
|single_creator = y
|writers             = 
|artists             = 
|pencillers          = 
|inkers              = 
|letterers           = 
|colorists           = 
|editors             = 
| main_char_team = Kevin "Boingthump" Phenicle
|creative_team_month = 
|creative_team_year  = 
|creator            = [[Ed Piskor]]
|tpb                 =
|transisbn                = 9781603090971
|origpublisher= 
|TPB#                = 
|ISBN#               = 
|subcat              = 
|altcat              = 
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|addpubcat#          = 
|nonUS               = 
}}
[[File:NOTACON 6 Wizzywig Hacking Out A Graphic Novel.webm|thumb|right|[[Ed Piskor]] talks ''Wizzywig'' at the 2013 [[Notacon]]]]
'''''Wizzywig''''' is an American [[comic book]] series written and drawn by [[Ed Piskor]].<ref>{{cite news|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907051257/http://blog.newsarama.com/2008/02/22/weekend-reviews-wizzywig-vol-1-phreak/ |url=http://blog.newsarama.com/2008/02/22/weekend-reviews-wizzywig-vol-1-phreak/|archive-date=Sep 7, 2008|work=[[Newsarama]]|title=Weekend reviews: 'Wizzywig Vol. 1: Phreak'|date=February 22, 2008|first=Chris |last=Mautner}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Knudde|first=Kjell|date=2024-04-02|title=Ed Piskor|url=https://www.lambiek.net/artists/p/piskor_ed.htm|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=Apr 3, 2024|publisher=lambiek.net|work=Lambiek Comiclopedia|language=en}}</ref> It deals with Kevin J. "Boingthump" Phenicle, Jr. a young prodigy who becomes fascinated with [[Social engineering (security)|social engineering]], [[Phreaking|phone phreaking]], and eventually [[Hacker (computer security)|computer hacking]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=UTR>{{Cite web|last=Nisen|first=Jeremy|date=Oct 17, 2011|title=Ed Piskor: Comics Artist Talks About Wizzywig, his Hacker-Culture Graphic Novel|url=http://undertheradarmag.com/interviews/ed_piskor|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-10-26|work=Under the Radar|language=en}}</ref> 

The title of the series refers to the computer term, [[WYSIWYG]], an acronym for "What You See Is What You Get" — software which allows content to be edited in a form that resembles its appearance when printed or displayed as a finished product, such as a printed document, web page, or slide presentation.

== Development ==
The project developed when Piskor was working on the nonfiction graphic novel ''[[Macedonia (comics)|Macedonia]]'' (co-written by Heather Roberson and [[Harvey Pekar]]). While drawing ''Macedonia'', Piskor became fascinated by hacking history via "[[Eric Corley|Emmanuel Goldstein]]"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s radio show ''[[Off the Hook (radio program)|Off the Hook]]''.<ref name=PW2009 />

In structuring ''Wizzywig'', Piskor combines real hacker stories into one character, merging real and fictional elements. He decided to navigate dual audiences, tech-savvy and newbies, by structuring the story from various perspectives around Phenicle's life, drawing inspiration from cartoonists like [[Daniel Clowes]] and [[Chris Ware]].<ref name=PW2009 />

Piskor meticulously documents his research in ''Wizzywig'', offering a "[[director's commentary]]" in Volume 1, where he annotates references and sources. Volume 2 includes an extensive bibliography listing books and resources used. Sources include ''Off the Hook,'' the hacker magazine ''[[2600: The Hacker Quarterly]]'', and the pre-Internet online magazine ''[[Phrack]]''. Piskor's thorough approach ensures accuracy and authenticity in depicting hacking culture, drawing from a wide array of credible sources.<ref name=PW2009 />

Piskor uses a four-panel grid layout throughout the series. Like [[Chester Brown]],<ref>{{cite web
 |last         = Tousley
 |first        = Nancy
 |title        = Interview: Chester Brown: Louis Riel's comic-strip biographer
 |url          = http://www.canadianart.ca/art/features/2005/03/01/298/
 |access-date  = 2012-04-19
 |date         = 1 March 2005
 |publisher    = Canadian Art
 |url-status   = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20120321204723/http://www.canadianart.ca/art/features/2005/03/01/298/
 |archive-date = 21 March 2012
}}</ref> Piskor did not follow the tradition of drawing ''Wizzywig'' comics by the page – he created each panel of the comic as an individual 5" x 5" illustration on a 6" x 7" piece of [[Bristol board]].<ref>{{cite book|section=Be on the lookout for future volumes of WIZZYWIG...|title=WIZZYWIG |volume=1: Phreak|date=Jan 2008|publisher=Ed Piskor|first=Ed|last=Piskor}}</ref>

== Publication history ==
Piskor started the project with a [[minicomic]] called ''The WYSIWYG Technical Pamphlet''.<ref name=UTR /> He then [[self-published]] ''Wizzywig'' in three volumes<ref name=PW2009>{{cite news|title=Hackers are People Too: Ed Piskor's 'Wizzywig'|first= Ada|last= Price| date=Sep 1, 2009|work=Publishers Weekly|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/comics/article/18207-hackers-are-people-too-ed-piskor-s-wizzywig.html}}</ref> of 110 pages each from January 2008 to December 2009:

* Volume 1: ''Phreak'' (Jan. 2008)
* Volume 2: ''Hacker'' (Dec. 2008)
* Volume 3: ''Fugitive'' (Dec. 2009)

When volume 3 was released, Piskor made volumes 1 & 2 available for free PDF downloads on his website.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.edpiskor.com/hacker3.html|quote=CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A PDF OF VOL. 1 & 2 FOR FREE.|publisher=Ed Piskor|work=EdPiskor.com|title=PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE: WIZZYWIG VOLUME#3: FUGITIVE (1ST HALF)}}</ref><ref name=CBR2010 />

Piskor originally planned to release a printed edition of ''Volume 4: Inmate'',<ref>{{cite book|section=Be on the look out for future volumes of WIZZYWIG... |quote=Wizzywig Volume 4 Inmate.|publisher=Ed Piskor|title=WIZZYWIG|volume=2: Hacker|date=Dec 2008|first=Ed|last=Piskor}}</ref> but instead continued the story as a [[webcomic]], ''Boingthump!'', made up of seven chapters, from June 2010 to September 2011.

In June 2012 [[Top Shelf Productions]] released the complete, updated and revised, 400-page<ref name=UTR /> graphic novel.<ref>{{cite web|title=Acclaimed hacker comic WIZZYWIG comes to Top Shelf!|date=March 4, 2011|url=https://www.topshelfcomix.com/news/663|work=Top Shelf Productions}}</ref> The cover of the Top Shelf edition was designed to look like an Apple [[Macintosh 128K]] [[personal computer]].

== Plot ==
The story begins in what seems to be the mid-to-late 1970s. Volume 1 follows Kevin's journey into phone phreaking, transitioning to Internet hacking in Volume 2 (he receives a [[TRS-80]] model 1 [[microcomputer]] as a gift from his grandmother at the end of Volume 1). Near the end of Volume 2, Kevin's exploits land him in [[solitary confinement]] for eight months. He tries to "go straight" but falls back into hacking. At the end of Volume 3, he narrowly avoids a raid by the FBI and goes on the run as a fugitive. Volume 3 portrays Kevin's life as a fugitive, as he uses all his accumulated talents and skills to evade the law. As the series progresses, Kevin grows, as well as his trials and tribulations with hacking. His endeavors make him legendary; his abilities are feared and also revered by many.

== Characters ==
;Kevin "Boingthump" Phenicle: A composite of many well-known phreaks and hackers such as [[Kevin Mitnick]], [[Kevin Poulsen]], [[Joybubbles]], and many others.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thedailycrosshatch.com/2008/01/01/wizzywig-volume-1-phreak-by-ed-piskor/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090309054436/http://thedailycrosshatch.com/2008/01/01/wizzywig-volume-1-phreak-by-ed-piskor/|archive-date=Mar 9, 2009|work=The Daily Cross Hatch|title=WIZZYWIG Volume 1: Phreak by Ed Piskor|first= Brian |last=Heater|date=Jan 1, 2008}}</ref> Kevin is an orphan whose parents were killed when he was young. When the story starts, he lives with his grandmother in [[Steel Valley (Pittsburgh)]] (Piskor's own region). As Piskor said about the character, "Kevin, like many hackers, is just an enthusiastic, obsessive, sage-like, knowledgeable character who is eager to explain how things work and is always looking for an opportunity to drop science on you."<ref name=CBR2010>{{cite news|title=Piskor Takes "Wizzywig" on the Lam|first=Shaun |last=Manning|work=CBR|date=Jan 28, 2010|url=https://www.cbr.com/piskor-takes-wizzywig-on-the-lam/}}</ref> Like [[Harold Gray]]'s [[Little Orphan Annie]] and [[Chester Brown]]'s [[Louis Riel (comics)|Louis Riel]], Kevin is portrayed with vacant circles for eyes, distinguishing him from all the other characters in the story.<ref name=TCJ2013>{{cite news|title=WIZZYWIG|first=Rob |last=Clough | date=January 4, 2013 |work=The Comics Journal|url=https://www.tcj.com/reviews/wizzywig/}}</ref>

; Winston Smith: Kevin's childhood friend, his name is a reference to the [[Winston Smith (Nineteen Eighty-Four)|main character]] in [[George Orwell]]'s ''[[Nineteen Eighty-Four]]''. Winston becomes involved in Kevin's various activities. "While Kevin's interest in hacking <nowiki>[</nowiki>is<nowiki>]</nowiki> almost purely a type of intellectual exercise, Winston <nowiki>[</nowiki>is<nowiki>]</nowiki> more fascinated by its political (and otherwise anarchic) possibilities."<ref name=TCJ2013 /> As a young adult, Winston starts a radio show called ''Off the Rocker'' (a reference to ''[[Off the Hook (radio program)|Off the Hook]]'').

; Kevin's grandmother: She is never depicted other than in the silhouette or the occasional close-up of her mouth. She is portrayed as generally good-hearted but strict, struggling to provide for herself and Kevin. She loves watching ''[[The Honeymooners]]''.

== Reception ==
The Top Shelf collection was one of five graphic novels named to ''[[Publishers Weekly]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Best of 2012 list.<ref>{{cite web|title=WIZZYWIG hits Publishers Weekly's Best of 2012 list!|date=November 5, 2012|work=Top Shelf Productions|url=https://www.topshelfcomix.com/news/864}}</ref> It was also named one of ''[[Comic Book Resources|CBR]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Best of 2012,<ref>{{cite news|title=CBR'S TOP 100 COMICS OF 2012, #49 - 25|date=December 28, 2012|work=CBR|url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=42877#43 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130304210240/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=42877#43 |archive-date=Mar 4, 2013}}</ref> and to ''[[The A.V. Club]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Best of 2012<ref>{{cite news|title=The best graphic novels and art comics of 2012|first=Noel |last=Murray |date=December 31, 2012|url=https://www.avclub.com/the-best-graphic-novels-and-art-comics-of-2012-1798237346|work=The A.V. Club}}</ref> and [[Barnes & Noble]]'s Best of 2012 lists.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s?dref=52&pro=1351&store=BOOK&view=grid|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130918090029/http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s?dref=52&pro=1351&store=BOOK&view=grid|archive-date=Sep 18, 2013|title=Best Books of 2012|work=BarnesAndNoble.com}}</ref> ''[[The Comics Journal]]'' in a mixed review, said that "''Wizzywig'' was crazy in its ambition as a first major solo work by a young artist, and one can sense that Piskor learned a lot from the experience. We'll see how this sort of self-made comics [[PhD]] program accomplished in future projects."<ref name=TCJ2013 />

The book earned Piskor and designer Chris Ross a 2013 [[Eisner Award]] nomination for Best Publication Design.<ref>{{cite web|title=CLEVELAND and WIZZYWIG nominated for Eisner Awards!|date=April 16, 2013|work=[[Top Shelf Productions]]|url=https://www.topshelfcomix.com/news/885}}</ref>

Wizzywig was translated into French by [[Dargaud]],<ref>{{gcdb issue|id= 1865437 |title=Wizzywig: Dargaud, 2013 Series}}</ref> and into German (as  ''Wizzywig — Das Porträt eines notorischen Hackers'') by [[Egmont Ehapa]].<ref>{{gcdb issue|id= 1558831 |title=Wizzywig - Das Porträt eines notorischen Hackers
}}</ref> 

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/ed-piskor Piskor/Wizzywig page at Top Shelf Productions]
* {{gcdb issue|id= 1865437 |title=Wizzywig}} 
* {{cite web|url=http://www.wizzywigcomics.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015101343/http://www.wizzywigcomics.com/|archive-date=Oct 15, 2011|work=WizzyWigComics.com|publisher=Ed Piskor|title=WIZZYWIG}}

[[Category:2008 comics debuts]]
[[Category:Satirical comics]]
[[Category:Comics set in the 2010s]]
[[Category:Comics set in the United States]]
[[Category:Comics by Ed Piskor]]
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