The Monkey King's Used Primate Emporium and Book Reviews

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Paul Buhle and Nicole Schulman (editors) �Wobblies! A Graphic History of the Industrial Workers of the World�

Started April 20 � Finished April 25, 2005; 305 pages. Posted 16 June 2005

This was another book sent to me by Maximum RockNRoll. I�m now listed in the staff box under �Shitworker,� which is the punk rock way of saying �Staff Writer,� I guess. So anyway, I�m not going to review the book again here. You can go buy a copy of the magazine, if you�re interested, as I�m sure you are. Not, that is.

I�ll say this though, this graphic history of the Industrial Workers of the World, told by people like Harvey Pekar and Trina Robbins, makes repeated mentions about how the IWW utilized cartoons and folk songs in order to obtain new supporters.

That makes sense. You�re going to gather many more followers using art and music, which is much more fervent than any soapbox speech or rally that have short lives in the memory of the collective masses. Art and music leave much more of a lasting impression, and will connect more with the individual.

Take me, for example. I could talk more about my impending move from the continent. I could talk about my desire to have a final blowout, something like a final show or party. I could write about how I�d love it if I could manage to get either of my old bands (Preachers That Lie or Idiot Bitch) back together so I could play one last time in the town that I�ve spent more than two decades in. I could mention how it would be great to have other bands that I like and respect, like Victim�s Family or The Freak Accident playing with me.

Or I could just show you this.




Rating: Worth used, not worth keeping. My copy is getting sold to the bookstore, so you may want to look there first.

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