In 2018, community sites took turns covering a book every week. You can see "In 2018, we read books" to review that coverage. We didn't want to repeat ourselves in 2019 or 2020. So when Marcia came up with a way to cover books but with a twist, we were all for it. Marcia's idea was for us to digital books -- we're largely a printed text crowd -- and to use AMAZON's KINDLE UNLIMITED. So for 2021, we'll be doing a book a week and trying to just use KINDLE UNLIMITED. This week, we're talking with Isaiah about his "Marco Bonafede's WORDLESS COMICS."
You reviewed "" which is a book of cartoons. Were they color cartoons?
Isaiah: I should have noted that. The only one with color is on the cover. Inside, it's all black ink and paper cartoons.
Did you choose the book because you knew the cartoonist or because you wanted something in the genre?
Isaiah: In the genre. I'd never heard of him before. But I wanted to do a book on comics. I really hoped I would get some ideas for future comics.
And did you?
Isaiah: [Laughing] No. But I did discover something.
Okay.
Isaiah: In these conversations, people have noted how difficult it is to search KINDLE UNLIMITED. There is a way to search. You have to play with it but I found it after trying for a half hour. You pull up KINDLE BOOKS, you search whatever you want -- author, subject, title. When the results return, on the left hand side, you check a box next to KINDLE UNLIMITED and from the search results provided, it thins it down to just the books that are KINDLE UNLIMITED ones.
That is very good information. Thank you for that. You're planning to do another review -- at least one -- this year. Will you be sticking to the same genre?
Isaiah: I hope too. My plan was to find a book by a cartoonist who influenced me. But I couldn't in the early search results. It was, for example, DISNEY books and DISNEY didn't influence me one bit. I never saw a DISNEY cartoon on TV or at the movies growing up. I had two books with records -- "Ding, turn the page" -- that kind of thing. One was the soundtrack to DISNEY's ROBIN HOOD. The other was the one where Mickey Mouse fights the giant. I also had record-books of WONDER WOMAN -- MLK's speech was played in that which I always thought was cool, SUPERMAN, SPIDER-MAN, BATMAN and SCOOBY DOO -- much more influential.
Your primary influence?
Isaiah: Definitely MAD MAGAZINE. I never did stick figures, I always tried to draw people or animals from the start. After MAD, it would be various comic books and the animated opening of the sixties BATMAN TV show. I can remember putting paper up to the TV when that was on and trying to trace but it moved too quickly. Ideally, next time I'll be able to find something that inspired me -- maybe one of the Sunday comic strips or something.
Well thank you. You told us before the interview that you had something you wanted to bring up at the end.
Isaiah: Yes. My brother thinks that you should list the past interviews you've done in this series in the space below the current one. He's really enjoying the conversations and pointed out that you are making a point to do that with the book list -- to keep it updated.
Sure we can do that and we'll start doing it with this interview.
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"KINDLE UNLIMITED (Elaine, Dona, Ava and C.I.)"
"KINDLE UNLIMITED (Mike, Ava and C.I.)"
"KINDLE UNLIMITED (Trina, Ava and C.I.)"
"KINDLE UNLIMITED (Stan, Ava and C.I.)"
"KINDLE UNLIMITED (Marcia, Ava and C.I.)"
"KINDLE UNLIMITED (Kat, Ava and C.I.)"
"KINDLE UNLIMITED (Rebecca, Ava and C.I.)"