NBPM SeqArt: WIZZYWIG Vol. 1 (Phreak) & Vol. 2 (Hacker)

The days of the pre-graphic Internet - with a still useful Usenet, BBS culture, and Gopher-space (which is back from the dead!) - were a fascinating time in computer culture. They were also a time of unnecessary paranoia over perceived hackers who were going to break in and steal personal data, rape your dog, start WWIII by whistling into the phone, and destroy your credit rating.

This was when I procured my first e-mail address (@delphi.com, remember them?) and started exploring the command line driven Internet. I was interested in reading about hacker (and cracker) culture, devouring what books and articles were available at the time (e.g. The Cuckoo's Egg, Masters of Deception, and Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution). Truthfully, I'm not sure anyone who wasn't on the Internet starting in the mid- to late 80s would even find this topic of interest anymore, unless they have a inquisitive hacker streak in them, or are interested in older technology. However, if someone handed a fifteen-year-old geek Ed Piskor's WIZZYWIG, it would probably pique their interest.

WIZZYWIG is a multi-volume comic loosely based on the real-life exploits of famous hackers like Kevin Poulsen and Kevin Mitnick, in the form of composite character "Kevin J. Phenicle Jr." aka "Boingthump". Piskor begins the story in Boingthump's pre-computer owning days, when he phreaked with friend "Winston Smith", jacking free long-distance calls, pranking those who deserved it, and engaging in "social engineering" for his benefit (e.g., free pizza and transport). He then moved on to computer hacking, BBSes, and trying to find all the weaknesses in corporations' systems, computer and otherwise. It's impressive how he manages to just breeze into the offices of the telephone company (back when there was but one "telephone company"). By the end of Volume 2, Kevin is a fugitive on the run from the FBI.

Piskor is informed and passionate about this subject, writing a script that includes factual elements within a semi-fictionalized story. Both Kevin Phenicle and Winston Smith are multi-dimensional characters, especially Winston who slowly drifts away from active phreaking/hacking to develop his radio show "Off The Rocker", which is loosely based on the long-running radio show "Off The Hook".

Piskor's artwork is razor sharp, employing the thinnest pen lines possible to fill the panels. Building exteriors are detailed, as are office interiors like the one in the panel below. Sure, the story would have been just as effective without drawing each individual book on the bookshelf, or scraggly hairs on Winston's head and face, or the cross-hatching near the ceiling, but adding all of this detail makes it much more exciting and complete. There are no simple panels inWIZZYWIG, but yet none of them feel claustrophobically crowded, either.


Both the writing and artwork in WIZZYWIG are extraordinary, which combine for a compelling read. While I know how the stories of Kevins Mitnick and Poulsen ended, I'm curious to find out what fate Piskor has in mind for Kevin J. Phenicle.

While a bulk of WIZZYWIG is available for free on Piskor's site, if you really like the story, please consider buying the hard copy editions. They are well worth it.