About the Author
Michael Goodwin is a freelance writer who has always loved comics and history. His interest in history led him to an interest in the economic forces that underlie much of history, and he eventually started reading up on economics. In his initial reading, Mike thought he caught glimpses of a story, a story nobody seemed to be telling.
That idea was little more than a hunch at first, but as he immersed himself in the subject, Mike realized that there was in fact a story there, and that someone needed to tell the story in an accessible manner. He brought a stack of books to a small town in India, settled in, and started reading, researching, and writing. The result is this book.
Mike has spent several years in China as well as India; his previous efforts include interpreting Chinese, writing comedy, photography, disaster relief, dealing art (ineptly), and writing about medicine. Like many freelance writers, he lives in New York City with cats.
About the Illustrator
It would seem that Dan E. Burr was born to this work, as examples of early attempts at comic strip-like continuity exist from his infancy. (Drawing pictures was “in the family” so the influence to do so was ever present. )
After time spent mainly working in commercial art, Dan began to wade into the comic book field. The breakthrough project was his collaboration with author James Vance on the graphic novel Kings in Disguise and its sequel On the Ropes. Set during the Great Depression, Kings won several Eisner and Harvey awards and garnered praise from American Heritage, Time, Entertainment Weekly, the New York Times Book Review and the Comics Journal, among others.Dan also worked with the author on the sequel, On the Ropes.
Dan has illustrated historical pieces for DC Comics, Kitchen Sink Press and Eureka Productions’ Graphic Classics series. He has worked in a variety of fields including newspaper and magazine illustration, editorial cartooning, children’s publishing, advertising and product design.
His work in Economix was influenced by the team of artists who worked on Harvey Kurtzman’s MAD; by David Levine; and by the work of the late 50’s and early 60’s Hanna-Barbera staff, as well as other children’s book and commercial artists from that period. Listening to music, primarily from the 1920’s through the 1970’s is also a major inspirational influence. Dan has occasionally written liner notes for CD music reissue and is passionate about compiling, studying, and appreciating the works of other illustrators, cartoonists and painters.
He lives in Milwaukee with his wife and art partner, Debra Freiberg.
