For Immediate Release - June 27, 2023
Author contact: brianbrown@gmail.com
Book link: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250261403/thehemaneffect
Graphic Awareness: The He-Man Effect Battles Ads Targeting Kids
Philadelphia -”The He-Man Effect” from Macmillan Publishers is the latest Graphic Documentary book from Philly-based cartoonist Brian “Box” Brown and it takes on how corporate brands raise lifetime customers through advertising to children.
Drawn in Brown’s unique and award-winning style, The He-Man Effect uses an original format of non-fiction cartoons to show how kids from the 1980’s grew up into adults consuming hyper-marketed nostalgia today.
“I am of the first generation of children to be inundated with intense, 24/7 advertising,” said Brown, “The powerful human emotion of nostalgia this has created a generation of adults primed to indoctrinate their own children, to create cradle-to-grave consumers with strong brand loyalties.”
Brian is a timely guest for any news or magazine program looking to have a conversation around screen time, how ads target kids and how parents can limit the influence of brands. The He-Man Effect can help introduce and formalize a concept of marketing awareness for readers.
Powered by the advent of television and super-charged by the FCC deregulation era of the 1980s, media companies and toy manufacturers joined forces to dominate the psyches of American children. But what are the consequences when a developing brain is saturated with the same kind of marketing bombardment found in Red Scare propaganda?
The He-Man Effect shows how corporate manipulation brought muscular, accessory-stuffed action figures to dizzying heights in the 1980s and beyond. Bringing beloved brands like He-Man, Transformers, My Little Pony, and even Mickey Mouse himself into the spotlight, this graphic history exposes a world with no rules and no concern for results beyond profit.
“As someone whose work often focuses on pop culture of the past, this book is my attempt to figure out what happened to me. Why are my most beautiful, heart-warming memories filled with Mattel, Hasbro and Disney logos?”
The He-Man Effect will embark on a multi-state tour in July and August, with dates in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Oregon and Vermont.
Brian “Box” Brown is an Eisner and Ignatz Award–winning cartoonist, illustrator, and designer. He’s well known for his weekly, syndicated cartoon strip “Legalization Nation.” Box’s books include the New York Times bestselling Andre the Giant: Life and Legend, Tetris: The Games People Play and Cannabis: The Illegalization of Weed in America.
His work has been published in seven languages and Brown is celebrated for helping popularize the genre of documentary comics. “Illegalization of Weed” has become a top reference for the history of marijuana in America and understanding the cannabis industry. “Andre the Giant” is considered one of the best non-required books for high schools.
A native of New Jersey, Brown is now a registered medical cannabis patient in Pennsylvania. Box’s books have earned feature reviews in The Boston Globe, Philadelphia Inquirer, and the New York Times.
Contact: Brian “Box” Brown - brianbrown@gmail.com
For Immediate Release - January 31, 2022
Contact: Brian “Box” Brown - 908 447 6522 - brianbrown@gmail.com
Cannabis news comic Legalization Nation earns full syndication
Philadelphia - In a first, a cannabis-centered comic has been signed for syndication: Legalization Nation by Brian “Box” Brown is now carried by Hearst: King Features. It's now alongside a catalogue of icons like Popeye, Blondie, and Hagar the Horrible.
The weekly comic strip, drawn in Brown’s unique and award-winning style, breaks down dense topics into enjoyable bites. Legalization Nation uses an original format of graphic news commentary to tackle state and federal affairs from the perspective of a registered medical marijuana patient.
“The goal is to educate consumers, patients and the general public about modern cannabis,” said Brown, “Hopefully, readers will have some fun too.”
The strip covers reform and regulation from a ground-level view. It never shies away from issues like the underground market, individual rights, and massive corporate advantages. When cannabis makes local and national headlines, Legalization Nation dives into the details.
Trulieve series: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.
Brown regularly conducts exclusive interviews with politicians, advocates, and activists who then appear in the strip. This included speaking with the family of Gregory Longenecker, a Pennsylvania man killed by police during a raid on his personal cannabis grow. (Links: Part 1, Part 2)
The digital publication Green State from Hearst Communications was the first to option the strip. Brown explained his approach in a recent interview with GS, “There is so much reporting that gives credence to sigma, focuses on the big business aspects of the sector and serves large corporations. I had to speak up.”
Brian “Box” Brown is an Eisner and Ignatz Award–winning cartoonist, illustrator, and designer from Philadelphia. His books include the New York Times–bestselling Andre the Giant: Life and Legend, Tetris: The Games People Play, Is This Guy For Real?: The Unbelievable Andy Kaufman, Cannabis: The Illegalization of Weed in America, and Child Star.
His work has been published in seven languages and Brown is celebrated for helping popularize the genre of documentary comics. Illegalization of Weed has become a top reference for the history of marijuana in America and understanding the cannabis industry. Andre the Giant is considered one of the best non-required books for high schools.
A native of New Jersey, Brown was arrested for cannabis possession in 1996, and endured probation with regular urine screenings. Today, he’s a registered medical cannabis patient in Pennsylvania. Brown’s books have earned features in The Boston Globe, Philadelphia Inquirer, and the New York Times. Brown has been a guest on Getting High With Doug, regularly appears in the press, and often serves as a panelist or keynote speaker at events. His newest book is due out in November 2022; a complete illustration of Accidental Czar: The Life and Lies of Vladimir Putin written by Andrew Weiss, an expert on U.S.-Russian affairs at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Brown hopes with Hearst Syndication that news and opinion editors will consider utilizing Legalization Nation on OPED pages, even as a complement to regular cannabis reporting. A sample of recent LN strips appears below.
Editors link to contact Hearst: King Features https://www.hearst.com/entertainment-syndication/king-features
Contact: Brian “Box” Brown - 908 447 6522 - brianbrown@gmail.com
Press release created and distributed by The Lit Brothers. Contact: Chris Goldstein and Sam Wood litbrothers76@gmail.com
