Rob Salkowitz is an author and educator specializing in the comics and entertainment industries. He is the author or co-author of six books including “Comic-Con and the Business of Pop Culture,” a groundbreaking look at the rise of fan culture through the lens of San Diego Comic-Con. He is senior contributor for media and entertainment at Forbes and writes regularly for Publishers Weekly and ICv2 (the trade publication of the comics and gaming industry). He also works closely with companies in the events, publishing, and tech industries to help businesses make sense of the fan audience. Rob teaches comics, marketing, and transmedia storytelling at the University of Washington Graduate School of Communication and has appeared at events and through media worldwide talking about the future of the entertainment landscape.
From Panels to Screens: The Rise of Transmedia Storytelling
Led by Marvel Studios, every entertainment company on the planet is fixated on creating story universes and endless franchises, and they’re looking to comics to lead the way. What made the medium of comics a leader in this expansive style of storytelling, and why does the humble art of drawing pictures in sequence drive billions of dollars of industry investment? Make sure to join us at Clark County Library on November 5 as Rob shares his insights on the connection between comics and other media based on material from the graduate seminar in visual narrative and transmedia he teaches at the University of Washington. Look for "From Panels to Screens" on the programming schedule from 3 p.m. - 3:50 p.m. in the classroom.
Q&A With Rob Salkowitz
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What is your idea of perfect happiness?
I’m pretty happy most of the time and try not to make the perfect the enemy of the good.
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What is your greatest fear?
Irrationally violent people
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On what occasion do you lie?
To avoid disappointing people or making them feel bad about themselves
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If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Be more patient
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What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Making it this far without any major problems
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What do you most dislike about yourself?
I waste a lot of time
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Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Adverbs in general (“basically, realistically, probably,” etc.)
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What is your most treasured possession?
I’m working on treasuring possessions less.
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What do you most value in your friends?
Reciprocity.
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The quality you most admire in a person?
Courage.
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What supernatural gift would you most like to possess?
Ability to travel back in time to advise my younger self.
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What is your favorite food?
Sushi.
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What is your favorite color?
Blue, although I don’t really give it much thought.
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Who is your favorite fictional character?
Spock.
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Who is your favorite person in history?
Franklin Roosevelt.
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Who is your favorite artist?
Bill Sienkiewicz.
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Who is your favorite musician?
Bob Dylan.
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Who are your favorite writers?
Alan Moore, William Gibson, William S. Burroughs.
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Who are your heroes in real life?
Nurses.
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DC or Marvel? Star Wars or Star Trek?
Close calls on both, but DC and Trek.
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What is your present state of mind?
Concerned.
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What is your motto?
Life is short. Live it up!
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