Economics Gone Wild: The Growing Use of Graphic Novels, Comics, Videos, Memes, and More, to Teach and Convey Economic Liberty

Jon Stewart once derided economists' prose as being so boring that “it turned my brain off,” but it doesn't have to be that way. Pioneers in academia, the creative arts, and nonprofits have found new and provocative ways to communicate the timeless ideas of economic liberty.

Amity Shlaes, the bestselling author of The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression, and Paul Rivoche, a professional illustrator whose portfolio includes Iron Man and Superman, have teamed up to produce The Forgotten Man Graphic Edition which introduces the Great Contraction of the 1930s to younger readers. Such history is vital to our time and to the future. The myths and half-truths of the 1930s remain a potent cause of current policy failures. The combination of ideas and images define much of the new media and should interest younger readers who increasingly turn to unconventional publications.

Scott Barton directs LearnLiberty.org, an online education platform that seeks to be a resource for learning about the ideas of a free society. LearnLiberty has earned 19 million views from 300 videos in the past three years. In 2011 Learn Liberty earned a Templeton Freedom Award for Innovative New Media.

Please join us on June 17 as we have a look at an intriguing effort to use new media to communicate free-market economics creatively and effectively.