Wizzywig: Portrait of a Serial Hacker by Ed Piskor

Wizzywig: Portrait of a Serial Hacker

by Ed Piskor

10 Words: One mans entertainment is crossing lines that aren't exactly illegal... 

    Wizzywig is a Graphic Novel that follows the life of Keven Phenicle, a really smart kid that goes from hacking phones to phone companies and computers.  Keven is a smart kid who likes to sort out puzzles, this leads to him learning to look at the world in a way that everything is a type of puzzle, and he has the idea that if the actions you are taking benefit more people than it harms that its not bad. This way of seeing the world leads to him selling bootlegged computer games (which accidentally infects computers with a virus he didn't intend to create) and hacking the phone company so that there clocks are inverse (and saving people money for calling during peak hours). He exists at a time where his actions with computers and phones are unexpected, new and no one has a way of defending or expecting the actions he takes. He's not doing anything that is really illegal because no one knows what he is doing... or how.
     This means that the law is not ready for him when he does get caught, and he gets trapped behind everyones angar and expatiations of repayment. He also gets stuck not being able to find a place in the world that will take advantage of the way he thinks or his abilities.
     Was (is ) Keven a real person? Thats what this book had me thinking the whole time I read it. I think (from reading the afterword) that the events and actions he took are based on the feats of a bunch of different hackers combined into one fictional man. Though in a way it feels like they all fit, like the story is very much possible... though I am not impressed with the idea a man could be locked up in prison for 5 years without his trial... thats scary to me. 

     This is an interesting story and a well made graphic novel. If you like graphic novels its definitely a good one to read, especially since this book can currently (June 3 and the next 8 days) be bought in the Pay as You Want section of the current Humble eBook Bundle. If you like reading e-books I suggest you check it out, its a great way of getting books.