[ecrea] Book Release – 'The Beast': Making a Living on a Dying Planet - Expanded and Free Digital Version

Digital Press at the University of North Dakota published the expanded, 
digital and *_FREE _*version of my graphic novel “The Beast': Making a 
Living on a Dying Planet”.

You can download the comic for free on their website: 
https://thedigitalpress.org/2018/11/15/book-release-the-beast-making-a-living-on-a-dying-planet/ 


I commissioned and helped develop ‘The Beast’ as tool to explore and 
critically reflect on the tropes of the tar/oil sands debate as well as 
have a text which could be used as an entry point and supplemental text 
for teaching aspects of environmental communication/energy humanities.

/T/he Beast// takes a critical look at the media war over the tar/oil 
sands debate and the endless struggle for the public’s imagination. The 
comic seeks to stoke a public debate on the incessant role of public 
relations campaigns on shaping the public perception of the tar/oil 
sands. These campaigns discourage thoughtful and nuanced discussion of 
the cost of tar/oil sans and, instead, for the public is forced to “pick 
sides”: the environment or the economy; protestors or industry; live 
with or without oil.

The graphic novel tells the story of two college grads, Callum and Mary, 
who find themselves negotiating a muddy path between environmental 
activism and having to live and work in a world driven by the 
resource-extractive industry.

This digital academic edition brings together a collection of scholarly 
essays intended to further conversation and reflection about how energy 
resources and environmental resources are talked about and understood. 
 This expanded digital Version includes the original published comic as 
well as four new critical essays by Patrick McCurdy (uOttawa), Kyle 
Conway (uOttawa), Tommy Wall (Carleton) and Chris Russill (Carleton), 
and Benjamin Woo (Carleton) along with an interview with Hugh Goldring 
and Patrick McCurdy.

While the comic focuses on Alberta’s oil sands, /The Beast/ addresses 
issues which are equally relevant to the oil fields of Texas and 
California to the Bakken shale which sees how these energy sources and 
the future of these resources are framed in the media matter.

The newly released /The Beast/ is available for free as a download at 
https://thedigitalpress.org/thebeast

For more information or questions about the comic feel free to email me 
at (pmccurdy /at/ uottawa.ca) <mailto:(pmccurdy /at/ uottawa.ca)>or connect with me on 
Twitter: @pmmcc <https://twitter.com/pmmcc>

-------------------------------------------------

Patrick McCurdy, Ph.D.
Associate Professor / Professeur agrégé
Department of Communication / Département de communication

University of Ottawa / Université d'Ottawa

55 Laurier Avenue East, Ottawa, ON

K1N 6N5

Twitter: @pmmcc <https://twitter.com/pmmcc>

Web: http://arts.uottawa.ca/communication/en/people/mccurdy-patrick

Phone: +1(613)562-5800 ext. 2728

Office: Desmarais #11118

*From:*Patrick McCurdy
*Sent:* November-15-18 1:57 PM
*To:* Carpentier Nico ((nico.carpentier /at/ vub.ac.be)) 
<(nico.carpentier /at/ vub.ac.be)>
*Subject:* Book Release – 'The Beast': Making a Living on a Dying Planet 
- Expanded and Free Digital Version

Hi Nico,

Please share with the list, the book can be used to teach Environmental 
Communication.

-------------------------------------------------

Patrick McCurdy, Ph.D.
Associate Professor / Professeur agrégé
Department of Communication / Département de communication

University of Ottawa / Université d'Ottawa

55 Laurier Avenue East, Ottawa, ON

K1N 6N5

Twitter: @pmmcc <https://twitter.com/pmmcc>

Web: http://arts.uottawa.ca/communication/en/people/mccurdy-patrick

Phone: +1(613)562-5800 ext. 2728

Office: Desmarais #11118

*From:*Patrick McCurdy
*Sent:* November-15-18 1:52 PM
*To:* '(petrocultures /at/ mailman.srv.ualberta.ca)' 
<(petrocultures /at/ mailman.srv.ualberta.ca) 
<mailto:(petrocultures /at/ mailman.srv.ualberta.ca)>>
*Subject:* Book Release – 'The Beast': Making a Living on a Dying Planet 
- Expanded Digital Version

Hi Everyone,

I’m excited to announce the today the Digital Press at the University of 
North Dakota published the expanded, digital and *_FREE _*version of my 
graphic novel “The Beast': Making a Living on a Dying Planet”. You can 
download the comic for free on their website: 
https://thedigitalpress.org/2018/11/15/book-release-the-beast-making-a-living-on-a-dying-planet/

I commissioned and helped develop ‘The Beast’ as tool to explore the 
tropes in the tar/oil sands debate, evoke conversations and teach 
aspects of environmental communication. /T/he Beast// takes a critical 
look at the media war over the tar/oil sands debate and the endless 
struggle for the public’s imagination. The comic seeks to stoke a public 
debate on the incessant role of public relations campaigns on shaping 
the public perception of the tar/oil sands. These campaigns discourage 
thoughtful and nuanced discussion of the cost of tar/oil sans and, 
instead, for the public is forced to “pick sides”: the environment or 
the economy; protestors or industry; live with or without oil.

The graphic novel tells the story of two college grads, Callum and Mary, 
who find themselves negotiating a muddy path between environmental 
activism and having to live and work in a world driven by the 
resource-extractive industry.

The Expanded Digital Version includes the original published comic as 
well as four new critical essays by Patrick McCurdy (uOttawa), Kyle 
Conway (uOttawa), Tommy Wall (Carleton) and Chris Russill (Carleton), 
and Benjamin Woo (Carleton) along with an interview with Hugh Goldring 
and Patrick McCurdy.

This digital academic edition brings together a collection of scholarly 
essays intended to further conversation and reflection about how energy 
resources and environmental resources are talked about and understood. 
While the comic focuses on Alberta’s oil sands, /The Beast/ addresses 
issues which are equally relevant to the oil fields of Texas and 
California to the Bakken shale which sees how these energy sources and 
the future of these resources are framed in the media matter.

The newly released /The Beast/ is available for free as a download at 
https://thedigitalpress.org/thebeast

For more information or questions about the comic feel free to email me 
at (pmccurdy /at/ uottawa.ca) <mailto:(pmccurdy /at/ uottawa.ca)> or connect with me 
on Twitter: @pmmcc <https://twitter.com/pmmcc>

-------------------------------------------------

Patrick McCurdy, Ph.D.
Associate Professor / Professeur agrégé
Department of Communication / Département de communication

University of Ottawa / Université d'Ottawa

55 Laurier Avenue East, Ottawa, ON

K1N 6N5

Twitter: @pmmcc <https://twitter.com/pmmcc>

Web: http://arts.uottawa.ca/communication/en/people/mccurdy-patrick

Phone: +1(613)562-5800 ext. 2728

Office: Desmarais #11118

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