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jer
Dec 11, 2003, 4:14 PM
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I've never heard Dr. Krank instructionals mentioned on here, so I'm not sure if everyone has heard of them. Dr. KranK comics is a comic book distributed by http://sharpendbooks.com
I am the artist and coauthor of these books. Our first release in 2002 was a beginner gym climbers book. It is aimed towards the first time climber, but has plenty of humor mocking the gym subculture to entertain even the crustiest old fart.
I'm not writing for (buy) self (buy) promotion, but to ask some questions. My co-author and I were well on our way to finishing the second book-which covered anchor building (multipitch,toprope, sport) when we screeched to a halt trying to figure out what would be a better use of our time. I look at the massive pile of instructional books at REI, and although I think most of it is useless, it's hard to know what people NEED. The "general" how to climb books seem too vague, so we have chosen to "specialize" in the minutia. Crack climbing, aid climbing, anchors, and crevasse rescue are some of the choices on the agenda for example.
So. My question to you RC people- we have the potential to write instructionals on ANYTHING in the climbing world. My partner, Craig Luebben is one of the most respected writers, climbers, editors, photographers, inventors in the business.
What would be usefull to you? Do you agree that the anchor book that is out now is junk? What would you buy? Any suggestions? Have you seen Dr KranK before? We have the resources to produce something fantastic...but if people don't really need it, it's not worth our time. Speak up, please!
Thanks,
Jer
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jer
Dec 11, 2003, 5:24 PM
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bump
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dingus
Dec 11, 2003, 5:32 PM
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How about a book on road tripping.
Topics:
Why road trip
Selecting a geographic area
Outfitting - car camping and dirt bag gear, maps, food, etc.
Preparing the car - maintenance, emergency equip., security (locks)
Driving - you can sleep when you're dead (drive all night, climb all day)
Mental - preparedness, go for it attitude
Execution
Rest days
Advanced Topics:
Anal Retentive or Loosey Goosey planning detail
Road tripping in $50k SUV's
Sustainability - the Weekend Worrier (TM Brutus of Wyde), or 'how I goit out of bed and drove 500 miles today.'
Significant others and driving partners
Triple A Service in remote areas - or how not to spend my summer vacation on a tow
Bandit Camping - how to select a site (and erase all signs upon leaving) and keep it secret
You get the idea! Properly outfitting a road warrior's car would be worth the price of admission! Show ways to make a truely secure truck gear storage area, etc.
DMT
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dpurf
Dec 11, 2003, 5:43 PM
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I have heard of Dr. krank, but have not read or seen the book. I does sound interesting and i am interested in checking it out.
For your next book, I would focus on safety. Like self rescue, escaping a belay, topics like that. Then maybe go for the "specialize" topics, like crack climbing for then next one. I just believe we all need to know or be refreashed on our safety technics. That is my 2 cents.
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jer
Dec 11, 2003, 5:57 PM
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thanks dingus.
That ones on our list.
I have been takin notes for awhile on what that would entail- cooking, internet access, how to save money on gas, Surviving for a Summer on Seventy Smackers and a Soggy Sack of Condiment Packs...
I like your ideas.
D purf. Would you think it would be just rockclimbing rescue, ice, glacier travel, or all of the above?
And if you haven't seen it, get your local shop or gym to carry it...or just order it straight from Sharp End.
carry on..
jer
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dpurf
Dec 11, 2003, 7:31 PM
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jer,
For ME, it would be just rock climbing, but that is selfish. To help the whole climbing community, I would try to incorparate all climbing rescue; rock to ice to alpine. Also incorparate safety tip to prevent the risk of danger.
Good luck
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skiorclimb
Dec 11, 2003, 8:24 PM
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What i would run out and buy right now, if it was available, is a book that listed all the rock climbing ares of North America. I don't mean a comprehensive guide to all the areas, just a mention of; where, seasonal info, rock type, climbing type(trad, sport, ice ect.), hight of clifs, and lots of pictures. Not exactly condusive to a comic book format, but I thought I would metion it anyway.
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jt512
Dec 11, 2003, 8:32 PM
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In reply to: What i would run out and buy right now, if it was available, is a book that listed all the rock climbing ares of North America. I don't mean a comprehensive guide to all the areas, just a mention of; where, seasonal info, rock type, climbing type(trad, sport, ice ect.), hight of clifs, and lots of pictures. Not exactly condusive to a comic book format, but I thought I would metion it anyway.
You mean like, Rock 'n' Road, 2nd ed: An Atlas of North American Rock Climbing Areas (2002) by Tim Toula?
-Jay
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jer
Dec 11, 2003, 8:32 PM
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here ya go skiorclimb...
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0762723068/104-8547767-9530331?v=glance
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jer
Dec 11, 2003, 8:35 PM
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dpurf. that is definiteloy a good idea, and I agree...much needed.
But...what about Anchors?
Is this UNattractive? UNusefull?
It seems this is where most books are weak.
jer
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dpurf
Dec 11, 2003, 9:04 PM
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jer,
Anchors, I don't think we can have enough information about anchors. So yes, that would be attractive and very useful. I have both of John Longs books on anchors. And he does a very good job with them both. But they are somewhat dry. With your Dr Krank books, it may give the climber that struggles with Longs books another option to get the needed information.
I see a large number of area you can dig into with your books. Just getting started is the hard part and where to go to next. I can see great things for you guy, that is if you produce good and correct information and written in an entertaining fashion.
again good luck,
You have also sold me on your first. I am ordering it now.
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holdplease2
Dec 11, 2003, 9:08 PM
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Definately include a look at the history of climbing and climbing behavior...a humorous perspective might be a way to do it without being dull.
Show new climbers a bit of the history, tradition, and ethics behind our sport, not to be overly judgemental, but just so that people get some perspective.
Also talk about what climbers can do to help keep access where we have it and about the kinds of behavior that can hurt the environment/access/experience of other climbers...think cleaning tick marks, cleaning tick bites (kidding), sticking to trails, leaving no trace, and not behaving in such a way as to annoy everyone...though this can be a matter of perspective.
Again, do this without seemind stodgy or boring...humor is a good thing, and can still teach. While most of this should be common sense, my experience has shown that for some, it is not. And hey, we could all use reminders sometimes.
-Kate.
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timstich
Dec 12, 2003, 12:07 AM
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Hey Jeremy,
I ran into Craig and he mentioned that book you two produced and that you just moved here. As for what subjects I think need covering in instructional manuals out there, I think a lot of gaps need filling in the intricacies of belaying for one. You've got sport climbing belaying on overhangs, trad belaying where you can't see the leader, etc. It's more complicated than just learning how to use that ATC or what have you. With cartoon illustrations, you might be able to capture the essence of what it's like looking at the rope move and trying to imagine what your leader is doing three pitches up on the Yellow Spur. That stuff has yet to be adequately explained and illustrated in book form as far as I can see.
I like Dingus' road trip book, too. That would be fun to illustrate all of the different doods and gals crammed in their Honda Elements. Heh.
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nashequilibrium
Dec 12, 2003, 3:51 PM
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Hey,
I met Jeremy when he was a local & our gym sold “Betty and the Silver Spider.” I bought the first book for my nephew & then a second one for myself (and daughters) because it was a fun read. The format of your first book w/ Luebben has a huge advantage over dry instructional reads due to the entertainment factor. I like the idea of self rescue & trad tricks (converting runners into QDs etc).
I like Kate's comment about the historical perspective....
paul
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csoles
Dec 12, 2003, 5:09 PM
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Long's Anchor books are rather poor. Better than nothing but they could be a lot better. Most climbers (and magazine editors) haven't the foggiest idea about the physics of falling and the forces involved. As a result, the get hung up on the wrong things when shopping and don't understand why some things are done/not done. Yet a dry text on climbing physics would put all but the nerds asleep. The comics could be entertaining enough that people would start to get it.
Maybe not limit it to just anchors but also include things like the forces on the finger joints when crimping or a shoulder when your foot slips while doing an arm bar. How a factor 2 fall can blow a daisy to smithereens or torquing a B-rated pick in a crack can snap it like candy.
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therealbovine
Dec 12, 2003, 5:11 PM
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How about a book on "how to be a climbing illustrator". I've always wanted to learn how to draw..........and you be the man!
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jer
Dec 12, 2003, 5:40 PM
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Bovine- that would be a very easy book to write.
step 1. Get a good climbing mentor
step 2. take some drawing classes at your local community college.
step 3. Accept the fact that you will never make any money.
step 3. Live like it.
step 4. Draw your brains out in hopes of doing something new in the climbing world.
step 5. Get burnt out cuz no one "gets it" and go corporate.
step 6. Make a mint in landscape paintings and television animation
step 7. Start a school for aspiring climbing artists.
step 8. Go to step one.
jer
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nashequilibrium
Dec 12, 2003, 5:49 PM
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ok, it looks like there is interest in anchors etc and bovine wants an appendix on drawing :wink:
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jer
Dec 12, 2003, 5:52 PM
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clyde-
woudl you think a book on forces woudl find it's home in a anchors/leading book or a rescue book(we are trying to make the books fairly small-more like comic books). I agree about Long's books(also edited by Craig). I feel they need not only a facelift, but seem to be overkill. Lucky for me, I also haven't the foggiest idea about the physics of falling and the forces involved. I'd probably stop climbing. Have you read Doktor KranK? If so, what did you think of the format?
KEEP THE IDEAS COMING!!! THIS IS SUPER HELPFUL!
jer
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csoles
Dec 12, 2003, 6:03 PM
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Craig gave me one but haven't read it, sorry...kinda outgrew that level decades ago. I'm sure he dreams in equations so the physics will be easy ;-) More people will buy/read an anchors/leading book because they think they'll never need to know about rescue. I'd bet 10 to 1. Don't bother with knots -- something better is coming in the spring.
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jer
Dec 12, 2003, 6:14 PM
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Yeah, well, many outgrow that level after a month at the gym. ;)
If you don't mind checkin it out, that'd be super helpful. I definitely respect your opinion.
Knots. Sheesh. I'm workin on some now. Dang, I hate knots. If Craig dreams in equations, I dream in knots.
Thanks for the input thus far. I agree about the leading/anchors. I would like to pursue the rescue thing as well though...mebbe we can sneak it in unnoticed and people will learn through osmosis...
Jer
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fredrogers
Dec 12, 2003, 7:17 PM
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What about an aid climbing book? That's something that's so complex that well made illustrations always work better than photos. And there are so many tips and tricks to learn from that you could probably do better than the other instructional books out there on aid. Think along the lines of Allen and Mike's Telemark Tips book. Pretty much all pictures but it's more effective than writing that info in prose.
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a510poser
Dec 13, 2003, 4:19 PM
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Dear Jer,
Well you have to ask yourself, are you doing this for the money or are you doing this to educate the masses. I'm not sure the two are compatible. In my opinion if you want you want to make money you will need to target the thousands of new climbers who are just getting ready to leave the comfort of their indoor playgrounds and test their new skills in the great outdoors. The problem is that once we deem ourselves as "real" climbers we tend to embrace that cheap skate bad boy image that Bridwell and the boys propigated back in the day. Once we start walking that path we also seem to adopt the attitude that our way is the way and everybody else is full of poop. Ergo trying to sell an advanced technique book is most likely losing proposition.
On the other hand we could really use a new set of anchor books as Long's books are outdated and incredibly boring! Which is suprising because I usually enjoy his work, but after a couple of tries on his anchors books I soon realized that they were much better when used as a powerful sedative. El Crago's self rescue book is a little more captivating, but it is also not something I can read in bed, well at least not very long. Interestingly The Freedom of The Hills is still one of my favorite climbing books, which doesn't make any sense 'cause it's such a text book. Go figure.
What would I like to see? I like reading about real experiances by real people. Uh.. I don't mean Beth's public love life or Chris's latest 5.inhuman climb. I'm talking about joe schmo's big adventure and the epiphanies that he had while walking the path that we all must walk as beginner climbers. A book of beginner stories, chock full of little lessons, wisedom and tips. Why do I read Accidents In NA Mountaineering every year? Because I want to learn about the more obscure problems that we encounter while playing in the arena. Real life snafu's that a technical book could never anticipate. Stories of personal growth that will inspire even the least experianced of us to push on. I know that many of my big lessons when viewed in retrospect are pretty hilarious.
It would also be great if we could start to ween ourselves from the bad boy image of climbing. If we could perhaps glorify some of the more positive aspects of our lifestyle. This may unfortunately verge on completely boring and may require a bit of...feathering, but it is something that has to happen, eventually. Craig as an author, climber, teacher, photographer, designer and engineer (whew, what a res!) has established himself as an authority in our sport and is in a position to, if he wanted to take a chance, help nudge our attitudes in a more...positive direction. It is not, of course, his responsibility to do so, but from the far too few times that I have spent with him I do know that he's capable of it.
Another thing that I think would be important to convey to the masses is how fragile the wilderness is and how much climbing is impacting it. A manual of sorts for using the playgrounds responsibly. This is perhaps the most urgently needed book as we seem to be running out of places to hide toilet paper at the crags!
Learning to climb through a mentor is quickly becoming a tradition of the past. If there's one thing I've learned in my 40+ years of living with the world it's that whether for good or bad it is futile to fight progress. It must be embraced with a smile lest you be left hopelessly behind. That being the case and books being our newest mentors I feel that we need to back up a little and convey some of the finer or softer skills to the masses. Which will hopefully help sustain our sports viability as a fairly low impact endevor.
Sorry, I was about to wrap this up, but I just thought of something else important. Everybody and their sister wants to do a first ascent these days and there are a lot of really f$#@ed up routes sprouting up. It would be great if you could produce a sort of bible for the first ascentionist that really explained what a big decesion it is to put up a route and what is and is not worth bolting. Uh..perhaps what a good bolt is, would be good idea too.
BTW, you guys better hurry 'cause Craig knows how much I love to write and there's a small chance I may already be working on this stuff. Of course it is a very small chance. Tell Craig Stevi from Cali said hi and I hope he, his wife and their new baby are all doing great!
Good luck,
SteviDx
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jer
Dec 14, 2003, 5:17 AM
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Thanks Stevi.
your thoughts are helpful.
I'll have responses later...too tired now.
Anyone else? Thoughts on what you'd like to see? Thoughts on the first Doktor KranK? Has anyone seen the Doktor KranK animation on the Front Range Freaks Video?
sleepy...
jer
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mrtristan
Dec 14, 2003, 6:22 AM
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maybe a book for each flavor of climbing... like a book on trad climbing. covers everything like anchors, belaying, jamming, rapelling, ratings, gear, multipitch, etc. And then maybe others for sport, ice, aid/big wall. So if someone is interested in trying or learning trad climbing, they go out and buy the book. have to make it attractive enough so that you make me want to buy that instead of freedom of the hills, though, which is kind of the all-in-one type thing. yeah anyway...
i also like the road trip book idea.
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