STAN LEE'S 98TH BIRTHDAY ON DECEMBER 28

STAN LEE’S 98TH BIRTHDAY DECEMBER 28

Marvel Icon; Saved Comic Books, Lived the American Dream; “Excelsior”

Cincinnati, December 26, 2020 – Marvel icon Stan Lee would have celebrated his 98th birthday on December 28. Although he passed away two years ago, his legacy has far-reaching consequences, from bringing comic books to a new generation of readers in the early 1960s to co-creating some of popular culture’s most enduring characters.

Storytelling

The superheroes that Lee and his co-creators brought to life in Marvel comic books are at the heart of contemporary storytelling. Lee created a narrative foundation that has fueled pop culture for nearly six decades. By establishing the voice of Marvel superheroes and shepherding the comic books to life as the head of Marvel, Lee cemented his place in American history. 

History and context are important in helping people comprehend their worlds. New comic book readers and ardent filmgoers who turn out in droves to see Marvel Universe films should grasp how these influences impact their worldviews.

“Superman launched comic book superheroes, but Spider-Man made them human,” explains Bob Batchelor, cultural historian and Stan Lee biographer. “This nerdy teenager from Queens was full of complexities and angst, just like the rest of us. But, he still abided by Stan Lee’s immortal line: With great power, there also must also come -- great responsibility.”  

Legacy

Stan Lee became one of America’s foremost creative icons. He transformed popular culture by introducing generations of readers to flawed heroes who also dealt with life’s everyday challenges in the familiar New York City setting. Lee did not invent the imperfect hero, one could argue that such heroes had been around since Homer’s time and even before, but Lee delivered the concept to a generation of readers hungry for something new.

The Fantastic Four transformed the kinds of stories comic books could tell. Spider-Man, however, brought the idea home to a global audience. Lee told an interviewer that he had two incredibly instinctive objectives: introduce a superhero “terribly realistic” and one “with whom the reader could relate.”

While the nerd-to-hero storyline seems like it must have sprung from the earth fully formed, Lee gave readers a new way of looking at what it meant to be a hero and spun the notion of who might be heroic in a way that spoke to the rapidly expanding number of comic book buyers.

Spider-Man’s popularity revealed the attraction to the idea of a tainted hero, but at the same time, the character hit the newsstands at the perfect time, ranging from the growing Baby Boomer generation to the optimism of John F. Kennedy’s Camelot, this confluence of events resulting in a new age for comic books. Stan Lee tells the whole story of Lee’s life, which also helps us understand our own culture and times.

In addition, generations of artists, writers, actors, and other creatives have been inspired, moved, or encouraged by the Marvel Universe Lee voiced and helped birth.

Comic Books

Why comic books (still) matter for today’s readers:

1.    Advance their critical thinking abilities

2.   Provide contextual information (history, emotions, politics, beliefs)

3.   Build language skills

4.   Develop visual acuity

5.   Enhance creativity

6.   Spark imagination

7.   Help organize ideas

8.   Identify emotional and developmental concepts

9.   Enrich belief systems: re race, tolerance, empathy, and compassion

10.  Create world views

About Bob Batchelor 

Stan Lee: The Man Behind Marvel (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers), 264 Pages, • Hardback • September 2017 • $22.95 • Paperback • December 2018 • $16.95 • eBook • September 2017 • $16.00

Bob Batchelor is a cultural historian and biographer. He has published books on Stan Lee, Bob Dylan, The Great Gatsby, Mad Men, and John Updike. Bob’s new book Rookwood: The Rediscovery and Revival of an American Icon, An Illustrated History explores the company’s rich history from its 1880 founding to the current day, mixing 300 images with a vibrant narrative. The book provides a perceptive examination of Rookwood’s 140-year legacy as an American icon.

The Bourbon King: The Life and Crimes of George Remus, Prohibition’s Evil Genius won the 2020 Independent Book Award for Historical Biography. Stan Lee: The Man Behind Marvel was a finalist for the 2018 Ohioana Book Award for Nonfiction.

Bob’s books have been translated into a dozen languages and his work has appeared in Time magazine. He has appeared as an on-air commentator for The National Geographic Channel, PBS NewsHour, and NPR.

Bob earned his doctorate in English Literature from the University of South Florida. He has taught at universities in Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, as well as Vienna, Austria. Bob lives in Cincinnati with his wife Suzette and their teenage daughters.

 

 

 

Holiday Gifts for the Smart Man in Your Life

I am constantly asked for Christmas and holiday gift ideas, particularly hard to shop for men! As a matter of fact, about 75 percent of the books I sign at book festivals, events, and appearances are women buying for the men in their lives. Perhaps it is just the subjects I have written about — Stan Lee, Bob Dylan, Bourbon King George Remus — but still…

In the holiday spirit, I thought I would put together a quick list of potential gifts for your husband, son, brother, cousin, or the other smart men on your holiday shopping list.

Here are several great options, but don’t delay, some of these are time sensitive.

Cool Stuff!

Marvel Unlimited membership — Give your favorite comic book fan access to over 28,000 digital comics. With Marvel Unlimited, he will be able to go deep into the Marvel archives, sampling comic books from when he collected as a kid or keep up with today’s hottest stories. Excelsior!

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Hunky Dory Studio — Hunky Dory Studio is owned and operated by Amy Flesher. She says "I make things that are fun and unusual using sophisticated processes and materials. I surround myself with things that make me smile and faces I love that also fit into a “grown-up” décor." Hunky Dory Studio provides you with that unexpected statement piece that is totally unique and an expression of who you are and what (or who) you love...AND, they are always conversation starters!

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Pop Octopus — Super cool and one-of-a-kind! Pop Octopus creates screenprinted and painted wall art for your home, den, dungeon or spaceport. Hundreds of phenomenal options, including Marvel, Anthony Bourdain, and many other pop culture icons!

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Becoming Dr. Seuss: Theodor Geisel and the Making of an American Imagination by Brian Jay Jones

One of America’s greatest writers and biographers tackles one of America’s most interesting topics! A must read!

“A rich, anecdotal biography...Whether readers are familiar with Dr. Seuss books or not, they will find this biography absorbing and fascinating.”—Kirkus Reviews

The Iron Sea: How the Allies Hunted and Destroyed Hitler's Warships by Simon Read

A critical aspect of World War II examined by one of the top military historians writing today! A combination of stellar research and crisp, thrilling writing.

Using official war diaries, combat reports, eyewitness accounts and personal letters, Simon Read brings the action and adventure to vivid life. The result is an enthralling and gripping story of the Allied heroes who fought on a watery battlefield.

Warship Builders: An Industrial History of U.S. Naval Shipbuilding 1922–1945 by Thomas Heinrich

Part of the Studies in Naval History and Sea Power series, Heinrich’s book offers a revolutionary way to look at American naval power and the home front effort to win World War II.

"Warship Builders is a brilliantly crafted and impeccably researched book that completely transforms the way in which we should think about the rise of American naval and industrial dominance in the Twentieth Century. Discarding superficial Fordist narratives of standardized mass production, Heinrich reveals the fascinating tale of how the U.S. warship industry managed the highly specialized and complex task of flexible batch production on a scale unparalleled anywhere else on earth. Warship Builders is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of the U.S. Navy, U.S. mobilization in World War II and the triumph of industrial America." --Joseph A. Maiolo, Professor of International History, King's College London, and author of Cry Havoc: How the Arms Race Drove the World to War 1931-1941

Bourbon Lovers!

There are simply not enough bourbon history and bourbon enthusiast books in the world, so my list here leans heavily toward reading, but — trust me — the bourbon lover in your life will dig these gifts!

Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey: An American Heritage by Michael R. Veach

Noted bourbon historian Michael R. Veach reveals the true story of bourbon in Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey. Like the bourbon’s Veach discusses, this book is richly crafted and offers deep insight into America’s foremost spirit!

Whiskey Master Class: The Ultimate Guide to Understanding Scotch, Bourbon, Rye, and More by Lew Bryson

A great book by one of the master’s of the craft! He’s forgotten more about whiskey and bourbon than most of us will ever know…

“Lew Bryson knows more about whiskey than anyone I’ve met. But that’s only one reason to read Whiskey Master Class. He writes with clarity and humor in a way that will engage novices and connoisseurs alike.” — Clay Risen, author of Single Malt: A Guide to the Whiskies of Scotland

Bourbon Flight Board Deco Glass Set — Handmade Bourbon Flight Board from Tipsy Timbers Wood Company is made of sustainable, locally sourced Walnut, Poplar and Cherry. Tipsy Timbers is a wood fabrication studio creating high quality hand crafted wood goods ranging from small home goods to custom furniture.

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Finally…

Of course, I must also recommend my book The Bourbon King, the epic life and crimes of “Bootleg King” George Remus.

I’m biased…but don’t just take it from me…

“Forget Al Capone. Forget Bonnie and Clyde and Baby Face Nelson. Let us turn our attention, instead, to one George Remus, the Bourbon King of prohibition…The Bourbon King might as well be the outline of a Netflix or HBO series…All in all, it’s a hell of a story.”
―Washington Independent Review of Books

Shutting Down! How Trump Can Win (But Won’t) in November: A Playbook for Winning the 2020 Presidential Election

Is Donald J. Trump Machiavellian enough to turn off his inner voice in a desperate attempt to win the 2020 Presidential Election? Does he have the emotional intelligence to simply stop talking his way out of reelection?

For the most powerful politician in the world these questions are critical considerations. Yet, Candidate Trump is a mess. He clearly has no one around him willing to stand up and simply say, “Stop…stop now, Mr. President!”

The only way (it seems outside a Constitutional crisis over mail-in voting) to avoid defeat is to exude leadership on defeating COVID-19 through bold actions. The US ineptitude at the federal level has been legion to date with more than 4.3 million confirmed Coronavirus cases, some 150,000 people dead, and a ham-handed testing and tracing program. Time is against the president with less than 100 days before the election.

But, Trump still has options…

…To paraphrase James Carville:

“It’s the pandemic, stupid!”

Sound Like a Wartime President

The equations are straightforward right now – voters hate Trump’s response to the pandemic. They roundly disapprove of how he has handled the crisis. Trump currently trails in polls in several key battleground states (i.e. Texas, Florida, and Pennsylvania) that he must win if he hopes to emerge victorious in the Electoral College. However, a closer look at many of these surveys reveals that the results fall within the margin of error that could make them much closer than they appear on first glance.

The second half of the 2020 Presidential election equation is that people are fairly ho-hum about Joe Biden. His poll results (right now) are derived more-or-less by being the anti-Trump. Unlike his counterpart, Biden is staying relatively quiet. Less talk equals less chance that he might let loose with one of his many verbal ticks or miscues.

Let’s be realistic, though when it comes to politics. Many Americans have short-term memories. If President Trump righted the course and could realistically claim victory over COVID-19, he would probably be rewarded, despite the significant flaws and missteps made over many months.

President Trump could begin challenging his fate if he simply started speaking like a leader. Of course, as possibly the least actualized person on the planet, the counter is that he can’t do it...could never show this kind of transformation. Yet, a possible second term hangs in the balance. In an “It’s the pandemic, stupid!” world, the president of the nation leading the world in COVID-19 outbreaks must talk like a leader. His words matter, so a different kind of oratory may provide hope and inspiration for all Americans.

Shut it Down – Shut it, Shut it Down!

Bold, decisive leadership requires that President Trump do the one thing he is most dead-set against—completely shut down the country. Not only would it require him to sound presidential, but it would oblige that he act presidential.

With one courageous proclamation, Trump would immediately change the trajectory of his presidency:

“Today, following the guidance of the scientific community and my medical experts, as well as bipartisan leadership nationally, we are shutting down the nation, instituting mandatory masks in all indoor spaces and outdoors when people are unable to socially-distance, and banning nonessential interstate travel. All schools will be online for the rest of 2020, which will enable us to plan for a successful 2021.”

The scientific evidence and examples from many European and Asian nations is that by six to eight weeks of shutting down the nation, the US could flatten the virus to the point that testing and tracing could isolate and possibly squelch hotspots as they arise.

The follow-up:

“I realize that we are asking a great deal of Americans, but these critical steps are the only way that we can defeat COVID-19. After six to eight weeks, we will have a stronger nation and be fully prepared to re-launch the economy. America will also be much closer to a vaccine.”

The Outcome

While the call for shutting down the nation might seem like the last thing in the world that Trump would advocate, the move would finally demonstrate that the president is putting the nation’s concerns before his own seemingly impulsive thoughts and reactions. A total shutdown would reveal Trump as willing to place the lives of Americans foremost. One again, though, the kind of decisions that Candidate Trump must make to win the 2020 election are diametrically in opposition to what President Trump has done since the pandemic broke out.

Does he have the maturity as a leader to change course? Possible options are dropping by the day. As we hurtle toward November a chance for a Hail Mary victory are growing slimmer and slimmer.

How Trump Can Win (But Won’t) in November

A Playbook for Winning the 2020 Presidential Election, the First in a Series of Steps toward Victory, Part I

For President Donald J. Trump, the enemy is winning. Time is against him with less than 100 days before the 2020 Presidential Election. 

COVID-19 has not only overwhelmed the healthcare system nationally, but the virus—and the president’s response to the ensuing crisis—has become the central issue of the election. Victory now hinges on voters’ perception of leadership.

Deep in the midst of the global pandemic, the American people are all over the board when it comes to coping with Coronavirus. Many people are afraid and fearful that no end is in sight, while others act as if the pandemic poses no threat to them or their loved ones.

 COVID-19 has transformed most people’s day-to-day lives. As the crisis has deepened, people need a sense of hope, not unrelenting despair. Yet, desolation and misery are in heavy supply: death tolls increasing daily, hours-long waits in lines to get tested, closed businesses, unemployment, cancellation of leisure activities, the list goes on and on.

 At this point, President Trump has lost the perception war.

 Can Trump Win in November?

 Simply put, the 2020 election is nowhere near over. Many of the recent polls show presumptive Democratic nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, with a significant lead, however key battleground states are within the plus/minus polling margin of error range. And, we can never forget how wrong the pollsters were in 2016…hours into election day they still predicted a Clinton victory. What seemed ludicrous at the time was that people would not admit to exit pollsters that they had voted for Trump, essentially decimating a system used to predict election results for generations.

 Another “smell test” would be for the media to go out into the countryside in key states and look around, see things with their own eyes. I drive 50 miles across Southern and Southwestern Ohio twice a week. I have yet to see a Joe Biden placard, but there are dozens of Trump 2020 signs and flags.

 Although the media is not addressing the issue from this perspective, it seems that people responding to polls are more anti-Trump than pro-Biden. At this point, it is Trump’s repeated undermining of his own position that is turning prospective voters against him. This is not a wave of Biden hysteria, rather a show that people do not approve of Trump’s response to the pandemic, which means that if he changes course, he still has a chance at winning.

 What I am prescribing is really a series of steps that President Trump must take if he hopes to rebound with less than 100 days to the November election (and recognizing that many, many voters will vote via mail early). However—a caveat—I do not think that Trump has the wherewithal or ability to implement these strategies and tactics.

 Trump still has time to turn it around. If he doesn’t, his place in history is sealed—simply the worst president in American history—a one-term aberration. He will be viewed as the anti-Lincoln or anti-FDR, a president who when called upon to act supremely presidential and for the common good, instead turned the nation toward its basest, noxious race-baiting and Nixon-like law and order police state.

 So, this is the Trump playbook for victory…but one that he will not implement, because he does not have the emotional IQ or self-actualization to contradict his current policies or “pivot” away from what he has created to this point regarding the Coronavirus epidemic.

The Speech of a Lifetime

Immediately, President Trump should schedule a prime time presidential address. Without smirking or seeming insincere, he should begin the event while wearing a mask and while taking it off, urge all Americans to follow his lead and wear a mask at all times in public spaces where they cannot efficiently practice social distancing.

Then, after practicing the speech as if his presidency depends on it, Trump should—with all the authenticity and enthusiasm he can muster—deliver a straightforward address that tacitly acknowledges the shortcomings of the US (and his) response to the pandemic.

Step One: The Message

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed America, our economy, our relationships with nations around the world, and is currently threatening the American way of life. This will change now!

Starting today, my administration is launching a national agenda for winning the war against the virus. We will take three critical steps:

1. I am personally leading a newly-configured Coronavirus task force. Working with the governors in each state, I will coordinate and administer a program that gets money, people, and resources to the states, particularly those hotspots hardest hit by the outbreak. While no president can give attention to just one challenge, leading the new task force will be my central focus and I will use the full power of the presidency to win this battle.

2. I am appointing Vice President Mike Pence to a new role leading a national War Production Board (WPB) with the sole focus of creating the infrastructure that we need to wipe out COVID-19 and then organize for the national distribution and implementation of a future vaccine. The WPB will work with American corporations to produce the medical supplies our health care systems need now and in the future in the US, by American companies, so that we are not reliant on foreign countries to fulfill our essential healthcare needs. America needs this kind of coordinated production now against the virus, just like we did in winning World War II.

3. I am asking Dr. Anthony Fauci to wear another hat, this time serving as America’s “COVID-19 Czar.” Fauci’s task will be to be my chief advisor on the pandemic. More importantly, with the help of federal resources and those at the state level, he will implement a reinvigorated testing and tracing campaign to identify and then contain the virus.

By winning the war against COVID-19, the United States will be able to prepare for the time when a vaccine is created and must be given to our 300-plus million citizens. And, more importantly, stopping the pandemic will enable the nation to regain its economic status, getting people back to work, and our lives to a new, post-COVID “normal.”

Toward Victory

What needs to be said again and again: people are angry and upset by President Trump’s actions (or perhaps more accurately—his inactions) during the pandemic. They are venting their frustration via disapproving his job performance and indicating that Biden would probably be a better leader during a global crisis.

In our poll-centric political games so popular on cable news channels, the score is tipped in Biden’s favor. Yet, there is no certain indication that the pro-Biden camp outweighs the anti-Trump sentiment. President Trump has not convinced enough potential voters that they should punch the lever for Candidate Trump in November.

THE BOURBON KING NAMED 2020 BEST HISTORICAL BIOGRAPHY

THE BOURBON KING NAMED 2020 BEST HISTORICAL BIOGRAPHY

Cultural Historian Bob Batchelor Wins Independent Press Award® for true crime biography of George Remus, America’s 1920s “Bootleg King”

 

Cincinnati, May 4, 2020 – Love, murder, political intrigue, mountains of cash, and rivers of bourbon! The Bourbon King: The Life and Crimes of George Remus, Prohibition’s Evil Genius (Diversion Books) by cultural historian and biographer Bob Batchelor is a grand spectacle and lens into the dark heart of Prohibition. As one Jazz Age journalist put it, “Remus was to bootlegging what Rockefeller was to oil.”

Batchelor breathes life into the largest bootlegging operation in America—greater than that of Al Capone—and a man considered the best criminal defense lawyer of his era. Remus bought an empire of distilleries on Kentucky’s “Bourbon Trail” (making billions of dollars in today’s money) and used his other profession, as a pharmacist, to profit from legal loopholes. He spent millions bribing officials in the Harding Administration.

Remus created a roaring lifestyle that epitomized the Jazz Age over which he ruled. F. Scott Fitzgerald used Remus as one of the models for Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby (celebrating its 95th anniversary this year). That is, before he came crashing down in one of the most sensational true crime murder cases in American history: a cheating wife, the dastardly G-man who seduced her and put Remus in jail, and the plunder of a Bourbon Empire. Remus later murdered his wife in cold-blood and then shocked a nation winning his freedom based on a condition he invented—temporary maniacal insanity.

The Independent Press Award is an international book competition judged by experts from different functions within the book industry, including publishers, writers, editors, book cover designers, and professional copywriters. Selected award winners and distinguished favorites are based on overall excellence.

In 2020, the Independent Press Award had entries worldwide. Participating authors and publishers reside in countries such as Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, India, Ireland, Portugal, Sweden, and others. Books submitted included writers located in cities such as Austin to Memphis to Santa Cruz; from Copenhagen to Mumbai; from Albuquerque to Staten Island; from Boise to Honolulu, and others.

“We are thrilled to announce the winners and distinguished favorites in our annual 2020 Independent Press Award. This year included a myriad of excellent independently published books. It is clear that independents are prospering in every corner of the earth. We are so proud to be highlighting key titles representing global independent publishing,” said IPA Awards sponsor Gabrielle Olczak.

 For more information please visit independentpressaward.com; and to see this year's list of IPA Winners and Distinguished Favorites, please visit the website pages:

2020 WINNERS: 

https://www.independentpressaward.com/2020winners

​2020 DISTINGUISHED FAVORITES:

https://www.independentpressaward.com/2020distinguishedfavorites

 

ABOUT BOB BATCHELOR

Bob Batchelor is a critically acclaimed, bestselling cultural historian and biographer. He has published widely on American culture and literature. In addition to The Bourbon King: The Life and Crimes of George Remus, Prohibition's Evil Genius (Diversion), Bob wrote Stan Lee: The Man Behind Marvel, the first full-scale biography of the Marvel legend. He has also written books on Bob Dylan, Mad Men, John Updike, and The Great Gatsby, among others. His next book is Rookwood: The Rediscovery and Revival of an American Icon--An Illustrated History (September 8, 2020, Rockport/Quarto)

Bob graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelor's degree in history, philosophy, and political science. He earned an M.A. at Kent State University under the tutelage of the eminent historian Lawrence S. Kaplan. His doctorate is in English Literature from the University of South Florida, where he studied with Phillip Sipiora. He has taught at universities in Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, as well as Vienna, Austria. Bob lives in Cincinnati with his wife Suzette and their teenage daughters.

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Crisis Communications Basics -- 5 "Different" Messaging Strategies During the Coronavirus Crisis

A famous Warren Buffett quote claims that it takes 20 years to build a reputation and 5 minutes to ruin it. Importantly, Buffett explains, “If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”

    -- Warren Buffett

“Differently” during a crisis is a challenge—exactly the right move, but countered by the fact that people hate change. Crises are centered on change and uncertainty. Most leaders are not going to want to respond differently when they don’t have a clear indication of what is happening now, let alone later.

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 What COVID-19 is proving by the minute is that communications is more important now than ever before, even though up until a week or so ago (at least in the US), most people probably assumed that we had more communications than ever before in human history.

Having all the communications channels in the world doesn’t matter if no one is paying attention to the message.

 5 things to do “differently” during this crisis:

  • Be compassionate – Real people (including you) are facing unprecedented transformation.

  • Be authentically empathetic – Given the uncertainty, be authentic in representing the situation and its consequences for your organization, business, community, and society.

  • Be direct – No time for sugarcoating or platitudes. Tell your communities—and your employees—what you know and what they need to know as new information becomes available.

  • Be flexible – All we know for certain is that the scope is extraordinary. Rethink what you assumed and try to keep the first point in mind, these are human beings you’re communicating with.

  • Be attentive – In the recent past, record numbers of people have rallied to charitable causes in times of crisis. Look for (safe) ways to help. What is the opposite of hoarding toilet paper? Do that…

Organizations spend an incredible amount of time, effort, and person hours creating relationships with all their stakeholders. It is paramount to create “different” communications and marketing efforts now as the world truly begins an era that may call for the complete overhaul of humankind’s foundational principles and beliefs.