About Derangement and Description, an archives-themed webcomic, and building a personal brand as a humorist.

1. "I thought
you'd be taller":
building a
larger-than-life
online presence
Rebecca Goldman
La Salle University
January 30, 2013
All comics in this presentation (CC) Rebecca Goldman derangementanddescription.wordpress.com

2. Derangement
and Description

3. Why a webcomic?
• Webcomics are the best!
• No other archives webcomics
• All my good ideas about archives are best
expressed in webcomic form

4. The early days

5. Low expectations
• Free website (no domain name)
• Low-quality images
• No consistent style
• Anonymous
BRANDING
FAIL

6. Creating a
persona

7. Coming out
http://www.archivesnext.com/?p=277

8. Getting on Twitter

9. Going Creative Commons

10. “You draw
the comics,
right?”
http://
www.vancouverarchives.ca/2011/09/archives-360-saas-75th-annual-meeting-and-anniversary-c

11. “You’re a cartoon character,
right?”

12. Getting personal

13. Getting
political

14. Getting serious about
new archivists…

15. …but not too serious.

16. DnD and me

17. Find your niche
“A Parka Squirrel Burrows near the West Bank of the Sagavanirktok River”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/usnationalarchives/3971234981

18. Find out if you’re funny

19. Put a domain name on it
“Franco-British carrier ready to be released to carry a long distance message”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nlscotland/4702156431

20. Know your audience

21. Embrace use and reuse
I Love the Archives by jewishmuseummd
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtNvRCS8e2M

22. More product, less process
Washington, D.C. Rotary postage stamp press at the United States Bureau of Engraving and
Printing http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/fsa.8b14739

23. My online presence(s)
Blog: derangementanddescription.wordpress.com
Personal site: rebeccagoldman.net
Twitter: @DerangeDescribe
IR: digitalcommons.lasalle.edu
SNAP Roundtable:
http://www2.archivists.org/groups/students-and-new-
archives-professionals-snap-roundtable