How an Economy Grows and Why it Crashes

Author's Note

In this allegory of U.S. economic history the reader will encounter many recognizable personalities and events. But as a very broad brush was needed to condense such a complex story into a cartoon book, many details have been blended.

In addition to the exploits of specific historical figures, characters represent broader ideas. For instance, while Brent Barnacle is clearly our version of Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, Barnacle's actions in the story are not meant to solely apply to Bernanke himself. Rather, he is a representative of all highly infl ationary economists.

In real life, Federal Reserve Notes were introduced 20 years before the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt. But given his penchant for spending, we decided to credit him with the innovation. And although Chris Dodd was but a child when Fannie Mae was actually created, his support of the agency in later years gives him originator status in our story. And, although the foreign islands in the book roughly correspond with actual countries, they are also stand-ins for all nations.

We ask that you forgive us these, and other, liberties of chronology and biography.