Universal Press Syndicate's "Digital Slob" Gains Newspaper Readers In The U.S., Generates 'Net Buzz Worldwide

"Digital Slob," the humorous technology column written by Curt Brandao and distributed by Universal Press Syndicate, is gaining newspaper readers in the United States and generating worldwide buzz on the Internet.

The most recent print clients for the feature include The (Shreveport) Times, a 66,000 circulation Gannett daily in Louisiana, and The Honolulu Star-Bulletin, a 60,000 circulation afternoon daily in the Aloha State.

The universal appeal of "Digital Slob" is also drawing hits to www.digitalslob.com from countries as diverse as Pakistan, Portugal, Thailand, South Korea, China, Italy, Germany, France, Norway, India, Australia and Britain.

In his weekly column, Brandao maintains that the Digital Age is making slobs seem respectable and making respectable people seem deranged. And it's clear which side he is on.

"I'm so lazy, I microwave frozen dinners by punching in '2:22' on the timer instead of '2:00' because it's easier to hit '2' three times in a row than to refocus and reposition my index fingers for the '0' lower down on the pad," he writes.

As Paul Boutin, freelance writer for The New York Times, Slate and Wired said, "Curt's the kind of guy whose dream technology is a TiVo that knows when to order pizza 45 minutes in advance."

A recent "Slob" column that took a satirical look at GMail, Google's new controversial e-mail service, got a wave of attention among bloggers, some as far away as Ireland.

The 36-year-old columnist and editor has been in the newspaper business for a dozen years. He earned a master's degree in communications in 1992 from The University of Tennessee, where he drew the daily comic strip "Cuff & Rubin," a national finalist in the Charles M. Schulz College Cartoonist contest.

"I don't just write about digital cameras or PDAs in IT-speak binary code. I write about my grandmother, the Oscars, high school, loose change, wisdom teeth, time travel, handwriting and ketchup, and how it all relates to how we live now in the Digital Age. 'Technology behavior' has now become pervasive enough to mock," Brandao said.

For large papers, "Digital Slob" can draw new readers to their extensive, but too often stuffy, technology sections. For smaller papers it offers an amusing, easily accessible high-tech presence.

All newspapers want to attract young readers, but few publish features that are actually written the way they think. "Digital Slob" offers a technology-as-pop-culture commentary on life in the 21st century that pulls Web surfers away from their monitors and into their local newspaper.

"Digital Slob" is available every week for immediate download, e-mail or physical delivery via Universal Press Syndicate's One-Shot Service.

Pricing, distribution and delivery information are available by contacting the Universal Press Syndicate's sales administrator by phone at 800-255-6734 ex.6929 or by e-mail at salesdirector@amuniversal.com.

More information about "Digital Slob" is available at www.digitalslob.com.

     
   Production Editor
   Honolulu Star-Bulletin
   Honolulu,    HI,    96815
   USA
   808-778-6301 (phone)
   curtbrandao@hotmail.com
   digitalslob.com