A few days ago I got in the mail a package from England that was supposed to contain an out-of-print book of German Romantic literature that I had ordered. Didn't turn out that way. Instead, the package contained a volume titled Gabriel Kron and Systems Theory, edited by H.H. Happ (Schenectady, NY: Union College Press, 1973), the proceedings of a 1969 memorial symposium dedicated to the life and work of Gabriel Kron (1901-1968). I fully expected that I would have to mail this tome back to the U.K., but, after apprising the seller of their mistake, they let me know that unfortunately they did not have in stock the book I had ordered so they would refund my money--and, by the way, I could keep the book they had sent me as their complimentary gift. Well, fancy that! Now, as I know, or care, little about systems engineering (let alone the late 1960s configuration thereof), I could either recycle the book, try to resell it (not that, I imagined, there would be all that many takers)--or adopt it, as it were, and thereafter do the only logical thing, which was to illuminate it. Here is the first result of my efforts, an entire essay decorated over the last couple of days. Consider it my very belated memorial to Dr. Kron, of whom I never would have heard had it not been for this contretemps. The entire book will follow, after which I may even try to read bits of it and find out more about who Dr. Kron actually was.
(Note: the book was slightly bigger than my scanner, so some of the edges of the pages unfortunately are cut off.)
[Repost from the Abstract Comics blog, April 15, 2012]
