== A Children's Story with a Profit Line to Save Salem,Ma ==


In 2006 a novel idea was brought forth by Christopher Jon Luke Dowgin to remedy a long standing problem with the town of Salem,Ma economy. Salem is famous as Witch City and draws thousands of people during the month of October for their Haunted Happenings Celebration. But after everyone goes home in November, the town returns to being a ghost town. Leaving many of the merchants struggling until the height of Summer. A Walk Through Salem was created to entertain a massive audience from all over the world to draw them into town year round. Which is to be seen. Can A Walk Through Salem prove, if you write the story, they will come! Was that not Disney's idea?

A Walk Through Salem initial pages have been shown in the month of December 2007 in Old Town Hall during the Salem Open Studios. Members of the Chamber of Commerce and town officials were on hand to see how A Walk Through Salem could transform local merchants shops into whimsical illustrations to attract new growth of tourism throughout the year. The project was met with mixed results. Jenifer Beal from Salem Main Streets organization was excited about the prospect and added suggestions of working with a local Scavenger Hunt Company.

Save Our Schools

Salem, Ma has gone through economic troubles since January of 2008 with the layoffs of several employees of their school District. A Walk Through Salem will be donating artwork to the next Carlton School Auction to support Ward Two Children. A Walk Through Salem is looking forward as well to working with the Carlton School and others to use a live actor representing Mr. Zac. This actor will promote reading, develp a deep knowledge of the town that the children live in, and endow a deep sense of wonder in their lives.

The Story Line

Salem for years has had a red line that leads tourist throughout town to its local shops and historic sites. A Walk Through Salem is in the works of creating a Blue Story Line. Starting at the tree illustrated above (that is in front of the Salem Knights of Columbus inside the historic Salem Commons, tourist will be welcomed to take pictures of the stories main character, Mr Zac, sitting on a bench in bronze facing the tree. Much reminiscent of the statue of coach Red Auerbach in Faneuil Hall in Boston. This bench will be left open for local industries to take advantage of digital cameras and wifi technology to send travel photos instantly to love ones throughout the world depicting travelers sitting with Mr. Zac. Framing these photos will be sponsored adds from local merchants in town gaining accessibility to the global community. As tourists and fans alike of the book travel the "Story Line", they will be brought to historic sites, old geological places of interest, and into the local merchan's shops. Merchants will welcome them in by displaying Blue Plaques reminiscent of those throughout London. These plaques will cue in the reader to the original artwork transforming the shop into that of one of whimsy. The original artwork will hang in the back of all the participating shops. In hopes that readers will venture in to see the art and be inspired to make whim sales on the way out. The tourist will be able to buy from the merchants usual stock and that of a line of A Walk Through Salem merchandise. red line has had mixed efficiency, leading from the lack of instructions to the tourist on its purpose. But A Walk Through Salem will overcome this by explicit directions. A front piece will be created instructing you to bring your book to Salem and follow the map. The map will lead you to all the illustrations in the story by following the blue story line starting at the unzipping tree in the common. The story is framed around the interactivity. It indulges the reader into the narrative. The story welcomes you, quite literally to walk through Salem with Mr Zac as you turn the pages.

Mr. Zac: Who is He

Mr. Zac is based on the Ed_Wynn character of Uncle Albert from Marry Poppins and William Jennings Bryan of the popular notion he was used as the foundation of the Cowardly Lion character in the Wizard of Oz. It is of interesting note too also mention, Ed Wynn had turned down the role of the Wizard in the film because he thought his acting was not good enough. And reality is stranger than fiction sometimes, because William Bryan Jennings hated monkeys more in real life than his fictional counterpart as he was the prosecuting attorney in the Scope's Trial.

So Mr. Zac will meet you under the tree as you bring your copy of the book and talk directly to you. Much like in the fashion Bruce Willis would turn to the audience on the TV show Moonlighting. After his introduction he will remove a large magnet from his pocket to open the giant YKK zipper on the tree. As the zipper unzips, the skin of the tree is pulled back by large wooden clock works, and exposes a large opening for you to follow him through into the other magical, whimsical side of Salem. Where Carriages are pulled by flying fish, the Hawthorne statue smokes a Clarabell the ClownBubble Pipe, and Vikings Storm Dead Horse Beach.

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