Robot Guardian

I'm not much of an anime fan, but this caught my attention:
Gundam! Mecha Monument Towers Over Tokyo


Check that bad boy out!

Standing over 50 feet tall, it was erected to help celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Gundam franchise.

It's only expected to be on display for a few months and then afterwords it's unknown what'll become of it.
So if you want to it in person, you'd best head on over to Japan right away.
In fact, in August they will be hosting a comic book convention and Gundam festival not too far from where the statue is located.

Whether or not you're a fan, it's certainly a sight to behold.

Artist Mark Sable Detained By TSA in Los Angeles

Mark Sable, the artist for Boom! Studios title "Unthinkable" was detained by authorities during a recent flight.

Guards at the airport discovered the script for "Unthinkable" during a search and pulled him aside for 'extra screening'.
The story behind the mini-series is about a government think tank that plans for terrorist scenarios.

Mark says he "cooperated politely and tried to explain the irony of the situation" and that "in the end, I feel my privacy is a small price to pay for educating the government about the medium".

Turkish Mayor Suing Batman Director

In a totally "You've GOT to be kidding me" kind of moment, a mayor in the town of Batman, Turkey is suing director Christopher Nolan for using the name of his town without permission.

They claim to have evidence that proves the town's origin predates the fictional character's origin and therefore they are entitled to royalties for using the name.
Mayor Huseyin Kalkan says, "There is only one Batman in the world. The American producers used the name of our city without informing us."

Oh really? So for over 65 years NOBODY in Turkey has complained about infringement of their town's name until now.
And they want to sue Christopher Nolan and not DC Comics?

I guess if you want to get some publicity, this is as good a way as any.

Yeah Yeah Yeaaaaah Wow..Spidel-Man!

"Loonie" Tunes

I noticed something different tonight after I got home from picking up my comics. Only one price on the cover.

For the first time in my lifetime, the Canadian Dollar is worth more than the US Dollar ($1 USD = $1.02 CAD according to xe.com). In fact, the steady decline of the US Dollar as it relates to comic book pricing can be tracked back a couple of years. In this example, I'll be using "Checkmate," which has been in publication for 24 issues now.

Checkmate #1, cover date June 2006:

$2.99 USD, $4 CAD - same as it ever was.







Checkmate #12, cover date May 2007:

$2.99 USD, $3.65 CAD - price coming down...






Checkmate #24, cover date May 2008:

Even Money.







If not for the high price of gas, and the additional ID requirements at the border, my next LCS could very well be in Vancouver. But hey...more money for beer and back bacon!