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COMIC BOOK INSPIRES FUTURISTIC SOLDIER
MIT recently announced that it won a $50
million grant to design high-tech gear for the U.S. Army. The project was
hailed as the stuff of science fiction and comic book heroes. On Wednesday
MIT stated that it copied images from the sci-fi comic book Radix as part of
its winning bid to host a research center that aims to make soldiers partly
invisible and allow them to clear 20-foot walls in a single bound. The
illustration in question appeared on page 13 of a grant proposal MIT
submitted to the Pentagon to host the high-tech Institute for Soldier
Nanotechnologies. When MIT won the grant, national news media used the
image to illustrate the kinds of futuristic warrior gear that the institute
hoped to develop. “It was an innocent use,” MIT spokesman Ken Campbell
said. “We didn’t know it was from anyone else’s artwork.” The university
issued a statement explaining its stance on Wednesday after an article
appeared in the Boston Globe. MIT officials have not explained how the
illustration made it into their grant proposal, but Campbell said the
university pulled the artwork from its Web site in April as soon as it
learned of the problem.
COMIC
BOOKS STRIKE BACK
After a several years of shrinking
sales, the comic book industry is on the rebound. In 1993, comic sales
across the U.S. reached their all-time high of $850 million before beginning
a terrifying slide. Among other factors, speculators had raised interest in
comics to a frenzy—before backing out and sending demand into the dungeon.
By 1996, Marvel had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and by 1998
industry revenues had fallen to $375 million, then in 2000 comics sales fell
even more to $250 million. Thanks to a little film called Spider-Man, comic
publisher MARVEL reported a second quarter revenue increase of 57.8% to
$70.9 million, and turned in operating income [before taxes and interest] of
$14.4 million, vs. just $100,000 the year before. Another reason believed to
account for the sudden re-interest in comics is a unique reading cycle of
the comics audience, says John Miller, editorial director of ComicBuyer’s
Guide. Fans may be fanatical until about high school, when they become
distracted by such real-life pursuits as sports and dating. They may
venture back during college—lots of comic-book stores are located near
university campuses—then tune out again as they start a career. Then “when
they get to their 30s, they’ll have disposable income, and they’ll want to
buy the things that help them remember the old days,” Miller says.
WITCHBLADE GETS AXED
Recently, cable network TNT cancelled
it’s most popular original program. Based on the Top Cow comic book of the
same name, Witchblade follows a tough New York City detective who takes on
fantastic powers after coming into contact with an ancient weapon. She then
uses the blade to battle evil. But TNT executive vice president and general
manager, Steve Koonin, indicated the network has its reasons. “It’s a very
tough decision,” Koonin told Variety. “We just felt to stretch it to a third
year could hurt [the show’s creativity and ratings].” He says he wanted the
show to end strongly.
JOE
MAD’S TRILUNAR SHUTS DOWN
Two years ago, comic book artist and
creator Joe Madureria (Battle Chasers) announced he would be leaving comics
to persue his other love: video games. Sadly, TriLuna has announced it
ceased all operations and development of its first game, DRAGONKIND. “The
company was funded 100% internally, and without access to an external source
of capital, we are unable to continue operating. This decision disappoints
us as much as it probably disappoints all of our fans and supporters,” reads
the company announcement. The site (www.trilunar.com)
is still operational, and concept art and screenshots are available to view.
Now for the continuing saga that is
my childhood stupidity...
To sum up the tale so far, I poked
myself in the eye with a stick and had to wear this lame eyepatch.
About one week into my healing my
mother and I were at a local supermarket doing our grocery shopping, and for
some reason there were a ton of kids at the store. We soon found out
why...there was a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle in the building. Yeah, this
got me really excited and I couldn’t wait, this was the proverbial silver
lining to the cloud that was my self eye-gouging. So there I was, a blue
t-shirt, blue shorts, and a big-honkin piece of gauze over my left eye. I
wish I could remember the looks I was getting (you really didn’t see too
many kids wearing eyepatches in those days). I also had a TMNT sticker I had
gotten out of a vending machine on my shirt, I was going all out, but it was
almost time for the turtle to come out!! All us children were herded into
the dairy section (which I now know is standard procedure in northeastern
supermarkets), when suddenly a set of double doors swung open and out
walked....
a guy in a suit.
A guy in a fucking suit.
It wasn’t even a good one, it was
like foam-rubber, and the kids were eating it up like crack laced Pixy Stix.
The guy was dressed up as Michaelangelo (whom everyone thought was the
coolest at the time, we now know that Raphael was the best just because he
was a total badass in the first movie), and his purpose there was to
advertise yogurt. No joke. Michaelangelo and a man I’m guessing to be the
Dairy Manager handed out little pads of post-it notes emblazoned with the
yogurt brand Yoplait across the top.
The disappointment will
continue...next time.
Questions? Comments? Concerns?
Let me know what you think via the
Forums or through email (jinnaimuyo@yahoo.com).
Also, if you have some time to waste visit my lame site at:
<http://xxleavingxx.tripod.com/home/index.html>
See ya in seven!
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