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Comics Geography Trivia Question
Jun. 20th, 2025 08:30 pmCan anyone please upload a scan of the "Ask the Answer Man" section of the "Daily Planet" page from Detective Comics #470 (June 1977)?
DC Universe: A Charlton Point Question
Mar. 12th, 2023 06:26 pmHow does anyone get Texas as the host of Charlton's Point, when the comics-publishing company that city was named for was based in Connecticut?
https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/comments/la6ilu/fictional_us_cities_of_the_dc_universe/
https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/comments/la6ilu/fictional_us_cities_of_the_dc_universe/
Books: The Atlas of Imagined Places
Jul. 25th, 2022 10:19 pmI gave myself an indulgence on the weekend: The Atlas of Imagined Places.
Five thousand or so fictional places, and the author and cartographer putting this book together tried to figure out where they'd all be. Don't even try to figure out how to string together the backstories of how all these places from different fictional universes could co-exist. Just enjoy and debate the placements. I will.
Five thousand or so fictional places, and the author and cartographer putting this book together tried to figure out where they'd all be. Don't even try to figure out how to string together the backstories of how all these places from different fictional universes could co-exist. Just enjoy and debate the placements. I will.
MCU: Wakandan Urban Design
May. 19th, 2019 08:12 pmWith a particular focus on Birnin Zana AKA "the Golden City".
https://www.citylab.com/life/2018/11/black-panther-wakanda-golden-city-hannah-beachler-interview/574420/
I wish I had an option for "Inspired" on the Mood list here.
https://www.citylab.com/life/2018/11/black-panther-wakanda-golden-city-hannah-beachler-interview/574420/
I wish I had an option for "Inspired" on the Mood list here.
Perception was kind enough to upload a case study of their work on Batman v Superman this week. That case study includes a map of the Metropolis-Gotham region as envisioned for the movies DC and WB have been making.
That map clearly does not hew to the maps of the two cities as published in the comics over the last couple of decades. Granted, the production team had the right to plant the two super-cities ten miles and a harbour apart from each other. Speaking for myself alone, I'd hoped that Byrne's Six Boroughs as originally drawn up for Metropolis in 1986, as well as the islands of Eliot Brown's 2000 map of Gotham could've made the cut.
Oh well...this is its own thing to begin with.
So ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-syndicated.gif)
rob_sawyer_blog pointed out a debut novel by one Gerald Brandt, The Courier, about to hit the bookstores soon. The Courier is subtitled on the cover as "a San Angeles novel".
So, you know me by now. Alternative geographies, fictional geographies, they get my attention right off. Naturally, I went looking to see if the name had come up in SF&F before.
Some of you will already know what I'm about to say: that the name has a history, inside and outside of the genre. "Prior art" is, I think, the phrase for it. And Wikipedia has some detail on the cultural history of the name. Real-worlds politics, dystopian SF, super-heroic fantasy...it's been making some serious rounds.
Using the name and concept in yet another novel isn't necessarily a bad thing, and everyone who's used it has their own spin on the idea, but to these cultural-historian eyes of mine, I don't belive there's any way to make an exclusive claim on it at this point.
rob_sawyer_blog pointed out a debut novel by one Gerald Brandt, The Courier, about to hit the bookstores soon. The Courier is subtitled on the cover as "a San Angeles novel".So, you know me by now. Alternative geographies, fictional geographies, they get my attention right off. Naturally, I went looking to see if the name had come up in SF&F before.
Some of you will already know what I'm about to say: that the name has a history, inside and outside of the genre. "Prior art" is, I think, the phrase for it. And Wikipedia has some detail on the cultural history of the name. Real-worlds politics, dystopian SF, super-heroic fantasy...it's been making some serious rounds.
Using the name and concept in yet another novel isn't necessarily a bad thing, and everyone who's used it has their own spin on the idea, but to these cultural-historian eyes of mine, I don't belive there's any way to make an exclusive claim on it at this point.
DC CinemaVerse Geography: Metro-Gotham
Jul. 11th, 2015 06:03 pmThere was this on Wired.
Not the first time it's been done. The newspaper comics of the 1970's did it. So we know where Zack Snyder's getting some of his inspiration.
I just wish they'd stick with Eliot Brown's map in toto for Gotham, like they decided to stick with John Byrne's Six Boroughs for Metropolis in Man of Steel. As it is, we've seen from photos taken at location shoot sites that they cribbed the location names from that map, and are using a modified map of Detroit for Gotham to plant those names on.
Not the first time it's been done. The newspaper comics of the 1970's did it. So we know where Zack Snyder's getting some of his inspiration.
I just wish they'd stick with Eliot Brown's map in toto for Gotham, like they decided to stick with John Byrne's Six Boroughs for Metropolis in Man of Steel. As it is, we've seen from photos taken at location shoot sites that they cribbed the location names from that map, and are using a modified map of Detroit for Gotham to plant those names on.
Some interesting mapping linkages re: Detroit and Gotham for the purpose of this movie:
http://whatculture.com/film/batman-v...fan-see.php/19
https://twitter.com/tribluis/status/532676691752386560
What do you see in those visuals?
http://whatculture.com/film/batman-v...fan-see.php/19
https://twitter.com/tribluis/status/532676691752386560
What do you see in those visuals?
Just had a leaf-through at the local public library, specifically the first post-Flashpoint Flash collection, Move Forward, featuring Francis Manapul's material.
I have a vague feeling we covered this before...here or elsewhere...but anyway:
Did Manapul really go and replace all the existing Keystone-Central neighbourhood names with names of cities and neighbourhoods from the Greater Toronto Area? I had to take off my glasses and squint and I'm still not sure that I actually saw names like Vaughan, Pickering, Scarborough, and so forth on the map that showed up in that hardcover.
I see DC Comics-based movies are continuing that tradition.
Evidence herein, from location shooting for Man of Steel:
http://www.supermanhomepage.com/images/man-of-steel-movie2/110914-taxi1.html
At least the motto fits.
Evidence herein, from location shooting for Man of Steel:
http://www.supermanhomepage.com/images/man-of-steel-movie2/110914-taxi1.html
At least the motto fits.
Looking back at this entry on Pete Woods' mapping out of Metropolis for the purposes of Geoff Johns, James Robinson and company a couple of years back...particularly in the context of this YouTube video Pete uploaded for other artists to work from.
The whole thing still seems a bit inconsistent with what was previously established, but I must give kudos to the effort that Pete put into this project. This took a lot of work to nail down as much as he did.
Some quick links
Aug. 4th, 2012 10:21 pmA retrospective of five of Alpha Flight's HQs over the decades.
The same blogger's opinion on which five DCU cities should be annexed by Canada, if you can believe it. Read this for the entertainment value. (And is DC still serious about retroactively making Booster Gold one of us post-Flashpoint, people? Really?)
(Also...if the DCU characters were to be all Canadianized? Smallville? In Saskatchewan. No arguments on this one, readers of mine.)
Is it possible for a mystery bookstore to self-resurrect in Ottawa? Linda Wiken saith "YES!" Effective this very weekend, in fact!
More later on...
Update 19 June 2014: The blog entries linked to here have - along with the blog itself - been rendered private by the owner. Didn't know until today that this had happened, nor am I aware of when and why. Apologies for this.
The same blogger's opinion on which five DCU cities should be annexed by Canada, if you can believe it. Read this for the entertainment value. (And is DC still serious about retroactively making Booster Gold one of us post-Flashpoint, people? Really?)
(Also...if the DCU characters were to be all Canadianized? Smallville? In Saskatchewan. No arguments on this one, readers of mine.)
Is it possible for a mystery bookstore to self-resurrect in Ottawa? Linda Wiken saith "YES!" Effective this very weekend, in fact!
More later on...
Update 19 June 2014: The blog entries linked to here have - along with the blog itself - been rendered private by the owner. Didn't know until today that this had happened, nor am I aware of when and why. Apologies for this.
Comic Book Movie Maps: A Pointed Query
Jul. 30th, 2012 05:06 pmThese search terms have come up empty for me:
Are they still working in the field?
- Matt Hatton
- Beth Garswood
- graphic design
- Superman Returns
Are they still working in the field?
Post-Flashpoint DCU Geography Fun?
Nov. 27th, 2011 09:36 pmCare of Rich Johnston, for what it's worth:
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/11/27/where-in-the-world-is-coast-city/
Some things occur to me as possibilities:
1) This was a simple mistake.
2) If it's a retcon, it's a mildly largish one.
3) If Hal Jordan's really expected to have his USAF uniform traded in via retcon for any other nation's standard issue, some brains are gonna explode.
4) Californian comics fans should complain about losing both Coast AND Star Cities if this is editorially expected to stick as a retcon.
I lean more towards thought # 1 here, though. This will likely be fixed for the trade paperback.
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/11/27/where-in-the-world-is-coast-city/
Some things occur to me as possibilities:
1) This was a simple mistake.
2) If it's a retcon, it's a mildly largish one.
3) If Hal Jordan's really expected to have his USAF uniform traded in via retcon for any other nation's standard issue, some brains are gonna explode.
4) Californian comics fans should complain about losing both Coast AND Star Cities if this is editorially expected to stick as a retcon.
I lean more towards thought # 1 here, though. This will likely be fixed for the trade paperback.
Hub City and Its Real-World Neighbours
Dec. 7th, 2010 04:24 pmA long time ago in the pages of The Question, as written by Dennis O'Neil and illustrated by Denys Cowan and others, it was said that Hub City, the titular character's home town, was modelled somewhat loosely upon East St. Louis, Illinois.
After seeing this item on the neighbouring town of Cairo, I wonder if that town was the only inspiration that Mr. O'Neil had in mind.
Or was Cairo in better shape back in the late 1980's?
Might it still be so, and this page isn't telling the whole story?
After seeing this item on the neighbouring town of Cairo, I wonder if that town was the only inspiration that Mr. O'Neil had in mind.
Or was Cairo in better shape back in the late 1980's?
Might it still be so, and this page isn't telling the whole story?
Okay. Refresh your memory here:
http://dewline.livejournal.com/333415.html
I need to do the same.
( Read more... )
http://dewline.livejournal.com/333415.html
I need to do the same.
( Read more... )
78 million sentients.
That's the population of Metropolis during the Legion's first year, according to Brainiac 5. "78 million sentient inhabitants in the urban zone before you reach the greenbelt" being the exact phrasing as recorded in Adventure # 515.
It's been three or four months since that issue saw print, but that figure has started to nag at me a little. So, I did a little digging. I'll do it again here, just to make sure that the "show your work" crowd is working from the same playbook.
Here's a map of 30th Century Metropolis as sanctioned by Legion writer past and present Paul Levitz, and modified for re-use back in Who's Who in the LSH # 6, circa 1988:
Using 2009 estimates from the US census people as provided by Wikipedia...
Connecticut: 3,518,288
Rhode Island: 1,053,209
Massachussetts: 6,593,587
New York and New Jersey get a little tricky here, seeing as not all of each of those two states gets incorporated into the boundaries of Legion Era Metropolis...so we're going to put that off to "Step Two", which may involve a little Google Earth, a little Photoshop...
That's the population of Metropolis during the Legion's first year, according to Brainiac 5. "78 million sentient inhabitants in the urban zone before you reach the greenbelt" being the exact phrasing as recorded in Adventure # 515.
It's been three or four months since that issue saw print, but that figure has started to nag at me a little. So, I did a little digging. I'll do it again here, just to make sure that the "show your work" crowd is working from the same playbook.
Here's a map of 30th Century Metropolis as sanctioned by Legion writer past and present Paul Levitz, and modified for re-use back in Who's Who in the LSH # 6, circa 1988:
Using 2009 estimates from the US census people as provided by Wikipedia...
Connecticut: 3,518,288
Rhode Island: 1,053,209
Massachussetts: 6,593,587
New York and New Jersey get a little tricky here, seeing as not all of each of those two states gets incorporated into the boundaries of Legion Era Metropolis...so we're going to put that off to "Step Two", which may involve a little Google Earth, a little Photoshop...
Mid-May 2010
May. 15th, 2010 11:30 pmFeel free to discuss any or all of these as your interests guide you...
1. On movies: I went to see Gunless on Monday, The Trotsky on Friday...and I had fun watching both of them. Seems like it was a good week for me to see CanCon movies overall.
Haven't seen Iron Man 2 yet, although I fully expect to enjoy it as I did the first film.
2. InsideTheCBC.com asks a simple question about bias issues, and look at all the dog-piling going on in response. Amazing, isn't it?
I'm reminded of a recent installment of Age of Persuasion, "Where the Power Resides", wherein the power of the audience was discussed at some length. In the course of this episode, a clip from a Rod Serling interview was re-aired wherein Serling spoke of his POV on that episode of Lassie wherein she gave birth to puppies. Whereupon the producers and network responsible were flooded with what apparently turned out to be a handful of people cranking out letters of complaint by the thousands levelling accusations of producing and airing obscene material. Nonetheless, despite the source, the letters had their intended impact. Sad, and precedent-enforcing impact.
3. Watched "Flesh and Stone" on Doctor Who tonight. Fun, and more than a little chilling at all the points where it was intended. Including the final act, I daresay.
4. Noticed in Flash # 2 this week that the noble habit of fictional municipalities having their own Departments of Motor Vehicles in the DC Universe is apparently continuing...and with DNA profiles included on their smart-strips as well. We can probably blame the Durlan participation in the Alliance Invasion of 1988 for that last item, but the former - the bit about municipal DMVs? - that bothers me more than a little. Seeing as we've known for some years that - for Barry Allen's hometown's example - Central City's in Missouri, what's the point of devolving DMV duties onto Central City?
Any theories?
1. On movies: I went to see Gunless on Monday, The Trotsky on Friday...and I had fun watching both of them. Seems like it was a good week for me to see CanCon movies overall.
Haven't seen Iron Man 2 yet, although I fully expect to enjoy it as I did the first film.
2. InsideTheCBC.com asks a simple question about bias issues, and look at all the dog-piling going on in response. Amazing, isn't it?
I'm reminded of a recent installment of Age of Persuasion, "Where the Power Resides", wherein the power of the audience was discussed at some length. In the course of this episode, a clip from a Rod Serling interview was re-aired wherein Serling spoke of his POV on that episode of Lassie wherein she gave birth to puppies. Whereupon the producers and network responsible were flooded with what apparently turned out to be a handful of people cranking out letters of complaint by the thousands levelling accusations of producing and airing obscene material. Nonetheless, despite the source, the letters had their intended impact. Sad, and precedent-enforcing impact.
3. Watched "Flesh and Stone" on Doctor Who tonight. Fun, and more than a little chilling at all the points where it was intended. Including the final act, I daresay.
4. Noticed in Flash # 2 this week that the noble habit of fictional municipalities having their own Departments of Motor Vehicles in the DC Universe is apparently continuing...and with DNA profiles included on their smart-strips as well. We can probably blame the Durlan participation in the Alliance Invasion of 1988 for that last item, but the former - the bit about municipal DMVs? - that bothers me more than a little. Seeing as we've known for some years that - for Barry Allen's hometown's example - Central City's in Missouri, what's the point of devolving DMV duties onto Central City?
Any theories?
Prompted by the Blackest Night: Weird Western Tales tie-in, a thread on the Paperfilms BBS run by Messrs. Gray and Palmiotti and Ms. Conner got me wondering.
( Continuity banter and plot spoilers after the cut! )
( Continuity banter and plot spoilers after the cut! )
