The Energon Pub

Okay I picked up Escalation the TPB and while Its nice to see my home towns lake being used for the Autobots hiding hole, I'm rather, not displeased but...slightly urked at how badly it seems that Mr. Furman or Mr. Su can read a map.

I flip to page 36, first panel. Jazz is pulling up to the gates of a police impound. It says in the caption Springfeild PD: Impound Lot. Nice...okay fine...but then my eyes scan the background and what do I see. The Sears tower.

Now, I know that most people associate Chicago with the State of Illinios, but...and this is important. Springfeild is no where near close to Chicago. Infact it's pretty much a half days drive or more from the Metro area. You can not see the chicago skyline from there, no matter where you are! So why...why must there be a big Sears tower in the background?

I not a nitpicker, I just really really dislike it when artist or writers do this. Take a city in a state that happens to have a well known city and then places it so close that you can see landmarks when it's impossible to do. It's like saying you can see the Empire state from Camden New york.

guh...

On a lighter note I did enjoy the story.

Not sure how much say Furman has in the background art department, plus he is from the Uk so probably has only a limited knowledge of American geography.

As for the American Su, perhaps he was throwing in a visual reference for us non US residents who have no real clue about what is where so we can place it in at least the correct quarter of America.

Okay that makes sense, but why not put, "Springfeild IL: Police Impound lot."

The thing is Su does it twice, once with the Sears tower and once with a building that has a dimond shape to it. I can't recall the name right now, but it's not as visual as say the John Handcock, so why use that.

Speaking of...where exactly did they crash in lake michigan? Because they're crossing the water to get to the sand bank, and if they're heading for Tulsa, you want to go away from the Chicago metro area and head due west. Sooo...would that put them where? Near the northern part of Michigan?

i_amtrunks wrote:Not sure how much say Furman has in the background art department, plus he is from the Uk so probably has only a limited knowledge of American geography.

As for the American Su, perhaps he was throwing in a visual reference for us non US residents who have no real clue about what is where so we can place it in at least the correct quarter of America.

Furman attended OTFCC 2003 so has been to Chicago before, i guess it really is a lack of knowledge, i would really know if you could see the sears towers or not from certain parts of Chicago.

Sometimes trying too hard does make the story harder to swallow for puritans

I didn't even notice any Sears Tower. What does that say about me?

....don't answer that.

Well Furman is from the UK, he just writs the story and sais the artist shuld make a realistik looking background, so it's the artists foult.

And if you ask that, why can you see in holiwood movies that play in paris the Eifeltower from every window?