Amazing Fantasy #9
This blog entry was originally posted on July 06, 2005.
Greetings, true believers! It has been brought to my attention that there is a minor Marvel comic book character very loosely based on… me! Seriously! This means your favorite real life mild-mannered travel blogwriter is now a part of the Marvel universe with the likes of Wolverine and Spiderman — and I mean the ficticious one, not the dress up guy wandering around the streets of Manila on New Year’s Eve.
In Marvel’s revival of Amazing Fantasy, in issue No. 9 (June 2005), the main character, a globetrotting female assassin known as The Scorpion, encounters Troy, a young aspiring travel writer on a round-the-world trip. She actually starts falling for Troy until she has to leave him to kick some ass, leaving Troy all confused and alone in Prague.
If you pick up the issue (available at comic stores everywhere), you’ll see that while Troy is an aspiring travel writer who keeps a travel blog, his illustrated likeless doesn’t exactly fit me; he’s a blonde white guy and I’m a guy who looks like this. You’re probably thinking, That could be any backpacker; there are thousands of them! But if you turn to the last page, where there is a full page panel of Troy’s make-believe blog, you’ll see its likeness is strikingly similar to one you are familiar with.
Note the similar layout design and font color scheme of the text, the labels of the pull down menus (of the same varied sizes), and even the “BLOG” logo in the upper right-hand corner. It is an obvious rip off of my crude design.
Coincidence? Hmmm… Is it a coincidence that the second comment is from a blogreader named “erik”?
(Well, perhaps not; I’m the friend of a friend of one of the writers at Marvel.)
Now if only I had some mutant powers….
Next entry: The Global Trip LIVE!
Previous entry: When Erik Met Rick Through Jen…
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Comments for “Amazing Fantasy #9”
when will the action figure be available?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 07/06 at 02:39 AM
MICHELLE: As soon as I can get enough popsicle sticks.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 07/06 at 03:12 AM
My first comment was going to be “when are you going to sue?” But now knowing that you have friends at Marvel, not so much…
Funny, though. They shoulda just made him like you…woulda been better…
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 07/06 at 09:24 AM
I go to reuse this Firefox tab… and blammo I see comments… thinking, “wtf” I examine a little more closely. By J Jonah Jamison, its a new entry! Our intrepid travel writer has infected yet another medium. Next thing you know, he’ll be fighting crime with Rage in, oh nevermind. I watch too much TV.
Congrats man… now if we can only get those peeps in the glass building in McLean to wake up and hire you already. E, you know Discovery and Nat Geo are down here too, but the city still stinks.
D.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 07/06 at 04:16 PM
Erik, came across your blog after talking to a friend at a hh who says she knows your brother. I’m addicted(at day 136 and coutning). Now I’m thinking of doing the same thing. Sure you’ve heard this several times?but how much did you save before going, what are you doing now for money, what was the grand total? I’m sure I’ll figure most of this out by the time I get to day 503
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 07/06 at 05:07 PM
dude, that’s cool! but why the hell does he have to be some blonde hair white guy? what’s wrong with making him non-white? booooo!!!! they should have made him look like you. and added some butt scenes since you love mooning everyone and everything. =P
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 07/06 at 05:17 PM
WOW, I’m surprised that people still look up this blog so many months after the end…
More Epilogue news to come…
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 07/06 at 05:37 PM
DAN: About $24k initially; I spent close to $30K in total, which included donations, pledges, and credit loans…
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 07/06 at 05:39 PM
Ha ha, told you so.
And I can see the drug store Halloween costumes now… complete with baseball tee and soul patch. That’s gotta be worth like 1/2 a point, right?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 07/06 at 05:50 PM
nice! now you’re immortalized.
Posted by Alyson on 07/06 at 07:49 PM
maybe jessica alba can play your character in the movie….
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 07/06 at 08:22 PM
Thanks Erik. I mentioned traveling and the friend immediately mentioned the blog. Really great idea?glad I found it. Welcome back(a few months late).
Didn’t realize it was going to be that expensive?maybe if I avoid buying the Carnaval costume…
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 07/06 at 08:39 PM
DAN: It doesn’t have to be that expensive; choose your countries wisely; the rule of thumb is $1k a month.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 07/06 at 08:47 PM
Hey, in that case I can quit my job tomorrow! I think I’ll finish all 503 entries first so I can get a few ideas. Thanks again, this is a great reference for travel ideas.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 07/06 at 08:50 PM
Greetings from Canada,
Funny thing is….I haven’t clicked on here in awhile….but for some reason I did today!! Cool news….I too agree that he should have looked just like you!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 07/06 at 09:30 PM
Whoo-hoo, another update!!!
First off, I haven’t read all your entries (since there’s so many) but reading that Spiderman/Manila entry was hilariously entertaining!! I’m in awe of how many fantastic moments u had while travelling!! If I could only experience 1% of the moments you had, I’d be content!!
And I was starting to think “what the—are you going to sue??” until I read down further. You’re starting to have an underground cult following, what with all the mentions you have.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 07/07 at 11:11 PM
dood. do you even know HOW KEWL you are!?!?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 07/08 at 02:03 PM
8-)
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 07/08 at 09:27 PM
WOW! astig! remember me? hehehe..
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 07/10 at 10:48 AM
Hi Erik,
I accidentally deleted your email address from a while ago, would you mind giving it me again or sending me a quick email. I have a couple of super quick travel questions if you don’t mind.
Thanks!
And yes, I check this website once a week to see if anything new is posted.Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 07/10 at 06:09 PM
I always check back every few months to rehash old times…
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 07/19 at 10:13 PM
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This blog post is one of over 500 travel dispatches from the trip blog, "The Global Trip 2004: Sixteen Months Around The World (Or Until Money Runs Out, Whichever Comes First)," originally hosted by BootsnAll.com. It chronicled a trip around the world from October 2003 to March 2005, which encompassed travel through thirty-seven countries in North America, South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. It was this blog that "started it all," where Erik evolved and honed his style of travel blogging — it starts to come into focus around the time he arrives in Africa.
Praised and recommended by USA Today, RickSteves.com, and readers of BootsnAll and Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree, The Global Trip blog was selected by the editors of PC Magazine for the "Top 100 Sites You Didn't Know You Couldn't Live Without" (in the travel category) in 2005.
Next entry:
The Global Trip LIVE!
Previous entry:
When Erik Met Rick Through Jen…
THE GLOBAL TRIP GLOSSARY
Confused at some of the jargon that's developed with this blog and its readers over the years? Here's what they mean:
BFFN: acronym for "Best Friend For Now"; a friend made on the road, who will share travel experiences for the time being, only to part ways and lose touch withThe Big Trip: the original sixteen month around-the-world trip that started it all, spanning 37 countries in 5 continents over 503 days (October 2003–March 2005)
NIZ: acronym for "No Internet Zone"; a place where there is little to no Internet access, thus preventing dispatches from being posted.
SBR: acronym for "Silent Blog Reader"; a person who has regularly followed The Global Trip blog for years without ever commenting or making his/her presence known to the rest of the reading community. (Breaking this silence by commenting is encouraged.)
Stupid o'clock: any time of the early morning that you have to wake up to catch a train, bus, plane, or tour. Usually any time before 6 a.m. is automatically “stupid o’clock.”
The Trinidad Show: a nickname of The Global Trip blog, used particularly by travelers that have been written about, who are self-aware that they have become "characters" in a long-running story — like characters in the Jim Carrey movie, The Truman Show.
WHMMR: acronym for "Western Hemisphere Monday Morning Rush"; an unofficial deadline to get new content up by a Monday morning, in time for readers in the western hemisphere (i.e. the majority North American audience) heading back to their computers.
1981ers: people born after 1981. Originally, this was to designate groups of young backpackers fresh out of school, many of which were loud, boorish and/or annoying. However, time has passed and 1981ers have matured and have been quite pleasant to travel with. The term still refers to young annoying backpackers, regardless of year — I guess you could call them "1991ers" in 2013 — young, entitled millennials on the road these days, essentially.
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