NEWSLETTER NO. 8 OF 2007

AXIS OF EVIL MAPPING NEWSLETTER # 8 - October, 2007

INTRODUCTION

            It seems hard to believe that summer is over. Here in our northern climes, leaves are already changing colours, preparing to shed their green foliage. It is also trade show season; starting with the IMTA Americas conference, which was held in historic Philadelphia Sept. 22-24. As I was the President, I was quite busy with various functions and could not give adequate attention to ITMB’s stand. If any attendees wanted to see me and were unable to do so, I apologize.

            I also wish to thank the IMTA membership for selecting me as President. This was a great honour and I tried my best to represent the best interests of IMTA during my term. I hope that the Association is stronger at the end of my term. I now move on to serve on the International Board for a year, and will, of course, be hosting the IMTA Global Map Conference in Vancouver, in September, 2008, the largest conference ever held by IMTA.

ITMB PRICES IN US DOLLARS

            It is no secret that the US dollar has been declining in value for the past few years against other currencies, the $CDN being one of these. There are a variety of reasons for this, none of which are pertinent to this article. However, ITMB’s costs and suggested retail pricing system internationally is based in Canadian dollars, and all prices we note for invoicing purposes are based on the value of that currency in relation to Canadian dollars. Over the past three years, the value of the American dollar has declined from $1.657cdn to $1.00cdn. This represents a 40% decline in value over a relatively short time period. ITMB’s income has been severely eroded by the lower values of the US$. Some of our titles retail for $13.95cdn and $10.95us – a $3.00 difference – at a time when the actual difference is one half of one cent. This cannot continue.

            We must adjust our US$ pricing structure to reflect its actual value. Prices already pre-printed on ITMB maps will be honoured, but new releases will be priced higher to reflect the lower purchasing power of the American currency. I will be contacting our distributors who order from us in US funds, not all of whom are in the United States, with regard to pricing changes. I regret having to change prices upwards, and will give adequate notice of this, but new releases going to press as of today will show pre-priced amounts equal to the $CDN listed price. To lessen the blow, country maps in future will be $12.95 and city maps $10.95 Price changes of existing non-pre-priced titles will have to be adjusted effective the beginning of 2008.

            I hasten to add that this affects ONLY the US prices. Euro and Pound Sterling prices are not affected.

NEWS FLASH!!!

            I went to my bank today to deposit $30,000us into my firm’s Canadian bank account. The exchange rate was .98 The dollar dropped an astounding 2 cents from close of banking Friday to opening Monday, costing me a $600.00 loss just over the weekend. That’s $300 a day lost value. Incredible!

AMAZONIA

            It is with a degree of sadness that I have to announce the end of another of Kevin Healey’s masterpiece maps. Amazon Basin began life as an academic map called Amazonia, prepared for an international conference on rain forest preservation, held in Honolulu in 1990. ITMB was asked to prepare a map of the Amazon forest area to guide the 500 scientists and environmentalists attending. The resultant map, the first detailed map ever published showing the entire network of inter-locked tributaries of countless rivers flowing into the mighty Amazon, became the focus of the conference. So many academics contributed their specialized knowledge that we were asked to compile everything on to a post-conference map. Amazon Basin was the result.

            Over the following 17 years, the artwork for this map was updated and re-released four times, and 20,000 copies of Amazon Basin have sold. It is still the only map of this important rain forest in existence. However, technology has overtaken the map, which was prepared manually by Kevin, leaning over a home-made light table for months at a time, hand-scribing every line on film and attaching each and every place and river name with bees’ wax. Nowadays, as we all know, computers do everything, and this fine example of a craftsman’s artistry can no longer be manually updated or printed as supplies, craftsmen, films, and printing equipment no longer exist

Naturally, we’re not prepared to abandon the Amazon title. Lan, in her own inimitable way, has created a new, digitally-prepared, double-sided map of this crucially important watershed area. It covers all the many rivers that form the Amazon basin and has been able to capture the information on the ‘old’ map, while using the expanded scale of the new map to add and enhance countless details that were crammed on to the earlier editions or for which there was inadequate room to include.

            Most people, including myself, rarely appreciate the months of effort needed to create a map. The computer is a tool, not an end in itself, and only the skill and artistic talent of a true cartographer can create a map that is not only technically excellent, but artistically pleasing. I usually see artwork just before it goes to press, as Lan supervises everything and forms the completed map out of thousands of disparate bits and pieces. This map is one of those exceptional occurrences that happen every so often in the world of making maps, where a truly beautiful work of art emanates from a hundred file layers of a computer program.

ITMB’s NEW WEB STORE

            I’m relieved to say that our new ITMB web store is finally up and running. To start with, we are listing only ITMB published titles, and will gradually add the map lines of other publishers as we gain experience with this new format. Graeme has done a sterling job in creating a programmable web store that is modern, easy to use, secure, and comprehensive. For the time being, the only way into the store is via www.itmb.com, then click on the shop icon. We’ll be improving the link and the access once we’re comfortable with the site. Like all web usage, this one looks simple on the surface, but has months of efforts behind it and is incredibly complex.

PRESS RELEASES AND THE AXIS NEWSLETTER

            As we become more familiar with the new technology of our web store, we plan to move our mailing list into this format. Currently, if you wish to subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your email information, you have to send us an email and hope that we effect what you wish done. With the new web store site, you subscribe, change your information, or unsubscribe as you wish. You are more in control. If you wish to switch, please visit http://shop.itmb.ca/ and sign in!

A LITTLE HUMOUR TO BREAK THE MOOD

            I read this in today’s paper. A man who was declared dead following a motor accident in Buenos Aires was carted off to the morgue. When the medical examiner began his autopsy by slicing open the man’s skull, two things happened. First, blood spurted out of the opening (which doesn’t happen with corpses) and second, the ‘dead’ man screamed. Once the doctor recovered from his own fright, he sewed the man ‘s wound and had him sit in the entrance lobby – which is where he was when his grieving ‘widow’ arrived to identify his mortal remains. She fainted when he noticed her passing by and called her name, then he fainted from weakness and the doctor rushed out to find two bodies in the morgue’s foyer. The ‘patient’ now has his own death certificate framed in his living room, to show to friends. It’s a funny world.

ITMB TITLES: WORK IN PROGRESS

Antarctica has suddenly depleted to next to no inventory, thanks to a large order that we received. What we want to do is to show the differences in the actual shape of the icy continent over the past seven years by noting those segments that have carved away thanks to global warming. The new edition should be ready by December.

Brasil is out of print. The next edition is at press and will be launched at the Frankfurt Book Fair in October.

Chile is once again moving forward, thanks to brand new GIS data that helps fill in gaps that have delayed this important title for years. It is too early to promise anything, but we’re moving ahead.

Croatia is finally at press and expected by the end of October.

Guangzhou, or Guangchou, formerly Canton, China, is being prepared for printing as I write. This will be our fourth city map of China, and places ITMB in the forefront of mapping important destinations in this rapidly-expanding tourist country. We hope to launch this city map before the end of October.

Melbourne, Australia, a new, original ITMB title, is at press and should be available in time for the Frankfurt Book Fair in October. This will be our third title related to Australia, with more to come in 2008.

Mexico North East, a new title for ITMB at 1:1M scale, is at press and expected to be released in time for the Frankfurt Book Fair, in October. This is the first time this part of Mexico has been mapped in such detail.

Sonora and Chihuahua States, Mexico:  This title is at press. We plan to release it at the Frankfurt Book Fair in October. This is the first of a series of more detailed 1:1M maps of major states and regions in Mexico. Jalisco, Chiapas, and Oaxaca are possible future ventures. Combined with Mexico North East, see above, the entire USA/Mexico border will shortly be available in great detail.

Yucatan Peninsula is out of print and being updated. No ETA is available at this moment.

BAD NEWS

            ADAC, the German Automobile Club (equivalent to the AA in Britain or the AAA in the States) sold its map-making division to Mairs/Dumont of Stuttgart in July. ADAC decided to discontinue paper maps and Mairs, understandably, does not need two lines using essentially the same artwork. ADAC and Mairs have competed for years for the German paper map market and ADAC’s unexpected change of direction has caught a lot of people by surprise. I will be meeting with Mairs/Dumont in Frankfurt during the Buchmesse.

MORE BAD NEWS

            News arrived recently advising me that Universal Maps, one of the largest map publishers in the USA, has filed for bankruptcy. In American law, a firm restructuring is allowed to do this to protect it against creditors while seeking an alternative to liquidation. Its demise leaves Rand as the only major player in the provision of paper maps to retailers remaining in the United States. AAA supplies only members.

            News has also arrived to advise me that Footprint Handbook of UK fame, has been purchased by Globe Pequot of the USA. Footprint had an illustrious career publishing annual editions of the traveller’s bible, the famous South American Handbook, for 65 years. About a decade ago, it expanded its line and changed its name to Footprint. Although I wish the new owners well, I see this move as yet another example of the shrinkage of the travel publishing trade, and a further example of the far-reaching after-shocks of 9/11.

            Sadly, my tale of woe is not over. Recently, I received notification that a formerly viable map specialty retailer, Metsker Maps of Tacoma, also doing business as Maps & Things Inc., has filed for liquidation bankruptcy. This firm is NOT connected in any way to Metsker Maps of Seattle, which continues to flourish.

DUMB AND DUMBER: WHICH CROOK IS DUMBEST

            Newspapers include humourous stories as well as the tragic ones. Here are two stories from the same page of yesterday’s Vancouver Province daily. The first emanates from London, England. An 18-year-old burglar used a black marker pen to daub “Peter Addison was here!” on the wall of a building he had broken into during the night. The police checked the name against Google and Bingo, Peter and his accomplice were promptly arrested when his name and that of his gang turned up as a web site. I’m not kidding, these thieves had their own web site!

            The second story comes out of Poland. An author was convicted of murder after he described a killing in a novel that so closely resembled an actual murder from 2000, including details known only to investigating officers, that he came under suspicion of being the perpetrator. One of the officers on the case read his novel and said the Polish equivalent of “Hello. What do we have here?” The Moral? Don’t try an OJ Simpson in eastern Europe!

FORTHCOMING TRADE SHOWS

Frankfurt Book Fair, October 10-14 – We hope to see quite a few associates at our stand 3.1 M 666.

IMTA Portugal, in Cacais, near Lisbon, in February, 2008 – At this point, we plan on attending.

ITMB TITLES RELEASED IN SEPTEMBER, 2007

Ethiopia Travel Reference Map 4th Ed. 2008 1:2,000,000 ISBN 9781553412069 $13.95cdn/11.95us/E8.95/6.99GBP – This is the latest updating of one of the most interesting countries in Africa. There isn’t anything brilliantly innovative to report. We have tidied up the different layers of the artwork, have updated the road system, and have added more touristic information. We have also modernized the cover design and changed the ISBN – printed on paper, single-sided, inset map of Addis Ababa. AVAILABLE

Mumbai (Bombay), India, ITM City Map 1st Ed. 2008 1:12,000 ISBN 9781553416777 $10.95cdn/8.95us/E7.95/5.99GBP – This is a new title for ITMB, and moves us more firmly into mapping future travel destinations in Asia. India is fast emerging as an economic power and its travel attractions, which have always made this a popular country, are growing as the country improves its infrastructure. Mumbai, on the west coast, is one of the major cities in India. It is a fascinating city to visit, with modern hotels, many cultural attractions, and enormous rail complexes. This is the first map of this city to be published by any firm outside of India, and a sign of future maps of interesting cities ITM plans to publish in the future. AVAILABLE

New Zealand Travel Reference Map 5th Ed. 2008 1:950,000, waterproof ISBN 9781553413462 $13.95cdn/11.95us/E8.95/6.99GBP – I am very pleased to announce the release of this long-awaited map. This is actually a brand-new map, not an update, being the latest ITMB map to be created from highly-detailed GIS downloaded files and satellite imagery. It is also the first version of this attractive country to have been produced in-house. It looks lovely. It is printed on durable ITM plastic paper for strength as well as waterproofing. The roads and place names are easy to read; we have been able to improve the scale and, thanks to our ground-truthing expedition to both north and south islands, is loaded with pertinent information for users. Golf courses, camping grounds, airports, penguin spotting sites, beaches, roads by classifications, distances between points AVAILABLE

Vancouver Island Travel Reference Map 5th Ed. 2005 1:250,000 ISBN 9781553418801 $6.95cdn & us/E7.95/5.99GBP – This huge island, just west of Vancouver, is arguably the most popular travel destination in British Columbia. This latest updated edition has the same cover picture as the previous edition, but in our new cover design. The colouring of the artwork has been lightened to show the roads and touristic information to better advantage. Printed on paper, double sided, AVAILABLE

TITLES RELEASED TO DATE IN 2007 (57 titles to mid-September)

This feature has been discontinued to save space. We will re-issue it as a complete file at the end of December as a separate e-mailing.