After I posted last week’s strip, Bushidō, i received some comments and emails asking a) if the Iron Giant toy was real, and b) do I like The Iron Giant movie, so I thought I’d answer both here:

a) Yes, the Iron Giant toy’s real and is pictured here, with me casting a wary eye out for Michael’s (aka the Cornfather’s) thieving hands. It’s very cool and speaks a few lines from the movie with a press of a button on its back. It can also be set to act as a sentry, and will start speaking if you cross in front of it, though this feature doesn’t work very well.

b) A huge “YES!” With a poignant story, great characters and beautiful animation, The Iron Giant’s one of my favorite movies and I can’t recommend it highly enough. The director, Brad Bird, is one of my favorites and his resume includes many of my top animated movies of all time, including The Iron Giant, The Incredibles and Ratatouille. If you haven’t seen this movie, go rent or buy it immediately. I’m anxiously awaiting the inevitable Blu-ray release.