Sometimes -- in particular when it's late at night, and, occasionally with the aid of some liquid courage -- I go online and start searching for something strange to buy. Something... I hadn't really ever considered buying before.
Tonight, it's a Guy Fawkes mask. Not necessarily one as depicted in the V for Vendetta movie, but that would be ok. But some sort of Guy Fawkes mask. Don't ask me, "John, did you really like the movie that much?" or "John, do you really need one?" You see, now I've discovered that they're not so trivial to find online and I'm more curious than ever to see if I can find one. (And, yes, I did quite enjoy the movie.)
Now, you'd think that maybe, this wouldn't be hard to find. Google has informed me that children in Britain will make or buy these around Guy Fawkes day. If they buy them... perhaps these items might be for sale somewhere online, I reason. And, of course, with the recent release of the movie (which had as a key plot point the distribution of thousands of Guy Fawkes masks,) maybe there would be some tie-in promotional masks to be found somewhere.
As it turns out, there are three movie tie-in masks. A cheap one printed on cardboard. Another one that was only available at one or two comic conventions. And a fancy display item that was limited to a run of 500 (and originally retailed for $195.) You can pick up the first two, at least, on eBay. The cardboard one might not be quite what I was looking for. The con promo item goes for a healthy price.
Also, if two eBay sellers are to be trusted, there's a licensed mask coming out -- perhaps not as fancy-schmancy and maybe more intended for actual use on Halloween or five days later on Guy Fawkes day -- that should be released in the next month or so. Two sellers offered these as "pre-sale" items, claiming they'd ship within 30 days of auction close. So maybe I'd just need to wait for that to come out?
Still, though, what about an actual non-film related traditional Guy Fawkes mask? What else not related to the movie is available? Well, several stores I can find in the UK sell Guy Fawkes hats. But no masks that I've found. Most curious.
I also discovered that a 21-year-old comic book Whoopee 500 had a cut-out Guy Fawkes mask. And, if I could lay my paws on a copy of the British magazine Fireworks #40, it supposedly has some mention of where to obtain a Guy Fawkes mask. With all that vital and important information pulled from the internet, I'm going to have to call it a day and resolve to not buy a Guy Fawkes mask... at least until after I've gotten some sleep.
The creators of the Action Philosophers! comic book series are doing a signing of their latest issue at Jim Hanley's Universe in New York City this evening. Action Philosophers! is a truly unique comic book that takes a silly-but-educational look at the topic of philosophy. Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey pay homage to some of the greatest and most influential thinkers throughout history (such as Plato, Thomas Jefferson, Nietzsche, and Freud) by devoting a full one-third of a comic book to each of them. 
