AXIS OF EVIL MAPPING NEWSLETTER JANUARY, #1 OF 2012

NEW TITLES RELEASED SINCE THE LAST NEWSLETTER: December’s released are repeated below as well, but look at these!!! Congo and Central African Republic, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and El Salvador, Thailand, and the Thailand/Vietnam/Laos/Cambodia Travel Atlas. Details below.

Dear all,

INTRODUCTION
2011 was not a particularly great year for business, or for our family. Uncle Osama was just minding his own business, watching TV, when some masked gunmen, who kept chanting hup, hup, hup, stormed his villa near Islamabad and shot him dead, without as much as a please or a thank you. About the same time, Uncle Mub decided to visit his villa in Sharm-el-Shiek and now finds himself on trial for his life! Just down the street, Uncle Omar got into a shouting match with some pent-up locals who didn’t want him crawling though their nice clean culvert and shot him dead, for nothing! What’s the world coming to? Then, just before Christmas, we learned of the unexpected passing of Uncle Kim, supposedly of a heart attack, and presumably on a moving train. Since he owns his own train and, being filthy rich, has his own doctor in constant touch, this scenario seems a bit hard to believe, particularly as his train was not being used at the time. However, who’s going to argue with the state-run news media? Oy vey, it was quite a year. If this keeps up, I won’t have any relatives left by the end of 2012.

NEW FOR 2012 FROM ITMB
Even though it’s only January, Lan is hard at work creating new projects. Despite the recession, and despite the predictions of doom and gloom within the map trade, paper maps are alive and well and selling (for me at least) about as well as could be expected in a world that is changing rapidly. Yes, certain types of maps, such as North American street maps, are not selling quite as well as used to be the case, but there is still a great market for them, as Guy Johnson can attest. International maps also seem to be selling quite well. We introduced a brand new map of the Canada/USA border, from New England to the islands west of Vancouver in November, the first time such a map has been published, and have been so gratified by positive responses that we’ve started working on a USA/Mexico Border map. We finally completed the artwork for the Congo River Basin map and sent it to press, so the last missing link in Africa’s mapping coverage is about to be filled. This was an exceptionally difficult part of the world to map, due to the lack of cartographic information about the vast Congo rain forest. The trees are so lush and so compactly situated that, for most of the time, even satellite imagery can’t penetrate the tree coverage. This map will cover both Congos and the Central African Republic, so is a giant step forward for maps of Africa.
We have also sent USA Pacific Coast to press, for release in February, and are working on such exciting titles as a map of the World, an atlas covering the Middle East, a map of the Great Lakes region and another of central California, and new maps of the Cayman Islands and Dominica. Later this year, we hope to publish maps of Berlin and Eastern Germany, Houston and Texas, the Pacific Northwest, Albania, and maybe Bosnia. As well, there will be numerous updates and re-workings of existing titles, so 2012 should prove to be another busy year.

RETURNS POLICY
The economic crunch that is slowly squeezing all of us into tighter boxes has finally hit the ability of retailers to return surplus or obsolete inventory in a significant way. Retailers in North America rarely return inventory in any case, but as of January 1st, no returns of any publishing lines except ITMB’s will be accepted by us for any reason except received in damaged condition or surplus current edition inventory that is in resalable condition. All European publishers have discontinued accepting returns.
Retailers wishing to return ITMB titles that have been replaced by newer editions have three months to notify us of intent to return (by email). We will issue credit notes based on a promise to destroy obsolete copies. This applies to our international distributors as well, with the proviso that we will be sympathetic to modest delays caused by retailers in Europe not returning obsolete inventory promptly to the distributor. Surplus inventory of current editions can be returned, as long as the material is in resalable condition and non-stickered.

NEWS FROM BORCH PUBLISHING
Many of our North American customers are still surprised to learn that ITMB, through Mapline Distribution, is able to supply much more than ITMB. Kerstin Borch has been publishing an excellent line of laminated paper maps for several years. Her line is quite popular thanks to the durability of lamination. This makes the line easy to display (I’ve never seen a shopworn Borch map!) and attractive to users. Starting in January, 2012, prices are rising on selected titles, and this will continue through the next couple of years as new editions are released. Some country maps will be $12.95cdn/us and some city maps $9.95cdn/us, while other remain at lower levels. There are no increases in Canadian prices, but US ones will be adjusted upwards to reflect the reality of higher costs. I am unaware of any new titles coming in 2012, but there will be several new editions being released, and the Axis newsletter will advise you of changes as they arise.

NEWS FROM FREYTAG & BERNDT MAPS
ITMB introduced FB to the North American market way back in 1986, and we have remained the most stalwart and steadfast source of their widespread line ever since then. This year, FB is introducing a new line of plastic maps, similar in shape and content to the ITMB line. This is the first new innovation coming out of any European publishing house for the past decade, so is very welcome indeed. Most will be country maps, and only four have been released to date, so it’s a beginning, but not a flood. None are of new travel destinations not already mapped by FB. There should be no price changes with the FB line in 2012; country maps remain at $14.95cdn/us, and city maps at $11.95. FB releases new editions on a regular basis. FB also publishes a comprehensive range of Austrian hiking maps, Rother Travel Guides, and a series of recreation/specific maps that we do not normally carry, but we can order in such titles upon request (for example, the Greek island series).

NEWS FROM GIZIMAPS
Gizella Bassa has been a force in cartography for as long as I’ve been in business. Initially with Cartographia when it was a prominent mapping operation back in the 1980s, she formed her own mapping company as Hungary adjusted to the post-Soviet era, and has slowly expanded her line by one or two maps per year, specializing in the Middle East, India, China, and now into northern Africa with the release of Sudan/South Sudan late last year. ITMB carries the entire Gizimap line, which can be viewed on-line in our catalogue click-on (www.itmb.com). There are no price changes planned for this line during 2012 for the North American market. I am unaware at the moment of any new releases planned for 2012.

NEWS FROM HEMA MAPS
Hema Maps has discontinued most of its international mapping activities to concentrate on producing the best maps of Australia on the market. Based in Brisbane, Rob and his team have a great series of outback maps of the centre of Australia, as well as city, state, and country maps for Australia, New Zealand, and parts of the South Pacific. Again, ITMB introduced their line into the North American market back in the 1980s and, except during their brief foray into direct North American marketing, has been Hema’s major source of serving customers in the Americas, through growing customer confidence in ITM/Mapline. Again, the Hema line can be viewed on-line at www.itmb.com, or an email to wholesale@itmb.com will result in a printable list being sent to you.

NEWS FROM NELLES MAPS
ITMB was Nelles’ first distributor in the Americas, and has represented Nelles ever since 1986. Most North Americans are probably not aware that Nelles, founded by Gunther Nelles, publishes German-language travel guides as well; the map line, managed by his son Martin, is an important ingredient in their product line, but is only part of the bigger company. A year ago, Nelles announced a price increase to $13.95us per map, except for the Hawaii series. No new price changes should apply throughout 2012. No new titles are planned, but there will be several new editions. The Nelles line, with its distinctive hard covers, is very popular with retailers.

NEWS FROM VARIOUS UK-BASED PUBLISHERS
ITMB represents several UK-based publishing houses, including AA, Collins, Geographer’s A-Z, Global Mapping, Nicolson Maps, Ordnance Survey, and Rough Guide Maps. Over the past three years, I have watched in dismay and amazement as many of these firms have self-destructed or shrunk to insignificance. AA is still producing paper maps, but my feeling is that their heart isn’t in the business. Collins has discontinued their entire international mapping program that, under the Bartholomew name, dominated travel maps for a couple of generations. I started marketing their line in 1982. All they have left are a few UK-based atlases and a few UK-based maps. A-Z is a stalwart publisher/marketer of maps of cities in England and Wales, and their spiral atlas of London is the definitive work for that vast city. They seem to be carrying on quite normally, issuing new editions on a regular basis. Nicolson Maps publishes an exceptional range of street maps of Scotland, and has assumed responsibility for OS’s regional map series for Scotland at 1:250,000 scale. Ordnance Survey was ordered to discontinue their profitable commercial mapping activities two years ago by the then-Labour government and coverage of maps for Britain has suffered grievously as a result. Only the 1:50,000 Landranger series and the 1:25,000 Explorer series are still available, and are stocked by ITMB/Mapline. Rough Guides has decided to discontinue their map line, but we still market the titles that remain available. They produce excellent travel maps of such areas as Peru or the Yucatan and, at $9.99cdn/us, they’re attractively priced as well. Again, it’s all on our web site for viewing. Global Mapping is both a source of data for us and the supplier of a couple of ‘heavenly’ titles.

LET’S LIGHTEN THE MOOD WITH SOME TRIVIA
All of us know about one-way streets, eh? They’re in every city and I suppose most of us have turned the wrong way into one and ended up facing a Number 10 double-decker bus head on. Very embarrassing! Fortunately, such incidents rarely result in serious accidents. I recently read an article on the origins of one-way streets. Yes, they were actually deliberately created, and within recorded time. The first one was Albermarle Street, in London, in 1812. Such crowds were appearing to attend poetry sessions by Samuel Coleridge (Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner, among others) at the Royal Institute, located on that street, that the street became so choked with horse-drawn traffic (and cabbies politely saying ‘I say, chap, could you get a move on?’) that the city turned it into the world’s first one-way street, which it remains to this day.
Apparently, the first such street in America was created to deal with a shipwreck off of Ashbury Park, New Jersey. So many sightseers (called gawkers, a wonderful American word) drove to Ocean Avenue to view the break-up of the SS Morro Castle that the police chief ordered everyone to drive in one direction. Ocean Drive remained a one-way street until 2007, when somebody finally realized that no one had ever authorized it’s change, except during that one or two day period of watching a spectacle. It is now two-way again.

DUMB CROOK AWARD
I have to start off the New Year with yet another example of human frailty, this time in the category of ‘not thinking things through’. This incident happened in England between Christmas and New Year’s (I heard it on the radio). Some crooks decided to steal an ATM banking machine that was located inside a Blockbusters Video rental shop (yes, Blockbuster apparently still exists in England!). They dug a hole in an empty lot next door to the building, then tunneled underneath the shop, and eventually dug upwards and somehow drilled through the concrete foundation and flooring. Remember, this was being done in the middle of winter; just think of the amount of physical labour involved in sub-freezing weather. We’ll, having penetrated the building, they then wrestled the ATM machine into the tunnel, pushed and pulled it through the tunnel to the parking lot next door, heaved it out onto the ground, and broke it open. That’s when the plan failed. The machine, having been depleted by countless users withdrawing money over the Christmas shopping time period, was almost empty. Police are still looking for the hard-working thieves, who probably did all this work for about a dollar an hour.

NEW TITLES BEING RELEASED IN JANUARY
Congo and Central African Republic Travel Reference Map 1st Ed. 2012 1:2,000,000 ISBN 9781553411666 UPC 815534116680 $12.95cdn/us, E8.95 7.99GBP – This is a really exciting map, in that an area as large as Europe has been added to ITMB’s Africa series. We have been working on this artwork for over three years. It covers all of the Democratic Republic of Congo (the former Congo-Kinshasa, or Zaire), all of the People’s Republic of the Congo (known as Congo-Brazzaville or French Congo), and the Central African Republic to the north. This is in reality a map of the vast rain forest known as the Congo River Basin, and matches our equally complicated map of the Amazon River Basin and the Mekong, Mississippi/Missouri, Nile, and Mackenzie maps that we have published previously. A word of warning: the road network in the Congo is primitive – that means largely non-existent or in such poor condition as to wreck army trucks. We show the roads, and tried to classify them by quality, but this is a ‘work in progress’ and I hope that this map will create sufficient feedback to improve this aspect of the map. For this edition, we have laid the ground work for developing more detailed sectional maps as the need arises. The good news is that a map of this huge area is now available; printed double-sided, on paper. AVAILABLE.
Costa Rica Travel Reference Map 8th Ed. 2012 1:300,000 on waterproof paper ISBN 9781553412120 UPC 815534121257 $12.95cdn/us, E8.95 7.99GBP – Costa Rica remains our most popular title, year after year, and with good reason. The country is popular with visitors, and our map has captured the imagination of travelers. This latest edition does not have any brilliant new features. The scale has been improved slightly, new touristic information has been added, and the road information has been updated. The map has a new ISBN, but there is no change in price. AVAILABLE.
Nicaragua and El Salvador Travel Reference Map 3rd Ed. 2012 1:700,000/1:250,000 on waterproof paper ISBN 9781553413509 UPC 815534135049 $12.95cdn/us, E8.95 7.99GBP – This is actually a new map, combining two separate countries into one double-sided map with two separate covers – Nicaragua on one side, and El Salvador on the other. For Nicaragua, we have updated the road information and added new inset maps of Managua, San Juan, and Leon. El Salvador will continue as a separate title; this version of the same artwork has been added to the other side of this map for the convenience of users. AVAILABLE.
Thailand Travel Reference Map 7th Ed. 2012 1:900,000 on waterproof paper ISBN 9781553414476 UPC 815534144973 $12.95cdn/us, E8.95 7.99GBP – I was in Thailand a couple of months ago, to attend the IMTA Map Convention, but did not have time on this trip to explore more than Bangkok itself. Regardless, our staff have updated road and rail information on this touristically important country, such as the new rail connection with Vientiane, Laos, and main highway improvements, which are particularly noteworthy in the northern Chiang Mai region. We have also added new inset maps of Bangkok and Chiang Mai, and a new inset of the rapid Transit system in the capital. AVAILABLE.
Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia Travel Atlas 1st Ed. 2012 1:1,100,000 112 pages ISBN 9781553410676 UPC 815534106766 $19.95cdn/us, E14.95 13.99GBP – The Indochina Region consists of five countries, including that portion of Burma that sweeps down the western part of the Malay Peninsula. The four other countries form a cohesive entity for travel, especially now that border and visa requirements for travel have been reduced. Thailand itself is definitely the Number One reason for visiting the region. The first portion of the atlas is devoted to Thailand, including detailed page-size maps of Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Pattaya. Vietnam is the next most-popular destination and is shown in great detail, with inset maps of Hanoi, Hoi An, Hue, Da Nang, Da Lat, Can Tho, and the central Saigon portion of Ho Chi Minh City. Laos and Cambodia are shown with the same degree of attention to detail, including insets of Vientiane, Phnom Penh, and two maps concentrating on Angkor Wat. This is a compact and convenient way for visitors to the region to have everything they need in one format – easy to catty, easy to use. AVAILABLE.

NEW TITLES RELEASED IN LATE NOVEMBER/EARLY DECEMBER, 2011 (for those too busy to note such matters in the frantic build-up to Christmas dinner)
Kabul and the Historic Khyber Pass 1st Ed,. 2012 1:16,500 (city)/1:1,000,000 (region) ISBN 9781553416548 UPC 815534165466 $12.95cdn/us, E8.95 7.99GBP – Never let it be said that ITMB is a shrinking violet! Well, those who think Afghanistan is a perpetual basket case had better think again. Sure, the country is still infested with tribal factions (it always has been and probably always will be), and fighting still occurs all too often, but if one wants to get in on the groundswell of a new day, one starts early. This is the first map of Kabul that’s ever been published by a major cartographic house. Is it a good map? Well, I hope so. Obviously, doing the research was a bit difficult, but it is the best darned map on the market and will appeal to aid agencies, relief workers, the families of tens of thousands of soldiers who are posted to the region, and to the rebuilders who are steadily and quietly rebuilding the new Afghanistan. It isn’t all doom and gloom; there’s some exciting things happening in Afghanistan that are positive, like the rebuilding of the medieval fortress overlooking Heart, or the first council of elders that was held in Kabul very recently. I spent two wonderful cross-country trips to Afghanistan and am quite fond of the country and its warm-hearted people. Wars come, sadly, but eventually they leave. Think kind thoughts. AVAILABLE.
Malaysia Travel Reference Map 2nd Ed. 20121:750,000 (west)/1:1,100,000 (east) ISBN 9781553411963 UPC 815534119636 $12.95cdn/us E8.95 7.99GBP – Malaysia must be considered as two separate entities lumped together. The Malay Peninsula stretches south from the Thai border to the island republic of Singapore, and is overwhelmingly Muslim. The other half of the country is the far-flung island components of Sarawak and Sabah, with the Sultanate of Brunei in the middle, extending eastwards towards Polynesia, wild and only lightly touched by the modern world. As this is an update, there isn’t a lot of new material; obviously, things that have changed from the previous edition have been corrected/added, and the inset map of Kuala Lumpur has been re-worked. We have added a detailed hiking map to the Mount Kinabalu inset map, and have added the new spinal highway linking Sarawak with Brunei. AVAILABLE.
Mauritius and Rodrigues Travel Reference Map 1st Ed. 2012 1:90,000 ISBN 9781553413233 UPC 815534132376 $12.95cdn/us E8.95 7.99GBP – This is another brand new map title for ITMB. Although I’ve not yet been able to visit Mauritius, or its satellite island of Rodrigues, it’s in my planned trips for next year. The island, south and east of Cape Town, or more precisely Madagascar, is a major sugar-producing country, with enormous tourist potential. Dozens of beach resorts already dot the coastline, including all the ‘brand’ names, which bodes well for the future. Naturally, we’ve shown all the roads, villages, touristic sites, and attractions, and have respected the heritage of the island by inter-mingling French and English names, just as exists on the islands. This expands our country range to 150. Rodrigues is much smaller and less developed touristically, but has its own charm. AVAILABLE.
Norway Travel Reference Map 2nd Ed. 2012 1:875,000 ISBN 9781553410058 UPC 815534100580 $12.95cdn/us E8.95 7.99GBP – This is actually a brand new map, in that it is completely new artwork, although we have had a map of Norway for several years. Lan and I took our base map to Norway in October (approximately two months ago, as I write) and all of the pictures on the map emanate from that trip, including the interesting cover picture of a traditional stave church ( which is at Lom and noted on the map). Norway is, in my opinion, one of the most scenic countries in Europe. It has more tunneled roadways through mountains than Switzerland, a larger ferry system than anywhere else, what must be the most English-language friendly country in Europe outside of Holland, and scenery galore. As a word of warning, however, the roads tend to be narrow and winding, and speed limits of 60 to 70 kms/hour result in long days of driving if you want to see the whole country. We drove 6,000 kms in a week and never got north of Trondheim! This map is, in my opinion, far superior to our previous attempt, and would serve any traveller’s needs accurately and comprehensively. AVAILABLE.

NEW RELEASES IN OCTOBER, 2011: A SUMMARY
Eastern Canada Travel Atlas 1st Ed. 2011 157pg. scale varies ISBN 9781553410850 UPC 815534108586 S19.95cdn/us E14.95 13.99GBP
Bolivia Travel Reference Map 4th Ed. 2012 1:1,250,000 ISBN 9781553410126 UPC 815534101228 $12.95cdn/us, E8.95 7.99GBP
Chile South and Patagonia Travel Reference Map 1st Ed. 2012 1:1,250,000/1:2,000,000 ISBN 9781553411314 UPC 815534113153 $12.95cdn/us, E8.95 7.99GBP
Romania (and Moldova) Travel Reference Map 1:850,000 2012 ISBN 9781553414001 UPC 815534140043 $12.95cdn/us, E8.95 7.99GBP
Sikkim and Northeast India Travel Reference Map 2nd Ed. 2012 1:135,000/1,500,000 ISBN 9781553410843 UPC 815534108432 $12.95cdn/us, E8.95 7.99GBP
US/Canada Border Travel Map 1st Ed. 2012 1:2,500,000 ISBN 9781553417385 UPC 815534173805 $9.95cdn/us E6.95 6.99GBP

ARTWORK OUT OF STOCK and being prepared for release or ABOUT TO RUN OUT!!!
Argentina is out of stock – again! We’re doing a minor update and the map should be available again by the end of January. The road network of paved roads is changing quite rapidly, so needs updating every couple of years.
Armenia/Azerbaijan is out of stock. An updating has been completed and the artwork sent to the printer, but it should be late January before it is available again.
Bali/Lombok has been marvelously successful, but is already out of stock. A new edition is already at press, and should be available in late January.
Chicago is running low on inventory.
Czech Republic is running low on inventory.
Guyana is out of stock. We are currently updating the artwork. No ETA is available at the moment.
Istanbul is out of stock. A new double-sided map is being prepared called Istanbul and the Izmir Coast.
Madagascar is quite low in inventory and should be out of stock by early January. An updating for a new edition is underway, for release in March.
Malta and Gozo is out of stock and undergoing a major re-working as well as updating. It should be available again by March, 2012.
Osaka is almost out of inventory.
Senegal and Gambia is out of stock. An update is planned, for release in March.
Yemen is out of stock, but is being updated and re-formatted into a double-sided map covering Yemen, Oman, and the UAE.
Yukon is almost out of stock. A new edition is planned for release in April.
Zimbabwe, as a separate title, is out of stock. Please use Botswana and Zimbabwe, the combined title, until further notice.