Photo of the Day (4.25.2010)

I found myself laughing out loud when I saw Flickr user VickiR1952’s photo on our Gadling Flickr page today. Where do I even start? The amazing beard on the cowboy, the horse’s expression, the pose…it’s all perfect. These two look like they could be long-lost cousins. It’s an image oozing with personality and charm.

Taken any cowboy photos of your own? Why not add them to our Gadling group on Flickr? We might just pick one of yours as our Photo of the Day.

If only it were that easy

Many people who write into the Plane Answers column have questions about what it takes to become a pilot. Little did they know, the answer lies in the genius of the online comic XKCD. Perhaps this is how the venerable Kent Wien reached the pointy end of the plane.

[Via XKCD]

Hergé Museum opens its doors just outside Brussels

To celebrate the year of the comic strip, Brussels is doing more than just host the 2009 comic book celebrations.

Just outside the city is the town of Louvain-la-Neuve, which recently became the home of the Hergé Museum.

Many North American readers probably never had the luck of getting to read much of the comic book work of Hergé, but anyone with European roots probably grew up reading his Tintin stories.

In fact, Tintin is one of the most popular comic strips ever created, and had a 54 year run, selling over 200 million books.

So, if you find yourself in Brussels, and want to learn more about Tintin and his creator, head down to the museum. The museum was opened on May 22nd, but won’t be open to the general public till June 2nd.

Visitor information and address

2009 is the year of the comic book in Brussels

When it comes to exports, Belgium may be better known for its fantastic beer and chocolates, but one of its most successful export products is actually comic books.

Some of the most popular comic book names in the world are from Belgium, including the Smurfs (by Peyo), Tintin (by Herge) and of course Asterix and Obelix (by Goscinny et Uderzo).

To celebrate their success in the comic book world, Brussels has been chosen to host the 2009 year of the “comic strip”.

With over 36 events and 2 comic book walking tours, it shouldn’t be too hard to find something comic related in the city. A calendar of events can be found here.

All of this is of course in addition to the many other things Brussels has to offer. Visitors to Brussels can find a one-stop source of activities at Brusselsinternational.be.