Local paper examines Scott Pilgrim's Toronto

The Toronto Star recently spoke with Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O'Malley on the third chapter in the life of Scott Pilgrim, and how Toronto is featured in the book:

His illustration style may be foreign, but much of the series' inspiration is closer to home. Familiar Toronto landmarks (Casa Loma and the Toronto Reference Library have made appearances) play a major role in O'Malley's books as Scott and his pals flit about the city. While local readers might delight in seeing Lee's Palace (also in Vol. 2) and Honest Ed's (in Vol. 3) pop up, readers elsewhere find our edifices a bit, well, cartoonish.

"Everyone's like, `Is Honest Ed's real? What is this circus place?' In the comic, I make it explode, so when I was back in Toronto recently, I was like, `It's still here!' I'd been living in my own little world," O'Malley laughs.

They also talked to him about the Scott Pilgrim movie deal:

Ah, yes, the movie deal. Universal Pictures optioned the series last year, enlisting director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead) and screenwriter Michael Bacall to adapt the comic for the big screen.

"I met with them in Toronto last October, showed them the neighbourhoods, and it was great. I've been very involved, which is very nice and doesn't happen a lot, I think," O'Malley says of the film, which has yet to begin production.