Skip to main content

Panasonic published a comic book about an IT guy saving the world with his Toughpad

panasonic toughpad fz e1 comic sweepstakes img 0215
Panasonic pulled out all the stops for its new Toughpad FZ-E1. The 5-inch Toughpad now has its very own four-issue comic book series and a huge giveaway sweepstakes. The comic was written and illustrated by real artists from the industry.

The story follows the adventures of the League of Valor and its IT specialist Kevin Massing, who helps them save the world by making sure their Panasonic enterprise applications and hardware run smoothly. The comic starts out with the League in full action, trying to save the world from an evil race of aliens. The superheroes seem confident at first that they will overcome the aliens easily, but then there’s a major glitch and they get captured.

Recommended Videos

Related: Panasonic redefines ‘rugged’ with two 5-inch Toughpad phablets

Panasonic Toughpad Comic

With the threat of destruction imminent, we find Massing freaking out in the IT department because he’s the only one left who can save the League and the world. The somewhat geeky Massing with his signature “I’m a geek” glasses and slight 5 o’clock shadow runs around with his small, portable, and extremely durable, 5-inch Toughpad FZ-E1 tablet. The tablet helps him navigate and problem solve on the go, as aliens attack him with fire, water, ice, and so on.

Miraculously the Toughpad survives everything — even a great fall — and works without a hitch, as Massing saves the world and his superhero friends. All’s well because, as Panasonic reminds us, Toughpads can get the job done even when the world seems like it’s coming to an end — literally.

In an official statement, Panasonic says that even though Massing’s story may be fictional, it’s a theme that plays out each and every day on construction sites and the other extreme locations where Toughpads are used. Indeed, according to Panasonic, the Toughpad FZ-E1 can survive drops onto solid concrete from 10 feet above, plunges into 5 feet of ice cold water for up to 30 minutes, and temperatures ranging from -4 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Toughpad comic book

Interesting marketing campaign aside, Panasonic is also offering a special giveaway and sweepstakes.

Anyone who enters stands a chance at winning a trip for two to Comic-Con 2015 in San Diego, a Toughpad FZ-E1 of their own, a hard copy of the “Unbreakable Valor” comic, and a character named after them in the next issue of the four-part series. Second prize winners will get either the Windows 8 based Toughpad FZ-E1 or the Android Toughpad FZ-X1 and a copy of the comic book. Panasonic will also send the comic to 3,500 runners-up.

You can enter the contest on Panasonic’s website from now until September 30.

Malarie Gokey
Former Digital Trends Contributor
As DT's Mobile Editor, Malarie runs the Mobile and Wearables sections, which cover smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and…
I record interviews for work. These are my favorite free recorder apps
The iPhone 14 Pro and Google Pixel 7 Pro's voice recording apps running together.

The Voice Recorder app on a phone (left) and the Voice Memos on another phone Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Before you head to the app store on your phone to buy a voice-recording app, take a moment to consider the apps that may already be installed on your phone. Why? In my experience, they're likely all you really need. I’ve recorded interviews and voice-overs for work for years, and I’ve found the two best examples come preinstalled on your phone already, so they’re entirely free to use.

Read more
The best Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 cases: 10 best ones so far
Two Galaxy Z Fold 5 phones next to each other -- one is open and one is closed.

Samsung’s next-generation foldable is here with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. This iteration has some notable improvements, including a new hinge design that eliminates the gap from previous generations when the device was folded. You also get a 6.2-inch HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display on the outside while having a 6.7-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display on the inside, with both screens having a 120Hz refresh rate. In other words, they're about as nice as you could ask for.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is made with premium materials, and the triple-lens camera system packs in a 50MP main shooter, 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide lens. There’s a 10MP selfie camera on the front cover, and a 4MP camera on the inner display. You also get a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip inside for the best performance and power efficiency.

Read more
Google Pixel Tablet just got its first big discount and it’s worth a look
Google Pixel Tablet on its charging dock.

Tablets are a dime-a-dozen these days, with offerings from all the great brands including Apple, Samsung, Lenovo, and more. So, if you really want to stand out in a sea of similar tech, you need to do things a little differently. That's what Google's Pixel Tablet offers. How? It comes with a unique speaker dock that can be used to both charge the device and offer room-filling sound -- almost like a smart speaker add-on. Better yet, when your Pixel Tablet is docked it benefits from the Hub Mode, turning the device into a smart display, with digital photo frame support, smart home controls, and hands-free Google functionality. Of course, it could set you back at full price, normally $499 unless you find it included in a roundup of the best Google Pixel deals. Well, guess what? Thanks to a Best Buy Google Pixel Tablet deal, you can get it today for $439 and save $60. Hurry, though, it's part of Best Buy's recent 48-hour sale so it won't stick around for long.

Why you should buy the Google Pixel Tablet
Okay, okay, so in our Google Pixel Tablet review, Joe Maring did give it less than stellar remarks, but he called out its reliable fingerprint sensor, comfortability during use and excellent speaker dock. Honestly, how many tablets come with a matching speaker dock that transforms the entire experience? This tablet also marks a "lot of firsts" for Google, as it's the first tablet from the company in nearly five years, the first Android tablet in eight years, and can be converted into a smart home display with the speaker dock. All of which are notable milestones.

Read more