Archive for October, 2002
20 items.
Make a promise, keep a promise. That’s what I always say.
If you stumbled in here today, you were probably making up for the strip you missed yesterday. How surprised you must be to find fresh content on the site! It’s all part of the Theater Hopper Thank You Celebration!
As thanks for seeing the site to #25 strips and over 5,500 unique hits in two months, we’re saturating your retinas with a WHOLE WEEK of new strips!
Will I ever get into the art house theater? Who is the ass with the ponytail? These questions and maybe… two more will be answered during the course of the week! Be sure to stop back EVERY DAY!
In other site-related news, Jared put together a piece of fan art for the site. I don’t have a place to house it yet, so everyone will just have to bide their time before I post it. But when I do, I promise to let you know.
Some incentive for me to both create an area for fan art and reason to post it can be greatly accentuated by YOUR participation! If you like to draw and want to send something in, mail it here and we’d be proud to post it.
Your work doesn’t have to be in strip format. It could be a portrait or maybe a one-panel joke. Obviously you would have to utilize our characters to be considered “fan art” – so no pictures of your Grandma. And please, no pictures of our characters doing unspeakable things to said relative.
With that out of the way, please enjoy the strip and our ever-growing collection in the archives!
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My apologies to the hard-core Theater Hopper fans (all five of you) for getting a late start with today’s toon. My satellite internet connection bombed after some freak thunderstorm we had last night. This concerns me because supposedly, one of the advantages of satellite internet is that it’s not supposed to be interrupted by atmospheric conditions. I can only assume their main office exploded in a fantastic display of fire and debris.
It just figures. Yesterday I talk all this garbage about keeping a promise by giving you a new comic every day this week and Mother Nature throws a monkey wrench into it. Regardless, I hope you enjoy today’s installment of our Theater Hopper Fan Appreciation Week promotion.
Anyone with a television knows that I’ve carjacked a few jokes from other sources this week. Yesterday it was the exchange between Horatio Sans has with Jimmy Fallon in the “Jeffery’s” sketch from Saturday Night Live. Hilarious the first time I saw it. Subsequent rehashings of the sketch were only watchable for Will Ferrel’s outlandish exits (the Parada jet-pack was a fave)
Today I lifted a scene straight out of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. You’ll remember the scene where Ferris (re: Abe Froman – “The sausage king of Chicago”) reaches an impasse with a tightly wound Maitre D’.
When I gave a quick run down of the plot to my wife Cami, she replied “So you’re launching this week-long strip using recycled jokes?” or something to that effect.
My argument is this: So what.
Seriously, how can you NOT lift a line from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off? That movie is chock-full of great ones! Example:
“I asked for a car, I got a computer. How’s that for being born under a bad sign?”
“I don’t trust this kid any farther than I can throw him.”
“With your bad knee Ed, you shouldn’t throw anybody.”
“I’m dying, Ferris.”
“You’re not dying, you just can’t think of anything good to do.”
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.”
Words to live by.
Rest assured, however, that subsequent jokes will be all originals for the remainder of the week. I’m looking forward to starting Thursday and Friday’s strip to cap things off in a flourish.
In none movie-quote-related news, I’m thinking of going with another program for the forums.
As good as Ikonboard is, I’m finding myself less and less pleased with the way it is operating. This is probably because I’ve had to reinstall it a few times. This, compounded with the difficulty I’ve had in making cosmetic changes to the forum to look like the rest of the site has led me to switch over to phpBB.
Looking at Carrington and Eric’s forums and noticing how smoothly they run made me extremely jealous. I figured if I was going to make any kind of change, now would be the time to do it when we only have about 30 registered forum-users.
Anyway, it’s happening. So buckle your safety belts. Stay tuned to this space for updates. I’ll be sure to let everyone know when the new forum is launched.
Last thing I’ll mention: I wanted to give a public shout-out to Aric over at Fish Strips for sending me an awesome piece of fan art. I’d show it to you now, but I’m working on the Bonus Materials section and don’t want to spoil the surprise when I get it up and running.
Oh, well. Okay. There’s a taste. If you want more, you’ll have to check back often to see when I’ve posted the new Bonus Materials section.
Regardless, I wanted to clue everyone in on Aric’s work. It’s funny as hell and should should definitely check it out.
If any of you are interested in sending in fan art, I’m always ready to receive it. Send something to me here, and you could see your work posted on the site!
Hope everyone is enjoying their “hump-day”! Later.
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Once again I have to apologize for updating the site a little later in the morning. It appears that the situation with my satellite internet has transformed from a “Mother Nature screwed me over” thing into a “Tom can’t solve his own technical problem” thing.
For the life of me, I can figure out what’s wrong. I bring up Explorer, it tells me it can’t make a connection. I check my Network Adaptor information, it tells me that the networking cable isn’t hooked up. I look at my networking cable and it is clearly plugged into the wall and computer. I think my computer is trying to trick me.
Regardless, now I have to put in a call to customer service where I’m sure their answer will be something obvious like “Did you check to make sure your cable is connected?” or something equally lame. If any of you have suggestions, please contact me.
Obviously this snafu with my internet connection is throwing a monkey wrench into my plans for replacing the forums and adding a Bonus Materials section. Since I’ll be out of town this weekend, it looks like these two items will have to wait until next week.
Stay tuned for updates!
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Three days of no internet. Three days of delayed strips. That sucks. You go out of your way to do a little something extra, and life throws you a curve.
I finally talked to someone at my internet provider and he thinks the Ethernet modem I’m using has gone bad. He thinks it’s possible my satellite could have taken a charge and fed it directly to the modem and fried it. Is this even possible? Wouldn’t a surge fry everything and not one specific component? Has anyone ever heard of this?
Regardless, I’m off to buy another modem this afternoon. It’s a little out of my way, but it’s cheaper than the $95 house call they could end up making just to tell me my monitor wasn’t plugged in (or something equally lame). Hopefully I’ll be up and running next week.
Enough about that.
I hope you enjoyed a week full of new strips. I had a lot of fun developing the storyline. It was a lot of work, but I think it was worth it. Anybody who is doing 5 strips a week (and you’ve already got a full-time job) kudos to you.
Not to guilt you, but here’s a list of things I had to sacrifice in order to produce a week full of strips:
1. Kingdom Hearts – Halloween Town is waiting!
2. Cami’s patience – Nothing new here
3. Sleep – Overrated
Oh, well. I guess things aren’t that bad.
For those who like to be in the know, this is the first time I’ve drawn the characters in Theater Hopper with feet! This is a very special occasion because now I have fully-rendered characters! I thought it appropriate to cap the week with something I’ve never done before, so there you go!
Didn’t know we rocked the Chuck Taylor All-Stars, did you? Well, we do.
I’d like to write more, but I think I’d better wrap it up. Thanks again for all your support! Since starting this campaign we’ve gone from a 5,500 unique hits to a little over 6,100. That’s 600 unique hits a week and it blow my tiny, little mind. I can’t tell you how awesome that is, so thank you.
Have a great weekend!
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There’s a drastic image to start your morning off right!
I’m not usually one for over-arching violence or gore, but this all goes back to my Tex Avery sensibility in regards to unexpected or extreme cartoon violence. Pay no mind.
When I finished today’s strip, Cami told me she thought it looked like Jared and I were making out. I defy any of you to try drawing one person biting the face off another and have it not end up looking that way. If you can figure out a way to make it work, let me know.
The strip is updating later now due to the ongoing problems I’m having with my ISP. I was gone over the weekend, so I wasn’t able to work on it, but I did get a hold of a representative last night. Apparently there are still problems and “programmers” are going to get involved. This after I’ve already bought a replacement cable and a new ethernet modem. There better be a discount on my bill this week or I will be an unhappy camper.
This may be incredibly egotistical of me, but surfing around the net, I’ve found a few other strips in the community that are broaching the same subject matter I’ve covered in the last two weeks. Ironically, it isn’t who you’d expect.
Exhibit A: First, take a look at this strip discussing Harry Knowles from PVP which came out 10.06.2002.
And now, my strip which came out on 9.27.02 – a whopping 9 days earlier.
Exhibit B: Then there’s this strip over at Real Life where the characters chat about Ferris Bueler. This came out today, 10.7.2002
Then there is my strip which came out last week on 10.02.2002 – five full days prior.
To my knowledge, neither PVP or Real Life is a strictly movie-themed comic so they have to pull their ideas from somewhere. The subject matter is too specialized to be a coincidence. I mean, people aren’t just talking about Harry Knowles and Ferris Bueler for no good reason.
So my theory is this: Theater Hopper is so funny, Scott Kurtz and Greg Dean steal their ideas from me!
I believe my theory is sound for two reasons:
1. If Kurtz and Dean come back and sheepishly admit “Yea, we stole your ideas”, it will prove, once and for all, that I am “The Man”.
2. If it turns out I’m just high on suspicion and thousands of their fans flood my inbox with hate mail, I will at least have brought more traffic to the site.
It’s a win-win! At least until the avalanche of hate mail spews forth…
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For those readers who have marched in here from the forums of PVP or Real Life, torches and pitchforks at the ready, take a deep breath and have a seat. I’m talking to you.
Apparently, Monday’s blog caused quite a hullabaloo when a kind soul from Rancho Cordova, CA (“The town they named after a salad dressing!”) decided to tip everyone off to my comments about Scott Kurtz and Greg Dean “stealing” my ideas regarding two strips about Harry Knowles and Ferris Bueler’s Day Off. Appropriate poo-slinging followed.
I suppose I could go into the details of this fracas – about the multitude of incorrectly spelled and grammatically mind-bending flames hurled my way. But this is all old news to anyone who has been trolling about the community for any amount of time. Readers who have their favorites vigorously defend their sanctuaries from outsiders.
Instead, I’m gonna cut to the skinny. Monday’s comments were in NO WAY meant to be taken seriously. It was just a quirky coincidence I thought I would point out and have a little fun with. Doesn’t anyone else think that this triptych of web comics discussing such varied topics to be of interest? I do! In fact, I found it amazing! Especially considering neither Scott nor Greg have probably heard of my measly operation! Apparently, some people couldn’t see the irony that was clubbing them over the heads.
Perhaps it was my fault for not making my sarcasm a little more overt. After all, even my good friend Zach from No Pants Tuesday sent me an e-mail of caution (well intended, but undoubtedly due to exhaustion as we’ve seen no new strip for over a week – worried about you, pal!).
But for those of you who felt it necessary to make sweeping, negative generalizations against my talent, intelligence or mother, I’ve gotta recommend you take your B.S. detector in for some much needed maintenance. Otherwise, this world is going to eat you alive. It’s truly amazing how upset some people became. If people get this angry about web comics, I have to presume most of them went into an epileptic fit after that whole Enron thing. If their venom isn’t proportional, then their priorities are out of whack.
To the credit to many in the community, I did have my share of defenders in the forums. Several people came to my defense clearly pointing out that Monday’s comments were a joke and lobbing their own flames back in retaliation. Thank goodness for those who are switched on.
In summary, I didn’t mean offend anyone. If my comments upset you, I apologize. I’m a big fan of both PVP and Real Life. I think they are both sharply written and sublimely well put together strips. In fact, that’s where most of the irony stemmed from when I compared my strip to theirs – ’cause obviously I don’t have the kind of talent several years in the game have afforded those two.
If I’ve learned anything about the matter, it’s that next time I’ll be sure to make all my sarcastic comments IN BIG BOLD LETTERS as not to confuse anyone. Still, I’ve gotta admit, at least the second principle of my theory rang true – I scored 4 times as many unique hits to the site on Tuesday compared to an average day. Thanks.
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Well, it looks like most of the bru-ha-ha surrounding Monday’s blog has settled down. Things are returning to a relative state of normalcy. The hate mail has all but dried up and our traffic is back to pedestrian levels.
If anything, it’s been a real roller coaster of a week. Imagine my surprise when I pulled into the station where there was a letter from Greg Dean – creator of Real Life – waiting for me in my inbox!
Apparently Greg caught wind of the ruckus being made in his forums and thought he would check out the site. I won’t divulge everything that was said, but Greg was very complimentary to the strip. Very kind, very courteous – a real class act. There’s a reason his fans defend him so fiercely and it’s because he’s a damn nice guy. – Worthy of your respect. Pay him some now.
I’d love to chat more, but I’m just now peeking my head out from underneath a cloud of an intense sickness I’ve been suffering for the last few days. I’m taking a beating from a wicked cold. It feels like someone took me upside the head with a billyjack. Things are getting better, but right now I am very, very warm. Unseasonably warm.
You know when you have a fever that’s about to break, but to get there, you have to writhe through 8 hours of fitless sleep and night sweats? Well, I’m getting ready for that now. First I brush my teeth then its off to wrestle with the disease! Wish me luck!
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I’ve emerged from my temporary illness largely unscathed. It was good timing, too. I was a groomsman in the wedding of one of my best friends. I know he’s not reading today’s blog because he’s enjoying his honeymoon at The Happiest Place on Earth. So at this point, to extend more well-wishing seems kind of like throwing money into a fountain – you know it’s benefiting someone, you’re just not seeing the effects.
Regardless, all the best to Nick and Erin. My good friends.
More on my recent cold: I was well enough to stand upright at the wedding this weekend, but I’m finding that when I have to blow my nose, amazing science occurs.
Take for example being able to breathe perfectly through your nose one minute, but yet when you go to blow your nose, stuff won’t stop coming out. It’s like I’m performing a magic trick, or something. I swear I have extra chambers in my head that must go unused 90% of the year. I can’t fathom where else this stuff is all coming from.
Beyond that, I marveling at the changing of the seasons. Fall is always my favorite time of year. I love to watch the leaves turn. All that yellow and orange. It’s like the trees are on fire. Why can the leaves be this beautiful the rest of the time? I’m getting a little sick of green.
Of course, in a week it will be all over. For some reason, I remember fall lasting much longer when I was a kid. Just goes to show – even Mother Nature is against me. I should have never expressed my preference for fall out loud…
I suppose I should talk about today’s strip. I’m finding that’s something I’ve overlooked the last few times.
Right now we’re are gripped with Soprano’s fever. It’s much like the fever I experienced last week, but saucier. Ironically, we didn’t have HBO when the show took off. We became fans after watching the collected seasons on DVD – a present we gave to my Dad a few holidays back. Since then we’ve been hooked. And of course, we had to sign up for the Home Box Office when a new season was unfurled.
I hate to be one of those people who insists to others that they need to get pay cable for the benefit of one show. It’s kind of like saying you need to shop at Sak’s Fifth Avenue because they have the best socks. Most people I know are satisfied with the TV they get for free. Alternatively, they find nothing wrong with their current choice in socks.
But The Soprano’s is good. Very, very good. I can’t describe it adequately other than it is very involving. I feel engaged in these stories as they are told. It’s like watching a very smart movie condensed into a hour. After watching it, I feel a little bit better knowing that I didn’t get hoodwinking into watching 8 Simple Rules For Dating My Teenage Daughter on ABC. Nothing against John Ritter, but we all know that show sucks.
I think I’m satisfied with that. More later if there is time.
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Today’s strip details exactly what happens EVERY SINGLE TIME I try to see a movie in a big multiplex. Unfortunately, I run into this problem quite often because nearly EVERY theater in my hometown is a multiplex. Just another example of suburbianization gone wrong. And it seemed like such a good idea at the time…
Local boys will probably recognize the offending movie house at the Wynnsong 16. It used to be a cool place to go when it was new. Now they barely have enough people there to man one concession, let alone keep it clean or orderly.
That doesn’t stop people from coming back, though. And the reason is simple:
In Iowa, YOU HAVE NO PLACE ELSE TO GO!
I could probably go on about all the things I hate about multiplexes… but I don’t want to dip my pen too deep into the Seinfieldian well.
Let’s just put it this way; I used to think the worst thing about going to the movies was sitting with the audience. But now I’m beginning to wonder if the theater owners aren’t against me, too.
Clearly the only solution is to build my own IMAX screen in the backyard like these guys. I can use it to watch shortened versions of Episode II and Apollo 13.
Here’s some notes of interest:
I’m getting rid of the forums. I’ve ceased to find use for them, and the maintenance is more than I care for. Not like there was much to maintain. We had a handful of subscribers, but nothing to scream about. Granted, they’re wonderful people, but I’ve opted to put the forum on the shelf until the site garners an audience large enough to demand one. Besides, I like Carrington’s forum so much more.
There is going to be a Theater Hopper documentary! Maybe this sounds like a toss off to the rest of you, but I’m excited about this project. Jared is going to put together a film chronicling the behind-the-scenes drama of creating a three-times-weekly online cartoon. The drama! The intrigue!
Actually, it does make for good documentary fodder. Although popular, the notoriety of web comics is somewhat limited by the medium. It’s not like they are printed daily in papers nationwide. It isn’t as though you could kill a little time reading one when the jumble has you stumped. You have to search this stuff out! And besides, have you ever seen a documentary about web comics?
We haven’t gotten started yet, but Jared is going to start gathering footage sometime this week. A film festival spurred him to action and the deadline is fast approaching, so he’s going to bust his hump to make something fantastic. We’ve spoke about selling the results on the site, but I have a sneaking suspicion that lawyers might have to be involved for that. Fair use, copyright and whatnot. We could be getting ahead of ourselves there.
We’ll be sure to keep you posted!
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I forgot to mention a couples of new strips I’ve added to the links page. Both of these are new entries into the world of web comics, but their creators are as nice a lemonade on a hot summer day.
Why do I feel like whistling a jaunty tune?
Anyway, be sure make Go Eat A Spamwich and Scene Rascalin’ part of your weekly reads.
Also want to send a shout out to Mitch over at Nothing Nice To Say. He was cool enough to put a link to us in his blog and we’re seeing a flood of people coming in from his site. Thanks, Mitch!
Sidenote: I checked out Go Eat A Spamwich before posting this update and they’re currently down due to exceeding their bandwidth. But you should definitely bookmark them and check them out later. Great color penciled work.
This temporary stay is no doubt the Mitch’s handiwork. He also linked to G.E.A.S.
The power one man wields… scary…
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