Archive for April, 2003
33 items.
Hey, gang.
I was recently interviewed for an online magazine called Terror Cow. Casey was the man with the plan and asked some really good questions.
If you’re interested in seeing how I answered them click here.
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I decided to take another swing at Anger Management today because it’s quickly become the only movie this season I’m excited to see. A lot of industry analysts are saying the same thing – it looks to be the first sure-fire hit of the year.
And it only took you four months to get around to it. Way to go, Hollywood. -yawn!-
That said, it doesn’t look like we’ll get a chance to see it this weekend unless we catch a matinee. Tonight I’m going out with friends to get drunk in an English-themed pub. Tomorrow I’m going out with a different set of friends to get drunk at a Japanese restaurant. Yes, I’m quite the continental fellow.
I should say that today’s comic is about as far as you can get from a fair representation of Cami – and for me, that’s what makes it hilarious. Plus, isn’t a girl picking a guy up by his throat, by default, funny?
Truth be told, Cami is far and away the more mellow between the two of us. I’m more likely to fly off the handle 10 times more often than she will. What can I say? I just live my life passionately!
I heard today that the guy who made Daredevil is signed on to direct Ghost Rider. Nicholas Cage is set to play the demon biker Johnny Blaze. I don’t know how to feel about that. Ghost Rider is one of my favorite comic book anti-heroes. He’s just a bad-ass character. I’m glad to see an adaptation come to the screen, I just hope they don’t muck it up. Isn’t Nicholas Cage getting a little old for comic book movies?
Speaking of comic book movies, you need to visit this site RIGHT NOW to download the new Matrix trailer. It looks so good, I can practically smell the leather overcoats.
When I asked interested parties to send me e-mails in regard to the poster I am working up, the response was strong and positive. You guys all sound on board for it, so I’m forging ahead!
I need to clarify something, however. I still plan to sell the posters for $5, but to this point, I’ve made no mention of shipping and handling. If you want a poster, I’m going to have to charge for that as well. I plan on shipping out the posters in cardboard tubes so they don’t crease, and shipping will cost a little more since it’s an irregular package. Expect to tack on another $2 to $3 to your purchase.
This is not meant to dissuade you, but I wanted to mention it in the interest of being forthright.
Truthfully, the whole set up is still a good value for your money. Especially when you consider that there will only be 100 of these posters made and I intend on signing and numbering each one. Just because I’m feeling generous, I’ll toss in a short personal note to boot!
Thanks again for all your enthusiasm. You guys really make this worthwhile. Have a great weekend.
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Major kudos to Cami for giving me the idea for today’s strip. This, of course came after viewing Anger Management. So utterly dissapointed were we by Adam Sandler’s latest offering, he may have completely lost us as fans.
It’s almost shameful that we helped contribute to it’s near $45 million dollar take this weekend. To put the accomplishment in perspective, that’s more than the gross of the remaining top 12 pictures COMBINED.
To go into specifics of why the movie failed us so would spoil too much of the “plot” (snicker, tee hee). But I can say that the movie totally falls apart in the end. The filmmakers try to tie up lose ends in a pretty, little package. The film is also littered with cameos dropped in for no other reason that to illicit cheap audience response. Former New York City mayor Rudolph Gulianni almost derails the picture when he shows up during it’s climax.
Even the regularly great Jack Nicholson couldn’t save the movie. Although I love movies that let “Jack be Jack”, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was just the hired help. One couldn’t decide if we were supposed to interpret his character as insane or inspired. The script never lets him chose.
Of course, a positive view of the film was pretty much dashed to bits when the theater we were seeing it in suddenly cut the picture as strobe lights started flashing and an flat, automated voice stated “There is an emergency. Please locate the nearest exit.” Apparently, there was a malfunction in the theater’s security system.
Thanks again, Wynnsong 16. Rendered anally just like I’m used to. I would have asked for a refund due to the inconvenience, but I didn’t feel like being on the receiving end of a blank stare for 15 minutes. How ironic that I am there to see a movie about keeping one’s temper in check, and then be tempted to throttle the nearest movie employee when inconvenienced.
Maybe I should look into anger management classes of my own…
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If you own a web site and you keep track of your traffic statistics, sometimes you come across some pretty weird details. Certainly some of the phrases use to find the site provide entertainment (although there is often more searches for “Marina Sirtis naked” than I would like) but in this case, it’s the countries that people are checking the site from.
For example, one person from Saint Kitss and Nevis has checked the site. Apparently, our cultural differences prevented this person from ever returning. But how do you explain the TWO hits I received from the United Arab Emirates?! Pretty cool, huh?
Zimbabwe, Lithuania, Uruguay, American Samoa, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Chile, Greece, Iceland, Trinidad and Tobago, Luxembourg and Christmas Island are but a small sample of the countries in which Theater Hopper has been seen.
The internet is truly a wonderful place.
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I just finished watching Charlie’s Angels. It was fun, but not too far from the usual movie plot. It was weird to see Crispin Glover looking like Willard.
This weekend I watched Riding in Cars with Boys. It was Patti’s choice, but I think I ended up liking it as much or more than she did. I let her pick the rental because she said “you’ll probably want to watch some movie about drugs.” Which of course… was true. But I decided to be nice and behold, the plot that unfolded included Steve Zahn as a drug addict. Woo!
We also saw Anger Management. My initial reaction was that it was okay. The cameos, although destructive to the overall plot, added to the enjoyment of the flick. It was a Kevin Bacon Game dream. I still think Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison are Sandler’s funniest films. Looking back on this recent escapade, I think they tried to cram too much stuff into one movie. The ending was rushed as well, although it seemed to take frickin’ forever.
I am ready to watch part four of Band of Brothers. It is awesome. Get your hands on this mini series (not my copy) and watch it, NOW!
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Just in case you think I’m pulling your leg about this Knight Rider movie, here’s the proof.
Personally, I think any project that meets with the David Hasslehoff seal of approval to have been branded with the mark of the beast. But that’s just me.
For those of you curious to know how the poster project is coming along, you will be pleased to know that the art work is currently at the printer. And when I say “printer”, I don’t mean Kinko’s. I mean a high-quality, top of the line digital output provider.
You guys are going to be stoked over the quality of these things. Glossy card stock, full bleed and a litany of other printing-specific terminology that makes me salivate just to think of it.
Seriously, this is gonna be one hot item. I’m only making 100 and when they’re gone, they’re gone. To whet your whistle, take a gander at that purty color thumbnail on the right. If all things go well, I should have them in my possession sometime mid-week. That means if you’re buying one, it could be in the mail by the end of the week.
And remember, each poster will be signed and numbered by yours truly. They will also include a personalized, handwritten note, thanking you for your extreme level of awesomeness.
As things stand, it looks like PayPal will be the transaction method of choice. I know that is an inconvenience for those of you without credit cards. But I will accept checks, money orders or discreetly packaged cash (send at your own risk). More details will be provided on a special page when the posters become available for purchase. Keep your eyes peeled for that.
In some regional news, it was reported today that Des Moines will be the home to this year’s Miss Nude World competition. I don’t know how to feel about that.
On the one hand, I’m very uncomfortable around strippers. I’ve only been to a strip club once, but there seems to be a weird vibe of desperation that permeates those places. Plus, you get into the whole guilt thing of objectifying women which I’ve never agreed with.
But on the other hand, any event that will shake the dust off of this God forsaken town is a-okay in my book!
I just thought I would share.
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I know that technically Bulletproof Monk came out on Wednesday, but if the reviews are any indication, not many of you are running out to see it. That’s why I can make a joke about it today and pass it off a relevant content!
Some of you may not know, but Bulletproof Monk is based of a comic book. The premise is pure Saturday afternoon cheese. Opening in 1943 Tibet, Nazi’s come looking for a sacred scroll that will imbue whoever reads it with unimaginable power.
But every 60 years, the scroll is assigned a protector who takes on supernatural powers from his trainer that keeps him from aging and, essentially, bulletproof.
But, of course, like any good premise, Hollywood has to muck it up by throwing in Sean William Scott, AKA Stiffler from the American Pie movies. So evident is the bad casting in this respect that you can see it from space. The less said, the better.
Still, it WOULD be funny to watch Stiffler pull the old “semen in your beer” trick on Chow Yun Fat. Just for the expression on his face.
Good news, gang! Posters are back from the printer! And because you’ve all been so good, I’m unveiling the FULL DESIGN there on your right. That’s what the bad boy will look like, and you can take it home with you starting Monday!
That’s right! On Monday I’ll start taking orders, so be sure to check the site early so you can get one of the lower numbers in the 100 print run. Once again, I can’t stress enough, once they are gone THEY’RE GONE! I WON’T REMAKE THESE!
Each poster will be signed and numbered by me and I would be happy to include a personal message on your poster or otherwise on a separate letter. Each poster will be rolled up and mailed in an INDESTRUCTIBLE cardboard tube to prevent damage.
The only glitch now is finding a place that sells them in bulk. Most office supply stores only carry a dozen or so at a time, but that shouldn’t be difficult to get around.
Expect full details regarding payment, shipping and the remaining nitty-gritty on Monday. Demand looks to be pretty high, so be sure and check the site EARLY!
Beyond that, I plan on kicking back and taking it easy this weekend. Here’s hoping you have a great Easter/Passover as well!
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I’m becoming concerned that the audience for Theater Hopper isn’t what it could be. I see some of the more popular strips out there and wonder if there is something I could be doing differently.
The further I go with this hobby of mine, the more I admit to my pride in it’s longevity. I seriously never thought it would last past 50 strips. After kicking off this thing with the posters, I can see that there is a demand and support for things relating to Theater Hopper.
I want to push things further.
I’ve waffled back and forth about doing business with Top Web Comics from the first day I started Theater Hopper. At the time, I thought it was a shady business. There were too many controversies, too much vote whoring and generally a negative vibe about the place.
But I’ve passively observed it over the months and things have seem to have taken a turn for the better ever since the boys from True Nuff took over. It’s beginning to look like a professional venture.
I’ve always maintained that I’ve wanted Theater Hopper to succeed based on the merits of the work and not through shameless promotion. But I’m starting to soften my position. It’s like comparing it to a business. You feel strongly you have a superior product, but refuse to promote it in the Yellow Pages because you don’t like what it stands for. Think of the business you lose when no one can find you! Same goes here.
I’ve thought about kindling a relationship with the TWC on a short term basis – maybe just a month to see how it works out. In my mind’s eye, I see my regular readers voting for the site, propelling it into the Top 10 and giving others a taste of what they’ve been missing for so long. Whether or not that would actually happen, I can’t say for sure.
What do you have to say about it? Am I missing the benefits of hooking up with Top Web Comics? Please write to me with your opinions. Since this could possibly affect you, I would appreciate your feedback.
I guess my whole motivation behind this line of thought is because I feel if the site were more popular, it would force my hand into doing more things I’ve been meaning to do for a long time – that includes adding a forum or selling t-shirts. As things stand, my traffic doesn’t indicate that there would be enough of a community to support those ideas. But if the site were more popular it would be a moot point.
I just wanted to theorize out loud. Thanks for the indulgence.
In the meantime, if you write or draw for a web comic or know of a web comic that would like to trade links with me, drop me a line and I’ll make it happen.
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Alternatively, if you know of any communities besides Top Web Comics that could help to spread the word about Theater Hopper, I would be interested in learning about them.
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Just a few quick things.
I had a chance to see the posters and these things are swiggity sweet! The material is high quality and the art is wonderful of course Don’t think that Tom is just tooting his horn about these things. These are a gift to you! (Note: You still have to pay.)
Don’t kick your own ass later because you didn’t get one ordered in time, these are limited and it looks like the demand is pretty high. Plus, future merchandise depends upon the success of this art. I for one feel that this is important. Hopefully you love Theater Hopper as much as I do, share the love!
On another note, I watched Dirty Work again the other night. Did you know this film was directed by Bob Saget? Weird. Although this movie didn’t receive glorious reviews, I think it is darn funny. That’s right… Darn!
Anyway, have a kickin’ weekend and don’t forget to order a poster on Monday!
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