Archive for April, 2005
31 items.
Apr18
GUEST STRIP – MIGHTY MITCH CLEM
April 18th, 2005 |- Comics »
- Comics »
- Guest Strip
(5 votes, average: 8.20 out of 10)
You’d have to be blind not to notice the distinct style of today’s guest comic author. It’s the one and only Mitch Clem of Nothing Nice to Say!
I love his strip today. Not only because it’s the first full-color strip he’s done since coming back to the web comics fold, but because it does a great job of capturing the playful, sometimes elitist bend to my characters.
Thanks muchly, kind sir. You comic doth rocketh my world.
Hopefully you guys are aware that today is the last day for you to bid on the Sin City-inspired original artwork I’m auction off on eBay. You should scroll down a little ways if you want to learn more about it.
I’ll actually be back from Texas at some point tonight. So if you’ve been sending me e-mails, or anything, I will try to get to a few of them this evening.
Guest strips will continue even though I’m back from vacation. I’m taking a little well-deserved time off to work on a site redesign and opening up the store again with new merchandise. I haven’t taken any time off since last July, so I feel it’s a little deserved.
Be sure to come back on Wednesday for another excellent guest strip!
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Hey, guys.
Remember earlier in the year when I would put together some original artwork and raffle it off to a random, lucky person who either bought merchandise, advertising or donated to the site?
Well, I’ve fallen WAY behind!
I haven’t sent out the Constantine artwork from February and I haven’t even pulled together the list of names to pull from for the Robots piece I did in March.
Remember how I was going to color in all of them and make a big calendar at the end of the year? Yeah… still haven’t colored in the Robots piece yet…
Well, anyway. This aproach is changing. Instead of giving away the original art for free, I’m auctioning it off.
My reasoning for this is pretty simple. Basically, some of the artwork people have begged me to auction because they want to control their odds of getting it a little better than a raffle. Using the logic that everything is as valuable as what someone is willing to pay for it, I see the logic in their demands. Plus, it’s easier to keep track of.
This month, I think I have a real hum-dinger for you.
So you all know that Sin City came out the first week in April, right? I even did a week-long arc covering it. What better subject could there possibly be for me to parody than the Frank Miller classic?
That’s why I whipped this up:
Yeah, I thought you might like that.
If you click on the image, it will take you straight to the eBay auction I have set up. Or, of course, you could just click this link and get there just the same.
The rules are simple – by the end of Monday, April 18, the highest bidder wins. To sweeten the pot, I’m throwing in free Theater Hopper buttons and stickers. I’m also paying for First Class shipping, because that’s the kind of guy I am.
The previous’ months artwork will still be given away raffle-style for free. And once those names have been drawn, I will make an announcement to that effect.
But in the meantime, I will be running this message below the regular blog until the auction concludes Monday, April 18.
Incidentally, the profits from the sale of this original artwork will go toward the purchase of this silk screen press. My goal is to start producing Theater Hopper shirts that I can do myself instead of relying on outside vendors. Naturally, these shirts would be sold from this site. So if your a fan of Theater Hopper, bid generously because your money will help to advance the goals of this site.
Time to dig out the loose change from the couch cushions, kids. As always, thank you for your support! Happy bidding!
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Apr20
GUEST STRIP – JIM BURGESS
April 20th, 2005 |- Comics »
- Comics »
- Guest Strip
(5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 10)
Hey, everyone! I’m back from Texas!
First, I have to say thank you to fellow Dayfree Press alumni Jim Burgess of Able & Baker for his great guest strip today. For some reason, I’m really excited by the idea of “Office Wookie.” Do you think NBC is desperate enough to film a pilot?
At any rate, check out Jim’s comic. It’s criminally underrated. The writing is sharp as a tack!
Second, since I’m back home, I have a new sketch for you guys to check out if you vote for Theater Hopper at buzzComix. It’s my take on the forementioned Able & Baker.
Thanks for keeping Theater Hopper up there in the rankings while I was away, guys! That was very awesome of you!
As a reward for your dilligence, I’ve posted a HUGE message recapping my whole trip right here. It might take a while to load – there are about 30 pictures – but I think it’s kind of a fun read and you get a little insight as to what I was up to for the last 6 days.
Need a little preview? Okay, try this on for size:
I must stress for the record that I am NOT DRUNK in this picture. They caught me mid-blink, okay?
I have more thoughts, but I’ll save them for later. I’m tired after posting that huge message in the THorum!
I’ll be back later!
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Apr22
GUEST STRIP – JOSH MEINZER
April 22nd, 2005 |- Comics »
- Comics »
- Guest Strip
(5 votes, average: 8.00 out of 10)
I’m handing out major props to Josh Meinzer (AKA “Fenris) the write and artist of Aikida for today’s excellent guest strip.
Josh’s comic is one of my absolute favorite on the internet and it was a real treat when he said “Yes” to do this for me.
If you’ve been following Aikida at all, you know that Josh is telling a MASSIVE new storyline right now. He’s introducing new characters left and right. Fleshing out his existing characters. And doing all of it in an inventive way that doesn’t feel convoluted at all. Top it off with the fact that it’s emotional when it needs to be and laugh-out-loud funny when it wants to be and you’ve got a winner.
The thing I always admired about Josh’s work is that he is able to add layer upon layer of detail to the characters and it always makes perfect sense.
I’ve been actually re-reading his archives and what started out as a kind of gag-a-day gaming comic with occasional cheesecake drawings of the ladies has turned into a very rich experience. It’s like these character have always existed in his head as fully realized creations and he’s been unfolding them in front of our eyes very slowly.
I admire the hell out of him, if it isn’t plainly obvious. If you want in on a little secret, reading Aikida is what inspired me to flesh out Jimmy’s character back in September when he lost his job and also inspired my introduction of Charlie.
The Jimmy storyline went well, I thought. But introducing Charlie was like driving with the parking break on. Meanwhile, when Josh adds new characters or adds layers to his existing cast, it’s like spreading jam over toast.
At any rate, for today’s buzzComix incentive sketch, I drew Aikida in her demon form. I hope you like it. I think it turned out pretty well, but I had hoped to have had more time to work on it. Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (which opens this weekend) that leads into Star Wars – Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (which opens May 19). I want to get to the story ideas I have soon so they’re still timely.
I will probably burn through the remainder of the guest strips next week and post a new one every day until I run out. Be sure to check the site every day next week. You won’t be sorry. I have some “big-guns” lined up. Some of these strips are to DIE for!
Incidentally, you might have noticed some of the advertisements on the site have disappeared. That’s a temporary thing. I basically let the ads I have run out before the site redesign and am currently not accepting new ads. The dimensions and locations of the ads in the redesign are different, so it would be moot to take on any new clients at the moment.
So, if you’ll allow the expression, “pardon our dust while we renovate to make things better.” I think once I slap a new coat of paint on things, you guys will be pleased. Things will also be better organized. I’m really looking forward to unveiling things.
Thanks for your patience and thanks for supporting the site!
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Apr25
GUEST STRIP – ZACH MILLER
April 25th, 2005 |- Comics »
- Comics »
- Guest Strip
(4 votes, average: 6.75 out of 10)
I wanted to start this week off right by showcasing Zach Miller’s great guest strip. In case you’ve been living under a rock, Zach pens and authors Joe and Monkey and he is a fellow web comic creator that I happen to consider a good friend. Zach’s always been there in the clutch and he pulls though again!
To show some of my gratitude, I’ve drawn a sketch of Joe and Monkey that you can view when you vote for Theater Hopper at buzzComix. Ironically, Joe & Monkey is creeping up on us on the Top 10 list – which I think is great. When you’re done voting for Theater Hopper, go on over to JaM and vote for Zach’s comic.
I’ve been enjoying Joe and Monkey more and more since Zach got back into the web comic game last year. I think he might really be onto something. Like, something you could syndicate. It’s that good. It’s as wholesome as Peanuts, but without that subversive religious subtext. But the comic also has a mean grip around strong non sequitur. Much more so than the actual comic Non Sequitur, authored by that web comic hatin’ meanie Wiley. Booooo!
Anyway. Quick recap. Joe & Monkey = Excellent. Non Sequitur = Crap. Got it? Good?
I have more thoughts to share, but frankly, I’ve been sitting at the computer far too long tonight burning Henry Rollins spoken word CDs that I have to overnight to Mitch later today. He asked me for copies when we were together in Kansas City so he could listen to them when he moves from Minneapolis to Austin. Well, that move is taking place on Thursday, so I needed to get off my ass and help a brother out!
Anyway, I’ll be back later in the day with a few more topics to discuss. I’m listing them as follows in hopes that they will serve to jog my own memory when I come back.
1. Seeing The Interpreter over the weekend and the mouth-breathing Abercrombie & Fitch rejects behind us that wouldn’t shut up.
2. Progress on the site redesign.
3. How many more guest strips will there be, anyway?
4. How frighteningly close Zach came to pinpointing aspects of my stamp collection.
RIVITING STUFF! See you soon.
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As promised, I’m back to take aim at a couple more issues from the weekend,site related goodies and more.
Cami and I went to see The Interpreter on Friday night and had a really good time. The film is expertly put together. A well-paced adult drama that is never gratuitous, but you can tell it has a smart head on its shoulders.
I think what I appreciated most about the movie were the small charactertouches that fleshed out the lead actors performances. Sean Penn, in particular.
When we’re introduced to Penn’s weary Secret Service agent, he’s in a dive bar presumably drowning his sorrows. Penn’s body language communicates as much. In the background a grating country song is blaring out of the jukebox.
Without a word, Penn gets up and saunters over to the jukebox. He unplugs it, cutting the abrasive tune off before it’s finished. He immediately plugs the jukebox back in, puts in a dollar and punches in the digits for a different song.
Penn’s song is melancholy, wistful and romantic. He drags himself across the bar to the pay phone. We think he’s about to call someone the song reminds him of, but the pay phone is broken. He whips out his cell phone.
He calls the number and waits for someone to pick up. It’s the machine. It’s a woman’s voice. He smiles. He listens to the message and then hangs up. He immediately calls back and listens to it again. He smiles.
Without a word of dialogue, we know Penn misses this woman terribly. And the vibe isn’t creepy like he’s stalking her. It’s affectionate
* THE REST OF THIS BLOG POST WAS LOST WHEN THEATER HOPPER MOVED TO WORDPRESS IN JANUARY 2009 *
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Apr26
GUEST STRIP – CHRIS CANTRELL
April 26th, 2005 |- Comics »
- Comics »
- Guest Strip
(8 votes, average: 5.50 out of 10)
Chris is maybe jumping the gun just a little with his Dukes of Hazzard comic – The movie starring Johnny Knoxville, Sean Williams Scott, Jessica Simpson, and Willie Nelson (!) doesn’t launch itself into theaters until August 5 – but I don’t care for two reasons:
1. Any Dukes of Hazzard joke is okay in my book. The television show was high camp at its finest. Just thinking about it brings a grin to my ear.
2. Chris’s writing and illustration is so sharp, it’s like someone delicately painted my eyes with some sort of liquid happiness. Possibly LSD. I can’t be sure. Just look at that rendering of the General Lee. But a beauty to behold!
I think it’s criminal that Please Rewind does not get the recognition it deserves – especially considering Chris’s pedigree with The Asylumantics.
If you’re already reading his comics, then you are extremely switched on and I am preaching to the choir. But if you’re not, then you are doing yourself a grand disservice. Anyone who likes Theater Hopper will find more than enough to love in Please Rewind. The characterization is top notch.
That said, I hope you enjoy my rendering of his characters in my buzzComix incentive sketch. Vote for Theater Hopper to view it.
Beyond pimping Chris’s work and thanking him profusely, I have little else to say. You might want to click back one day and read the second blog I posted late yesterday afternoon. It has a lot of details you shouldn’t mix.
For example, I’m doing 5 guest comics this week in preparation of unveiling the new site design and marking my return to the comic on Monday, May 2!
Set your watches!
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Chris, It’s scary how you knew about that childhood dream. I bet you know about the one where I am smurfette and… what? You…didn’t … know about that one? Everyone loves the General Lee? Aw Crap!
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Apr27
GUEST STRIP – JOERULES AND MADMUP
April 27th, 2005 |- Comics »
- Comics »
- Guest Strip
(4 votes, average: 7.75 out of 10)
Today’s guest strip comes from a pair of collaborators who met inside our illustrious THorum – joerules from Digital Pimp Online and MadMup from… well, MadMup.com.
This actually isn’t the first time these two have paired up. They worked together to bring me a guest strip while I was away in Memphis last year. Just as they knocked it out of the part last time, they do so again! My character seems to have grown some hair since the last time Joe put pen to paper, but I ain’t complaining!
The real treat of today’s strip is the inside joke in the first panel. Keen eyed observers of the comic will understand it. But if it’s not leaping out at you, I’m not going to explain it – because it simply wouldn’t be as funny.
Anyway, as thanks for their hard work, I have drawn them at the very catalyst of their creative nexus! You can see what I’m talking about when you’re treated to the incentive sketch when you vote for Theater Hopper at buzzComix.
Do us all a favor and visit both Joe and Mup’s web sites. Joe has recently hit pay dirt with ANOTHER comic – this time taking aim at his favorite (crappy) movies. I’ve mentioned it in this space before. It’s called Joe Loves Crappy Movies! Check it out.
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Apr28
GUEST STRIP – CLAY AND HAMPTON YOUNT
April 28th, 2005 |- Comics »
- Comics »
- Guest Strip
(4 votes, average: 7.75 out of 10)
Shamefully I wasn’t aware of Rob and Elliot until Zach over at Joe and Monkey made me aware of them just this year. Good thing – it’s probably one of my most favorite new discoveries.
I don’t know how to explain it. The look is manga-esque, but not annoying like most of that stuff. Expressions aren’t overtly exaggerated. It plays closer to reality.
The pacing of the dialogue is a real plus. Very witty without being too eager. Still, you have to give it up for a concept like the adorable – but deadly! – iMonkey.
Honestly, if I had created that, I would have kicked my feet up and said “Looks like I’m on auto-pilot from here on out!” That’s the kind of great idea you could hang an entire strip from.
But Clay and Hampton Yount don’t stop there. Oh, no! They’ve got a real swinging comic going on and you should all check it out. Thanks for the great guest strip!
Incidentally, if you want to see my rendering of their characters, vote for Theater Hopper at buzzComix and laugh at my inferior interpretation!
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