Archive for October, 2005
24 items.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that today’s comic is quite possible the most clever thing I’ve written in a long time. The incentive sketch that goes with it isn’t half bad, either.
Normally I’m not one for such hubris, but I’m really happy with the way it today’s comic turned out. Okay, so maybe it’s not the most original. But you know how when Bill Cosby tells a joke it’s not so much the punch line that’s funny but the way he tells it? I feel like there’s a little bit of that going on here.
Saw II comes out today and it’s one of the few horror movies with enough sense to wait until the Halloween season to drop in theaters when audiences are pre-disposed for a good scare. For the life of me, I will never understand the sense in marketing that says it is okay to release a movie like The Ring 2 in March. What’s scary about March? NUTHIN’!
I can understand that maybe studios aren’t stacking up horror films around October 31 because they don’t want the competition. But even a family movie with dark undertones like Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride could have benefited from a more apt holiday release. Just my opinion.
I don’t have a lot to say about Saw II in particular, except at first glance it seems like a hastily thrown together sequel to a moderately successful film from last year. I question it’s effectiveness to ratchet up the tension since the original Saw utilized the benefit of surprise. Now that we kind of know the killer’s M.O. will we be as caught up in the fate of the characters he tortures?
I’ve heard some rumblings that the sequel is slightly better than the original – but just. It wins points for not suckering the crowd with a similar cop out ending as the original did. One of the worst non-twists in horror history.
I doubt Cami and I will see Saw II this weekend. Believe it or not, it isn’t really Cami’s cup of tea. Truth be told, I’m not one to stomach splatter and gore at a 4:3 aspect ratio. Call me a pansy if you must, but I’m more comfortable watching horror from the confines of my living room where I can fast forward through the rough spots or get up and vomit if I have to.
Horror is kind of a tricky bag for me. I’m interested in these movies. I think it would be really cool to sit and watch the complicated Rube Goldbergian methods Jigsaw uses to dispatch his victims in this latest installment. It’s much like those moral quandary questionnaires that ask you "If you and your wife were trapped in a room and the only way to save yourself was by pushing a button that would kill your spouse, what would you do? Failure of either of you to push your button results in both your deaths. WHAT NOW?!" That’s interesting. It’s high drama, people.
But the gore. I just can’t stand the…
LOOK… I don’t need to know what your brain pan looks like, okay? I don’t need it confirmed that the small intestine unspooled runs the length of a football field, thank you. Those are visuals I can do without.
At any rate, if we have time this weekend, Cami and I are thinking about seeing either The Legend of Zorro (tepid family swashbuckling that anyone can handle) or perhaps Mysteries of the Nile – an IMAX documentary our science center recently received about a group of rafters who attempt to travel the entire 3,260 miles length of the Nile from the source in Ethiopia to the Mediterranean Sea. Only we would opt for this kind of PBS-inspired entertainment as a weekend option. It’s not a field trip. No one is forcing us to go. We choose this for ourselves.
That’s all for now. I’ll be back later with an important reminder! Ooooo! Spooky!
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As mandated by the previous blog, I’m back to deliver another message of great importance.
I’m sure all interested parties know by now that I will cease to sell all t-shirts, hoodies and baby doll tees on Monday, October 31. Some of these designs will be retired. If you have a hankering for ANY of these items, now is the time to buy them. I don’t know when they will be coming back.
All of this is being done in an effort to meet the minimum order requirements of my printer and also to make one last big push that might help me to burn through some of my old inventory.
I know some of you are sad that these items won’t be available in the store for a while, but don’t be. Taking care of this aspect of my merchandising is going to free up my time so that I can concentrate on bringing you guys not one, not two, but THREE new books next year that catalogue the first year of Theater Hopper’s existence.
It might be kind of dumb to suspend apparel sales right before the holidays, but that’s just the kind of moron I am. So if you think you know someone that would appreciate a Theater Hopper hoodie, you have until Monday to make your purchase!
Thanks again to everyone who has already ordered and those who are soon to order. I appreciate your help and support!
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First things first. Today is the VERY LAST DAY that you can order t-shirts, hoodies and baby-doll tees. At
It is also important to note that this will be the LAST TIME you can get your hands on “Truman in a Purse,” “Under Construction” and “Emerging.” After today, these designs will be retired – available for purchase NO MORE!
Once the store has been closed and all orders have been received, I will gather the information and submit to the printer the final tally of shirts, hoodies and baby-dolls needed. It is likely that there will be a two week turn around. Perhaps longer since we are approaching the holiday season and my printer is responsible to other clients. Once the shirts have been sent to me, I will then package and distribute from there. It’ll probably be another week added to the process. So, in short, you can expect to see your order sometime around the third week of November.
Thanks to everyone who has shown their support to the site with their purchases. You’ve helped me more than you know. It is your generosity and support that helps keep Theater Hopper going and I sincerely appreciate it. I am very excited for the future of the store and the new designs I will be bringing you in the future – as well as many exciting new products to satiate your desire for all thing Theater Hopper!
I’ll be back later today with commentary on the comic and incentive “sketch”.
Thanks again!
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I realized this morning that I said yesterday I would come back with another blog about today’s comic. Then I realized that I had very little to say about it. Maybe it’s because it kind of follows in the tradition of our previous Halloween comic or maybe it’s because Diesel Sweeites does the whole thing so much better and I was intimidated. In either case, at least you get another comic where I take a cheap shot at Tom Cruise. Has America’s Action Hero ™ become my latest foil? Is he the new Ben Affleck of Theater Hopper?
What can I say? The comic gets a little more popular and you start goin’ after the big guns. LOOK OUT, CRUISEY-BOY!
In other news, the t-shirts, hoodies and baby-doll tees have been completely removed from the store. Many thanks to those of you who placed orders. I will be working hard to fill out all the orders from this last run as well as those that have been on hold for a while. I plan on contacting the printer this evening and hopefully the turn around will be swift.
Here in Iowa, we didn’t pass out any candy for Halloween Monday night. Instead we dressed up and gave out treats on Sunday night. Or – as the civic leaders like to call it – Beggar’s Night. I never understood the logic behind ignoring the actually holiday and celebrating it the day before. Someone told me it was to keep children and families off the street while irresponsible adults were off having Halloween parties and getting loaded. I supposed that’s justified paranoia, but ultimately kind of confusing. Why not let these kids dress up and go door to door on the day they’re supposed to?
At any rate, we had a good time. If you’re interested in seeing our costumes, you can vote for Theater Hopper at Webcomics List and get a spooky treat. For posterity, I’ve preserved this photo along with a couple snap shots of the front of our house in the THorum so you can see our decorations. Marvel at our 8 foot tall inflatable Homer Simpson dressed up like Dracula! Click here for the link.
One last story. Cami and I decided to sit down last night to watch a movie in spirit (HA!) of the Halloween holiday. We don’t own a lot of horror movies, though. Cami isn’t a fan of the genre and you all know about my aversion to gore as explained in last Friday’s blog. But we do have one spooky film that fit the mood perfectly – Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow.
I kind of remember at the time the movie took a few hit’s on the chin from people who didn’t feel it was his best work. In light of Planet of the Apes and Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, it looks like Lawrence of Arabia. Tons of great actors, brilliant set and costume design, seemless effects andCasper Van Dien. This movie has it all.
Although I have to laugh every time martial artist -slash- the erstwhile Darth Maul Ray Park appears on screen as The Headless Horseman. What is he, like 5’2"? RUN! But I digress. It’s a great interpretation of an American classic. I wouldn’t be ashamed to admit I think watching Burton’s movie is a fine Halloween tradition. One I would hope we can continue for years to come.
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