Well, if you voted for Theater Hopper at the Web Comics List, you kind of already know the big news. The incentive sketch I put up is now available to own courtesy of the fine people at eBay!

I created this piece in ink on an 11 x 14" of Bristol board. So it’s big and suitable for framing! I guess since I was so excited about reaching the big 500, I just wanted a way to extend that excitement to you guys and give you the option of being a part of it.

I set the auction up yesterday but didn’t get a chance to post about it until today. At any rate, the auction ends 5 days from now, so be sure to get your bids in! This is a great holiday gift for yourself or maybe the big Theater Hopper fan on your list! It’s totally one of a kind and can be yours… IF the price is right!

One other note today, congradulations to Sam Logan whose comic Sam & Fuzzy also crossed the 500 strip threshold this week. Sam’s being more low key about it than I am. I thought he gave a good reason, too:

"I don’t really have anything profound to say about my 500th consecutive Sam and Fuzzy strip," said Sam.  "Perhaps if I was growing sick of it, or getting ready to pack it in altogether, it would feel more monumental — like I had completed some great challenge or overcome some tremendous obstacle. But I don’t feel that way at all. No, today is just another day, and today’s strip is just one more comic that I loved creating and am thrilled to be able to share with so many people."

Very well put. Incidentally, I feel the same way. I mean, 500 comics isn’t a challenge or an obstacle. It’s a lot of fun! I plan to keep doing Theater Hopper so long as you keep reading it. But where Sam and I differ is that when I stop to smell the roses, I also grab people by the sleeve, shove their face into the thorny bush and say "SMELL THESE ROSES! AREN’T THEY GREAT?!"

Man, who would have thought that Theater Hopper, Sam & Fuzzy and Questionable Content would all hit 500 comics in the same week. Hear that? That’s the sound of the planets aligning.