Archive for November, 2005
20 items.
Did Tom end up getting his post-op lolly pop? Only one way to know for sure.
Not much to say about today’s comic. As you can see, it’s a continuation from Tom’s plunger episode from Monday.
Still excited to see Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire this weekend. That’s probably first on my list. But did you guys know that Walk the Line is also coming out this weekend? That one kind of flew under the radar, but the advance reviews have been great. Probably see it this weekend as well.
I have a lot of things outside of movies to celebrate this weekend. Too much detail to go into here, but people who have been following my LiveJournal know the score. I’m preparing myself to hit a personal milestone on Saturday and I’m pretty excited about it.
In terms of professional (or quasi-professional) milestones, we’re about to hit one here at Theater Hopper as well. Can you believe in less than two weeks we’ll be celebrating the 500th Theater Hopper comic? I have some plans that will be unvieled at that time that will greatly improve your use of the site, so talk it up to your friends and be on the lookout. It’s going to be great.
Oh, and the comic will be funny, too!
Something I mentioned on Monday but didn’t get much feedback on… Do any of you guys know how I can get in touch with the marketing groups that are responsible for placing the ads for movies on web sites? Look at Hollywood Elsewhere or Superhero Hype. See how those guys have big banners for all the upcoming movies? I want something like that.
It’s kind of difficult to talk about with you guys. After all, we’re talking about advertising that clutters up your entertainment experience. But it’s unfortunately a fact of life. Personally, I would rather host ads that are more specific to your interests rather than rely on Chitika ads or Google AdSense to randomly pull something out of a hat. I do notice that during the times that AdSense conjures up something like the ads for A History of Violence or more recently Aeon Flux, click-thrus increase. That is why I am supremely confident that if I can find advertising that speaks to you, you’ll investigate it. Plus, it won’t look like so much digital littering has been going on around here.
Anyway, if you guys have any in-roads as to how to contact these marketing groups – or maybe you work for one, who knows? – drop me a line. I’m interested in working something out.
Talk to you soon!
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I find it interesting that this arc had less and less to say about Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire the closer we got to the release date. I think I ended up saying more about Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan than I did about the franchise film I set out to review in the first place.
But aren’t you glad I didn’t make the more obnoxious Khan reference?
"KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNN!"
Whoops. Spoke too soon. Oh, well.
Does everyone remeber the earwig scene where Khan puts that creepy-crawling in Chekov’s head in order to get him to tell the truth? I don’t remember it exaclty. I haven’t watched the movie in a while. But for some reason I seem to recall a distinct crunching sound. That freaked me out. A lot.
At any rate, don’t forget to vote for Theater Hopper at Web Comics List and you can see the incentive sketch that recreates Dr. Marcato’s childhood interpretation of that scene.
I don’t have a lot to say today, so I thought I would remind everyone to post their location on the Theater Hopper map!
Remember, we’re not using this to collect information about you. Leave your name if you like. Leave your handle if you’re more comfortable. The only thing the map needs is your zip code to plot your location. It use’s Google Maps technology and it’s pretty cool. Attach a picture and a personal message, if you like!
I don’t know why I’m so facinated with this thing, but I think it’s really interesting to see where people are reading the comic from. I have to admit that I was really surprised to learn we had fans in Mexico and Singapore. Add your name to the list!
Also, since I’m in a linky mood, be sure to check out The Asylumantics by my good friend Chris Cooper. He’s got some good storylines going on over there right now that you should really catch up on.
That’s about it for me today. I think Cami and I are going to dodge the opening night swell of kiddies who will no doubt be out in force to see Harry Potter tonight. Instead, we’re going to see Walk The Line and catch a matinee of HP sometime over the weekend.
I’m really looking forward to Walk The Line. Not only because I’m a huge Johnny Cash fan, but because I’ve also been to Sun Records in Memphis where he started his career. I’m interested to see how much of Memphis in the 50’s and 60’s they capture in the movie.
You wouldn’t really peg Memphis as a vacation destination, but I would say it’s probably one of my favorite cities. A lot of cool stories in that town. If you haven’t been or explored its history, I strongly suggest you do so. Y’know, now that I think about it, I have pictures from my trip to Memphis in the THorum that you can check out here if you want to. That trip was over a year ago, but I think it’s a strong indicator of the spell it cast over this Yankee.
See you on Monday!
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Okay, I’m an idiot.
Chris Cooper is not the creator of The Asylumantics. Chris CANTRELL is.
Chris Cooper is a ver talented actor who has appeared in movies like American Beauty and Adaptation.
Chris Cantrell is a very talent artist and writer who has created The Asylumantics and Please Rewind.
Apologies for any confusion. I’ve gone and mixed up movie-life and real-life again!
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Some people might view today’s comic as insensitive to those with cleft lips – or harelips, as they are sometimes known. I hope I’m not offending anyone. In fact, I tried to put Tom on the receiving end of his own insensitivity in today’s incentive sketch. It’s my odd way of trying to strike a balance in the universe.
I don’t have a problem with harelips. It just that in Walk the Line, it’s a very noticiable character trait of Jaquin Phoenix’s that is very hard to ignore when he’s supposed to be playing Johnny Cash. That would be like doing a Nirvana biopic and having the actor who played Kurt Cobain have a lazy eye. I’m just saying it was a distraction, is all.
For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, I’ve linked through to WebMD’s clinical description here. I try to be of help when I can.
And if anyone is still really, REALLY upset… then please forward all your letters to the writers of the "Moley-moley-mole!" joke from Austin Powers in Goldmember because that’s essentially where I stole this from.
The only reason I’m teasing Jaquin at all is because I thought Walk the Line was an exceptional film. One that all of you should see. Cami and I went on Friday and were thoroughly entertained by it. Walking out of the theater, you feel the distinct compulsion to go out and buy every Johnny Cash record you don’t already own.
There’s tons of great music in this film, especially at the begining. It was very interesting to watch Jaquin-as-Cash go out on his first tour with the likes of June Carter, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley. Who knew they all shared a car driving from gig to gig in the early days.
That’s where all the good-hearted fun lies early on in the movie. All those great songs… it sucks you in! Eventually the movie settles into a lower speed and becomes more of a love story. Cash becomes infatuated to with Carter and seeks to marry her despite his own burgeoning family and wife at home. Carter is especially wary after two marriages end in divorce and the scornful eye "fans" cast upon her because of it. This painful societal pressure of the era is something the film captures well.
As most people know, Cash was an amphetamine addict . This aspect of his life folds neatly into the middle of the latter two-thirds of the movie, but it’s also where the film begins to paint itself into a corner. Cash takes drugs casually at first, but eventually consumes them as a way to medicate the pain of rejection he suffers at the hands of Carter who spurns his advances over the course of 10 years. The film makes a point out of portraying Carter as a paragon of virtue, but she comes off as totally oblivious to the pain she’s inflicting on Cash. She’s the reason he’s destroying himself as a means to get her attention and care.
Details aside, I think it’s the larger dramatic device of the love story that may divide people on this movie. I personally enjoyed this angle quite a bit because I know something about Cash and Carter’s time together and how utterly devoted they were to each other. It’s very sweet. But the movie doesn’t show us that. Basically, Cash proposes to Carter on stage in Canada, she says "yes" and the movie gives us title cards informing us that essentially they lived "happily ever after for the next 35 years." Maybe it was meant to prompt the audience to explore their life together more on their own time. But it ends up feeling like "Crap! This movie is already 2 hours long! We gotta cap this off!"
I think that’s where people kind of throw their hands up if they aren’t thrilled about the love story. I’ve talked to a few people about it already and some complained of expecting something different. What, exactly, they can’t pinpoint. I think these people were looking for more hell-raisin’ in the picture when that’s not really what it’s about.
That said, each of the performances are top notch. Everyone has made a big deal out of Jaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon singing all the songs in the film and with good cause. While Witherspoons voice is a little high and reedy to synch up perfectly with Carter’s, Phoenix’s portrayal was so spot on in points, if you close your eyes, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. Although his performance is not an impersonation like Jamie Foxx’s was of Ray Charles in last year’s Ray, I think his is a more accurate re-creation. Foxx got Charles’ mannerisms down – the swaying of the head, his speaking tone and whatnot. But not being able to do the same vocal tricks Charles could do was a sticking point. If they’re handing out Oscars for what Foxx did, Phoenix should be a lock for sure.
Not much else to say at the moment. I got word from my printer over the weekend that the last batch of t-shirts, baby doll tees and hoodies I ordered have been shipped. So I’m expecting those sometime this week. That means those of you who have been waiting to see your order filled will most likely receive a package either late this week or early next. America’s Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday will probably throw a monkey wrench in things, so be patient. You’ve been so tollerant with me so far. It won’t be long now!
For those who like to keep track, it is exactly one month to my birthday today. I’ll be 28 on December 21st. I don’t know if that’s worth anything to anyone, but I felt like mentioning it. After taking pot-shots at the cleft lip crowd, I’m begining to doubt if anyone will get me any presents this year!
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Nov23
Our good buddy Leatherface wants you to enjoy his holiday feast. No, it’s not what you think. He’s honestly turned over a new leaf! Isn’t he the happy host!
For our international readers, tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the United States. A holiday born from the symbolic brotherhood between the indigenous people of the Americas and their future white oppressors from across the ocean. But no one talks about small pox blankets anymore.
Perhaps I’m being glib. Really Thanksgiving is a good excuse to get together with family and eat a big meal. I’ve been looking forward to this year’s festivities since about September.
Coming up with a comic that was both holiday-related and movie-related is no small order. I’ve managed to pull it off in years gone by. But it’s getting tougher and tougher to conceptualize something. Seems like every Hollywood offering that has to do with this time of year centers around an excentric family that someone just can’t manage to get along with! Darn!
Take the upcoming The Family Stone, for example. Sarah Jessica Parker (or SJP to her fans) plays an uptight urban dweller brought home to meet the quirky family of the favorite son. There are several awkward exchanges, terse glances, and wacky hijinks ensure. I’m sure there will be a food fight in there somewhere. And, in the end, grand reconsiliation. Because, hey! We’re FAMILY, right?!
:: fade to black ::
At any rate, when I do a Thanksgiving strip, it’s my goal to reach a few steps beyond the whole "families are crazy!" cliche. But then again, if Tom stomping around in a Leatherface costume isn’t crazy, I don’t know what is!
To our America readers, if I don’t catch up with you sooner, have a safe and happy holiday. More wacky hijinks in this spot on Friday!
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Something I forgot to mention in my post this morning… Last night the good man from UPS delivered a very large box to my doorstep. What was inside? Why, only a whole gaggle of t-shirts, baby doll tees and hoodies! So that means those of you who ordered items long ago and have been exceptionally patient waiting for their delivery won’t have to wait much longer.
Thanksgiving kind of throws a wrench into things this week in terms of shipping things out. But there’s no reason I can start stuffing envelopes so they’re ready to go on Friday! Hopefully everyone will see their orders completed sometime next week. Hey, at least you get them before Christmas!
Once again, sincere thanks to everyone who has shown patience and understanding. I’m just one guy with limited resources, so unfortunately, things sometimes fall behind. In the future when I return clothing items to the store – and I don’t know when that will be, but it will likely be with new designs! – I will make a more dilligent effort to put a timeline around things. To say "pre-orders are two weeks, recieving printed shirts is two weeks, distribution is one week – you’ll get your shirt in 5 to 6 weeks." I want to be the reliable guy. That’s my New Year’s resolution. I’m making it the day before Thanksgiving.
Super shout-out to Brunetto Shirts. They are the only t-shirt printing company I’ve worked with since starting this whole thing and their excellent service ensures that I’ll continue to use them for a long time to come!
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Something else I wanted to take a moment to pimp is the $10 sale going on over at Threadless right now.
Some of you know that I am a big fan of Threadless. I actually have a shirt that I designed that was for sale there for a while. It’s out of stock right now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t request a reprint! Actually, I have another design that I’m working on for them, but it’s not ready just yet. Keep your eyes peeled for it. I’ll be sure to let everyone know when it’s for sale.
Anyway, they’re having their big holiday sale where ever shirt is $10. Truthfully, you’re not going to find a better deal than that for clothes this cool and original.
I’m encouraging everyone I know to check out what they have to offer and to follow this link when they do so:
http://www.threadless.com/?streetteam=Tom Brazelton
Y’see, if you follow that-there link and make a purchase, then I get points placed in my account for referring the sale. Pretty slick, huh? Then I can buy some shirts and then we can both be cool together – if hundreds of miles apart.
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Nov25
If you’re going to go to the trouble of sneaking in an entire pumpkin pie, you should at least be prepared when it comes to the other condiments.
Not much to say about today’s comic except I’m really happy with the joke. In fact, I’m pretty pleased with both of my Thanksgiving-themed comics this year. Both writing and art. I don’t pat myself on the back very often, but I think these two strips deserve it. Disagree if you want. My opinion is pretty much fully-formed at this point.
I don’t know if Cami and I are going to head out into the screaming mobs today and try to brave Black Friday. We were up for it earlier in the week. We were going to go with my sister-in-law Tara. It was kind of a mini-tradition between the three of us.
But Cami ran herself ragged yesterday preparing a Thanksgiving meal for both families and she’s pretty much shot. She did a great job, though. Best Thanksgiving we’ve had together, I think. The first one in our new house, too. We’re off to a good start!
We might see Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire this weekend. We both feel kind of bad that we weren’t able to get to it last week. (We saw Walk the Line instead). I keep hearing that it’s the best of the Potter movies so far, but I’m trying to stay away from spoilers. I want to be surprised. I haven’t read any of the books, so I guess I’ll be doubly surprised!
Hey, did you notice that today is comic #499? Do you know what that means? It means on Monday we’ll be celebrating comic #500! Can you believe it? I know I can’t. I know I’ve been at this for three years, but 500 comics is a real milestone to me. Wild.
There’s been some behind-the-scenes planning going on that I think you guys are really going to like. It’s going to make navigating the archive SOOOOO much easier, you don’t even know. But there’s an extra surprise waiting in the wings, so be sure to check in on Monday for the full scoop!
Have a safe holiday weekend!
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Well, if you’re here, then that means you’re interested to see how thing resolved themselves from Monday’s lack of comic. And if you’re interested, you have my thanks.
Basically there was a small coding snafu that prevented the site from loading in Firefox. And instead of posting the comic where only a portion of the audience could see it, I decided to hold off until the problem was resolved so that EVERYONE can see it. But now we’re in the clear and we’re ready to have a good time!
My only regret is that we missed out on sharing our 500 comic extravaganza with Jeph over at Questionable Content who also reached the same milestone on Monday. Spooky, huh? It’s like we’re conjoined twins, seperated at birth! Congrats to Jeph!
Can you believe that there are 500 of these bad boys in the archive? I can’t. Too bad comic Tom can’t celebrate with us. He’s too busy getting his mug shot taken. AGAIN!
I thought it was appropriate to tackle a pasttime not often discussed here at this site that shares it’s namesake – theater hopping. Staring down a blank piece of paper, trying to think of something for this momentous occassion, I took a step back and said "What’s the one thing these characters have never done?"
And then it hit me like a ton of brick.
But look where it got them? Remember, kids – crime doesn’t pay.
Thinking about 500 comics has put me in a reflective mood. I think it’s certainly a greater achievement than being around for 3 years. But maybe since that took place in August and this milestone is taking place at the end of the year when I’m already taking stock of how 2005 treated me, it seems more poigniant.
I know for certain that I wouldn’t have gotten here without the help of good people.
To Michael for helping to get the THorum on it’s feet. To Brian for his help with the hosting. To Carrington, Zach and Mitch whose feedback and friendship I so deeply respect.
To each and every one of you who took the time to write and e-mail of encouragement.
To anyone who bought a t-shirt or a poster to show your support for the comic.
To all of you who come to the site for a quick laugh before going about your daily chores.
Doing Theater Hopper has been one of the most fulfilling creative endeavors I’ve ever undertook. The fact that you guys appreciate it and continue to support me means more than you’ll ever know. I appreciate you guys a whole heck of a lot.
Someone new that I have to add to the list of life-savers is my good friend Dave. Y’see, Dave created something for the site that I think all of you are going to find very useful.
He made the archive searchable.
Don’t ask me how he did it. I’m sure it involved some kind of voodoo sacrafice. But the fact of the matter is that you can now search our entire archive of 500 comics, plus every guest comic along the way either using random keywords or by typing in the title (or even part of the title) for the comic you want to see!
Dave thought of everything. Not only did he make the archive searchable, but he reconfigured the archive display so it breaks out by year and by month. You can see EXACTLY what days I updated for March of 2003 if you wanted to. Extra bonus? Roll your mouse over any one of the links and and ALT tag appears letting you know the title of the comic! How cool is that?!
Even cooler is that Dave was able to use a color-change identifier to let you know which of the comics were penned by yours truly and which are guest comics. This is something I’ve wanted for the longest time. A way to recognize other artist’s contributions to the site. Dave found the perfect visual shorthand.
Oh, and another thing about the guest comics? They’ve all been added back into the archive. So those that were missing for a while are now placed back on the site in proper chronological order for you to enjoy all over again!
I will point out a small downside to this revision. If you are a web master and you’re linking to a specific comic in the archive, the links of the indivdual comic pages have changed. Whereas before comic URLs were generated by the number of the comic in the archive, things are now built by the comic’s publication date. So check your links if you have a site. I’d hate for you guys to miss what you’re trying to show others! I’m thinking specifically about the guest strip artists who may have linked to their work in our archive.
But, hey! Is that so bad? A pretty small price to pay for such a leap in functionality, wouldn’t you say? And what’s growth without a little struggle.
But wait! There’s more!
"How could there possibly be more?!" I know you are asking this to yourself. Well, it’s possible. Pleanty possible. Dave created something that is going to increase the user interactivity level on this site into the ozone.
Dave created a reviews section… where you, the user, can leave reviews of every movie Theater Hopper discusses!
Okay. I know. CALM DOWN! IT"LL BE ALL RIGHT!
The way it works is deceptively simple. First, follow this link to the reviews archive. From there, use the search perameters to find the film you want to discuss. For example, Austin Powers in Goldmember. Now let’s say you want to leave a review of the movie. So simple! See that little link that says "Add Review?" Click it!
At this point, it’s going to ask for a username and login. Don’t be psyched out! If you don’t have one, you can easily get one here. Y’see, Dave is such a genius, he tied the reviews database in with the THorum database! That means that they share the same login information! That also means that if you already have a THorum account, you’re ready to go right off the bat!
Now does getting a reviews account mean that you have to start posting in the THorum? Hey, we’d love to have you! But you’re not obligated. This is simply a way for us to keep tabs on what is being posted to the reviews database and to do a little pruning if this get out of hand, you know what I mean?
Obviously we don’t want any naughty language creeping into your reviews, so please be courtesy when you leave your thoughts for everyone to read. In fact, don’t write anything you wouldn’t want your Mom to read. And if you happen to have a very hip and liberal Mom, don’t write anything you wouldn’t want your baby sister to read. She has very sensitive ears.
Anyway, once you’re logged in, rate the movie from 1 to 10. After that, feel free to type up your review! After a while, we’ll have a database FULL of reviews all authored by you – the audience!
Don’t agree with my thoughts on a recent film? This is your chance to set the record straight. Wanna leave behind your thoughts as to why Weekend at Bernies is the best modern American comedy? Now’s your chance!
The beautiful thing about these movie review listings? Each one of them is tied back to the comic in the archive that references them. IT’S ALL CROSS-FUNCTIONAL, I TELL YOU! IT’S MAGIC!
Understandably, we don’t have EVERY SINGLE MOVIE in the reviews database that has been referenced in the comic. But there are a handful and we’re working to add new ones all the time. If there’s a comic that discusses a particular movie and a review page hasn’t been created for it, e-mail me and I’ll get right on it! I want this to be a truly interactive initiative. I want you guys to feel like you have a larger role in the community aspect of this site!
This is a lot to soak in, I know. But let the information settle. Once you’re done with that, test out the archive! Test out the reviews database! Take these bad boys for a spin! They’re here for your benefit!
Thanks again to Dave for all his hard work and for putting up with my general ignorance. Dave has a great comic called Taking the Bi-Pass that everyone should check out and add to their regular reads as a reward for his hard work.
In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for ANOTHER announcement later in the day that I’m not prepared to let out of the bag just yet! But it will be a lot of fun and I think you guys will like it.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT MAKES THEATER HOPPER A SUCCESS. THANK YOU!
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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.
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