Archive for April, 2006
19 items.
Apr03
I know talking about a cheap-o horror movie with no advertising behind it like Stay Alive isn’t exactly the most timely reference, but it ties in to a more timely obcession that I’m riding out at the moment – Kingdom Hearts II.
Yes, yes. I know this isn’t a web comic about video games. There are more than enough of those to shake a stick at. But when I get into a game, bruther… I live, breathe and sleep it! Besdies… as the title implies, I’ll take any opportunity to subvert the iconography of childhood.
Got a few site issues to address. First of all, the t-shirts that everyone ordered a few weeks ago are back from the printer. That means I’ll be shipping them out this week. So if you live in the lower 48, you should hopefully be seeing your purchases soon.
I gotta tell you, even though not a ton of people bought shirts this time out, I think I’m going to stick with these designs a while and see if things turn around this summer. The shirts came out looking REALLY good. Those of you who ordered them are going to be very happy. The rest of you are going to be very jealous. I think I’m going to take a few photographs of Cami and I wearing the shirts so you guys can get a better sense of what they look like. Just slapping the design on a web page is a little obtuse when it comes to garment selection.
I should also update you guys that I gathering bid for the Theater Hopper: Year One book. I think I pretty much have my choice of printer nailed down, I’m just waiting for one final bid to come in. After that, I have a few pre-press tweaks to do and I hope to have it sent off to the printer next week!
Have you guys check out our newest sponsors? I don’t know why, but lately there seems to be a lot of interest in our 30 days for $10 promotion!
Geek Tragedy is more than just a clever name. It’s actually a very well done comic. I’m kind of surprised that I haven’t stumbled across this one before now. The site design is really tight and the illustration is very unique and refined. Lots of great stuff here!
The Review Zoo isn’t a web comic. But as their name indicates, it’s a review site. A virtual zoo-ful of reviews! Reviews on everything ranging from movies, to video games and action figures to comic books. Get your geek on with this highly-organized and easy to read site!
Rapture Press is a collective of nine different comics from all around the inter-web. I don’t have enough space to go into everything they have to offer, but if you’re reading list is a little stodgy, there should be more than enough content here to tide you over! If you’re looking for something new, try Rapture Press!
And lastly, Front Beat is a kind of sci-fi and anime-inspired serial that has a great vibe to it. The illustrations are both kind of sketchy and loose, but also very detailed and distinct. There are only 63 episodes at the moment, so it’s a good time to jump on and catch up with the story!
I also want to send another shout out to our previous advertisers, Multiplex, Dribble For Kids and After the End of the World. Be sure to check out all of these comics. These guys all work hard and do great work!
As you can see, I have one ad spot left. So if you’re interesting in getting some great exposure for not a lot of money, click here and read more about it! Or, perhaps you’re biding your time and waiting for the prime opportunity to leave your mark? Well, lucky for you we have a calendar that let’s you know when ad spots will become available! As always, if you have any questions about advertising with Theater Hopper, you can contact me directly.
One last bit of site news and I’ll get out of your hair.
Tomorrow is the last day for you to submit an entry into our contest for The Long Good Friday. To learn how about you can be eligible for one of five copies of the forthcoming DVD, click here. Tons of extras are on this DVD and it’s a really good film to boot. If you like gritty gangster movies, this one is excellent. It’s kind of a cult picture, but Bob Hoskins is excellent. A ferocious performance!
Of course, if you’re not one of our lucky winners, The Long Good Friday will be available in stores tomorrow. So I strongly suggest picking it up!
Sincere thanks to Anchor Bay Entertainment for allowing us the opportunity to take part in this promotion.
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Just wanted to send a shout-out to my good friend, creator of Joe and Monkey and fellow Boxcar Comics brother-in-arms Zach Miller.
His book Totally Boned: A Joe and Monkey Collection recently won the 2006 Lulu.com Blooker Prize – an award the on-demand publisher give to self-published material as a means of drawing attention to quality content found online. A category in which Joe and Monkey firmly resides.
Great job, Zach!
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I’m gonna come right out and say it. I love to use Victor in these comics. He’s an utter joy to write for. Not so much because he’s exceptionally witty, but because everything we’ve come to learn about him has been information delivered by the other characters. So, by extension, anything he’s capable of seems amplified to it’s worst conclusion by the audience because he has yet to be defined. Beyond his introduction, he hasn’t had one word of dialogue. If I could take that back, I would. He much more imposing as a mute. I get a kick setting him up against comic Tom.
Good for Fox Studios animation shingle for raking in over $70 million with Ice Age 2 last weekend, but I’m not impressed. I haven’t seen the sequel, but I saw the original and I thought it was a plodding, grating affair. Listening to John Leguizamo lisp for 90 minutes is something I can do without. I doubt the follow-up iimproves on this concept.
The success of Ice Age 2 is chalked up to every family who tossed their 5 year-old into the back seat of their minivan with that annoying flip-down television screen in the back. They made the first one, released it on DVD and now every time little Timmy won’t sit still in his car seat, now he has something to watch that will shut him up long enough for Mom to drive him to the grocery store. Rinse and repeat for the next three years until they make a sequel. Dump said sequel into the theaters and watch the 8 year-olds drag their parents kicking and screaming for more cloying adventures! Yay, money!
I know this makes me sound like a curmudgeon or anti-kids. Not the case. I love animation. I love illustration. I think that’s been proven in my choice of hobby. I have about 550 comics under my belt that can attest to that.
But this… Ice Age 2? Seems pretty soulless to me. Not much magic to it. I mean, honestly – can you think of ANY animated sequel besides Toy Story 2 that was able to enchant period? Nevermind that the first Ice Age was a rote exercise to begin with.
And Scrat? Don’t get me started on Scrat. What the hell is that thing? He’s in all the advertisements, but barely in the movie! That’s deceptive advertising, folks!
:: deep breath ::
That’s it for now. Come back to the site later in the day when I announce the winners of The Long Good Friday contest – which, by the way, is out on DVD today. So if you didn’t win a copy or were too lazy to enter, I strongly suggest that you look it up the next time you’re shopping. It’s a really great film.
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Apologies for the delay posting the names of the winners. I had to make sure a couple of things were organized at home before I could announce them.
Everything is organized!
Congrats to our five winners of The Long Good Friday DVD giveaway! Daniel Pagan, Stuart Baker, Leon Waldman, Chris Brandimore and Will Carpenter. Each of you will be recieving a copy of The Long Good Friday which is now available in store.
If you sent in an application but didn’t win, thanks for your time and support. Generating interest for events like these will increase the likelihood that we’ll get to do them again so be sure to spread the word!
Again, congrats to the winners. You should be seeing your DVDs in the mail within the next week or so!
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The David Spade voodoo doll has shown up once before. It appeared to be more effictive back in the day. Or maybe Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star was just an easier target to hit. In either case, Jared and Tom aren’t fans. Their dislike of Spade hasn’t reached Ben Affleck proportions. Spade is less visible and therefore less likely to draw their ire. But every once and a while, he drops a stinking, festering turd of a movie like The Benchwarmers into theaters and the simply have to respond! Deep six your own career, we don’t care. Having Rob Schnider along for the ride is kind of like setting a deck fire on the Titanic. Who’s gonna notice? But for the love of all that’s holy, don’t take Jon Heder down with you! He’s young and impressionable! He doesn’t know any better!
The weird thing about Spade is that he seems to have unbelievable luck. The Showbiz Show gets picked up for a second season and apparently he’s been seen making out with Heather Locklear? Uh, okay?
Not much more to say today except I’ll be putting the finishing touches on the Theater Hopper: Year One book this weekend. I need to go into the office this weekend to tweak the layout. Originally the pages were supposed to be 6 x 8.25" – but then I started getting bids from the printers. I was told that 6 x 9" was actually a more standard size and would be cheaper to produce. So I have about 200 pages to touch up Saturday morning. I don’t think it will take too long.
I’ve really been spending a lot of time on the cover trying to get the coloring right. It’s turning out well and I’m almost done. I’m thinking about offering a free poster of the book cover artwork for pre-orders. If that sounds good to you, let me know.
I don’t have the money up front to pay for the costs of the books. But if I can secure pre-orders, I’ll have the cash I need to put things into production! I’m talking about it now, so start saving up your cash. I’ve put a lot of effort into making the book as thorough as possible by providing commentary on the strips you don’t see on the site. It’ll have all the guest strips and crossovers from the first year as well. I’m really excited to get this thing off the ground!
Anyway, that’s it for now. I hope you all have a great weekend!
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Drawing Friday’s comic, I realized that Jared holds a lot of grudges against celebrities for one reason or another. It reminded me of the one he hates the most. The one we haven’t heard from in a while…
Okay, okay. So the last time Jared tortured Ben Affleck was back in January. But can any of you guys remember the last time you heard any Ben Affleck-related news? It’s like he seriously fell off the grid! Either that, or Jared’s consistent beatings finally delivered their intended message:
"Leave Hollywood and never come back!"
Who says violence doesn’t solve anything?
Anyway, enough about Ben Affleck’s ties to terrorism. I have much more important news to share.
See this?
That right there is a preview from the cover of the upcoming Theater Hopper book "Theater Hopper: Year One." And I’m excited and proud to announce thatO we’re going to offer it for pre-sale starting Monday, April 17!
It’s been a long time coming and I’ve been working on it for the last three months, but we’re finally ready to go to press with this bad boy. What we need from you is a little support! We don’t have all of the money we need up front to place the order with the printer. That’s why we’re doing the pre-sale. Once enough books have been sold, we can move the project ontothe next stage. So I’m telling everyone about it now so you guys can reserve your copy on Monday.
The book will sell for $18.95 (plus shipping and handling), but you’re getting your money’s worth and then some! The book collects the first year of Theater Hopper. That’s 156 comics, people! Not to mention 11 gueststrips from that era and a 6 strip crossover I did with Carrington Vanston from Movie Punks.
"But Tom," you say "Why do I want to buy your book when I can already get this content on the web site for free?"
Good question. And the answer is "commentary." For each of the 156 comics from the first year, I have included brand new commentary that reveals how I got Theater Hopper off the ground as well as the tips and tricks I learned along the way that helped me refine both the writing and the art as I progressed. If you’ve ever wondered how someone does a web comic three times a week, this book is going to answer a lot of questions! Remember, this content is EXCLUSIVE to the book and you’re not going to see it anywhere else!
Plus, it’s just plain cool to own web comics in print. You can share it with your friends and family and explain to them THIS is what I’ve been reading online and it’s hilarious!
But to motivate you guys a little bit, we’re introducing a new concept. THE THEATER HOPPER STREET TEAM!
Follow the link for all of the details, but it’s a really cool system we have set up. All you have to do is pre-order your copy of the book. Then get five of your friends to do the exact same thing. Once everyone has placed their orders, e-mail me their names and I’ll cross check them against the list. If everything looks good, you get A FREE $20 GIFT CERTIFICATE TO Fandango.com! If you think about it, that’s like getting your copy of the book FOR FREE!
And to sweeten the pot, the first 25 people to complete the task will be rewarded with A FREE THEATER HOPPER T-SHIRT!
To help you get your friends on board, we’ve included a few talking points that you can share with them. So be sure to check out the Theater Hopper Street Team page to get all of the information!
Sound good? Then get you and your friends ready to place your orders on Monday, April 17 when the book is available for pre-sale. Tell everyone you know about it! The faster we gather up the pre-orders, the faster we can get the book to print and into your hot little hands.
As, always, if you have any questions, e-mail me and I’ll answer them.
Thanks to everyone for your support. Putting this book together has been a dream of mine for a really long time and it feels good to know it’s so close to production. All I need is a little support from you guys and it’ll happen! This is the start of a new age for Theater Hopper and I couldn’t be more excited!
THANKS!
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After Monday’s comic where Jared complained that Ben Affleck had fallen of the grid, a few readers brought it to my attention that his real-life counterpart recently made an appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher. The show was aired live on Friday, April 7. So much for a low profile.
With egg on my face, I quickly fabricated a solution. One that will unfold in a dramatic story arc over the next few comics. A few people probably know where I’m going with this, but I want to keep it a surprise for the rest of you. My response to the situation was a little glib at first. But now that I’ve had some time to think about it, you guys are really going to enjoy the result. It was kind of a happy accident, but I’m really excited about this.
Something else I’m really excited about is this:
A picture of Cami? Well, yes. That IS very exciting. But more specifically, It’s another preview image from the cover of "Theater Hopper: Year One!" What could Cami be so worried about? You’ll have to wait until Monday, April 17 to find out! That’s when we start the pre-sale for the book and unveil the whole cover for your viewing pleasure.
I know you have very little to go on, but the cover parodies a very famous movie. Hopefully, if I get to do a follow-up book, I can carry out the theme of parodying movies for the covers – each of them tying into the year of the comic they represent. I have some fun ideas on deck. It would be a real treat to draw them.
One way you can help ensure future books (besides placing your pre-order, of course!) is participating in our Theater Hopper Street Team! I outlined the concept on Monday, but it’s deceptively easy! All you have to do is get five of your friends to pre-order the book. Let me know their names, and if everything looks good, you win a $20 gift certificate to Fandango.com! The first 25 people to complete this challenge also get a FREE Theater Hopper t-shirt! Pretty sweet, huh?
For more details about the program including talking points and a four page sample to share with your friends, click here.
Response to the Street Team has been strong. You guys seem to think it’s a pretty cool idea. That’s great! But there are also a few of you who have reservations…
To that I say, "Get creative!"
Rounding up five friends doesn’t mean that you have to convince your roommate, his girlfriend and your bowling leauge to buy the book. They can be complete strangers! If you’re a regular at another forum community, let them know that the book will be available on Monday, April 17! If you have a MySpace or Facebook page, share the details there! Write about it in your blog or from your LiveJournal account! The important thing is that you SPREAD THE WORD! I assure you that you’ll find Theater Hopper fans in the darnest places. Keep them in the loop on the book and you’re looking at earning your reward for participation with the Street Team in no time!
I’m pounding the digital pavement just as hard as you guys to get the word out about "Theater Hopper: Year One!" so we can make sure we get as many pre-orders as possible. But if you represent any kind of media site and want to ask questions about the book or the Street Team, please e-mail me! I am making myself available for interviews!
Save the date, everyone! Pre-ordering our first book will be here in less than a week!
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I suppose this is as good a place as any to throw in a cliff-hanger, eh?
Just imagine… a self-storage unit in Van Nuys full of Ben Affleck robotic duplicates. The possibilities! We’ll be sure to revisit the concept on Monday.
Introducing the Benbots is a bit of a patch job over Monday’s comic. I put Ben if Afghanistan. But eagle-eyed readers with pay-cable wrote in to tell me that Ben had been spotted here in the states a week ago on Real Time with Bill Maher. Well, here’s your explaination. The fact that Affleck is now rotting in some cave somewhere is almost incidental. We’re gonna have a lot of fun with these robots in the near future! This, I promise.
Because you’ve been so interested in what I’ve shared with you so far, I have one last image to share with you.
It’s the last preview image from the cover of "Theater Hopper: Year One" which will be available for pre-order in 4 short days! Monday, April 17, to be exact!
I think you guys already know the story about the book. How it collects the first 156 strips from the first year of the site and includes brand new commentary for each strip? You know, the commentary that talks about how I got Theater Hopper off the ground and what I learned along the way to help improve my art and writing? Don’t forget the 11 guest strips from that era as well as a 6 part crossover I did with Movie Punks!
I gotta tell you, you’re not going to get a bigger bang for your buck than this book. 200 pages. Full color. It can’t be beat!
Of course, don’t neglect the street team! Pre-order the book and get five of your friends to do the same and I’ll send you a $20 gift certificate from Fandango.com! If you show a lot of hussle and you’re one of the first 25 people to complete the task, I’ll throw in a FREE Theater Hopper t-shirt, too! Good deal, huh? Click here to learn more! That four page preview of the book in there will come in really handy for showing your friends what Theater Hopper is all about!
I know I’ve been a bit of a broken record this week, but I want to make sure no stone is left unturned and that all of you who read the site are aware that the book is available for pre-order Monday, April 17! It’s imperative that we get as many pre-orders as possible as quickly as possible so we can put a copy of the book into your hot little hands that much faster!
I put a lot of work into writing the commentary and I’m very interested to get feedback and hear what you guys think about it. I’m proud of the work I’ve done and I hope you guys will enjoy it, too!
I hope everyone has a good weekend. We’re supposed to have highs in the 70’s! I’ve actually talked Cami into going frisbee golfing on Saturday! How awesome is she?
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So I went over to PvP today and noticed that my good buddy Wes Molebash – Boxcar associate and creator of You’ll Have That had a guest strip up and running over at Mr. Kurtz’s site! You can view it here.
I can’t quite describe the level of jealousy coursing through my viens, but it’s borderline toxic. Like Britney Spears-toxic.
But the comic is funny as all get-out and the opportunity couldn’t have been given to a nicer guy. Scott even gave Wes’s new book a plug in the blog! And since Wes once did the same for me, I’d like to return the favor now.
Be sure to check out Wes’ book "You’ll Have That: A Comic Strip by Wes Molebash" is available at Amazon.com right now. Click here to order.
See how it works, kids? You plug my book and I’ll plug your book!
I should also send a shout-out to Clay Yount over at Rob and Elliot for sending over a bunch of traffic and talking up "Theater Hopper: Year One." Thanks, Clay!
If any of you guys have web sites and are feeling generous, please let all of your readers know about the realease of "Theater Hopper: Year One" on Monday, April 17. LiveJournal, MySpace, Facebook – whatever tools you have at your disposal to share information about the book. Any mention you can give, I would appreciate. And who knows? It might put you one step closer to those street team prizes! Just a reminder!
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Typically this is the time and place where I welcome you back from the weekend and talk about today comic.
Today, that is unnecessary. Today I only want to talk about one thing – THIS!…
That is the full cover to "Theater Hopper: Year One" – my very first book. Either click on the image or click here. In either case, you will be taken to the page where you can place your pre-order!
Ladies and gentlemen, we’re in full swing!
This has been a long time coming for me. I’ve been wanting to do a book since probably 2003, but I didn’t know how to do it. Eventually, I asked around about the process, figured out what vendors to go to, made a schedule for myself and stuck to it. Lo and behold, the book is ready for you to buy.
This last week where I’ve been building it up has been sheer torture for me. I’m really excited for you guys to see what I’ve put together and I just wanted to get it out there! But at the same time, I think it was a good idea to tease it a little bit so you knew what was coming down the line. Hopefully, you’re as excited about it as I am!
Don’t forget about the street team! Be sure to tell as many of your friends as possible about the book and get them to place an order. Keep your eyes on the prize! If you get 5 people to order a book along with you, I’ll send you a $20 gift certificate to Fandango.com! The first 25 readers to complete the task will also win a Theater Hopper t-shirt.
As always, be sure to check out the street team page for talking points and the four-page preview. I’m going to start tossing in banner ads this week for you guys to help spread around for me.
I think there would be nothing greater than if we could really get this pre-order period off on the right foot. And if we could gather all of the orders we need and raise the nessecary funds for the printer by this week, I would be thrilled!
So if you’re thinking at all about buying this book – this wonderful, 200 page, full-color book with exclusive commentary from yours truly… commentary you won’t find anywhere else! – do the right thing and place your order this week. Don’t wait. Do it now. The faster you order, the faster we can get your book to you!
As always, if you have any questions, please contact me at theaterhopper@hotmail.com.
I appreciate everyone’s support. This is a very exciting day! Thank you for helping to make it happen!
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