Archive for February, 2012
13 items.
If you travel in geek circles, the big news today was that Marvel aired the latest trailer for The Avengers during some… sporting event last night? Football? I don’t keep up on these things.
Let’s focus our attention on what really matters.
This trailer is the extended online edition which is somehow 30 seconds longer than what aired last night without telling us too much more about the movie.
I’d say Marvel is doing a pretty good job of whipping up a nerd frenzy. They’re showing us just enough without giving away too much. With each additional release, they show a little more, but they don’t go overboard. Clearly they know that the Hulk is their ace in the hole and they’ve done a good job obscuring him up to this point.
GeekTyrant did an excellent job of dissecting the trailer and grabbing stills – a few of which I’m going to share here. But you should really check out their article for more details.
Here’s our best look at the Hulk so far.
And because you all know what a huge Iron Man geek I am, here are the two stills that got my heart racing.
Suiting up…
…and would you look at that? I see some additional back thrusters and shoulder-mounted weaponry in that still! Looks like Iron Man got an upgrade!
Yeah, I know, I’m hopeless.
What’s your reaction to this trailer? Leave your comments below!
[ 10 Comments ]
If you love your cell phone, you’ll probably love the latest Top Web Comics incentive sketch. Click on that little graphic to the left to see it!
Every week it feels like I’m apologizing for the strip being late and such is the case this week. I posted teasers on Facebook and Twitter telling people that today’s comic would be double-sized – much like last week’s comic. As you can see, that didn’t happen.
But I want you to know that I actually put in the work this week. I drew and inked 8 panels. In the end, I felt maybe that that comic was better served split in two rather than one giant strip.
That’s good news for you, though. Because it gives me a leg up on the next comic. What say you? Should I try to turn around the second half of this strip and post it tomorrow or Friday? Or maybe I should hold off and post it on Monday?
The more I think about it, I might actually have an opportunity to build a buffer here. So I might hold off. You’ll like the second half of this strip – it actually has a punchline! But for now, I’m just going to let the emotion breath a little bit.
These final strips are all about letting you guys know that the characters are going to be “okay.” I’ve left Charlie and Jimmy’s relationship on the back burner since March of 2009. That’s a long time to leave these two in limbo. I always intended to come back to them. I guess there’s no time like the present. The next few comics will be focusing on their relationship.
I feel oddly handicapped because I’m not writing blogs as lengthy as I used to. This tends to happen during storylines. But I’m still talking about movie stuff! If you check out the Bonus Materials blog, I recently posted the trailer and some stills from the upcoming Avengers movie. I’ll probably be posting the trailer from the reboot of The Amazing Spider-Man soon.
I know you guys have probably seen this stuff floating around the internet on a dozen different sites by now. But if you feel like talking about it with me… then, hey… I’m here for your buddy.
Thanks again for your patience. I hope you’re enjoying these last few comics!
[ 4 Comments ]
It’s been a couple of days since it hit the web, but I feel like we should take a moment or two to talk about the new trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man.
I’ve been a little bit reluctant to post the trailer only because I’m still trying to wrap my mind around Sony’s decision to relaunch the franchise five years after Spider-Man 3 left theaters.
I think the talent they have lined up for this thing looks phenomenal – particularly Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker. I think he has the right gangly build for Spider-Man. Much moreso than Tobey Maguire. But I feel like the foundation of the movie is kind of cynical.
It can’t be bright and cartoonish like Sam Raimi’s films, so this version has to be dark and gritty instead. Raimi’s film were pretty much straight up superhero action films. Marc Webb’s version has to have mystery and angst.
The one thing I DO like about the trailer is that they seem to have captured Spider-Man’s trademark wit a little better than Raimi’s films. The scene with him in the backseat of the car hits exactly the right tone.
But overall, I’m still a little skeptical of the film. I want the film to be fun. Right now, that’s not what they’re communicating. This movie couldn’t be more desperate for legitimacy if it wore a sign that said “SERIOUS FILM” around it’s neck.
What’s your reaction to this new trailer? Leave your comments below!
[ 10 Comments ]
On paper, there doesn’t sound like there’s much substance to Goon. Sean Williams Scott plays a bit of a meat head who feels like an outsider in his family of intellectuals. He ends up becoming an enforcer for a minor league hockey team and finds success redemption.
But there’s something about Scott that I like when he’s playing the underdog. I certainly find him much more layered an interesting than when he’s playing a character with a chip on his shoulder like Stiffler from the American Pie franchise. Certainly I enjoy him much more than that action-hero phase he went through a couple of years ago.
I think there’s a reason that Scott continues to find steady work while the rest of his American Pie contemporaries have languished (paging Jason Biggs!) and it’s because there is depth to him as an individual and as a performer.
It’s said that celebrities are just playing a larger version of themselves. Think about Tom Cruise or Will Smith. I think Scott has the potential to be that if he wants to. He just needs to figure out a way to let audiences see more of who he is.
Watch the trailer for Goon and tell me if you agree.
[ 1 Comment ]
Cami’s all herp-a-derp in this week’s Top Web Comics voting incentive image. Want to see it? You have to vote for Theater Hopper at Top Web Comics! It couldn’t be easier. Just click on that little image to the left and follow the prompts from there. Thanks for your support!
This week’s comic was originally supposed to be the second half of a double-sized comic that I was going to produce last week. I’m glad I split them up. It gives the joke in this comic a little room to breathe.
I kind of wanted to explore the idea that Tom and Cami – although in a very loving and committed relationship – are kind of the worst people to ask for relationship advice.
As you’re probably aware, the comic versions of Cami and Tom are based of me and my wife. We were high school sweethearts. We got married right out of college. We have NO IDEA how relationships work in the aggregate. We only know what works for us.
Long story short: If you’re having troubles with your significant other, we’ll lend a sympathetic ear. Just don’t ask us for advice because we haven’t had to navigate those waters for a long, LONG time.
I don’t have much more to say about the comic but I wanted to take a minute to do something I’ve traditionally done in this space since 2007.
You guys remember my son, Henry, right? I don’t talk about him too much, but when his birthday rolls around, I like to give everyone a little update.
Henry’s turning 5 on Saturday and the time has absolutely flown by. The kid is a marvel to me. Smart as a whip and a memory that puts me to shame. He’ll remember the most insignificant detail from a breakfast we had 4 months ago. Needless to say, he keeps us on our toes.
We recently had pictures taken as we’ve done every year prior and we decided to spice things up a little bit. We told Henry he could bring his lightsaber to the photo shoot.
Keep in mind that Henry hasn’t seen any of the Star Wars films yet. But, like I said, he’s a pretty observant kid – and a lightsaber is hard to miss when you’re wandering the toy aisle at Target. So I got him one for Christmas.
At any rate, Cami thought it would be a good idea if I got in on the fun and we ended up with a pretty cool triptych that I think you guys might appreciate.
I posted the photo to the Theater Hopper Facebook page. I’ll admit I was a little reluctant to take the photo at first. But now that we have it, I’m so, so glad.
You never get this time back, people. If you’ve got kids, hug ’em extra hard tonight, okay?
Have a great week.
[ 3 Comments ]
Fans of MTV’s seminal sketch comedy series The State might remember the name David Wain. He was one of the cast’s 11 members who has since gone on to write and produce films like Wet, Hot American Summer, Role Models and the forthcoming Wanderlust.
What you might not know about Wain is that he’s been producing a series of short films for My Damn Channel since 2007 called Wainy Days. The series chronicles a highly fictionalized version of Wain and his romantic pursuits. Seasons 1 – 4 have recently been collected and released as a DVD.
Its hard to rationalize the appeal of Wainy Days. If you’re a fan of offbeat humor, you’ll find a lot to enjoy here. Quite often, things happen for no rhyme or reason. For example, David has an odd habit of pushing people down in the street at random. No reason is given and no repercussions are ever felt but the assaults are frequent (I assume) because it’s funny to watch people fall down.
David also discusses his relationship problems with his friends at the sweatshop where he works. Why does David work at a sweatshop? Again, no reason is given except perhaps to play on the juxtaposition of having a bunch of educated white people working in a sweatshop.
Probably the better reason to watch Wainy Days is because it’s practically an alt-comedy smorgasbord that is sure to delight the most entrenched comedy nerd.
Guest stars of the series include Elizabeth Banks, Lake Bell, Julie Bowen, Saffron Burrows, Rob Corddry, Rashida Jones, Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman, Amanda Peet, Elizabeth Reaser, Paul Rudd and Jason Sudeikis. You’d be hard pressed not to find at least ONE episode featuring a comedy star acting beyond ridiculous just for the hell of it.
The early episodes are a little rough. The transfer looks somewhat pixelated, kind of like the uploaded it the DVD straight from 2007. Also, there’s a good chance that the xylophone-infused theme song for the series will drive you insane before you make it though the second season. So a marathon session is not advised.
However, the films are short – about five minutes a piece – easily digestible and very enjoyable. You don’t really have to keep track of what happens from a narrative stand point between episodes. It’s pretty much small, concentrated doses of silliness. A welcome reprieve from an otherwise hectic life. Watching the different episodes, you begin to understand very quickly why the series did so well online.
Smartly, Wain interrupts episodes with snippets from a Hefner-esque “Pajama Party” that features several of the guest stars featured in the series. Extras include outtakes from each episode, a live script reading, never-before-scene shorts and audio commentaries.
Wainy Days might be niche entertainment, but it’s light and easily accessible. If you’re looking for in-roads to the “comedy nerd” scene, Wainy Days is a good place to start.
Wainy Days is available now and can be purchased through Amazon.
[ No Comments ]
Pixar recently released a clip from La Luna, the short that will appear in front of their latest animated feature Brave, later this year. Take a look.
Is anyone else getting a Little Prince vibe off of this thing? Also, can I please live at Pixar? I won’t take up much, room. I promise. I can survive on a diet of Mountain Dew and Cheetos.
What’s your reaction to the La Luna clip? Leave your comments below!
[ 1 Comment ]
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to kiss Victor? Click on this link, vote for Theater Hopper at Top Web Comics and find out!
As I’ve stated before, I’m kind of dragging all of the characters out of mothballs for this last story line to give them their time in the sun. Today it’s Victor’s turn.
Victor was a character that I created as an antagonist for “the gang” and he was supposed to be an imposing monster – a mountain of a man who said very little, but who had a very black and white view of the world. Most of that has been retained over the years. As you can see from today’s comic, I think I’ve drawing Victor larger than usual. Mostly because I just like toying with the perception of him.
But what gave Victor dimension was a guest comic drawn by Brandon J. Carr several years back that suggested that Victor was dangerously enamored with Tom. I thought it was an interesting wrinkle in the character and decided to carry it forward as far as I could.
I’ve always been very careful not to exploit Victor’s sexuality – especially when he’s depicted as aggressive or imposing in a different context. He’s an extreme character, of course. But that’s where a lot of interesting comedy comes from. Just know that it’s all very well intentioned and I hope to have depicted Victor with some dimension. I think you’ll see that as the aftermath of today’s comic plays out in later strips.
LIVE-BLOGGING THE OSCARS
I wanted to give everyone a head’s up that I, Brandon J. Carr and Joe Dunn from Joe Loves Crappy Movies will be live-blogging the Oscar’s Sunday night. We generally have a very effective comedic rapport with each other on Twitter, so we decided to try to apply it to something in real time that everyone else can enjoy along side us.
We’re running the session through Cover It Live, which is a fun little widget that allows moderators to talk and other people to submit comments in real time. Set your bookmarks now. The fun will take place this Sunday at 7:00 PM CST at http://oscars.alloftheawesome.com. You can enter your e-mail address into the widget today and be sent a reminder just before we go live. It should be a lot of fun!
THE FAREWELL TOUR
You might have noticed that I’ve put two banners at the top of the page. One of them is linking back to the announcement that I made back in January that I’d be ending the comic this August. It’s been about a month and I’m still getting messages from people who said they just heard the news. So I wanted to make sure the news didn’t get buried and people were up to date.
I’ll admit that it kinds of stings a little when people bring it up only because it throws me back to that moment in time when I was seriously questioning whether or not I was doing the right thing. That malaise was captured perfectly in the video I posted the day after I made the announcement, if you ask me.
The other thing I will mention is my Farewell Tour Fundraising Drive. I decided at the last minute that I need to try to go to as many conventions here in the midwest as possible before I close up shop in August. So I snagged myself a booth at the last minute and will be appearing at C2E2 April 13 – 15. I’ve also got my eye on Minneapolis Spring Con in May (if they’ll return my e-mails) and possibly Chicago Comic Con in August.
That last one is kind of funny, because it will actually take place 3 days after I end the comic. IRONY!
Anyway, going to shows costs money. Hotel reservations, table reservations, food, gas… it adds up quick. And since I wasn’t planning on attending any shows until just recently, I’m not sitting on very much discretionary cash.
That’s where you come in. I’m not asking for much. I’m just asking you to consider buying something in the store. If you already own a bunch of Theater Hopper merchandise or can only afford a dollar or two, I’m also taking donations.
Donate what you think is fair. Five dollars… one dollar. Whatever you can spare. All of it helps. If I’ve made you laugh at all in the last 10 years, now would be the time to kick in on that front. My goal is to get out and meet as many of you as I can before my time is up so I can thank you in person. You can help make that happen. Who knows? We might raise enough money that I can fly somewhere further than the Midwest! Somewhere I’ve never been before. That would be pretty cool, wouldn’t it?
I’m just asking you to consider it.
Thanks for your patience and support. I’ll see you next week!
[ 2 Comments ]
Saddle up for the first wave of promotion for Disney/Pixar’s Brave. The film doesn’t hit theaters until June 22, but the studio has already released this 2-miunute clip from the film.
As a man with some Scottish ancestry, I’m going to be all over this film like stink on haggis. Bonus points for the red-headed protagonist. Rawr! Frankly, I’m thrilled she’s been cast as a headstrong, adventuring type. This is a huge win for little girls everywhere – an excellent role model that breaks type.
Brave features the voices of Kelly Macdonald (who you might remember played Josh Brolin’s wife in No Country For Old Men), Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly, Craig Ferguson and Robbie Coltrane.
The studio also released a new poster for the film, which you can see below.
Who else is excited to see Brave? Leave your comments below!
[ 5 Comments ]
Join web comic celebrities Tom Brazelton, Joe Dunn and Brandon J Carr as we live blog the 84th Annual Academy Awards in real time! Follow along or feel free to join the conversation!
[ No Comments ]
