Posts Tagged ‘Ben Affleck’
41 items.
Yeah, I know it’s kind of lame to keep taking pot-shots at Gigli in our post-Bennifer world climate, but Ishtar and Waterworld jokes are even staler. Bear with me.
Lame jokes aside, I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. If you’re traveling, I hope you make it to and from your destinations safely.
Thanksgiving kind of gets a bad rap because of the whole “My Crazy Family!” syndrome. But I find that the older you get, the less you interpret your family’s quirks as annoying. Somewhere in your 20’s they start to become endearing. I know some people who dread Thanksgiving because they don’t want to be around their families. But even if it’s a bad experience, you know these gatherings spawn the events you’ll be talking about for the rest of the year.
Anyway, happy Turkey Day, all.
Something I neglected to mention in Monday’s blog was actually pretty big news. After taking last Friday off from work, I labored tirelessly at home to bring the store up to speed. If you were to check it out now, you’d notice that the posters page is up and running. You’d also be aware that there are only 14 copies of the original Theater Hopper poster left! If you remember, only 100 were produced, all signed and numbered by yours truly. So they’re a real unique piece of web comic history and a pretty exclusive club to belong to!
The apparel section of the site has been updated as well. For starters, the “Spoiler” tee shirt and hoodie are back up for sale. If you missed it the first time around, now is the chance to place your order. I’m getting feedback and pictures from people who have received their shirts and they love them!
If you visit the shirt and hoodie pages, you’ll also notice that I added a NEW item called “Professional Movie Goer”. The inspiration for this design came from this strip when Jimmy flashed one of Tom’s “Professional Movie Goer” business cards back at him. Now you can let everyone at the multiplex know that you are the only one in attendance QUALIFIED enough to be called a professional!
I think the shirt that I’m most proud of is our new baby doll exclusive – “Truman in a Purse”. Taken directly from this comic where Cami celebrates Legally Blonde 2, now all the ladies can have Truman for their very own! We’re offering this in a TON of colors. 11, to be exact. So everyone should find something that fits their style!
I am currently taking pre-orders for all clothing items through December 10th, so place your order now to reserve your shirt! Due to the time it will take to get these back from the printer, I’m afraid I will NOT be able to meet any orders for holiday delivery. It’s a rough estimate at the moment, but I envision these shirts shipping sometime before the end of the year.
That’s pretty much all I have for the moment. Thanks again for everyone’s support. Best wishes and happy holidays!
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I guess it probably would have been a better idea to have written something about Charlie’s big secret on Friday when it was more at the front of my mind rather than waiting. Now it’s kind of slipped my mind what I wanted to say. Exposure to the reaction that could be found in the THorum probably didn’t help me to find a concise statement to make because now I feel like I’m being REactive rather than PROactive. But let’s see if I can squeeze one out anyway.
Pretty much everything about Charlie’s introduction has let up to this point. I knew from the beginning that she would have a shady past and that she was returning to Iowa to escape it.
In the original drafts, Charlie was coming back from Hollywood divorced from a man she met while she was there. It would become her intention to keep it a secret from Cami and wall herself off from her out of shame that she could not be successful in an area that Cami had succeeded. Namely – a happy marriage.
Thank goodness for “real-life” Cami who suggested that her lost love become Theater Hopper antagonist extraordinaire Ben Affleck.
I felt the original idea was good. A bit melodramatic, perhaps a little uninspired, but serviceable. Cami came along and knocked it out of the park by suggesting Affleck be Charlie’s foil. So many brilliant story concepts sprang from that simple suggestion. I imagine the rest of you can envision what Jared might do with that information once he got a hold of it.
I don’t want to tip too much of my hand, but I’ll share that we’re nearing the end stretch of the arc. The immediate future calls for the retelling of Charlie’s relationship with Affleck and the eventual escape of Charlie and Cami from the women’s restroom. After that, I’ll probably begin to steer the comic back into more topical and timely humor centered on current releases and entertainment news. Subsequent storylines have been born from this experiment, but I can wait to tell them.
At any rate, for those of you who were having a hard time adapting to the new format or those of you who were getting annoyed with how long it was taking me to tell Charlie’s secret are satisfied with the payoff.
I think I’ve learned a lesson in economical storytelling, but I don’t regret any of the decisions I’ve made up until this point. Good, bad or ugly – the feedback I’m getting shows a genuine investment in Charlie as a character and ultimately, that was my goal. To introduce a new voice to the comic and to have you guys adopt her and believe in her as readily as you do Tom, Cami, Jared or Jimmy. So far, so good.
Hmm. Looks like I found what I was going to say after all!
With that out of the way, I think everyone needs to check out or new sponsor Nothing Nice to Say!
You’d have to be living under a rock not to know that Mitch Clem made one of the best comic strips around for a while and he had a good run. I don’t think I’ve met another creator whose fans have anticipated his return of for so long. People who were kind of aware that Mitch and I ran in the same circles quasi-professionally/quasi-socially would write me e-mails asking when he was bringing NN2S back. I would tell them I didn’t know, but I was in the same boat, just as anxious to see him put pen to paper again.
Some people are reacting to Mitch’s return with skepticism, which disappoints me. Personally, I know Mitch is going to knock it out of the park this time around. We’ve had conversations and his enthusiasm for this work is palpable. He’s ready to rock and he doesn’t need doubt bringing him down.
Three cheers for the return of Nothing Nice to Say! And, hell. Check out Mitch’s other comic, The Coffee Achievers, too – while you’re at it!
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Although I worked on today’s comic in advance, I did not prepare a Monday morning blog. Currently, I am suffering the after-effects of a Super Bowl party and the over-consumption of too many libations, meat and cheese. As such, my comments will be brief.
But real quick: Was it just me, or were the advertisements during this year’s game some of the lamest you’ve ever seen? Not a lick of creativity between any of them.
That aside, anyone looking for commentary regarding the revelation of Charlie’s big secret last Friday need only click the “BACK” link located directly below the comic. I added some words of not-so-much wisdom over the weekend.
Today’s buzzComix incentive sketch has nothing to do with today’s comic (as is typically the tradition). But instead the rough pencils for February’s raffle artwork. It’s a scene from the upcoming Keanu Reeves’ Constantine. Don’t ask me what it is with all the comic book inspired drawings (last month was Elektra). I guess it must be the season for obscure sequential art caricatures.
At any rate, I provided a scene still from the movie that I’m using as my frame of reference. It’s been showing up in all the television advertisements and the trailer, so I gather it must be a “signature scene”. I think the artwork is coming along very nicely. I was excited about it and wanted to share it. Vote for Theater Hopper if you want to see it.
I had some thoughts about Constantine the movie – mostly relating to how fans of the original Vertigo comic book are upset that the character has been taken out of his London setting and his trademark blonde hair replaced by Reeves’ jet black dye job. But ultimately I conceded to the fact that once Reeves’ was cast, so was a limited range for the adaptation.
Will the movie be any good? Hard to tell. It clearly won’t be as good as the comic books. But maybe they’ll take things in a direction we don’t expect.
Something else unexpected… Cami said she was interested in seeing the movie. The ads led her to believe it’s about talking to the dead – a subject that fascinates her. Not entirely correct, but not entirely incorrect. Maybe it’ll be something to see. Goodness knows there hasn’t been much else worth watching these last few months…
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Feb09
Part of me wonders if it’s okay to write this bizarre re-telling of recent pop culture history to fit the mold of my storyline. I mean, celebrity or not, these are ∗REAL∗ people and conceivable ∗REAL∗ emotions were involved.
But then I think about the little perks the come with celebrity. Any time I read an article about an actor who is presenting the Best Supporting Actor trophy at the Golden Globe Awards and then talk about a $37,890 gift basket the receive for doing so, I start to think that this kind of dissection of their personal lives is a fair, Faustian bargain.
I watched The Matrix Revolutions tonight while drawing the strip. Like many, I remember being thoroughly let down when it came out in October of 2003. I didn’t buy it on DVD and I hadn’t watched it since that time. Tonight it popped up on HBO, so I decided to leave it on as background noise while I worked.
I don’t know why, but it played much better for me the second time on the small screen. I don’t know if that’s because my television did a better job of hiding the CGI (especially in the final airborne battle between Smith and Neo) or if because the “story” had time to permeate my brain in the near year and a half since I last viewed it.
More than likely the story didn’t miraculously achieve cohesion. More than likely it was a case of absence making the heart grow fonder.
Even though the last two movies landed with an incredible THUD! compared to the first, there is no disputing that The Wachowski’s created a visual style that will be referenced for the next 50 years. It’s just too bad they decided on putting the sizzle before the steak in the latter chapters.
I won’t pontificate beyond that. Too much has already been made about the subject and by more dedicated observers than I.
In other Keanu related news, his new movie Constantine opens this weekend. It’s the story of irreverent supernatural detective who has literally been to hell and back. And just in time for Valentine’s Day!
Today’s buzzComix incentive sketch (and future Donator’s exclusive desktop wallpaper) pays tribute to the upcoming film. I know I already showed you this drawing, but that was the ROUGH PENCILS! Since reaction to the piece was really positive, I thought everyone might get a kick out of seeing the final inks. Plus, the image in its entirety, not the close-up I took of the pencils. I don’t know. Maybe you’ll enjoy watching the artwork progress.
Later.
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Feb11
If it seems like it’s coming out of left field for Ben Affleck to suddenly want to become a professional poker player, remember that he won $356,400 in a poker tournament last June. That achievement also earned him a spot at the World Poker Tour Championship in Las Vegas this April.
That’s a lot of scratch. Who knows? It could seriously be a profitable alternative to being a movie star. Certainly seems that way with the line of turkeys he’s pinched off into theaters.
Oh, and so you know I’m not making it up, Affleck ∗did∗ win an Oscar for Best Screenwriting in 1998 for Good Will Hunting. I know most movie fans are already hip to this. I just thought it seemed so long ago and he hasn’t done anything as worth-while since, it’s kind of hard to believe…
I was really pleased with how the last splash panel turned out. In fact, I was pleased with it before I drew it. I had a vision in my head and it was GLORIOUS!
That’s why I planned ahead and drew the last panel large-scale. 11″ x 17″, to be exact. On a sheet of heavy-duty Bristol board.
In fact, I’m auctioning off the original artwork to the highest bidder.
Here’s the deal: I’m about to reserve a table in Artist’s Alley at the Planet Comicon comic book convention being held in Kansas City April 2-3. Tables cost $125 and I need a little bit of cash to cover the bases. I figured an art auction was a quick means to that end.
Kansas City is going to be my first stop on my slightly more ambitious convention tour this year. I’ll be visiting K.C. in April, Chicago in August and Minneapolis in October. Sorry I can’t make it anywhere on the East or West coast this year. The only conventions I can afford to go to are within driving distance. But since last year I only did Chicago, it’s important to me that this larger ground assult get off on the right foot.
Think about it. This is a totally unique opportunity for you to own a piece of Theater Hopper history. Our newsest character Charlie beating the snot out of Ben Affleck with his own Best Screenwriting Oscar. It doesn’t get much more specific than that.
If you love Theater Hopper (or maybe just hate Ben Affleck) this is an original piece of art well worth owning.
It will be signed by me and mailed First Class in a heavy cardboard tube to prevent bending or creasing. And because I’m such a good guy, I’m won’t even charge for shipping! Hell, I’ll even throw in some stickers and a set of 1″ buttons to the lucky winner. THAT’S HOW NICE I AM!
The auction ends one week from today. So, what are you waiting for? GET BIDDING
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Feb14
I realize today’s comic isn’t fall down funny, but I needed a way to set the scene back to the present so everyone knew Cami and Charlie were still stuck in the bathroom.
We’re nearing the home stretch, folks. Expect to see Cami and Charlie free from their water house prison by the end of the week. Give me another week for a little recap and we’re onto more topical humor!
Incidentally, I got a lot of positive feedback for last Friday’s comic. People really seem to like it when I bash Ben Affleck around. Is it possible that I may actually start feeling sorry for the guy? I mean, he gets beat up A LOT in this comic.
…
NAH!
Truthfully, I should do a comic where Ben Affleck gets beat up in new an imaginative ways each week and have that be the concept. For as much positive feedback I get when I do it, I gather it would be the most popular thing on the web.
At any rate, this is a good opportunity to mention that the artwork that was used in that splash panel of last Friday’s comic is actually up for auction. So if you ever wanted to own an original piece of artwork by yours truly, here’s your chance.
The auction ends on Friday, so step up to the plate now and blow away the competition with an awesome bid that will leave the competition to cry to Mommy.
Cami and I saw Hitch this weekend. Normally, I have a very low tolerance for Will Smith movies. ESPECIALLY when he’s in action hero mode. I didn’t like him in Independence Day or I, Robot pretty much for the same reason I didn’t enjoy Bruce Willis as an action hero in the early Die Hard days. Too glib. Too cocky. I couldn’t relate.
That aside, romantic-comedy Will Smith is one charming bastard. Despite a little too much monloguing about love and the effects there-of, I found myself really enjoying the film. Of course, it didn’t hurt that they filmed in a lot of “off-the-beaten-path” locales in New York City. Watching the movie made me want to go back there in the worst way. I love that town.
And speaking of New York City, did you know there is a really excellent web comic about life in that fair metropolis? It’s a little obtuse in and of the fact that it stars an Alien and Predator action figure, so you think it’s going to be about one thing, when it’s really about another. But what is irrefutable is that the comic is drop-down hilarious and altogether brilliant. It’s Alien Loves Predator and you need to check it out.
Actually, the thrid panel of today’s comic kind of reminded me of something I did a while ago, and I thought that was really cool. I think Bernie did it better.
Now how’s THAT for a seuge way?!
I still haven’t had a chance to color in that Constantine artwork I did for a February’s desktop wallpaper. Which means since I haven’t replaced the Elektra wallpaper that I can’t do the raffle to see who walks home with the original art. I don’t know when I can get to it, but hopefully soon.
Anyway, I just want to remind people that I’m composing these original works as incentive for you to buy stuff, donate or advertise with us. Anyone who gives Theater Hopper money for ANYTHING in the course of a given month will have their name put into a raffle to win some original artwork. All the details are at the bottom of the Walk of Fame page if you want the skinny. At the end of the year, I’m going to take all of the artwork and pull it together for a great 2006 calendar. Cool, eh?
I was going to talk a little bit about how I’ve been dreaming about redesigning the site. The layout would remain pretty similar, but I’m getting tired of the dark grey color scheme. I’m thinking of something brighter and, frankly, something where the elements fit a little better together. I’ve been practicing my skills in cascading style sheets and sketching out rough ideas, so maybe someday soon you’ll come back to the site and it will have a whole new paint job!
I think I’m going to end with that. I’m a little tired of typing now. Ta!
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No blog just yet because I have a lot of ground to cover and I want to make sure I’m thinking straight.
In the meantime, why don’t you big on my original art auction featuring violence against Ben Affleck?! Suitable for framing!
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First things first. Theater Hopper has slipped down to the number two spot on the Web Comics List. I think I know why. You guys haven’t had any new incentive sketches since last Friday. It’s understandable that we’d take a little slide since last Friday’s sketch was, admittedly, a little lame.
But no worries! Today’s sketch is five times awesome! Vote for Theater Hopper to witness Ben Affleck in his post-bee attack state! Everyone wins!
Second order of business. Thanks for giving me the day off on Monday. Between packing up our stuff, hauling furniture up flights of stairs and performing the family and social obligations of the holiday weekend, I was far too depleted to come up with anything original or witty.
I feel bad about it because I’m not one to normally miss updates. And although most of my American readers were probably out celebrating the Independence Day holiday, my international readers got the short end of the stick and no updates at all! For that, I apologize, mes amis.
I think it worked out for the best, though. Because I’ve been sitting on the idea for this strip since last Thursday when I learned Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner got married and I wanted as many people to see it as possible. I’m just really happy with the way it turned out.
In case you’re only vaguely familiar with the site, Mr. Affleck and our good friend Jared have been entangled in violent encounters since February of 2003. In fact, they’ve met on several different occasions. So many times, in fact, that I’m considering assembling all the strips where their paths cross and selling it as “Ben Affleck’s Greatest Hits.” It would sell like hot cakes, I tell you. If it ever came to fruition, this would undoubtedly be the cover:
I have to give points to Affleck for keeping his nuptials hush-hush. Fleeing the country to wed in a private ceremony is much more preferable than the J.Lo spectacle of a year or so back. Who care if Jennifer Garner is knocked up! It was the classy thing to do.
I wonder though, does this mean that Affleck is starting to mature? Does becoming a family man mean that he can no longer be the object of my scorn and ridicule? Who else will I hold up as my bloated, only-in-it-for-the-money avatar of Hollywood excess? Whatever happened to the hard partyin’, hard drinking’, hard gambling, stripper tippin’ Ben of yore?
Oh, well. I suppose I should be happy for him. I think he did himself a service marrying someone with a strong jawline than his. Now there will be NO MISTAKING who the “man” in the relationship is!
Oh, c’mon! You know I can’t resist!
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Bonus points to Ali Graham for delivering a rockin’ guest strip. Any comic that has fun with Jared’s well-document hatred of all things related to Ben Affleck warms my heart. The good lad has been paying attention to the comic!
Unless you live under a rock that doesn’t get the internet, Ali is the fevered mind behind the web comic HOUSD. Ali has been consistently knocking out great work since March of 2003 and has a jaw-dropping 750+ comics in his archive.
Ali’s really upped his profile lately, churning out not one, but TWO great guest strips for my friend Zach over at Joe and Monkey back to back! So I feel pretty honored that Ali could squeeze me in! 😉
Thanks again, Ali!
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The fourth panel in today’s comic kind of comes out of nowhere. So to make sure everyone is on the same page, that’s Ben Affleck Jared is beating up there.
Y’know. Because it’s supposed to be a dream sequence after all.
Does anyone want to allegorically take a jump with their liberal white guilt in the General Lee? Because now I find myself wishing that was actually possible. We should be friends – me and my guilt.
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