Posts Tagged ‘fear’
11 items.
I grew up on Elm Street, literally. That’s why I didn’t watch the series until just a few years ago. I once had to drag my brothers out of the neighbor’s house because they were watching Freddy’s fourth installment. I knew they would have nightmares, so I made them go home. Well, they had nightmares anyway and I still got in trouble. Stupid fire urinating hound from hell.
I have now watched the entire series of A Nightmare on Elm Street, but only really like the first and last installments. I can’t decide who I want to win. Probably Freddy since I haven’t bothered to watch much of Jason. I have only seen the first Friday the 13th movie.
Who do you think will win? Let us know in the forums. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to join you there quite yet. For that, I would like to thank the MSblast worm. Yeah, thanks for messing up my computer. Hopefully Jason and Freddy will get you and your beloved San.
A shout out is needed to my long lost friend Tanner. He has regained contact with me due to this web site. I knew semi-fame was good for something!
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Jun18
I decided that I was tired of depicting myself as a dodgeball weenie, so I decided to take today’s buzzComix incentive sketch and draw myself as Tha Dodgeball Mastah! Click here to be (possibly) impressed!
I know today’s comic isn’t necessarily movie-related. Its makes the most tenuous association with Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (which I mentioned on Wednesday). I have nothing new to say about it, so just regard today’s comic as the conclusion of Wednesday’s comic.
If you’re a member of the THorum, you’d know that I’ve taken the day off to spend with my sweetie Cami. Speaking of things you only used to do when you were a kid, we’re going to the zoo this morning. Who knows what awaits us? Neither of us have been there in the last 15 years.
But we’re not ignoring our multiplexes on our day off, either! We plan of catching a matinee of the aforementioned Dodgeball, then catching the late show of the new Steven Spielberg/Tom Hanks joint The Terminal.
Advance chatter for The Terminal hasn’t been overwhelmingly positive. At least not for the caliber of talent associated with it. Most reviews I’ve read have praised the first 45 minutes before noting it wallows in typical Spielberg sentimentality for the remainder of the picture. Interesting that no one seems to mention the near impenetrable Eastern block accent Hanks chooses to employ. Maybe it’s not as difficult to decipher through the course of a 2 hour movie as compared to the brief trailer that had our heads scratching.
We have some friends who want to go see Saved! on Saturday night. I have a passing interest in this, but it didn’t occur to me to rush out in see it. Reviews have been strong. And if it sucks, at least I’ll get to see Macaulay Culkin in a wheelchair.
I’m sorry, but I still haven’t forgiven him for Getting Even With Dad!
Okay, that’s really cruel. Seriously, though. Advanced chatter looks good. Plus, it has Patrick Fugit in it and I thought he was awesome in Almost Famous.
That’s about it for me today. Hope you enjoyed the comic. One last thing before I go…
It’s becoming known that I’m a bit of a word freak. That is, I like to play Scrabble. Well, our intrepid THorum crew found a place where we can play the interactive crossword puzzle for free. We’ve been known to strike up a few games at random from time to time. We’re usually in the room “Consonant Creek”. Look us up sometime.
Take care, have a safe weekend and I’ll see in this spot Monday!
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Curse an overtly polite Midwestern upbringing! Tom has it in his head that Jimmy is trying to take his place, but he’s took locked into his hospitality that he can’t do anything about it.
Incidentally, what Tom WISHES he could do is represented in today’s buzzComix incentive sketch – a parallel reality where ANYTHING can happen! Click here to view it!
We’re coming close to the end of the arc and I’m still toying with a couple of potential endings. I don’t want to spoil anything for those of you have been along for the ride or especially those of you who have been so encouraging! But whichever way it lands, I hope you’ve enjoyed it.
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The big thing I want to talk about today is the new t-shirt design I was talking about all last week. It’s called “Spoiler” and it is on sale RIGHT NOW in the newly redesigned store!
But I should forewarn you. This t-shirt launch is going to be a little different. Thanks to the good people at Brunetto Shirts, not only are we offering t-shirts, but baby doll tees and hoodies, too!
Not only that, but we’re offering a myriad of color from you to choose from! 22 colors for the t-shirts, 10 colors for the baby doll teesand 7 colors for the hoodies. Now there should be NO reason why everyone can’t get the COLOR of shirt in the STYLE they want!
There’s also a handy Flash application on each page that gives you a rough idea of what the design will look like against different colored backgrounds! I’m telling you, we thought of EVERYTHING!
PRE-ORDERS WILL BE GOING ON THROUGH OCTOBER 15th. So that means you have 3 weeks to gather up your loose change and reserve your shirt before I place the order with the printer. If feedback in the THorum is any indication, this is going to be a really popular shirt, so be sure to get in on the ground floor.
But let’s say for the sake of argument that you don’t like this new shirt. Hey, that’s alright! You haven’t hurt my feelings. In fact, I have a pretty thick skin when it comes to that kind of thing.
That’s why I’m already hard at work on THREE NEW T-SHIRT DESIGNS that will debut shortly after the pre-order time period for the Spoiler shirt ends. I plan on rolling the rest of them out subsequently.
So it’s kind of like the weather here in Iowa; Don’t like it? Wait 20 minutes! Or in this case, about 20 days.
I know some of you will have questions about the links to the posters and DVD pages not working. That was intentional. I gave myself a deadline to put the Spoiler shirts on sale today, so other elements of the store have been put on hold. Access to those areas will be open soon and when they are, you can expect to read about it here.
Some of you might also be wondering about our previous t-shirt – The Pimp Tom t-shirt. Well, don’t worry. It’ll be coming back soon and better than ever. In fact, I’m thinking about producing it with as many color options as I have for the Spoiler t-shirt. I LOVE giving people options!
If you guys have any questions that weren’t covered in this space, feel free to send me an e-mail and I will do my best to answer them!
That about covers things for the moment. Thanks for your support!
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Before I launch into things, I wanted to ask for your vote at buzzComix really quickly. The top list has reset for October over there and I think it would be really great if we could position Theater Hopper in the Top 3. Heck, if we could get the number 1 spot, that would be a real treat.
To reward those of you that vote, there is an extra sketch related to the comic that you get to view. I think you’ll really enjoy today’s sketch. It depicts Tom’s first unfortunate selection in a clobberin’ rock. Anyway, about today’s comic.
I know it seems like the narrative has been jumping around a little bit these last few strips. Tom hopped into the car with Jimmy on Wednesday and it seemed his paranoia went out the window. Now today’s he’s driving, but the car is out of gas! What’s going on?
I’m just discovering that as I’m wrapping this up, there are some loose ends that need to be tied up and I have to cram a lot of detail and dialogue into fewer panels. In any case, I hope things aren’t TOO jarring and you’re still able to enjoy the story.
You may have noticed that I included some special guest stars in today’s strip. It’s Zach Miller’s Joe and Monkey! If you’re not reading JaM right now, then you’re really missing out on some quality work. Zach has fallen totally in love with his creations and it shows. Did I mention he updates 7 days a week now? It sure beats the updates we’d get every month or so back when Zach was drawing No Pants Tuesday!
I included Joe and Monkey for a couple of reasons. First, I felt that the arc had gone on long enough to warrant a little extra wattage from guest stars. Kind of like when Janet Jackson shows up on Will and Grace, or something. It’s a treat for the people who have stuck with the storyline this far.
The other reason was that Zach has been an exceptional confidant as I feel my way around this story. Zach has a little bit more experience telling a longer narrative than I do, so he’s been great whenever I needed to bounce and idea off of him. I wanted to thank him for it.
I don’t want to give away too much because I got in trouble for it in the THorum, but I think you’ll find the story will really tighten up when it concludes next week. As much fun as I’m having, I’m also kind of ready to put it to bed. I miss talking about movies!
Speaking of movies, there still hasn’t been much in theaters that has captured my attention. I guess Ladder 49 looks kind of interesting, but I probably won’t see it. Pardon the pun, but it looks like a reheated version of Backdraft to me. Do we really need a quasi-remake of a film that came out 13 years ago?
I’ll give props to the producers trying to sneak Joaquin Phoenix past us as a leading man in an action film. Good try, fellas! I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’m going to be able to live vicariously as a hero through the visage of a man with a harelip.
Shark Tale comes out today. Snore! It looks like Dreamworks tried to take the best of Shrek and the best of Finding Nemo and crammed them together to make an unwatchable pile of crap. I’ve read it’s like watching an underwater version of The Flinstones where instead of lame puns about rocks and boulders, they’re about trout and seaweed.
The only new movie that I have my eye on is I Heart Huckabees. The plot is too complicated to go into here, but you can regard it as an existential comedy. Think Magnolia, but with a sense of humor and less frogs.
I’m mostly attracted to its pedigree. David O. Russell wrote and directed the picture. He also did Spanking The Monkey, Flirting With Disaster and Three Kings. He was part of that late-90’s boon of auteur filmmakers that I really enjoy. Alexander Payne and Sam Mendes would also fall into this category.
Casting Jason Schwartzman as the lead in the picture is a good choice. I’ve been a fan of his since Rushmore. Not so much a fan of Slackers, but he was due for something like this. He’s very approachable, but slightly skewed and I like his delivery.
I’ve also heard good things about Jude Law’s performance. Between Huckabees and his lead role in Alfie later this fall, he sound like the one to beat at this years Oscars. They’re already predicting a split between Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor for these two roles. I’ve read that Russell was even able to get a strong performance out of Mary (you can call him Marky Mark) Wahlberg!
All that said, I’m probably staying home this weekend anyway. I’m prepping all the mailing labels on our new shirt so I can mail them out as soon as the order is delivered to my door.
Have you bought a shirt yet? If you haven’t, start collecting the deposit on aluminum can’s now. We’re only accepting pre-orders until October 15th. Once the order to the printer goes out, you’re going to have to wait a little while before you get another chance to get one for yourself! Click here to check out all the style and color options!
That’s about all I have for now. Have a great weekend!
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Even when they post the warning in big, red labels; leave it to Tom to ignore it.
Gotta say I was really happy with the way today’s comic turned out. I spent a little extra time on the shading, background lighting and smoke effects to get the mood right. I don’t usually give myself a pat on the back, but this one makes me a little proud.
Feel free to knock me down a few pegs. Keep me humble.
Another reason I liked today’s comic was because it kind of follows the emerging Theater Hopper tradition of using a wrist-mounted delivery apparatus to douse Jared’s face in dangerous chemicals.
Keeping the blog short for now, but I’ll be back later with some thoughts about Batman Begins.
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I’m sure if the sky really did start to fall, it wouldn’t be as dramatic or as comical as Disney’s Chicken Little. It would probably be mildly annoying and barely funny at all – kind of like today’s incentive sketch.
I was actually amped at one point to see Chicken Little, but the reviews it’s been getting have been brutal. "Uninspired," "self-referential in substitution of wit" and "Pixar does it better" are some of the more harsh barbs that come to mind.
I guess I shouldn’t be totally surprised. I really haven’t had that much faith in Disney movies since Atlantis: The Lost Empire came out in 2001. It’s been downhill from there. Treasure Planet? Interesting concept, poor execution. Home on the Range? Did anyone even see that? I suppose not if Roseanne Barr is your lead actress.
Chicken Little seemed different. At least from outward apperances. Casting Zach Braff in the title role lends it geek credibility, but I don’t know if I’m going to pay good money and dumb myself down for 90 minutes just for Zach Braff.
On the other end of the pendulm this week is Jarhead. Sam Mendes from American Beauty is behind the lens and it looks pretty good. I’ve read reviews that say the movie is essentially about nothing. And not in that funny Seinfeld way. Nothing in the sense that the soldiers depicted on film fight absolutely no battles. They just sit on their hands waiting for action. A few critics have bristled at this, but Gulf War veterans are calling it the most realistic war movie ever made because that’s what actually happened. All this build up for war and then… nothing. The anticipation of what could happen eating away at you. Always waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Politically, I don’t know how closely it’ll mirror our current situation in the MIddle East nor do I know if it has to. But you look at something like this and your mind kind of leaps to that conclusion – "What’s the secret meaning behind all this?"
In any case, Cami and I won’t be seeing either film this weekend. Steve Martin’s Shopgirl (which I dissected in this strip) and which was given a soft release in select markets last week finally comes to Des Moines on Friday. Both Cami and I were big fans of Martin’ s original novella. In fact, I also own his book "The Pleasure of My Company" and his collected essays – "Pure Drivel". Great stuff. I might actually have to read Pure Drivel again. It’s been a while since I looked at it.
I think casing Claire Danes as Mirabell is inspired. She does that world-weary, sad-sack-but-emotionally-mature-and-brilliant thing exceptionally well ever since My So-Called Life. Of course no one could play the detached, yet sophisticated Ray Porter better than Martin himself. I have to give extra points for whoever decided to bring on Jason Schwartzman as Jermey. Not only because I think he’s a very effective comic actor, but because he snagged the role from Jimmy Fallon after he dropped out. That version of the movie I don’t think I would have enjoyed as much.
I have some more thoughts relating to the new stuff I threw in the rotating top banner that I’ll come back and express later today. In the meantime, enjoy your Friday – whereever you are!
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Soda is precious nectar. Don’t waste a single solitary drop.
Well, the Oscars were last night. Maybe you heard about it? In case you missed it, I posted my picks for the winners about 20 minutes before the telecast aired. You can read them if you check Friday’s comic.
I was on the money for the most part. Of course, like most everyone else, I was shocked by Crash pulling an upset and winning Best Picture over Brokeback Mountain. I want to say more about it, but it’s actually going to be the subject of Wednesday comic, so I don’t want to ruin it.
I enjoyed this year’s show. I think Jon Stewart did a good job and set the right tone. All of those people who worried he would be to overtly political can go suck it. In a year where nearly all the nominated films contained political or social messages, he performed a tightrope act that should be applauded.
One thing the next telecast can do without – montages. Seriously. I’m all for celebrating the history of film, but these little clip shows slow everything down to a snail’s pace and really don’t add much value. I started to freak out a little bit when Lauren Bacall introducing the film noir segment. Leave the poor woman alone! Never would have happened if the producers came up with something better.
Still, if I had to choose montages or musical numbers… I’ll take the montages.
I thought George Clooney made the best acceptance speech of the night. Relaxed, confident-yet-humbled and funny.
Worst speech? AMPAS President Sid Ganis practically beating the audience over the head with his non-too-subtle plea for people to see movies as God! (TM) intended – in a movie theater (Re: Stop pirating our crap, you little snot-nosed suburbanites!)
Not much else to say about Oscar at the moment. Have to keep this short this morning. More thoughts if time.
Oh, two quick site-related things!
First, I’m almost finished with my book, Theater Hopper – Year One. All of the comics and commentary are laid out and proofed. I’ve got the introduction, guest strips and crossovers laid in as well. Pretty much all that is left is for me to finish coloring the cover and we’ll be good to go! I still have to get a few bids from printers, but I’m hoping to start offering it for pre-sale by the time I come back from my upcoming vacation. I’ll be gone between the 16 and the 21, incidentally.
Also, you only have three more days to buy a Theater Hopper shirt! Pre-sale on these items end Wendesday and then I will be sending on the orders to my printer. Get yours now! Once I put the gears in motion on the book, it might be a while before I sell shirts again!
That’s all for now! Talk to you soon!
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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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As to why Tom might have a soul debt to Twinkie the Kid, I have no idea. It’s just one of those absurd ideas that come to me at the end of the week and there you have it. I suppose I could have done something a little more in tune with a pirate theme to celebrate the release of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest… but that would have been too easy!
Reviews from critics are coming back mostly negative, which is surprising considering how many of them rallied around the first film. Their complaints seem to echo their thoughts about Superman Returns. Primarily, it’s too long. Personally, I think that’s the weakest cop-out excuse in the critical handbag. I mean, when you’re in a movie you don’t like, extra length can feel like torture. But if you can put yourself in the shoes of the average audience member who’s really into this kind of stuff, how could MORE ever be a bad thing?
Roger Ebert once said something about the length of movies never being a detriment. I can’t find the exact quote, though. By the way, Rog – get well soon.
At any rate, early audience reaction seems to be very favorable. I’ve talked to a few people who have been to midnight screenings or are friends with theater managers and they love the flick up and down. So it sounds like the perfect summer popcorn flick. Personally, I can’t wait to see it.
A little site news. Don’t forget about the $9.99 t-shirt sale we’ve got going on right now. It lasts until the end of the month. I’m trying to clear out a little inventory before I go to Wizard World Chicago on August 4 – 6.so I won’t feel guilty about not bringing the full bredth of my schwag.
By the way, if you still want to order a copy of "Theater Hopper: Year One," I’m still accepting them. Place your order now. That way, it’s one less book I have to lug to Chicago. Who knows? I might not have very many when I come back! I’ve already pre-sold about half of the first printing. If you get your order in now, I’ll be sure to set a copy aside for you before I hit The Windy City!
Not much else for the moment. Talk to you soon!
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Before we get too far into the blog for this week’s comic, it might be worthwhile for some of you to revisit the flashback arc that established Jimmy and Charlie’s relationship. Also, their untimely split. Check out where things all started to go wrong for them by clicking here.
I know that this week’s comic is egregiously late. That’s due to a confluence of personal obstacles and me also preparing for THIS:
If you are in the Seattle area, please do not forget that I will be exhibiting at Emerald City Comicon this weekend, Friday, March 31 through Sunday April 1. I’ll be hanging out at booth #307 with Gordon McAlpin from Multiplex and Angela Melick from Wasted Talent.
I’m both nervous and excited to go to this show. Excited because I know from first-hand experience how awesome the audience is that comes to this show and how appreciative they are of webcomics. Nervous because figuring out how to ship my merchandise and my own stinking carcass to Seattle has been a logistical nightmare. I’ve basically been second-guessing myself for three weeks.
Now if I can only figure out how to get the weight of my checked bag under 50 pounds…
Something else I’ll mention: If you’re thinking about buying anything from the store in the near future – ESPECIALLY T-SHIRTS – I want to encourage you to place your orders now.
Part of the reason behind my aggressive convention schedule this year is that I want to sell as much of my Theater Hopper merchandise as possible. I was going through my inventory as I packed for Emerald City and I’m starting to notice a dwindling supply of some shirts in popular sizes.
Since I’m going to Emerald City this weekend, C2E2 in Chicago two weeks after that and Minneapolis SpringCon a month after that, it’s very possible that I will not have the style of shirt you want in the size you want when it’s all over.
I DO NOT INTEND TO REORDER SHIRTS. ONCE THEY’RE GONE, THEY’RE GONE.
I am currently offering a “Buy 2, Get 1 Free” offer on all shirts and books. Previously, it was buy two shirts or buy two books. But yesterday I COMBINED the offer so you can mix and match items. Buy ANY two books or shirts and get the third item for FREE. I can’t make it any better than that!
So, like I said, if you think you want some Theater Hopper merchandise, I would strongly encourage you to make a purchase soon so I don’t sell what you hoped to buy at a convention somewhere.
That’s all I have for now. Next week’s comic will probably be a little late as well due to Emerald City, but hopefully it won’t be as late as this one was.
Thanks for your patience. SEATTLE, HERE I COME!
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