Posts Tagged ‘grocery store’
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Still having a little fun with Shrek 2. Vote for Theater Hopper at buzzComix to see Tom as The Gingerbread Man!
I won’t bore you with more of my opinions about Shrek 2. I mentioned that Cami and I had seen it last Thursday, and what I have to say about it has pretty much been said in blog-form. I just thought it was worthy to tackle in the comic since we were just coming down from a two-week story arc.
Frankly, it’s not surprising to me that Shrek did almost $105 million dollars of business over the three-day weekend. They’ve been hyping this film for so long, I feel like I’ve already seen it seven times!
Today’s comic is no joke. Cami and I went grocery shopping Sunday afternoon and Shrek’s goofy mug was on no less than five of the products we bought. “Shrek Toilet Paper?” C’mon, now that’s just nasty!
Okay, there’s not REALLY any Shrek toilet paper, but would it surprise you if there were? All I’m saying is that the merchandising is way out of control and I’m just going to have to avoid all commerce locations before I start dreaming green!
Onto more pressing matters. I indicated there was some pretty big news last Friday. I know the people in the forums have been buzzing about it. Actually, wildly guessing and pulling their hair out is more appropriate. Well, now I’m ready to share the news.
You might have noticed something different about the little ad next to the comic asking you to send me to Wizard World Chicago. The status bar is now full. In fact, it’s been busted clear off the scale!
You guys are AMAZING. When I last updated the tally on 16th, I had $155. You guys delivered that to me 5 days after I posted my goal. I thought THAT was really impressive. I mean, the convention isn’t until August and I was already more than one-fifth of the way there!
Since the 16th, I continued receiving donations, purchases through the store and advertising reservations. But on the 20th, I received a very shocking bit of news. One kind soul had donated $345!!! Now I’m not sharing this to brag, but in order to publicly thank the individual who topped off the status bar. Unfortunately, he didn’t want me to use his real name. But to that person, this message is for you:
Although I have thanked you PROFUSELY in private e-mails, I wanted you to know that I am announcing to my readership my undying thanks for your kindness. Your contribution will help make Theater Hopper’s presence felt on a larger scale and could potentially open up new avenues of readership. It seems cliche to say, but I can never thank you enough!
By now, you’re probably running the numbers in your head. “Tom, if you had $155 on the 16th, and were donated $345 on the 20th, then shouldn’t that add up to $500 and not $681 like you have listed? What’s that other $181 about?”
I’m glad you asked. Those are the continued contributions of OTHER Theater Hopper fans who have sought to support my goal. They too, I thank. Your support means more to me than you’ll ever know!
When I started this comic almost 2 years ago, I never dreamed that it would find a readership as kind and supportive as the one it has found. It’s because of YOU that I continue to do this strip. In fact, I look forward to it every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I love reading your e-mails and talking to you in the forums. And I know for a fact there isn’t a group of people nicer. I can honestly say I’ve made some great friends thanks to these little doodles. And what better result can you get but that?
THANK YOU!
The other bit of big news I wanted to share is a little more external in influence.
Last week I was reading Chris Ryall’s column “One Hand Clapping” over at Movie Poop Shoot and he was talking about Shrek 2. He mentioned Mike Meyers and his continued insistence on using that horrid Scottish accent in every movie he does. Chris cited the Shrek movies, the Austin Powers franchise – even So I Married An Axe Murderer.
I was elated! Finally someone of my same opinion. I had written a comic long ago addressing the very same issue! I had to share it with Chris.
So I sent an e-mail to Chris telling him about my comic and added a link. I received a very quick reply from Chris thanking me for my comments telling me that he loved the comic! Could he link to it?
It took less than a second for me to scream “YES! YES!”
And so, here we are. Linked today from the weekly question and answer column “Mail Shoot” over at Movie Poop Shoot. Click here for the undeniable proof. I’ve been a big fan of the site for a really long time, so being linked from them is a big deal for me. It’s like being recognized by Newsweek, or something!
So, for all of those new readers checking out the site for the first time, I encourage you to comb through our archives and check out our forums. I know we have a lot of content to wade through, but if you love movies like I do, I’m sure you’ll find something to latch onto.
I would post some links to some of my favorites, but I can see this news post has grown quite large, so I’ll save that for another time!
Until then, things are really coming up roses for Theater Hopper. Again, thanks to everyone for their support and here’s to continued prosperity in the future!
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My apologies for not coming back to the site Monday afternoon or all day Tuesday to give you my thoughts about Batman Begins. Perhaps the incentive sketch you get for voting for Theater Hopper at the Web Comics List will go a little ways toward appeasing you?
I’m pretty happy with the way the sketch turned out. At least happier than how today’s comic ended up. Maybe I’m just a little down on myself on the moment, but it doesn’t feel very inspired.
I’ll be truthful and let you know that my day job has been demanding a lot of my attention as of late. Since it pays the bills, that’s where my focus needs to be. At the end of the day, there hasn’t been much left for the site. I know I haven’t been responding to e-mails, so I’ll try to catch up on those.
But hey, for those of you that ordered shirts, I put those in the mail yesterday! So hopefully you’ll see them in your mailboxes in the next 3 to 5 days!
By the by, if you want to order a shirt, feel free to do so. I have a bunch in stock right now ready to ship out the door, so delays should be shorter for new orders.
Thanks to everyone who was patient in this last round of pre-orders.
Things have been kind of stressful all around. Something that I’ve announced in the THorum, but not out here on the “public-facing” side of the site, but Cami and I are moving to a new home on July 12. So there’s been a lot of stress getting ready for that. Packing, transferring services, rerouting mail, all that rig-a-ma-roll.
The move is nothing drastic. We’re not packing up and leaving the state. In truth, we’re moving about 5 minutes away from our current house into something with a little more room. We’re looking forward to it, but there are a lot of balls in the air right now. So I appreciate your patience and understanding.
Since I kind of put the moving thing out there, I suppose now is as good a time as any to ask people for guest strips?
I’m going to need at least 3 strips to get me through the move the week of July 12. If anyone is interested in a little extra coverage for their own web comics, feel free to e-mail me and I’ll hook you up. Full credit and a link to your site, of course.
I know we just had a round of guest strips back in April when Cami and I went on vacation to Texas, but this move is pretty unavoidable and it’s more than likely I won’t have access to my computer for a little while. Any support you can lend will really go a long ways.
So long as we’re talking about the future, I wanted to let you all know that I’ve sent in my registration for Wizard World Chicago August 4 – 7. That’s going to be one hell of a show. A bunch of us web comic guys are getting together and taking up a big block of tables on Artist’s Alley in hopes of promoting each other and the medium as a whole.
I heard Scott Kurtz was supposed to be at the Image booth this year. Maybe he’ll swing by Artist’s Alley and say “Hi.” to all his web comic brothers and sisters still slugging it out in the trenches. The closer we get to the actual event, the more I will suggest this scenario!
I suppose I have a few moments left before I totally collapse for the night. Maybe some reflections on Batman Begins are in order after all.
First off, Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman and Michael Caine all turned in superb performances. It’s been writing in a thousand other places, but Bale really does a good job of portraying both Bruce Wayne and Batman simotaneously. Previous actors were really only good at playing one or the other – if they were any good at all.
I really liked Gary Oldman as Detective Gordon. Although it kind of took me out of the movie for a second to see him console the young Bruce after his parents were murdered. I’ll buy Oldman playing someone middle-aged, but if you do the math, you’ll figure out Gordan had to be a beat cop in his early 20’s about the time Bruce’s parents were murdered and it didn’t look right. Would have been better to leave that little coincidence of fate on the cutting room floor.
I was kind of disappointed that we didn’t get to see more of Ken Wantanabe. He’s really not in the movie very long and that kind of bummed me out. Of course, I’m kind of glad that the character he plays really wasn’t who he says he is. If you’ve seen the movie, you know what I mean.
Liam Neeson was good, but my impression of his performance has been slipping in the last few days. Not that I can’t remember what he did. Far from it. I thought he did a good job, but it was basically the flip side of the Qui-Gon coin. Playing a twisted mentor instead of a positive role model.
Cillian Murphy’s Scarecrow was VERY effective when it came to the creepiness factor. This has probably been one of the best portrayals of the character outside of the comics and possibly the Batman: The Animated Series cartoon. Even though he was the “B” villain, I appreciated that they were able to weave him into the larger storyline without competing against the other threats in the picture.
Katie Holmes? Nothing but filler. The token female character inserted into the plot to prevent the picture from becoming a sausage party. She only seemed to show up when Bruce was due for a lecture. Anytime she was on screen, I was ready for something else to happen.
Maybe this is part of the TomKat backlash talking, but can anyone explain to me why she’s attractive? I think she has googley eyes. They’re REALLY obvious on the big screen. Plus, I think she has a lop-sided face.
No wonder she wasn’t invited back for the sequel.
Overall, I have to give kudos to the art direction and sound editing crews for making Gotham City this dark and pulsing environment for the Dark Knight to crawl around in. Gotham isn’t a place you want to be day or night and the design teams GOT THAT. What’s better is that you get several great shots of Gotham from the sky. You’re really allowed the opportunity to soak in all of it’s crapulence.
Like most people I’ve talked to, I’d enjoy seeing Batman Begins a second time. Although, I don’t know when that will be in the coming months, looking ahead at my schedule!
Still, it’s one of the better super-hero movies out there and as far as I’m concerned, Christopher Nolan has earned a place at the table with some of the most competent directing talents currently working in the industry. After Batman Begins, I’ll be sold on any film that has his name attached to it.
That’s all for now.
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