Posts Tagged ‘hospital’
10 items.
I’m going to keep today’s blog short because I just spent the last 6 hours drawing and inking today’s and Friday’s strip. I’ll be away from home tonight, so I won’t have time to do Friday’s strip in the evening. I had to put it together Wednesday night. I think you’ll like it, though. I’ve made it extra-mushy for Valentine’s Day.
Awwww…
Hopefully, you are all enjoying this full week of strips. It’s been a lot of fun putting them together, but I’m glad my regular shift is only three days out of the week. I think I would be really stuck for ideas if I had to come up with something every day. In this instance, I just got lucky with a story line I could stretch out. You gotta strike while the iron is hot!
I’ve been getting some good feedback lately, which is nice. I want to let everyone know that I really appreciate your kind words and support and feel free to e-mail me any time you like. I try to respond to each e-mail I get. Fortunately (or unfortunately?) Theater Hopper’s popularity is at a sustained level right now and I can still do that.
A lot of you have been writing in with your reactions to the Oscar nominations, which I think is great. I’m always down for listening to a differenet set of opinions or being clued in on a movie I’ve yet to see. It’s times like these that I wish we had a forum to discuss things more in depth. There’s only so much ground I can cover in a blog.
That being said, I’m going to wrap it up. Jared is back on the scene, so I’m gonna let him do his thing. Be sure to check back tomorrow for the excellent Valentine’s Day conclusion of the Daredevil storyline. And, just because I love you, expect to see a new review from Nick posted soon!
Easy-peasy, lemon squeezy!
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So here it is. The last strip before we head into the triple digits. I’d like to think that it was all part of some grand design that I was able to synchronize the coming of my 100th strip with the aftermath of the largest night in Hollywood, but just like everything else, it’d dumb luck.
I’m not planning to make a big deal out of my 100th strip. There’s already been enough hullabaloo going on around here anyway. Instead, I plan on quietly observing the occasion by staring blankly at a wall and wondering how am I so fortunate to have an audience that is interested and supportive of what I do so that there could even be a 100th strip. Wow.
By now the war with Iraq has gone into full-swing and it’s starting to affect things at home. One of the more interesting developments in the entertainment world is that Oscars producer Gil Cates has decided to scrap the pre-show and red carpet treatment before the show.
I’ve heard some people complain that this is giving in to terrorism because they are essentially handicapping a large portion of why people watch the Oscars in the first place. They say the Oscars are an “American institution” and they are diluting it. Would they do something like this to the Super Bowl?
To which I say, “Phooey.”
The Oscars are little else than an industry circle jerk where very few of the deserving pictures actually walk away with any recognition. It’s an event based less and less on the strength of individual artistic achievements and more and more about who’s wearing what and how hard a publicist campaigns for that little gold statue.
Certainly among award ceremonies, the Oscars are the zenith of the genre. But you’d be a damn fool not to admit that, at the end of the day, what the Oscars boil down to is mindless entertainment – the results of which bear very little in terms of what movies will be made in the future versus the steady stream of dreck we’re shoveled each year.
I say good for Gil Cates for showing a little backbone and instilling a little class into the ceremonies. Yeah, it would be nice to see what people are wearing or to watch the show without this ominous cloud looming overhead. But to keep on like nothing’s happening? That’s like taking everything the rest of the world hates about America, packing it into a tight, little ball and smearing it across the face of our detractors not to mention those who are fighting this war so far away right now. It’s like saying “See all the glamor! See all this drama! See what you DON’T get to be a part of?! Nyyahhh!!”
I’m not too sure if I’m even going to watch the Oscars with much interest. If I didn’t need material for the strip, I probably wouldn’t watch them at all. As things are now, I am simply not interested in watching a bunch of overpaid actors spout off on a global crisis that is, quite frankly, beyond their sphere of influence. Whether they support it or admonish it, no one can really take you seriously because you make about 100 times more money in a fiscal quarter than most of us will see in a life time. Sit down.
I’m not against actors having opinions, but don’t be so trite and predictable to assume that we’re tuning in to the Oscars to hear your version of things. Write a friggin’ newsletter if you really feel the need to speak out. Don’t use a venue like this to hog the spotlight.
Hey, I’d love to give my opinion about the state of the world to one of the largest global television audiences, but no one invited me. Don’t abuse your station in life. Don’t wear out your welcome. Make the funny faces and wear the prosthetic noses. That’s what we pay you for.
[/end rant]
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May14
I have to admit I was a bit nervous trying to come up with an idea to follow Monday’s strip. I had received so much positive feedback for what I felt was a relatively simple notion, I felt pressure to one-up my previous effort. If today’s strip is a case of over-kill, I wouldn’t know it. I’ve been stressing too much to see past it.
All things the same, I think it turned out pretty well. Can you figure out all the geek-related material I’m spoofing? They’re all pretty easy to identify. I was going to label them in the blog, but then I realized my audience isn’t a gaggle of dum-dums. Thank God for that!
Like everyone else, when seeing The Matrix Reloaded, the question isn’t “If” but “When”? I’m trying to figure it out. Part of me would like to be in line Thursday night – to experience that anticipation like the event it is. Then I step back and realize that I’m supposed to be responsible and go to work on Friday. That, coupled with the fact I would draw Friday’s strip Thursday night all but nix the option to see it opening day.
Fortunately, one of the side-effects of being responsible is being patient. I can wait – barely.
I’d like to point out that posters are still for sale and that if you would like to support the site, PLEASE BUY ONE! We’re nearly reached the half way point, now let’s finish strong!
I’ve received several orders through the mail – checks, money orders and cash. So if you’re not comfortable mailing a payment through PayPal, e-mail me and we can make other arrangements!
Last thing I’ll mention: I know I’ve talked about it a million times before. But I am very close to bringing back the forum.
Early fans of the site might remember I had one for a month or two, then put the kibosh on it when I decided the readership wasn’t large enough to support it. I’ve always maintained that I would bring it back if I felt it could stand on it’s own two legs. It looks like that time is rapidly approaching. So get ready for that.
Oh, I almost forgot. If you’re not too busy, could you be sure to Montana Hills and would love to settle in to the number 13 spot on the list sometime soon. Lucky 13!
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Today’s incentive sketch isn’t knocking it out of the part in the artistic department, but I think you’ll appreciate its romantic symbolizes. Click away to reveal!
What can I say about The Day After Tomorrow except it looks really, really stupid. Didn’t we all get sick of disaster flicks sometime around 1998? Apparently Roland Emmerich didn’t get the memo. This guy is like Michael Bay – he can only make one kind of movie. Loud, dumb and effects-heavy. I still haven’t forgiven him for sucking Matthew Broderick and Jean Reno into the quagmire that was Godzilla.
I feel sorry for Tomorrow’s Jake Gyllenhaal. Apparently he thinks this is the “big summer event movie” to hitch his wagon to. A big blockbuster that’ll make him a household name. Guess again, Jakey. You should have used your leverage with Kirsten Dunst to land that plum role in Spider-Man 2. Tobey fans would have hated you, but Joe Six-Pack probably never would have seen the difference.
Anyway, let’s brush that aside for a moment. It’s time for a Truman update.
As you know, on Wednesday I delivered some pretty serious news about the health of our 2 year old beagle Truman. For a quick recap, he had a fever of 105, we thought he had an obstruction in his intestines (he didn’t), he underwent emergency exploratory surgery and they discovered he was fighting a mean infection either viral or bacteria in nature.
First of all, I want to thank EVERYONE who sent their prayers and good wishes to Truman. He doesn’t read so well since he’s been on the painkillers, but we told him all about the people online pulling for him. He sends his love.
On a personal level, Cami and I sincerely appreciate everyone’s support. We receive such great feedback from fellow beagle owners and other pets. It really helped to hear some of your close calls. It was nice to know we weren’t alone and – ultimately – these little guys are hearty buggers who pull through stuff that would have us laid up for 2 weeks.
Incidentally, if you wanted a snap-shot of how awesome Theater Hopper fans are on the whole, then check out this bit of fan art I received from Jennifer Addley. Jennifer has it right – chicks DO dig scars! Thanks, Jennifer!
And again, thanks to the rest of you for your e-mails and posts in the forum. It means more to us that we can possibly measure!
Now, as for Truman himself. He’s doing MUCH better! After a short stay at the vet’s office on Wednesday for an evaluation, we were able to take him home and start spoiling him rotten!
He’s still a little groggy from the surgery, painkillers and antibiotics, but he’s sleeping well and eating lots which is a good sign. We let him sleep in our bed on Wednesday night which is something we NEVER do. He was on Cloud 9!
On Thursday evening, he started picking up steam. You can tell he’s starting to feel better because he’s starting to get into things and being naughty! He snagged a towel from me earlier and tried to get me to chase him around the house and play tug of war with him (a regular game between us two). I didn’t want to engage him, though. I was afraid he’d pop a stitch! And as far as the stitches go, they come out either next Tuesday or Wednesday.
Really, if you were going to send your dog into surgery, you’d be hard pressed to find a better time than right before a holiday weekend. This way, we can spend extra time with him and make sure he doesn’t get frustrated and try to pull out his stitches!
But anyway, Truman is on the mend, eating whatever he wants and generally soaking in all the love and attention we can afford him. He’s a sweet dog and I plan on posting pictures when he’s zipping around the backyard again at full speed.
I gotta tell ‘ya. This week has been rough. In addition to Truman’s problems, there has been stress at work and some relatives also not feeling well and in the hospital. I’m not telling you this to bring you down. Frankly, I’ve probably told too much. I mean, you come to Theater Hopper to get away from this real-world drama, right?
But honestly… I never knew how many friends I made online until I opened up a little more of my life to you. It’s like you’re family now. And I’m an only child, so that’s really weird for me!
But, yeah. I consider you guys family. And if you ever need *me* to lend your some words of encouragement, drop me a line and I’m there for you.
Thanks again for everything you’ve done for us and have a great holiday weekend!
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Before we get started today, I just wanted to make sure everyone was on board with the term "facepalm." It’s basically another way of expressing complete exasperation and/or frustration toward another. Here, let Captain Picard illustrate:
I know most of our younger readers will recognize the term. I just wanted to flesh it out a little bit for people who aren’t up on internet catch phrases.
I had a hard time with today’s comic. There’s a lot of text to this one. I suppose that’s the risk you take when you run six panels. But there were a lot of ideas I wanted to get across and it was difficult to strip them down to their most bare comic elements.
In any case, I hope you like it.
I was looking over my Twitter feed last night as I was working on the comic and lot of people were apparently using their cell phones to send updates about their experiences waiting in line for The Dark Knight. It sounds crazy. Expectations are through the roof on this thing. I’m legitimately afraid that my expectations have now been set too high and I’m going to end up not enjoying the film. Certainly the Twitter posts coming in AFTER the movie seem to suggest the bar for superhero movies has now been set extraordinarily high.
I’ve been on lockdown on this film for about a month – since about the time that teaser clip of Two-Face’s first appearance showed up online – and have been trying like the dickens to avoid interviews and reviews. It’s hard. The advertising and promotion for this thing has been kicked into overdrive. When you spend the amount of time I do online, it’s really hard to avoid.
I don’t know when we’ll get a chance to see the movie this weekend, but I almost don’t want to? I know that sounds crazy, but I just don’t want to fight the crowds. I should go at, like, 11 o’clock in the morning on Sunday when everyone else is at church…
Truthfully, I don’t what the odds are of us even getting out of the house this weekend. Cami wasn’t feeling very well Wednesday night. She was complaining of chills and fever before complaining about terrible back pain. I recognized those symptoms! When we woke up on Thursday and she wasn’t feeling any better, I told her not to waste time and to go to the doctor right away. Turns out she was diagnosed with acute tonsillitis just as I had been three weeks ago!
I don’t know if she caught it from me and it was just dormant in her system for three weeks or if she picked it up from somewhere else, but between myself, Cami, Henry and his time spent at day care – all of us are basically infecting and reinfecting each other with one horrible virus after the other.
Cami is on medication now – the same stuff I was on at the end of June and I would think she should start feeling better by tomorrow. At least if my experience was any indication. Cami’s parents have stepped in to take care of Henry today. He’s spending the night with Grandma and Grandpa to give Cami the opportunity to recover. I do a fine job of taking care of Henry on my own, but he’s also in the “MAMA, MAMA, MAMA!” phase and doesn’t want anyone but her. It makes it hard to keep them apart when they’re in the house together.
At any rate, that’s what we’re dealing with at the moment. With any luck, we’ll get a chance to see The Dark Knight sometime this weekend.
Incidentally, Cami was really down on the idea for a while. She wasn’t over the moon with Batman Begins and she though The Dark Knight looked even more bleak. But the marketing wizards finally got to her and all of the positive buzz finally convinced her to see it.
To put it another way, when your Mother-in-law asks you if you’re excited to see a movie like The Dark Knight, Madison Avenue has done its job.
Take it easy, everyone. I’ll see you here on Monday!
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First I just want to say thanks to everyone who wrote a comment or sent an e-mail expressing support or concern after I shared the story of my hand injury last week. I’ve always maintained that Theater Hopper fans are some of the most courteous, supportive and understanding fans in all webcomics and your words encouraged me to get back on the horse that much faster.
That said, a few of you were teasing me a little bit when it came to my hand injury being similar to that of Shia LaBeouf’s while he was filming Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. A bit of karma played against me for giving the actor such a hard time in the past.
It’s cool, it’s cool. While my injury was nowhere near as serious as LaBeouf’s, turnabout is fair play, I suppose. I gotta give LaBeouf credit, though. He showed up for work with his injury. I don’t know if I would have done the same.
Then again, if a $200 million action sequel were resting on my shoulders and Michael Bay could provide a kevlar cast that looked like skin, I’d probably find the proper motivation to go back to work.
A few of you suggested that I write my injury into the comic. While I recognized that it would be therapeutic to do so, I wasn’t sure how to go about doing it. Then I got an e-mail from one CP Newcombe who gave me a nugget of a great idea. Immediately upon reading it, I could think of at least five different directions to take the storyline. So you have CP to thank for this next little story arc that not only bring Shia LaBeouf back into the Theater Hopper, but another long-lost character once thought dead. Who could it be? You have to wait to find out!
I things that are not hand-related, Cami and I saw Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince over the weekend. Cami didn’t like it because she felt the film took too many liberties with the book and was hard to follow. She recognizes that certain changes had to be made to adapt the book to the screen, but was ultimately disappointing.
I, on the other hand, was perfectly happy with the movie and I attribute much of that to the fact that I’ve never read a single Harry Potter book.
I tried reading the first book before the first movie came out, but I found Rowling’s use of language too impenetrable and annoying to bother to continue. It’s all the made up words. They distracted me.
So, as a result, my exposure to Harry Potter has occurred exclusively in the domain of film. Aside from the fourth movie (which I thought was horrid), I’ve enjoyed them all so far.
I suppose now that I’ve had some time to get away from the movie a little bit, there were some things about The Half-Blood Prince that bothered me. Certain revelations that should have a large impact simply don’t shock the way they should and there’s a little too much hemming and hawing over the multiple romantic subplots to keep the tension going.
Something I’ve noticed about the last few films is that their visual tone has become darker and darker, but the plot elements don’t always match up to this. Things should be getting deadlier and more serious for Harry, but the films seem to force this balance with the light stuff which then feels out of place.
I know Joe had some pretty strong opinions on the movie, so I’m sure we’ll debate these issues and more on tonight’s episode of The Triple Feature. I strongly encourage you to listen live at 9:00 PM CST. You can participate in the chat field with the other listeners and we always have a lot of fun. Plus, you get to the listen to the behind-the-scenes stuff before and after we record the show. I’ve been told by some it’s the sole reason they listen to the live broadcast.
Hope you can fit us in tonight and that everyone has a great week. Thanks again for all your support and I’ll talk to you soon!
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To me this comic is funny not because Jared doubts Tom’s story about being assaulted by an anthropomorphic piece of audio/visual equipment. Instead he finds the story questionable because Tom’s injuries are not consistent with the length of his beating.
Hate to spell it out for you, but it makes me smile.
I’m coming to a close on this little story line, so I hope you’ve enjoyed it. Not much for me to talk about except that Cami and I saw neither Moon OR Food, Inc. Saturday night as my parents had Henry stay over at their place. Neither of us could muster up the enthusiasm for Food, Inc. and we missed the only showing of Moon that evening before we left my parents house.
Instead we watched my review copy of I Love You, Man on Blu-ray. I’ll be reviewing it for the site and you can expect to find it here tomorrow. I’ll be sure to remind you on Twitter in case you forget.
I’m sure my lack of commitment to new movies will get me in trouble with Joe and Gordon tonight during our recording of The Triple Feature at 9:00 PM CST, but we’re probably going to talk about 500 Days of Summer, which isn’t even in wide release here until Friday. So what can you do?
I’m kind of annoyed because both 500 Days of Summer AND Funny People come out here on Friday and I can’t see either of them because Cami will be out of town with her Mom and Sister celebrating my Mother-in-Law’s birthday. I guess I’ll have to get caught up in the week before the Chicago Comic Con.
If you’re looking for something to do between now and The Triple Feature at 9:00 PM CST, I encourage you to swing over to my good friend Zach Miller’s web comic which you might remember is called Joe and Monkey.
I’ve been talking to Zach lately and he’s been drawing panels like a fiend preparing for JaM’s return. If I’m not mistaken, he’s already several weeks ahead and plans on updating every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the foreseeable future.
It brings me great joy to make this announcement because I am constantly being approached by Zach’s fans about when he is going to bring Joe and Monkey back. Zach and I are friends and speak on a semi-regular basis, but I’m usually as much in the dark about this subject as the rest of you. So I always feel like I’m disappointing the person asking the question when I can’t give them a definitive answer.
But Zach is back on the horse and updating again. So be sure to swing by Joe and Monkey to see what he’s up to.
Incidentally, Zach and I will be sharing a table on Artist’s Alley at Chicago Comic Con August 6 – 9. You can find us at table #3414. If you plan on attending the show, it would mean a great deal to both of us if you came by and said “hello.” We are both very friendly and will likely chat your ear off.
Cheers!
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Hey, guys. Today’s blog will be short as I was up extremely late putting the finishing touches on today’s comic. You’d think I would have taken the month off to build up a buffer or strategize how I was going to produce the comic while taking care of a new baby. But ohhhhhh no. I’m flying by the seat of my pants, as usual.
What’s important is that I’m back, baby!
I thought it would be kind of fun to address my hiatus in the comic with a short story arc. And, as in most soap operas, a coma was an easy out.
I really thought about doing a comic a couple weeks ago when the Iron Man 2 trailer hit the web. It didn’t seem fair that I was away from the site while that was happening. So this is a fun opportunity to revisit it.
If you haven’t seen the trailer yet, by the way, here it is.
…and, really, I’m only adding it because – like I said – today’s blog post will be extremely short.
HEY! Something that I wanted to mention that should excite you! Tonight we’re recording a new episode of The Triple Feature – our first since November 30. We have a lot of movies to catch up on and also a VERY. IMPORTANT. ANNOUNCEMENT.
So, if you want to know what’s going on before everyone else, be sure to listen to The Triple Feature LIVE tonight at 9:00 PM CST.
Now, I must scurry off to bed. But please take this opportunity to discuss the Iron Man 2 trailer. I know it’s probably been examined to death elsewhere, but I was bummed that I didn’t have a chance to have this conversation with you. So let’s have it now!
Leave your comments below!
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Maybe it’s the lack of sleep, but this comic was WAY funnier in my head. I’m trying to play the fourth panel straight. Like peeing your pants at the sight of the Iron Man 2 trailer is a perfectly acceptable and normal reaction.
I think maybe I didn’t make bed-ridden Tom look disheveled enough by the trailer watching experience. The world may never know.
Sorry to be so self-deprecating first thing in the morning. Nothing more endearing than a comedian who immediately apologizes for then over-explains his joke. This is what happens when you operate on 4 hours of sleep several days in a row.
I used to be much better on no sleep. In the past, I could sleep for 4 hours and be fine the next day. I think the problem in this situation is that the sleeping I’m getting is constantly being interrupted. It’s as if waking up resets what counts as sleep. So instead of the 4 or 5 hours I know I’m getting, it feels more like the 30 minutes I got before my alarm went off and I was forced to start my day.
All these things will level out soon. I promise.
I also promise not to make EVERY post about being a new father and the demands of my time as a result of it.
In case you missed it last night, we made a very special announcement regarding The Triple Feature – the movie podcast I’ve been doing every Monday night for the last 3 years with Joe Dunn of Joe Loves Crappy Movies and Gordon McAlpin of Multiplex.
Last night we announced that next Monday’s show – Monday, January 11, 2009 – will be our last.
I’m bummed about it, but I think it’s the right thing to do. It’s getting increasingly difficult for the three of us to schedule anything in advance of the show and now that I have two kids I’m hardly seeing ANY movies these days. I enjoy moderating the conversations between Gordon and Joe, but I also wish I could participate more.
Gordon has his reasons of wanting to end the show. Joe, too. What’s important is that we aren’t ending the show with any animosity for each other. It was just simply time to move on.
To be frank, I don’t think any of us thought that it would last this long, but we’ve had a lot of fun doing it and appreciate the support of the listeners for the last three years.
At any rate, if you want more information about our reasons for closing up shop, visit The Triple Feature page on TalkShoe.com and download Monday’s show. We hadn’t recorded a show since November 30, so getting back together on Monday was a blast. I was laughing so hard I was crying at one point.
Of course, then again, it could have been the sleep deprivation.
Our final show will be next Monday at 9:00 PM CST. We’re going to list our Top 10 movies for 2009 and we plan to go a little long. Please help us spread the word about the show so we can go out with a bang. It would be great if you guys could set aside some time to call in. We want to make it a party.
That’s all for now. Not much else for me to talk about. I hope everyone is well and Happy Wednesday!
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Well, here it is. Friday’s exceptionally late comic. Again, I feel terrible about the delay and I appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding. If you could help spread the word about the new comic being online, I’d greatly appreciate it.
As you know from my last post, things have been stressful the last week. But I think things are leveling off. Pearl turned one month old a few days ago and I keep telling myself that it will only be a matter of time before she starts sleeping through the night.
I remember that Henry started sleeping through the night when he was 8 weeks old. At the time, it felt like an eternity. This time, I know what I’m in for a little bit more.
Of course, every child is different. So, who knows? Pearl might be completely upside-down on her days and nights! Let’s hope not, though.
Nothing movie related to talk about in this blog post. But I want to remind everyone to check out the last live recording of The Triple Feature this Monday, January 11 at 9:00 PM CST. It will be our Best of ’09 show and also our last show ever. It would be a real treat if as many of you as possible could call in live during the show and help send us off in style. It’s been a fun ride these last 3 years and we want to go out with a bang.
In the meantime, thanks again for your patience and enjoy the rest of your weekend. A new comic will be here Monday morning! I promise!
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