Posts Tagged ‘Jimmy’
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Oh, if Tom had only come prepared. He could have caught a tasty wave (literally!) and gone popcorn surfing! Ah, buzzComix incentive sketches… how I love the fanciful universe you portray. Click here to watch Tom hang ten Orville Redenbacher style!
So today is part two of our new storyline. What will this kernel catastrophe mean for our intrepid heroes? I don’t know, but someone is going to have to get that push broom out of the utility closet and sweep up this mess.
It ∗is∗ true that I used to work at a movie theater. I think this much I’ve made clear in the past. But I would never violate the sanctity of the concessions counter and get all up in someone’s business like that. Mostly because I wouldn’t want to clean the popcorn popper after words. There is no job more foul.
Sometimes I think back to my tenure as a popcorn jockey and it makes me wonder at what point did I slip and hit my head for it to be okay to eat movie theater concession foods. I won’t get graphic, but let’s just say the sponge we used to clean out the popcorn popper wasn’t exactly the cleanest.
The stuff we added to the popcorn to add flavor to the corn wasn’t exactly the most savory, either. Our theater claimed to use “real butter”. Well, I’ve seen that butter up close and it looked like a brick of lard. It was particularly disturbing after it had an opportunity to set up overnight.
And you know that orange powder they pour over the unpopped kernels? Pure salt. I think we used it to petrify rats at one point. There was a girl I worked with that would take individual popped pieces of popcorn and dip it in the stuff. No surprise she was over 300 pounds.
Sometimes I think it would have been fun to do a web comic about the trials and tribulations of working at a movie theater. But then I remember I only served about 6 months in the trenches. Not really enough experiences to stretch over the span of Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule.
Of course, there ARE comics out there that are able to make this set up work. And because I’m feelin’ frisky today, I’m linking to them. Be sure to check out both Del Mar 8 and Brainwrap Comics. Del Mar 8 has a kind of lighter style, but it’s more rooted in the real-life events of the characters. Brainwrap takes a little more liberties with how the story is told, but the artwork is highly detailed and very rich. Just scroll back through the archives and you’ll see what I mean. I plan on adding them to my list of regular reads once I redesign the links page.
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So since today’s comic was about unemployment and also since the season premier of The Apprentice 2 was broadcast last night, I decided to do a little homage to that narcissist we all love to hate – Donald Trump! It’s today’s buzzComix incentive sketch. Click here to view it.
So Jimmy has lost his job. This is part three of the potentially 9 part story. Depends how well it’s being received I suppose. It’ll go on at least until next Friday. If you have thoughts about it, you can always share them in the THorum.
Jimmy’s always been the optimistic one of the bunch. You can see it reflected in Monday’s strip and the third panel of today’s comic. Kinda sucks that he’s getting the short end of the stick, don’t you think? All he wanted to do was work hard!
Where will Jimmy go? What will he do next? Check back on Monday for the exciting… continuation!
Still not much to talk about movie-wise. The theaters aren’t serving up much that I’m interested in. Pretty much the only new films of interest this weekend are Resident Evil: Apocalypse and Cellular.
I know a lot of people are probably going to hate me for this, but I think the RE franchise looks pretty stupid. I haven’t seen the first one all the way through. I caught part of it on cable and had to turn it off because it was so dumb. The sequel doesn’t look that much better to me. I’m not bolstered by the fact that the original’s director and writer Paul W.S. Anderson came back and wrote the sequel (it’s being lensed by first-time director Alexander Witt). Anderson should just have the work “HACK” tattooed across his forehead and be done with it.
I don’t really care much for star Milla Jovovich, either. Model-turned-actress isn’t one of the more inspiring job transitions in my book. I think she’s pretty effective in comedies like Zoolander and Dazed and Confused. Maybe because her screen time is limited to a few minutes.
But for most of you, it won’t matter. She’s hot, right? And it’s all about hot babes killing zombies with big explosions. I’ve never been a fan of zombie flicks (Romero’s Night of the Living Dead notwithstanding, of course) and the whole Eastern Block, sunken-eyed model look of Jovovich doesn’t light my fire, either.
The only other new movie to mention this week is Cellular. I think the advertisements for this flick make it look incredibly dumb, but I guess it’s been getting good reviews. Both Ebert & Roeper seemed to like it, although I don’t know how much faith to put in them. Supposedly they keep that action moving at a fast enough clip that you don’t stop to think about the glaring plot holes.
I just find it funny that writer Larry Cohen’s last writing credit was the Colin Farrell thriller Phone Booth. I’m beginning to think this guy must be on the payroll of the telecommunications industry…
So, anyway. That’s what the weekend looks like. I’m probably going to avoid the theaters altogether this weekend. I’m just pretending that the same world-ending zombie virus has infected all the movie houses in town. It makes them easier to avoid and dulls the heartache just a little bit.
See you here on Monday!
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Today’s buzzComix incentive sketch really has nothing to do with today’s comic. It’s just a bit of still life I did while watching Truman sleep. Click here to view it.
I don’t know why I was compelled to draw it. I guess I’m trying to evolve my style a little bit. Looking at stuff like the Sketch Dump over at Penny Arcade is pretty good motivation. Incidentally, congratulations to Mike and his wife on the birth of their son Gabriel. The pictures are great and I thought Jerry’s introduction was very heartfelt and mature.
But back to the comic at hand…
We’re in the middle of a storyline right now. If you’d like to go back to the beginning of the arc, just click here and it will whisk you a way to a week ago when all this tomfoolery first started. Do you have any opinions on the story so far? You know you can always leave your comments in the THorum. I hang out there quite regularly, so I’m pretty sure to see them.
As things are shaping up, I don’t think I’ll be able to cap off this arc by Friday. So it’s likely that the story will extend into next week. I know that might divert my coverage of up-and-coming movies, but I’ll still talk about the new releases in the blog. So watch this space for updates.
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If you’re noticing a slight refinement in the look of the strip, that’s intentional. Over the weekend, I bought Ben Caldwell’s Action! Cartooning and I’ve been putting some of his tips to good use.
If you’re an artist working in this medium (web comics, print comics, napkin doodles, what have you) I strongly suggest picking up this book. Unlike most “How-to’s”, Ben’s book actually SHOWS you how to with some very helpful instructions. This as opposed to showing a picture and saying “Copy this.” He really does a good job walking you through it. The book is less than ten bucks, so it’s well worth the money.
I originally had my eye on the book over at Amazon.com, but came across it at my local Barne’s and Noble, so you should be able to find it there in case you’re the immanent type and can’t wait for something to be shipped to you.
I guess I picked up Ben’s book to try and introduce a little more polish to my artwork. My overall goal is to start getting the characters to look a little less like each other and more like individuals. I think it’s going to be a slow transition. Partially because I’m still learning and partially because I don’t want to make any design changes so jarring that it sours your taste for Theater Hopper. I’ll leave that to the clumsy writing and occasional political grandstanding.
At any rate, it’s the direction that I’m going…
In slightly movie related news, Cami was channel surfing last night and came across a documentary on A&E called Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy. Incidentally, this is the same documentary that will be appearing on the supplemental disc when the Star Wars trilogy is released to DVD on September 21.
I have to admit, the documentary was really good. They spend the first 45 minute detailing the difficulty bringing A New Hope to screens in the summer of 1977 and a little less time on the subsequent movies. But they did a really good job uncovering some facts that I wasn’t already aware of as well as getting interviews with the entire cast and high profile figures on the production side.
I was excited that the original trilogy was finally making its way to DVD, but I wasn’t planning on being the first in line September 21. I mean, I still haven’t picked up the Indiana Jones trilogy yet!
But now I’m kind of rethinking my position. Part of my apprehension was the cost, the hype and the fact that I’ve seen these movies dozens of times. I’m ready to see a cut with better picture and sound of course, but I was in no big hurry.
Seeing this documentary on Sunday night has lead me to believe that the supplemental materials could be worth the price of admission alone. If the other goodies they’ve packed into the boxed set are half as good, I’ll be satisfied.
You should really keep an eye on A&E in the coming weeks and try and catch a repeat Empire of Dreams. If you were a little on the fence about things like I was, it’ll definitely remind you about why you fell in love with Star Wars in the first place.
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If you think that today’s comic isn’t exactly light-hearted, then maybe you want to check out the buzzComix voting incentive sketch. It follows a similar theme, but it turns up the irony a couple of notches. Maybe you’ll get a chuckle out of it.
I can’t quite put my finger on what’s motivating me to steer the arc into slightly darker territory, but I promise that things will start looking better for Jimmy soon.
I think part of the shift in tone can be attributed to wanting to flex a few new muscles creatively. I’m experimenting with refining my art style, adding debris and small details. At the same time, I’m testing the waters to see if I can toss in a little bit of drama.
To me, Jimmy is the only character that can withstand this emotional weight. Since he’s the only character in the comic not based on a real person, he’s kind of a catch-all that I can insert into a storyline for a specific effect. He hasn’t appeared in a lot of strips, so we don’t know a lot about him. We CERTAINLY don’t know much about him outside a movie theater, so this is an interesting way to develop his character.
Jimmy has always been the most good-natured of the bunch. He can take a joke. He’s a hard worker. He’s optimistic. What does it mean to have him experience all this bad luck? What’s the moral? “Bad things happen to good people?”
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# The rest of this blog post was lost, presumably after Theater Hopper moved to WordPress in January 2009. #
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Today’s incentive sketch doesn’t entirely follow the narrative of the strip, but let’s just say it was inspired by it. Click here to check it out.
So now Jimmy is shacking up with Tom! Will wonders never cease? What will Cami have to say about it? You’re going to have to wait until Monday to see where it all goes next!
We’ve reached a critical turning point in this little adventure. With Monday’s continuation, this will be THE LONGEST STORY ARC THEATER HOPPER HAS EVER TOLD! Ominous, no?
It’s exciting in a respect, but also a little nerve-wracking when you cross a boundary like that. Remember that scene in Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings where all the hobbits band together to begin their quest? Early in their journey, they come to the edge of a field. Sam stops and comments, “If I take one more step, it’ll be the farthest away from home I’ve ever been.”
It’s kind of like that.
As such, I’m becoming paranoid that it’s going on to long, and I feel obligated to keep referencing back to the origin of the story so people don’t become lost or bored. I don’t want you guys to think that I’m fishing for compliments with the whole insecurity routine. Just trying to explain where my head is at.
That said, interest has really heated up and people are starting to wonder what will happen to Jimmy next. The people in the THorum have been extremely supportive in this respect. Thanks, guys! Of course, I’m getting some really nice e-mails, too…
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# The rest of this post was lost, presumably after Theater Hopper moved to WordPress in January 2009 #
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It’s kind of hard to come up with a wacky buzzComix incentive sketch on a character piece with a focus on dialogue, so I thought I would draw a wholesome picture of Jimmy enjoying that sandwich Tom was talking about in the second panel. Click here if you want to see Jimmy enjoy a sandwich! (Yes, we’ve stooped this low!)
For those of you not in the loop, we’re in the middle of a storyline where Jimmy has lost his job at the movie theater, lost his apartment and is now shacking up with The Brazeltons. If you’d like to see where it all began, you can click here.
I thought today’s comic might be to address the issue of what exactly is Jared doing over at Tom and Cami’s house all the time. Some people have asked me if he lives there, if he’s a relative or what’s the deal?! The short story is, he’s a moocher!
Not in real life, mind you. This is comic Jared we’re talking about, okay? Besides, it’s just handy to have a comic foil around the house for emergencies.
And incidentally, Cami would NEVER strike a guest in our home. “COMIC” Cami, remember? So no one reading this has to worry about her backhand if you’ve overstayed your welcome!
If you’re worried that today’s strip isn’t advancing the plot, don’t stress. I’m laying the groundwork for events later this week. I think you’re really going to enjoy the direction I plan on taking things.
Not much else to report. I didn’t make it out to the theater this weekend, so I didn’t get to see Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. But from what I’m hearing, it’s great. Kind of bummed about that, but unforeseen expenses popped up over the weekend, so we’re on fiscal lockdown. Doesn’t help that I have to pay my car insurance this month, but what can you do? Just show a little willpower, that’s all! Close the purse strings!
That’s why it’s awkward to share this next bit of news… but both of the main advertising slots are open. If you have a web site you’d like a little extra help promoting, we have the space to accommodate you! If you’d like more information, including our rates, you can click here. Even if you can only advertise for a week, it would really help me out.
Traffic has been looking good since I redesigned the front page in CSS. It’s loading faster and I’m getting good feedback. Now’s the time to hop on board. We can help each other!
The rest of the site is coming along in regards to the subtle redesign. I recently added a Cast page and just yesterday redesigned the Links page. You should check it out, if not for its stream-lined effectiveness, but to click on the links of comics I’ve recently added to my regular reads, Del Mar 8, Brainwrap Comics and The Useless Superheroes. They’re all pretty sweet.
It’s my goal to redesign the store next. We hit upon a really good idea in the THorum and I plan on taking pre-orders for a shirt with Tom’s “Professional Movie-Goer” business card from Friday just as soon as I complete the design.
I’m also calling area printers to get quotes on binding services. I’m thinking that collecting this current arc (with bonus strips, incentive sketches and commentary!) into a small trade paperback is a really good idea. Even if I end up sitting on a few copies, I’m proud enough of the work to use it as an introduction to people who may have never seen the site before. Sell them at conventions; maybe even ask a couple local comic stores to carry it. You never know!
Thanks to all of you for your support with the changes that have been happening lately. You guys have really allowed me to stretch creatively and it has infused me with a new vigor for the comic. These changes have been great medicine.
Thanks.
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Sep22
Something that I always thought about was how Jared was able to get away with beating up Ben Affleck without really ever having to answer for it. Today’s strip kind of plays with the idea that the characters aren’t living in a vacuum. The buzzComix incentive sketch takes it a step further, suggesting institutionalization when Jared has one of his Affleck freak-outs.
Sometimes people in the THorum ask me where Jared is off to when he hasn’t been in the strip for a while. Now you know. He’s off taking his meds in a nut house! Ever notice that he kind of disappears after one of his episodes? Now it all comes together, doesn’t it?
I realize that there was a pretty serious shift in tone with today’s comic and it’s a little out of character for Jared to threaten – well, anybody but Affleck! But I figured if I was able to translate despair in last Wednesday’s comic and have it be well-received, I thought I would try my hand at menace THIS week!
I know I like to remind you all that this is a story arc, so I’m going to do so again this week. If you want to know how Jimmy got in the mess that he’s in, just click here to read the story from the beginning.
Keeping in mind that this is all part of a larger story, I’m also aware that today’s comic isn’t fall-down funny or really even that strong on its own. Referencing previous strips probably isn’t helping anyone that’s coming to the comic fresh. But hopefully you’ll thumb through the archives to get a sense of things. Jared’s threatening behavior felt like the right choice at the time. He just loves hanging out at Tom’s SO much!
I suppose to keep things grounded in the world of movies I should make some kind of comment about the Star Wars Trilogy being released on DVD. What can I say? Films that were once loved universally now finds its fan base split down the middle between purists and enthusiasts. George Lucas has instituted ANOTHER round of changes to his movies and continues to bilk money out of his fans. So what side of the fence do I stand on?
It’s difficult to say because I can see both sides of the argument. As a fan, I wish he would stop mucking with the movies that brought so many people of my generation happiness. Adding a Dewback here or there really does nothing to improve the film. It’s just selfish tinkering because he can. Where does it stop? At what point does inserting Hayden Christensen as the “force ghost” of Anakin Skywalker in Return of The Jedi become replacing Luke Skywalker with an adorable kitten?
But on the other hand, as an artist, I can appreciate the notion that a piece of art is never REALLY done. If you can go back and improve the work, why shouldn’t you?
Lucas is a total anomaly in movie making. He owns the rights to the Star Wars movies lock, stock and barrel. This isn’t about a studio making changes or PREVENTING changes because they’re afraid it will affect their bottom line. It’s about one man that wanted to tell a story the best way he could and has the means to do it. The technology wasn’t in place when he first shared his story with the world and now it is. So why not make things more fantastic? Frankly, considering the amount of money the Star Wars franchise rakes in, who BETTER to make these kinds of tweaks?
I guess I get a little turned off by the fans who say that Lucas can’t do this or can’t do that. It’s just a lot of needless bitching to me. Do you think he’ll answer your e-mails or look at your petitions? He has bigger fish to fry. If you want to get him where he lives, stop spending your money on his products. Believe me, it’ll get through.
Are you complaining that it’s the principle of the matter? That you’re hopelessly addicted to all things Star Wars? Give me a break. Remember New Coke? America rejected it whole-heartedly and raised their voice by closing their wallets. Coke had no choice but to bring the original flavor back. Same rules apply here.
I guess if you wanted my personal take, the litmus test is to decide if the visual changes lessen the movie experience. At the end of the day, they really don’t affect me one way or the other. So I guess I’ll end up buying the trilogy more out of curiosity than anything. And also so I can get these movies in the best audio and video presentation available. I’ve loved these films since childhood and I have no problem continuing to line Lucas’ pockets.
At least until some new technology comes around and Lucas finally replaces Luke with that kitten we were talking about…
Anyway, with that handled, on to some site news.
I’m working really hard on bringing some new merchandise to you and I think you’re going to be really pleased with what I have in development. In fact, if you’d like to see a mock up of what I’m working on, you can read this thread in the THorum! It’s a brand new t-shirt and MORE are in the works!
I’m also working on collecting this storyline into a book. I plan on adding a few extra strips in between what’s on the site to entice you into buying it. For example, why does Jimmy go to Tom and not to family or friends? Where did Jimmy get that yellow shirt from if he left the theater in his work uniform? Why did Jared suddenly turn so hostile? All those questions will be answered in this book.
There will also be extra content, including all of the incentive sketches from this period. If you missed some of them from a while ago, you’ll get them all in one dose. Remember, the incentive sketches don’t appear anywhere else but the Donator’s area of the THorum. So if you don’t have access there, you’re missing a little bit of history.
I’ll also include some commentary, possibly and introduction and some pin up art from other creative types. For example, Joerules from the excellent Digital Pimp Online sent me some wicked artwork that reimagined a scene from this comic. I’ll share it with you on the site before putting it into the book, but wouldn’t you like to have a copy of it in print? It’s really good. Trust me.
Pretty much all that’s left for me at this point is to redesign the store in CSS and get things rolling. I’ll be taking pre-orders on the t-shirts and the book before putting them into production. So you have a little time to start digging through the couch cushions for change and hassling your parents for bump in your allowance.
So much good has come out of this storyline, not just for the site but for my self-esteem as an artist. I get ALL of it from you guys. You’ve been exceptionally supportive and I can’t tell you how lucky it makes me feel. Every day I’m humbled.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. What more can I say?
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Sep24
LIKE SINGLE WHITE FEMALE, BUT WITH A GUY INSTEAD
September 24th, 2004 |
(6 votes, average: 9.33 out of 10)
How’s THAT for a reversal?
Here I had you thinking that Jared was the one going mental, but it turns out it was Jimmy! Well, in Tom’s dream at least. But maybe Jared got to him? Put some thoughts in his head? It’s certainly a possibility. Maybe that question will be answered in the mini trade paperback I’m putting together that collects this arc. Yea… I’m thinking there might be a bonus comic inserted between this comic and Wednesday’s comic that might address that very issue…
Oh, by the way, if you want to see a sketch of Tom with a knife stuck in his back, you can view it by voting for Theater Hopper at buzzComix. Click here to see it.
The sketch isn’t all that good because I didn’t have a lot of time to work on the comic yesterday. About an hour and a half when I came home from work and then another hour or so before I went to bed. For the curious, I was out helping someone celebrate a birthday. I think the comic suffered a little bit, which I’m dissapointed with. Some of the perspective is off.
At any rate, I hope you’re enjoying the story arc. Can you believe it’s gone on now for almost a month? Crazy. Hopefully Tom’s little nightmare will be a nice little cliffhanger whetting your appetites for more. WHETTING, I SAY!
So what’s in theaters this weekend? After what seems like forever, Shaun of the Dead drops stateside. I guess it was mega-popular in the UK. People were constantly sending me e-mails about it from over there a few months ago. “Why aren’t you talking about Shaun of the Dead? You need to do a comic about Shaun of the Dead!” Well, we’re just now getting it, so hold your horses.
From where I sit, the movie looks pretty unique. A love story that spoofs zombie movies at the same time? Interesting. My only concern is will I be able to tell the zombies apart from the non-infected British cast? They’re a pale sort, that’s for sure. I might need to bring a scorecard.
Ahhhh, I’m just pulling your leg, you limeys! All in good fun! Seriously, I’m just playin’…
The only other movie I’m half-curious to see is John Waters A Dirty Shame. It’s a sex comedy with Tracy Ullman and Johnny Knoxville.
Wow. I never thought I would ever write a sentence like that in my life.
This is the brilliance of John Waters, though. Right now he’s forcing movie reviewers around the globe to write the same head-scratching synopsis.
The movie is rated NC-17, which isn’t surprising if you’re familiar with Waters’ past work pushing the boundaries of good taste. Of course this rating instantly motivates me to see it more. What’s all the hub-bub about? All I know is that the normally rail-thin Selma Blair is sporting a pair of giant, fake boobs through the whole picture. I think she plays a stripper, or something named Caprice Stickles. Classic.
The next trick will be finding a theater in good ol’ conservative Iowa that’ll play an NC-17 movie.
Funny story about a John Waters experience I had. I worked at a movie theater tearing tickets back when Serial Mom with Kathleen Turner. We had just closed up all the theaters for that afternoon’s matinee’s when this woman and her 8 year-old daughter come storming out of Serial Mom. She immediately demands to speak with a manager to complain about the movie. “How could you show this kind of filth in your theaters?” and what not. “My child should not have to watch this kind of garbage!”
Our manager gave it to her straight: First, it’s a John Waters movie. If you’re familiar with the history of cinema at all, you’d know he was notorious for filming a 6 foot 2 transvestite eating dog poo on camera. Second, the movie was rated “R”, so it’s your own fault for bring your daughter. Third, the movie is titled SERIAL MOM! Did you hear the title instead of read it and think it was about Frosted Flakes?
Never underestimate the ignorance of the American public.
I’ve been working on a new t-shirt design. It’s my goal to work on the site over the weekend, redesigning the store so I can take pre-orders next Monday. There’s been some buzz about this little fashion item building in the THorum. If you want a shirt, take back some aluminum cans this weekend and be ready to reserve one on Monday!
Everyone have a great weekend!
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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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