Posts Tagged ‘kiss’
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So, there you have it. The end of Act One. If it helps you at all, today’s comic is a call back to the end of Charlie and Jimmy’s first arc back in 2009. So there you go.
I know that this comic is grossly overdue and I am sorry. I don’t really have an excuse other than exhaustion caught up with me after getting back from C2E2. I had to get my house back in order, spend time with my kids and wife and there just wasn’t time for anything else last week.
Of course, like a dummy, I had to go ahead and make this comic double-sized. Like I didn’t have enough on my plate.
I’ve never worked with a buffer and that has usually been to my detriment. However, it’s only bitten me on the rear end a couple of times. This was one of those times. I feel bad enough about it, but what’s done is done. Time to move on.
A quick recap: From April 13 – 15, I was exhibiting at C2E2 in Chicago and had a great time. Oddly, it was probably one of the most profitable shows I’ve ever been to. Which, of course, is great. I had a lot of people come up to me just like they did at Emerald City Comic Con and tell me that they were sorry to hear the comic was ending. I was really touched.
Most amazingly, at one point while drawing sketches, I had a line of people waiting to talk to me. THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN, folks. Sometimes I’ll be talking to one person and there will be another person off to the side looking at my Spoiler t-shirt. But a line? People who came to see me and then waited? That was a first. It actually made me wonder if I should be ending the comic at all!
But, alas. The comic is ending and this is the end cap of all the dramatic stuff.
I took a little bit of criticism for the comic a couple of weeks ago for heaping on the melodrama. Bad melodrama.
Hey, I get it. Some of you want jokes about Cabin in the Woods. Me, too. But those aren’t the comics I’m making right now. I have to wrap this up the way I feel is best. And, yeah, maybe drama isn’t my strong suit. But it’s something I wanted to try before I closed up shop. Charlie and Jimmy specifically were characters whose involvement I felt should be resolved before moving forward.
That said, you’ll be pleased to know that there will be plenty of Avengers action starting next week. And, as I’m sure you know, Iron Man is in the Avengers. And where Iron Man goes, CARDBOARD IRON MAN is sure to follow.
I consider it kind of serendipitous that there would be an opportunity for another Cardboard Iron Man story arc in the last year of the comic. Although I somewhat bemoan the fact that Theater Hopper won’t be here for Iron Man 3.
BUT LET’S FOCUS ON THE POSITIVES, SHALL WE? Next week. Avengers. Cardboard Iron Man. JOKES. Everyone wins. Something to look forward to.
Incidentally, there was an experience that I had at C2E2 that I kind of left out of my (brief) recap. That was intentional because I plan to specifically reference it in the comic this week.
To (hopefully) make it up to you, I’m going to do another comic this week detailing my experience. Keep and eye on the site. It’ll be worth it.
That’s it for now. Thanks for your patience and I’ll see you soon!
[ 11 Comments ]
Aug28
Do you guys remember the movie Speed with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock? The last lines of the movie are a callback to an earlier exchange between the two lead characters:
Jack: I have to warn you, I’ve heard relationships based on intense experiences never work.
Annie: OK. We’ll have to base it on sex then.
Jack: Whatever you say, ma’am.
Yeah, that’s kind of what’s going on here.
As per usual, I had some difficulties producing this week’s comic. At some point over the weekend, a big bit the first knuckle of my index finger on my drawing hand and I became so swollen, I had trouble holding a pencil.
You can see a picture of it here.
I wasn’t in any pain. It didn’t appear infected. Just a lot of fluid in the joint. Which is, like… really weird. My finger was essentially rigid.
My finger is still swollen, by the way. I’ve been putting hydrocortisone on it and that helps, but I still can’t bend it all the way.
I’ll keep my eye on it, though. If it turns purple or starts to smell like rotting eggs, I promise I’ll go to the doctor. Cross my heart.
In the meantime, for those of you what happened to Victor and Jimmy in the fire – as well as where Charlie has been during this whole debacle – don’t worry. Those questions will be answered soon.
Until then, just gaze up on that lascivious fourth panel and dream, dream, dream…
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Better late than never, right? That should become Theater Hopper’s official motto at this point.
Last week I was out of town attending a conference in Portland. So first let me say this: Portlandia? I totally get it now.
More germaine to the conversation however, is that I’ve been trying to catch up with my life all off this week. My wife, the kids, work, social obligations, taped episodes of Big Brother – all of it. It’s been a very hectic week. Basically penciled one night, inked the next night, colored a third night and did shading and lettering last night. UGH. I suck.
I don’t have much to say about the comic other that it was important to establish what happened to Jimmy. Soon we’ll find out what happened to Victor. The chess pieces are being moved into place. Checkmate is inevitable. In less than a few comics, we’ll be dealing with the aftermath and that’ll be it it – all she wrote.
Help me out and share this comic with your friends. Y’know… on account of the lateness. If you could tell them “Hey, Theater Hopper’s ending soon. Better get in on the action before it’s took late!” that would be awesome.
Thanks again to everyone for their patience. These last few months have been a long, hard slog for me. I really don’t want to let go. It’s painful, but it has to be done.
[ 4 Comments ]
This was a comic I felt had to happen. Mostly because it mirrored real life so closely.
I don’t know if any of you had pets before you decided to have kids. If you have only one or neither, maybe this isn’t for you. But I know that before we decided to have kids, I felt a little guilty about what it would do to Truman.
I mean, we FAWNED over that dog for 5 years. We got him gifts on his birthday. He was our child until Henry came along.
That’s not to say that we ignored him completely after Henry was born, but your priorities shift when you’re a first-time parent. You learn how to juggle your responsibilities, but the shift takes time.
I remember when we brought Henry home and put him down on the floor, resting in his car seat. Truman sniffed all over the place before giving us an inquisitive look. After that, he got… sad. He didn’t eat much for the next two weeks. He literally started to isolate himself in other rooms in the house. It bums me out to remember.
Eventually he came around. He learned new ways to steal attention where he could get it. By the time Pearl was born, it was all old hat to him. We worried that he’d resent being knocked down another peg. But, honestly, he took it all in stride.
Truman’s a great dog, by the way. He’s fantastic with the kids. Never snarls or bites, even when the kids messed with him while he was eating. He’d just sit back and wait for them to get out of the way.
Truman will be 11 years old in February. In many ways, he’s the spry dog he’s always been. Loves to play-fight. Loves to cuddle. But sometimes I worry that maybe his better years are behind him. He has a lot more white on his face now than he used to. Henry is 5. Pearl will be 3 in less than a month. They love Truman, but sometimes I feel sad that maybe they’re not getting the best of him or that they won’t remember him when they’re older and we’ve lost him.
I guess it emphasizes the point that you’ve got to cherish the time you have – not spend too much time thinking about what was or what will be. Now is all we’ve got.
Funny it takes me writing a blog post about a dog to crystallize that sentiment.
Cheers, all.
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