It’s Friday the 13th kids. Don’t walk under ladders or none of that crap. In the very least, do your best to avoid being hacked to pieces by any goalie mask wearing momma’s boy while camping at Camp Crystal Lake this weekend – I think we all know who I’m talking about.
Too bad I forgot today was Friday the 13th until after I finished inking, coloring and lettering today’s strip. I might have been able to get a good joke out of it. Oh, well.
I wish I could explain the conversational thread that birthed this joke and held its hand through the evolutionary process, but truthfully, I wouldn’t know where to begin. Let’s just presume that I’m brilliant and this isn’t some sort of grabbing-at-straws attempt at humor as I sit stranded, wallowing in post-summer cinematic crappola.
I’m just hoping there are Cinemark theaters near where you live. I had to pick a chain that I presumed was nationwide to make the joke work. It doesn’t hurt that the name “mark” is part of their moniker. “Mark” is a real name, isn’t it?
I feel like I should be making some sort of big play for the funny. Especially on a Friday post. I’d like to think Theater Hopper is the place you come to before kicking your weekend off right. Either us, or maybe E!’s Wild On…
Until I can think of something else, I bid you fare-thee-wells.
I wish I could draw a map that led to the desperation of today’s strip. Why I find the concept of old people making out hilarious, I’ll never know. I’ve seriously stumbled into Adam Sandler territory here.
Cami was sufficiently grossed out by today’s comic. She told me while I was drawing it that I shouldn’t go through with it. I guess I never really confirmed if it was because the idea grossed her out or if she just didn’t think it was funny. I prefer to think it was the former. Softer blow to the ego that way.
The strip was actually inspired by an older couple we saw at Old School last Friday. This man and woman had to at least be in their late 60’s. They were really moving slow and holding up the whole program while people were trying to find their seats. Were they really doing the horizontal mambo in the back row? I guess only the projectionist knows…
I don’t have a lot of industry related stuff to rant about. There’s really nothing coming up worth getting in a tizzy over. I’m sure the “urban markets” (as those Hollywood executives call them) are excited for Cradle 2 The Grave with DMX and Jet Li, but I can’t seem to care less.
Does anyone remember when Jet Li came stateside a few years ago as the villain in Lethal Weapon 4? People were talking about him like he was the next best thing. Now all of a sudden, he’s stuck playing the sidekick role to a bunch of rappers who want to earn an acting merit badge.
Poor Jet Li. X gonna give it to ‘ya.
If you haven’t heard by now, there are a couple of anniversaries within the community worth mentioning. No Pants Tuesday is celebrating their two years on the scene and Zach’s work is stronger than ever. If you haven’t been keeping up with the current story line, I suggest you get on board now! I have it on good authority that there are going to be some major shake ups over at NPT.
Nothing Nice to Say is also celebrating their first anniversary. Mitch has something nothing short of a phenomenon on his hands. I’m not sure what he has planned to mark the occasion, but I’m sure it’ll be great.
I wanted to mention that I’ve partnered up with the crew over at It’s All Been Done. We have a special arrangement where we’re going to start promoting the dickens out of each other. Did you see what I did above for No Pants Tuesday and Nothing Nice to Say? Well, apply that to It’s All Been Done and there you have it.
But seriously, the strip is great. Professional as all get out. GREAT art and superb writing. And their site design can’t be beat. Not to toot my own horn, but I always thought that this site had a pretty kicking look to it. It’s All Been Done makes Theater Hopper look like a bucket of puke.
Was that a little harsh? Okay, over the line. But that doesn’t subtract from the awesome truth that Erik and Jon put together a strip that would look as great as an animated series as it would a web comic. Check it out.
In all fairness, there was a down year in 2003 between Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. There also was not a Harry Potter movie in 2006 between Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
But there’s some truth to the saying that “perception is reality” and it kind of feels like the Harry Potter franchise has permeated nearly every facet of my pop culture consciousness each year since Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 8 years ago and has never really faded in that length of time.
The sixth movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, is hovering on the horizon and it kind of feels like a rebirth for me.
Cami and I didn’t see the fifth movie when it was in theaters. Henry had been born a few months prior and considering the downright dreadful slog that was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, we didn’t feel compelled to find a sitter.
We ended up renting the movie and watching it maybe a month ago and I was kind of surprised by how dark it was. I’m not a fan of the books, so I can’t compare or contrast against the source material. But I found it INFINITELY more easy to follow compared to Goblet of Fire and (as I’ve been told) there was more complicated plot elements to cram into the fifth movie anyway. So, cheers for that.
With renewed interest I am looking forward to Half-Blood Prince and I think it is to the franchise’s advantage that they have settled on a director with David Yates. He directed Phoenix, Half-Blood and is in the process of filming both chapters of The Deathly Hallows.
As much as I love Alfonso CuarĂ³n’s work in Prisoner of Azkaban (and as much as it looked like they were going to rotate directors out to keep the franchise in step with the natural aging of the actors) I believe a consistent voice is best and I eager to see where things go.
I have no other particular insights about the Harry Potter movies, so I’ll turn it over to you guys. Which one of the films is your favorite? Do you have high hopes for Half-Blood? How do you feel about them splitting the seventh book into two movies? Leave your comments below!