Posts Tagged ‘Mission Impossible III’
4 items.
Kind of ironic that a comic titled "Avoidance Plan" didn’t see a blog post until nearly 10:00 the night of the strip, eh?
Sincere apologies for my tardiness. It was just one of those days where life got in the way. It seemed to take a really long time to put together the comic last night and by the time I was done, it was 2:00 in the morning and I wasn’t in the shape to write. Work was crazy hectic, so I didn’t have time to write a blog over lunch. Then, when I got home, Cami needed the computer to write her final paper in her accounting class. So I haven’t been near the site all day!
So, again – my bad and thanks for your patience.
I have a bunch of site things I wanted to talk about. First things first – as always – the book pre-order. Sales are somewhat steady, but not exactly where I would like to see them at this point. So I’m extending this offer:
ALL ORDERS SUBMITTED DURING THE PRE-ORDER PERIOD WILL BE REWARDED WITH A BOOK SIGNING AND A NUMBERED, ORIGINAL SKETCH.
I understand that the whole pre-order thing is kind of scary. I know some of you are holding out because you don’t know if the book is going to get produced. It’s a totally "chicken and the egg" argument. Without your support and the money you pledge through your pre-order, I can’t produce the book. So it’s up to you guys to help me make this happen.
For those of you who have already pre-ordered, don’t worry. The offer is retroactive. And since the original sketches are numbered, that means those of you who ordered first get the lower numbers! Pretty cool, huh? That’s your reward for lining up first.
Original sketches will be available for as long as the pre-order is being conducted on the site. How long will that be? I’m not saying. Because that means I would have to tell you exactly how large the pre-order number has to be and I don’t want to reveal that. Some of you might see that number and think, "Oh, that’s not very many books. I’ll wait." I don’t want you to wait. I want you to order now because I need you to realize that the pre-order could end at any time.
So, anyway – that’s the new deal. Pre-order your book today and not only will I sign your copy, but I throw in a numbered, original sketch. It’s a hard deal to beat.
The next bit of site news I would like to address are our new sponsors! Say "hello" to each and all!
Random Pirate Comics – Is it really as random as it seems? It can’t be. This web comic is too funny. Check it out!
Digital Entertainment News – One of my most favorite video-game review sites. Seems like they’re adding content hourly! Lots of great game reviews and not just the big titles. Obscure stuff, too. And a lot of next-gen coverage, which is nice for someone like me who still can’t pronounce "Wii."
Big Pond – They’re not talking about the Atlantic Ocean, are they? Okay, they’re not. But I’m really enjoying this unique journal comic. The Devil Duckie is a nice touch.
The Uber Bean – College classes and online gaming. Is there nothing better?
Font Garden – Mary, Mary quite contrary – how do your fonts grow? If you’re looking for new and unique fonts like I am, check this site out. It’s the bee’s knees!
So those are all the latest sponsors. All the ad spots are filled for the moment, but we don’t have anyone waiting in the wings. So be sure to check the ad calendar to see when a spot will become available. Or reserve your spot now and claim it before anyone else does.
That’s about as much site stuff as I’m going to cram down your throat for one day.
Thanks again for checking back for the blog. I’ll try to do better on Wednesday!
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I couldn’t really figure out what somone with cynicism oozing from their pores might look like, but in this comic, I look positively diseased! I think this has to be the most unattractive rendering of myself in three and a half years of comics. What can I say? I’m under a lot of stress right now and I’ve decided to deal with it through the comic.
I’ve already been highly vocal about my suspicions surrounding the life-events of one Tom Cruise and the movies he’s promoting. How can you look at the birth of his child with Katie Holmes "premiering" three weeks ahead of Mission Impossibe: III a happy accident? It certainly gives him something to talk about when he makes the talk show promotional rounds!
Mark my words, there will be another big Tom Cruise announcement sometime this fall or winter to coincide with the DVD release of this picture. Divorce is the hard-line, hyper-cynical view. You’d have to have a Level 12 tollerance for that kind of cynicism. But I digress. I wouldn’t be surprised if they announced that they were pregnant with a second in time to hype things up a notch.
I have more thoughts about how we’re being marketed to on this one, but I want to save some thoughts for Friday’s comic.
One quick note about the book pre-sale – Since I announced the addition of a free numbered and original sketch for all pre-orders, you guys really perked up! I’m repeating it today in case anyone missed it due to my extreme late posting of Monday’s blog.
I’ll also mention that I am accepting guest strips. Cami and I will be on vacation from May 18 – 31 and I need a lot of comics to cover the gaps! So if you’re interested, please let me know!
Gonna close for now. Talk to you again real soon!
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This isn’t really the first time Tom has consulted religion (or at least his limited understanding of it.) Nor is it his first brush with existentialism. But when it comes to the matter of pop culture, it’s serious business and sometimes you need to look to a higher power.
I’ve personally been reading Entertainment Weekly since 1995 and I can remember the first issue I picked up. I was in Iowa City over the summer attending a two-week art camp at the University of Iowa. I was 17 and still in high school. It was great. We got to sleep in the dorms and we took classes ranging from photography, to oil painting and pottery.
But I digress. I picked up the magazine at the university bookstore and it had Val Kilmer on the cover in full costume for Batman Forever. I devoured the issue. And no, not because of the bat-nipples on the costume. Here was a magazine that was catered very well to my interest in the myriad of pop culture. Not just movies or music but television and books as well. I thought it was written exceptionally well and in a voice that spoke directly to me. 11 years later, I’m still reading it. If I had saved each of those issues, I surely would have become one of those people you read about who was found buried alive under all the garbage in their house that toppled over on them.
At any rate, I didn’t mean for this to be a giant endorsement of Entertainment Weekly. I’m not getting any kickbacks (but if anyone has connections!…) Just kidding. I’m just telling stories.
The pre-sale for the book is still going on. I’m feeling a little better about things. People seem to really like the idea of me signing the book and including a numbered original sketch with their orders. Of course, I would feel better if I could tell you I have all the orders I need and I was sending the artwork to the printer – but were still a ways off from that. So if you’re thinking about pre-ordering a book, do it today!
Also, don’t forget that I still have an open call for guest strips. I have a few people that have expressed interest and are working on things, but so far I don’t have enough to cover me while Cami and I are gone. I’m gonna need about 3 weeks worth of stuff, so if you have anything, send it in! Really the only limitation is to keep the artwork 525 pixels wide. Anything larger breaks the template of the site. But if you want to go longer, I’m okay with that! Black and white or color is okay. Just keep it tasteful (nothing worse than you might see in prime time network television) and I’ll roll with it!
I consulted my Magic Eight Ball and asked it if I see Mission Impossible 3 this weekend. I turned it over and it said "My sources tell me ‘No’." Part of the reason is because we’re having a big party at our house on Saturday to celebrate Cami earning her Master’s degree in Public Administration. A two-year struggle that’s finally come to a close. The other reason is that I’m pretty much over all of the hype and don’t feel like supporting Tom Cruise in any way, shape or form.
I’m not the only one. Tracking figures released Wednesday cite Mission Impossible 3 has 98% general awareness, 43% definite interest and 13% first choice. So, in other words, the marketing is doing it’s job by putting the film out there – but it doesn’t look like the majority of the audience is going to bite. There have been some initial good reviews. Some are calling it the best of the series. That’s good, I suppose. But it makes me wonder if the interest level in this film would be much more positive if people weren’t burnt out on the details of Cruise’s private life.
I like J.J. Abrams. I like Phillip Seymour Hoffman. If I see the movie, it’ll be for their talents. But from what I’ve read, Hoffman isn’t given very much screen time and the film seems to be edited in favor of Cruise. So, essentially, we end up with a movie abou a hero fighting a villian with no screen time. Sounds like cutting of your nose to save face. Which maybe what I’m doing by shunning the talents of those I like over those of one I don’t. But what can I say? I’m petty.
Happy Cinco de Mayo, everyone!
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Whether or not one could truly categorize at $48 three day take as "underwhelming" is probably subjective. For most movies, that would be an impressive haul. But I am happy to report with little shame that the media is already starting to pick appart Tom Cruise’s ability to draw a crowd at the box office with articles about Mission Impossible 3 failing to perform this weekend. As a sidebar, Entertainment Weekly has a cutting article questioning if Cruise is really worth what he’s being paid. Ouch!
Like I said, $48 million isn’t a bad take. But when compared to $58 million take of Mission Impossible 2 and the $65 million take of last year’s War of the Worlds, it’s not encouraging. If you factor inflation into the six-year period between Mission Impossible 2 and 3, it’s actually more like a $40 million take – which is even more sobering.
Since this percieved "failure" will strongly be making the media rounds for the next couple of days, Paramount Studios already has a few facts and figures thrown out to quell the storm. According to them, Mission Impossible 3 is Cruise’s third largest opening and it’s world-wide take was somewhere north of $118 million – up from Mission Impossible 2.
Personally, as much as I like to read about how Cruises antics has caused him to suffer in the minds of audiences, I think it’s probably a lot of hullaballo over nothing at this point. Reviews for Mission Impossible 3 have been positive. Some have called it the best of the series. So, who knows? Maybe positive word of mouth will turn it around.
Even if it doesn’t and the media succeeds in dropping Cruise to his knees, it’ll only serve to make a more remarkable comeback later on down the road. Would Cruise stop making films if Mission Impossible 3 became the financial indicate of his weakening draw? Of course not. He’d fine smaller movies. Bounce back. Maybe even win some awards.
In a perverse way, I’m wondering if this whole public erosion of audience confidence in Cruise as an action star wasn’t pre-meditated. Maybe I’m giving him too much credit, but can’t you picture Cruise hatching a plan to "kill" his action star persona so that he might re-invent himself as a different kind of actor? I think he’s dropped clues in performances from Born on the 4th of July and Magnoila that he’s capible of more than just running from explosions in slow motion. I think he’s trying to avoid becoming Harrison Ford – the guy who stuck around doing action pictures slightly past his prime. Maybe we’ve all been played for fools.
Then again, maybe not. I mean, Tom went on BET’s 106 & Park to promote Mission Impossible 3. Check out those dance moves!
WHAT?
At any rate, please keep in mind that the book pre-order is still going on. We’ve gotten a lot of orders, but we still need several more to raise the money for production costs! The faster you get your order in, the faster you’ll get your books!
In case you forget what you’re getting when you pre-order your book, it’s 200 pages in full color. 156 comics from the first year of Theater Hopper bring in production. BRAND NEW commentary on each comic that reflects on the evolution of the strip and how I got started. You won’t see this content appear anywhere else. This if for the book only! There are also 11 guest strips from that era and a six-part crossover I did with Movie Punks, as well.
DON’T FORGET! Each pre-order comes with a signed, original and numbered sketch from yours truly! Only a limited number of these sketches will be produced!
Additionally, I’m still taking guest strip submissions for a three week period that Cami and I will be out of the country. I plan on running the strips starting next Monday, May 12. At the very least, I need 9 strips to run with. Right now I have 4. So I need 5 more. If I end up with more than 9 strips, I’m going to run them along with the others. Maybe a full week of guest strips the last week we’re gone. Don’t worry – I give full credit plus links to any web sites to those that contribute, so it’s a good publicty opportunity for you up-and-comers out there. Anything you have, feel free to send along to theaterhopper@hotmail.com
Last, but not least, I just wanted to send out a quick "Hello" to the readers coming over here from Real Life. I know I dropped you on the book order page (it’s a bit of a priorty right now, as you can see) but hopefully you found your way to the front page. If you have time, be sure to check out our archive! Type in any movie you can think of. Chances are we’ve made fun of it!
Take a look around. If you like what you see, please consider buying a book. I know it’s a lot to ask if you’re new to the site, but Greg told me you guys are really good about supporting web comics in print – what with the book he had out for a while.
Thanks for giving Theater Hopper a chance!
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