Posts Tagged ‘Monsters’
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You’re going to get a lot more out of today’s strip if you have either seen or are a fan of Monsters, Inc. Remember: A child’s touch is toxic to monsters!
IMHO, it was an utter travesty that Monsters, Inc. was beaten out by Shrek for the Academy’s first Best Animated Picture Oscar last year. I’ll bet my life savings that 20 years from now we’ll still curl up on the couch to watch Monsters, Inc. over Mike Myers and his overplayed Scottish brogue.
I was hoping to try something different with the strip and go at it without dialogue. I was curious to see if I could pitch a small story-arc without words. I think for the most part it succeeds. Sometimes it’s good to stretch creative muscles you don’t utilize all that often.
I bought Kingdom Hearts on Wednesday and have had a hell of a time getting it to work on my Playstation 2. I could hear the disk whirring and clicking from inside the machine, but the game would never boot up.
Well, finally – after hours and hours of attempts, I got it up and running tonight. Of course, by the time it was working, I had to sit down and do the strip for today. Right now, the game has been paused and will have to wait until late tomorrow before I can play it. I spent so much time getting the thing up and running, I’m too terrified to shut it off.
Big-ups to Syrath in the forums for suggesting I buy a lens-cleaning CD-ROM and my good buddy Jared for providing an extra one he had lying around the house.
I’d like to rant more, but to paraphrase Zach over at No Pants Tuesday, it’s late and I’m tired. Go sleepy now.
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I’m getting a lot of feedback from people about my Doom commentary today. They’re forwarding me on to behind the scenes reports that indicate that many of the monsters we’ll see on screen are, in fact, NOT CGI and are actually complicated costumes, puppetry and animatronics.
As taken from GameSpy.com…
One of the ironies of the DOOM movie is that, for a film based on a video game, there’s a concerted effort to use real sets and live characters, rather than relying too heavily on green screens and CGI. On our visit, we had a chance to visit several different sets: a reception area, your standard-issue corridors and hallways, a science lab, an excavation dig and a large portal chamber…
Almost as surreal is getting to see one of the creatures in action – in this case, we’re seeing a sequence with the Hellknight (bring referred to here as the Baron). Once again, this isn’t being done with CGI — it’s a real guy in a real costume. It’s not a cheesy rubber outfit, either; it’s an elaborate setup with all sorts of motors in the face to control the creature’s expressions.
Color me surprised! I wouldn’t have figured the producers of the film to be in synch with my concerns with the blow-em-up fare, but considering the marketing I’ve seen for the movie, I think my original assessment was valid.
Literally every trailer, commercial or photo I’ve seen for Doom seems to feature some kind of CGI gimmickry. That footage in conjunction with the fantastic, impossible creatures in the Doom monster gallery would lead one to believe the creature shop would choose CGI over practical effects. Getting that initial taste and not feeling particularly attracted to the project, I didn’t take the time to dig deeper and learn that it is Stan Winston’s studio who is behind the monster creation.
For those of you who don’t know Stan Winston, you can see his trademark for character design all over films like The Terminator, Predator, Aliens, Edward Scissorhands and Jurrasic Park. The guy has serious pedigree.
Does this mean that I’m more likely to see Doom this weekend? Probably not. But in light of these facts, I think it’s earned a little more respect.
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I wish I had a little more room in the comic to really capture the epic-ness of a Monster versus Alien versus Robot versus Ninja versus Monkey beat down. I hope the ASPCA doesn’t mind that I put a shuriken between the eyes of Bobo there.
I’m still pretty pumped to see Monsters vs. Aliens this weekend even though some reviews are starting to come back negative. I guess some are complaining that it’s kind of short on laughs and not very innovative. Some people are saying it’s the Bad Old Days of Dreamworks Animation and not the blockbuster Kung-Fu Panda was.
I suppose maybe some of that is to be expected. After all, the director is the same guy who wrote and directed Shark Tale. But I don’t care. I just want to watch something fun, bright and colorful. MVA fits the bill. Heck, I think I’m even going to shell out a few extra bucks to see it in 3D! Why not? What else am I going to see A Haunting in Connecticut? I think not. I’ll report back later with my findings.
I don’t have very much to talk about today. So, instead, I’ll take this opportunity to point you to my good friend Joe Dunn’s web comic Joe Loves Crappy Movies. Joe recently made a big announcement. His first book Joe Loves Crappy Movies: Volume One is now available from his site.
You guys really gotta check this out. Odds are, if you’re reading Theater Hopper, you’re probably already reading JCLM. But if you’re not, you’re gonna love it. Joe put a lot of work into this book to really add value beyond what you get on his site for free.
Most impressively, he’s selling “Artist Editions” of the book featuring kick-ass original sketches inside. People who order before Sunday get upgraded for free! You gotta look at the work he’s doing with these sketches. Check out this thread in his forum. They’re amazing.
Joe’s a great guy and I really want him to have a lot of success with his first book. So maybe you can take some of your tax return and invest it in something you’re really going to enjoy. Take my word for it.
That’s all I have for today. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you guys next week!
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Wanna know the best way to start your week? MONSTER SQUAD REFERENCES!
You’re welcome.
Speaking of monsters, I saw Monsters vs. Aliens this weekend and, unfortunately, was NOT bowled over. I’m not exactly sure what went wrong other than it fell into that same trap of pop culture references and soullessness that other Dreamworks animated movies seem to fall into.
Maybe I went in with my expectations too high after the success of Kung-Fu Panda last year. But Monsters vs. Aliens is just more of the same.
There are a few laughs to be had. Great line delivery from Stephen Colbert as The President and Will Arnett as The Missing Link. But, unbelievably, it’s Seth Rogen who steals the show as the indestructible blob, B.O.B.
Much like B.O.B., Rogen has crafted an indestructible slacker/stoner/moron persona that brings the biggest laughs in this film. He’s pretty much the only character having a good time while the rest of the world is falling down around him and his cluelessness and confusion makes him instantly endearing.
The rest of the movie is a cheap girl-power parable wrapped up in a few action pieces that have been strung together. Pretty much the best thing it had going for it was the 3D. But even that was a little annoying when they were pulling cheap moves like a guy hitting a paddle-ball toward the screen.
Really, Dreamworks? Why not shoot a scene at a kids birthday party so someone can blow a party noisemaker that uncurls into in our faces.
Should you see Monsters vs. Aliens. If you’re a fan of animation, 3D movies and cheesy sci-fi from the 50’s and 60’s, I’d say “yes.” If you’re a fan of laughing or have laundry to fold, I’d say “no.” I don’t really regret going. But it could have been executed much better.
Switching topics, I wanted to let everyone know that I will be at the Emerald City Comicon in Seattle this Saturday and Sunday, April 4 – 5. I’m going to have a table on Artist Alley and you can find me at H-05.
I’m a little nervous about going because this will be the first convention I’ve flown out of state to attend. Typically I only go to conventions I can drive to so I can save on cost. But I found a cheap flight to Seattle and Emerald City was too good to pass up (they have an excellent reputation and are very welcoming to web comics).
Part of my nervousness stems from not knowing anyone at the convention. Sure, there will be a lot of web comics people there like Scott Kurtz, Jeph Jacques and the guys from Penny Arcade. But these guys operate WAY out of my league and they aren’t people I’ve really had an opportunity to interact with socially before.
When I go to Wizard World Chicago ever year, I get to hang out with Gordon McAlpin, Joe Dunn and the rest of the Digital Pimp crew. We set up shop next to each other and goof off for 8 hours while we try to sell our wares. In Seattle, I’ll kind of be own my own.
Well, that’s not entirely true. To take the sting out of travel expenses, I’m splitting a room with Indigo Kelleigh from The Adventures of Ellie Connelly. So at least there is someone I can hang out with after being on the show floor all day. Or, if he has better places to be, I could always go see Fast and Furious the weekend.
Oh! I should probably mention that I was invited to speak on a panel at the convention! Yeah – it’s the Business of Webcomics panel at 1:00 PM, Sunday, April 5 in panel room 3AB.
I’ll be in a room, talkin’ web comics with Robert Khoo from Penny Arcade, Danielle Corsetto from Girls With Slingshots and Jeph Jacques from Questionable Content, doing my best not to sound like an idiot. It’s an amazing opportunity and I want to say thanks to the show organizers for including me! If you’re coming to the show that day, check it out!
Is anyone reading this planning on going to the convention this weekend? If so, can you talk about it a little bit in the comments section? I just want to get a general sense of what to expect. I’m sure everything will be fine, it’s just the unknown that’s eating at me a little bit.
If nothing else, it’ll be a real treat to meet fans from the West coast. This will be my first trip to your neck in the woods and I’m eager to meet you!
Thanks again for reading and I’ll talk to you soon
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