There’s a drastic image to start your morning off right!
I’m not usually one for over-arching violence or gore, but this all goes back to my Tex Avery sensibility in regards to unexpected or extreme cartoon violence. Pay no mind.
When I finished today’s strip, Cami told me she thought it looked like Jared and I were making out. I defy any of you to try drawing one person biting the face off another and have it not end up looking that way. If you can figure out a way to make it work, let me know.
The strip is updating later now due to the ongoing problems I’m having with my ISP. I was gone over the weekend, so I wasn’t able to work on it, but I did get a hold of a representative last night. Apparently there are still problems and “programmers” are going to get involved. This after I’ve already bought a replacement cable and a new ethernet modem. There better be a discount on my bill this week or I will be an unhappy camper.
This may be incredibly egotistical of me, but surfing around the net, I’ve found a few other strips in the community that are broaching the same subject matter I’ve covered in the last two weeks. Ironically, it isn’t who you’d expect.
Exhibit A: First, take a look at this strip discussing Harry Knowles from PVP which came out 10.06.2002.
And now, my strip which came out on 9.27.02 – a whopping 9 days earlier.
Exhibit B: Then there’s this strip over at Real Life where the characters chat about Ferris Bueler. This came out today, 10.7.2002
Then there is my strip which came out last week on 10.02.2002 – five full days prior.
To my knowledge, neither PVP or Real Life is a strictly movie-themed comic so they have to pull their ideas from somewhere. The subject matter is too specialized to be a coincidence. I mean, people aren’t just talking about Harry Knowles and Ferris Bueler for no good reason.
So my theory is this: Theater Hopper is so funny, Scott Kurtz and Greg Dean steal their ideas from me!
I believe my theory is sound for two reasons:
1. If Kurtz and Dean come back and sheepishly admit “Yea, we stole your ideas”, it will prove, once and for all, that I am “The Man”.
2. If it turns out I’m just high on suspicion and thousands of their fans flood my inbox with hate mail, I will at least have brought more traffic to the site.
It’s a win-win! At least until the avalanche of hate mail spews forth…
For those readers who have marched in here from the forums of PVP or Real Life, torches and pitchforks at the ready, take a deep breath and have a seat. I’m talking to you.
Apparently, Monday’s blog caused quite a hullabaloo when a kind soul from Rancho Cordova, CA (“The town they named after a salad dressing!”) decided to tip everyone off to my comments about Scott Kurtz and Greg Dean “stealing” my ideas regarding two strips about Harry Knowles and Ferris Bueler’s Day Off. Appropriate poo-slinging followed.
I suppose I could go into the details of this fracas – about the multitude of incorrectly spelled and grammatically mind-bending flames hurled my way. But this is all old news to anyone who has been trolling about the community for any amount of time. Readers who have their favorites vigorously defend their sanctuaries from outsiders.
Instead, I’m gonna cut to the skinny. Monday’s comments were in NO WAY meant to be taken seriously. It was just a quirky coincidence I thought I would point out and have a little fun with. Doesn’t anyone else think that this triptych of web comics discussing such varied topics to be of interest? I do! In fact, I found it amazing! Especially considering neither Scott nor Greg have probably heard of my measly operation! Apparently, some people couldn’t see the irony that was clubbing them over the heads.
Perhaps it was my fault for not making my sarcasm a little more overt. After all, even my good friend Zach from No Pants Tuesday sent me an e-mail of caution (well intended, but undoubtedly due to exhaustion as we’ve seen no new strip for over a week – worried about you, pal!).
But for those of you who felt it necessary to make sweeping, negative generalizations against my talent, intelligence or mother, I’ve gotta recommend you take your B.S. detector in for some much needed maintenance. Otherwise, this world is going to eat you alive. It’s truly amazing how upset some people became. If people get this angry about web comics, I have to presume most of them went into an epileptic fit after that whole Enron thing. If their venom isn’t proportional, then their priorities are out of whack.
To the credit to many in the community, I did have my share of defenders in the forums. Several people came to my defense clearly pointing out that Monday’s comments were a joke and lobbing their own flames back in retaliation. Thank goodness for those who are switched on.
In summary, I didn’t mean offend anyone. If my comments upset you, I apologize. I’m a big fan of both PVP and Real Life. I think they are both sharply written and sublimely well put together strips. In fact, that’s where most of the irony stemmed from when I compared my strip to theirs – ’cause obviously I don’t have the kind of talent several years in the game have afforded those two.
If I’ve learned anything about the matter, it’s that next time I’ll be sure to make all my sarcastic comments IN BIG BOLD LETTERS as not to confuse anyone. Still, I’ve gotta admit, at least the second principle of my theory rang true – I scored 4 times as many unique hits to the site on Tuesday compared to an average day. Thanks.
Well, it looks like most of the bru-ha-ha surrounding Monday’s blog has settled down. Things are returning to a relative state of normalcy. The hate mail has all but dried up and our traffic is back to pedestrian levels.
If anything, it’s been a real roller coaster of a week. Imagine my surprise when I pulled into the station where there was a letter from Greg Dean – creator of Real Life – waiting for me in my inbox!
Apparently Greg caught wind of the ruckus being made in his forums and thought he would check out the site. I won’t divulge everything that was said, but Greg was very complimentary to the strip. Very kind, very courteous – a real class act. There’s a reason his fans defend him so fiercely and it’s because he’s a damn nice guy. – Worthy of your respect. Pay him some now.
I’d love to chat more, but I’m just now peeking my head out from underneath a cloud of an intense sickness I’ve been suffering for the last few days. I’m taking a beating from a wicked cold. It feels like someone took me upside the head with a billyjack. Things are getting better, but right now I am very, very warm. Unseasonably warm.
You know when you have a fever that’s about to break, but to get there, you have to writhe through 8 hours of fitless sleep and night sweats? Well, I’m getting ready for that now. First I brush my teeth then its off to wrestle with the disease! Wish me luck!