I am painfully aware that today’s comic is not laugh-out-loud funny, but I hope for those of you who are somewhat familiar with Frank Miller‘s work with the Sin City graphic novels and short stories will get a kick out of the visual gag in today’s comic. I’ve been a fan of his for a long time and this has been a visual style I’ve been aching to try out for a while.
For those of you living under a rock for the past four months, a big screen version of Miller’s grim and gritty tales of pulp noir will be opening in theaters this Friday. Former Desperado and Spy Kids helmer Robert Rodriguez is directing it. Frankly, I can’t think of another filmmaker who could pull it off.
The Sin City books have a VERY specific visual style to them. Incredibly high contrast work, desperate characters slip in and out of the shadows. Every so often a scene will be violently punctuated by a shock of red or a splash of yellow. Translating that to film wouldn’t work unless that style was kept in place. Otherwise, what’s to distinguish it from any other detective/vigilante versus scum-of-human society revenge flick?
The movie itself has a light narrative woven through several different stories, all arcing over a multitude of colorful and grisly characters.
Personally, I’m already entranced by Mickey Rourke’s unrecognizable appearance as the dive bar brawler Marv. The prosthetics they’ve slapped on his face make him look EXACTLY like the character. A Roman Centurion after too many highballs and a broken heart.
I’m sure I’ll have more to say about Sin City as the week progresses. I plan on building more sand castles in Frank Miller’s sandbox this week.
I want to give everyone a reminder that I’ll be in Kansas City this weekend promoting Theater Hopper and representing web comics in general with my partners-in-crime Mitch Clem and Zach Miller at the Kansas City Planet Comicon comic book convention. If you’re in town, be sure to swing by the Overland Park Convention Center between 10AM and 5PM both days. We’ll be there.
We’re actually all planning on seeing Sin City together Saturday night. So if you’re up for it, I’m sure we could all meet up at the same time.
I’m really looking forward to the weekend. Not just because of the convention and a chance to get out of the house for a little while. But also because my good buddy Jared is going to be taking footage of the whole sordid affair. We hope to combine video from this convention, Wizard World Chicago in August and the Minneapolis Fallcon in October and put together a cool little road-trip/documentary about Theater Hopper, the comic convention circuit and the craziness that comes with it. When it’s all said and done, Jared and I are going to sit down and do a comprehensive interview/retrospective looking back on the last three years of the comic. We hope to have everything assembled and ready for purchase on DVD by Christmas. So keep your eyes out for that one!
This has probably been enough self-promotion for the day. Enjoy your Monday!
I’m not going to lie to you. I’m stealing dialogue straight out of two of Frank Miller’s Sin City stories – A Dame to Kill For and The Babe Wore Red.
That line about the microwave popcorn, however… That’s all me.
I hate to explain the joke, but the idea is to blend the gritty noir of Miller’s work with the sublime mundane aspects of suburban couple hood. Not a lot of panels to do that with, so I hope you get the gist of it.
Sorry for not uploading an incentive sketch on Monday, but buzzComix was down (as per usual nearing the end of the month). I’m making up for it today, though. Vote for Theater Hopper and absorb my rendition of Marv from the Sin City books. Portrayed by an almost unrecognizable Mickey Rourke in the upcoming movie.
Are you excited to see Sin City on Friday? You should be. I personally have high expectations for this film. I’ve been a fan of Miller’s for a long time. I hope it doesn’t disappoint.
Of course, as I mentioned on Monday, I’ll be seeing Sin City after I’ve attended the first day of the Kansas City Planet Comicon comic book convention. My partners-in-crime will be none other than Mitch Clem and Zach Miller.
I sincerely hope you have a chance to stop by our booth on Artist’s Alley if you’re in the neighborhood. Keep your eyes peeled for the 2′ by 4′ vinyl banner with the Theater Hopper logo. It’s bright red and you can’t miss it.
…dollface.
I wish I could say that I had some sort of elaborate April Fool’s Day prank lined up for you guys today. But truthfully, I’ve been so busy preparing for the Kansas City Planet Comicon comic book convention, I didn’t have time to plan ahead.
I wonder if Zach and Mitch are as uptight about preparations as I am?
I won’t have a lot of stuff to sell at the con. I never do. I’ll have a few shirts left over from previous pre-orders to give people a sense of stuff they can buy. If I don’t have their size or the color they would like, I’ll ask them to join my mailing list (no link just yet) and I’ll send out a message to everyone letting them know when I’m doing another round of shirts.
The once facet that I am really prepared for are button sales. I’ve been working overtime the last few weeks putting together packaging for 2 different sets of buttons. I don’t know how well they will be received, but I hope they are a hit. If not, I’ll probably never have to work this hard assembling button packages ever again. I should be set for a long time.
As a side note, once I get back from the convention, I’ll probably start selling merchandise again on the site. So keep an eye peeled for that.
Anyway, if you’re in the Kansas City area tomorrow or Sunday between 10AM and 5PM, come say “Hi.” It should be a good time.
Now onto comic stuff…
I don’t know why, but Wednesday’s comic really seems to have struck a nerve. People in the THorum were complimenting it left and right and it actually got a couple of write ups at I’m Just Sayiny (a web comic review site – scroll down a little to see my entry) and more surprisingly, but no less enthusiastically, Film Rot.
I’m not bringing this up to brag. I’m just not used to people taking notice of the strip outside of the “web comic community” much less writing about it. This must be what it feels like for Jeph…
I feel kind of skittish taking any credit for these compliments, however. Because as I stressed yesterday, Frank Miller is the one who has inspired this work. All I did was parody it.
Odd, isn’t it that I’m apologizing for Wednesday’s strip but doing the exact same thing in today’s strip? I dunno. I guess I picked a winning horse. I’m gonna stick with it for a little while.
Can you believe people wanted me to put the splash panel of yesterday’s comic on a t-shirt? Bordering copyright infringement there, I think!
At any rate, I hope you’ve enjoyed these last two strips. I know I’ve had a lot of fun drawing them. As you can probably tell, I’m a big Frank Miller fan and a big Sin City fan. I actually used to practice by looking at some of the Sin City stuff and drawing replicas. So this has been a little nostalgia treat for me.
I’ll probably do another similarly-styled comic on Monday to capture reactions of the film after I see it on Saturday. So if you like what’s been going on, you have that to look forward to. Maybe I’ll cast Jimmy as The Yellow Bastard!
As for the movie itself… What can be said? Critics really seem to be on board with this one, which pleases me to no end. Not only because it is such a powerful and singular vision brought to the screen. But also because it further legitimizes the artistry of graphic novels.
Besides the recently deceased Will Eisner (R.I.P.) I can think of no other creator than Frank Miller that has done so much for the medium. I mean, between Sin City and The Dark Night Returns, there’s just no comparison!
The film production, too, is so far outside the boundaries of conventional film making, I’m willing to bet film schools are going to cite it as a textbook study in the next 10 years. If this thing takes off, Robert Robert Rodriguez’s “digital backlot” technique could spin things on its head.
I could go on, I suppose. But I think it’s time to let sleeping dogs lie. I’ll probably be back later in the day to discuss the donating incentive artwork I created for February and March.
If you recall, I did Constantine for February and Robots for March. Well… I kinda never got around to coloring the Robots piece, and now it’s April.
Anyway, I have to make reparations for that and will probably be taking this promotion in another direction. More on that later. Stop by again today if it fancies you.
Love to all.
Let me begin by saying that Yes, I did see Sin City this weekend and its imagery has been swimming around in my head ever since. I’ve been replaying different scenes from the movie over and over in my mind. I’ve been comparing them against the comics for accuracy.
My conclusion is this: Sin City is the most faithful, most accurate, most astonishing comic book movie ever committed to celluloid.
If you’re a fan of comic book movies. See it. If you’re a fan of films that wield technical advancement with marksman precision – See it.
The only caveat I would insert is that (although black and white) the movie is VERY GORY. Lots of bullet-riddled bodies. People being decapitated. People losing hands and other extremities. People being blown up. Sin City ∗earns∗ its “R” rating. If it were in color, it would be NC-17.
That said, I hope you’re enjoying my continued re-interpretation of Frank Miller’s graphic novel classics. Today’s comic is parodying the last page of That Yellow Bastard, part 5 of 6. In my opinion it’s the best of the Sin City books. It also happens to bookend the movie, which I think is no coincidence. The more I think about it, the more I love it.
Some of you might be curious how things turned out at the Kansas City Planet Comicon comic book convention. First of all, I have to give props to the show organizers who were very attentive and made sure we were having a good time. I haven’t been to a lot of these things, but when we needed chairs for the booth, they were on it. And during the show, they came around to ask us if everything was okay and if we were having fun. A small gesture, but it meant a lot. Especially considering we were sitting on Artist’s Alley. We’re the guys who pay the least to exhibit our wares, so it’s not like we’re getting rock star treatment.
Anyway, I had a blast catching up with Mitch and Zach, as evident by this picture:
Sorry, Mitch old bean. But when you take a goofy picture, odds are it’s gonna end up on the internet.
IT’S OVER!
/inside joke.
But in all seriousness, we had a blast. Time flew by while we were down there and we had a bunch of great conversations about our comics, our motivations and our future in “The Game” as it were.
That dramaticizes things a bit, but what I’m trying to communicate is that it was time well spent and it really re-energized me.
Between work and life, there is very little room for the comic. The time I spend on it can sometimes wear you down. I’m not trying to lay a big “woe is me” story on you. Just stating the facts. Every once in a while, you run the risk of suffering burnout. This weekend strengthened my defenses against it.
Thanks to everyone who stopped by the booth and said they liked what we do. And for those of you kind enough and curious enough to give us a chance after meeting us for the first time this weekend, thanks for looking us up in the digital realm. Hopefully we can keep you as readers.
Now only if I can figure out a way to bail Jared out of the Imperial drunk tank. He’s a handful, that one!
Jared makes a good point. I totally forgot about those “wine-shooters” we were doing before we got something to eat and then see the movie.
Guess you boys can’t hold your liquor like “Mr. Bloated Kidney”.
That’s me, by the way.
I remembered some of the other things I wanted to talk about.
Seeing comic book movies at comic book conventions is starting to become a kind of mini-tradition among our ilk. You guys might remember this comic I did regarding Aliens Vs. Predator when Zach and I went to see it during Wizard World Chicago.
I guess the next big comic book movie to hit the screen will be Fantastic Four. It comes out a month before Wizard World Chicago this year (August 5-7), but since I plan on avoiding the movie like scurvy when it’s unleashed upon an unsuspecting public, maybe the radioactive half-life on the film will have expired and we can snap it up in a dollar theater when we all assemble again.
Another couple notes of interest: Yes, Zach ∗did∗ in fact wear that very same Homestar Runner shirt. And yes, Mitch ∗did∗ in fact wear a very similar Jawbreaker shirt.
I’m nothing if not a stickler for the details!
Related Posts ¬
Feb 15, 2005 | ART AUCTION |
Apr 15, 2005 | BIG OL’ AUCTION GOIN’ ON! |
Apr 21, 2010 | C2E2 RECAP |
I think the sleepiness was less an indicator of the quality of the movie, and more an indicator of the joys of happy hour at the hotel.
True story.
Related Posts ¬
Apr 11, 2005 | BIG OL’ AUCTION GOIN’ ON! |
Apr 18, 2005 | BIG OL’ AUCTION GOIN’ ON! |
Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed that I dropped the Frank Miller-inspired high contrast look of Sin City in a return to form for today’s comic. What can I say? You can only ride the wave for so long.
I’m a little bit O.C.D., so I had reservations about switching styles back to normal in the middle of the week. But honestly, there was nowhere else to go with it. All I really wanted to do was push the arc to the point where I could cast Jimmy as That Yellow Bastard. And now I’ve done it! It’s time to move on.
Besides, you can only go so long paying homage to another artist’s style before people say “Okay. That’s enough.”
The events in today’s comic are 50% true. Mitch ∗did∗ actually fall asleep near the end of Sin City and sheepishly admitted so. We didn’t strand him in the theater parking lot because…
* THE REST OF THIS BLOG POST WAS LOST WHEN THEATER HOPPER MOVED TO WORDPRESS IN JANUARY 2009 *
Hey, guys.
Remember earlier in the year when I would put together some original artwork and raffle it off to a random, lucky person who either bought merchandise, advertising or donated to the site?
Well, I’ve fallen WAY behind!
I haven’t sent out the Constantine artwork from February and I haven’t even pulled together the list of names to pull from for the Robots piece I did in March.
Remember how I was going to color in all of them and make a big calendar at the end of the year? Yeah… still haven’t colored in the Robots piece yet…
Well, anyway. This aproach is changing. Instead of giving away the original art for free, I’m auctioning it off.
My reasoning for this is pretty simple. Basically, some of the artwork people have begged me to auction because they want to control their odds of getting it a little better than a raffle. Using the logic that everything is as valuable as what someone is willing to pay for it, I see the logic in their demands. Plus, it’s easier to keep track of.
This month, I think I have a real hum-dinger for you.
So you all know that Sin City came out the first week in April, right? I even did a week-long arc covering it. What better subject could there possibly be for me to parody than the Frank Miller classic?
That’s why I whipped this up:
Yeah, I thought you might like that.
If you click on the image, it will take you straight to the eBay auction I have set up. Or, of course, you could just click this link and get there just the same.
The rules are simple – by the end of Monday, April 18, the highest bidder wins. To sweeten the pot, I’m throwing in free Theater Hopper buttons and stickers. I’m also paying for First Class shipping, because that’s the kind of guy I am.
The previous’ months artwork will still be given away raffle-style for free. And once those names have been drawn, I will make an announcement to that effect.
But in the meantime, I will be running this message below the regular blog until the auction concludes Monday, April 18.
Incidentally, the profits from the sale of this original artwork will go toward the purchase of this silk screen press. My goal is to start producing Theater Hopper shirts that I can do myself instead of relying on outside vendors. Naturally, these shirts would be sold from this site. So if your a fan of Theater Hopper, bid generously because your money will help to advance the goals of this site.
Time to dig out the loose change from the couch cushions, kids. As always, thank you for your support! Happy bidding!
Related Posts ¬
Apr 13, 2005 | BIG OL’ AUCTION GOIN’ ON! |
Apr 15, 2005 | ATTENTION: IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT! |
Apr 11, 2005 | ATTENTION: IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT! |
Hey, guys.
Remember earlier in the year when I would put together some original artwork and raffle it off to a random, lucky person who either bought merchandise, advertising or donated to the site?
Well, I’ve fallen WAY behind!
I haven’t sent out the Constantine artwork from February and I haven’t even pulled together the list of names to pull from for the Robots piece I did in March.
Remember how I was going to color in all of them and make a big calendar at the end of the year? Yeah… still haven’t colored in the Robots piece yet…
Well, anyway. This aproach is changing. Instead of giving away the original art for free, I’m auctioning it off.
My reasoning for this is pretty simple. Basically, some of the artwork people have begged me to auction because they want to control their odds of getting it a little better than a raffle. Using the logic that everything is as valuable as what someone is willing to pay for it, I see the logic in their demands. Plus, it’s easier to keep track of.
This month, I think I have a real hum-dinger for you.
So you all know that Sin City came out the first week in April, right? I even did a week-long arc covering it. What better subject could there possibly be for me to parody than the Frank Miller classic?
That’s why I whipped this up:
Yeah, I thought you might like that.
If you click on the image, it will take you straight to the eBay auction I have set up. Or, of course, you could just click this link and get there just the same.
The rules are simple – by the end of Monday, April 18, the highest bidder wins. To sweeten the pot, I’m throwing in free Theater Hopper buttons and stickers. I’m also paying for First Class shipping, because that’s the kind of guy I am.
The previous’ months artwork will still be given away raffle-style for free. And once those names have been drawn, I will make an announcement to that effect.
But in the meantime, I will be running this message below the regular blog until the auction concludes Monday, April 18.
Incidentally, the profits from the sale of this original artwork will go toward the purchase of this silk screen press. My goal is to start producing Theater Hopper shirts that I can do myself instead of relying on outside vendors. Naturally, these shirts would be sold from this site. So if your a fan of Theater Hopper, bid generously because your money will help to advance the goals of this site.
Time to dig out the loose change from the couch cushions, kids. As always, thank you for your support! Happy bidding!
Related Posts ¬
Apr 18, 2005 | ATTENTION: IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT! |
Mar 31, 2004 | BIG NEWS!!! |
Apr 15, 2005 | ATTENTION: IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT! |
Hey, guys.
Remember earlier in the year when I would put together some original artwork and raffle it off to a random, lucky person who either bought merchandise, advertising or donated to the site?
Well, I’ve fallen WAY behind!
I haven’t sent out the Constantine artwork from February and I haven’t even pulled together the list of names to pull from for the Robots piece I did in March.
Remember how I was going to color in all of them and make a big calendar at the end of the year? Yeah… still haven’t colored in the Robots piece yet…
Well, anyway. This aproach is changing. Instead of giving away the original art for free, I’m auctioning it off.
My reasoning for this is pretty simple. Basically, some of the artwork people have begged me to auction because they want to control their odds of getting it a little better than a raffle. Using the logic that everything is as valuable as what someone is willing to pay for it, I see the logic in their demands. Plus, it’s easier to keep track of.
This month, I think I have a real hum-dinger for you.
So you all know that Sin City came out the first week in April, right? I even did a week-long arc covering it. What better subject could there possibly be for me to parody than the Frank Miller classic?
That’s why I whipped this up:
Yeah, I thought you might like that.
If you click on the image, it will take you straight to the eBay auction I have set up. Or, of course, you could just click this link and get there just the same.
The rules are simple – by the end of Monday, April 18, the highest bidder wins. To sweeten the pot, I’m throwing in free Theater Hopper buttons and stickers. I’m also paying for First Class shipping, because that’s the kind of guy I am.
The previous’ months artwork will still be given away raffle-style for free. And once those names have been drawn, I will make an announcement to that effect.
But in the meantime, I will be running this message below the regular blog until the auction concludes Monday, April 18.
Incidentally, the profits from the sale of this original artwork will go toward the purchase of this silk screen press. My goal is to start producing Theater Hopper shirts that I can do myself instead of relying on outside vendors. Naturally, these shirts would be sold from this site. So if your a fan of Theater Hopper, bid generously because your money will help to advance the goals of this site.
Time to dig out the loose change from the couch cushions, kids. As always, thank you for your support! Happy bidding!
Related Posts ¬
Apr 18, 2005 | BIG OL’ AUCTION GOIN’ ON! |
Apr 15, 2005 | ATTENTION: IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT! |
Apr 11, 2005 | BIG OL’ AUCTION GOIN’ ON! |