Archive for April, 2003
33 items.
For all you Donnie Darko fans out there, this one is for you!
I never really know what to make of Easter. I’m not a real relgious guy, so most of the meaning is lost on me. As the years go on, I can see Madison Avenue trying to turn it into “Christmas Jr.” – what with all the candy and (sometimes presents) you get. I dunno. Feels wrong to me.
But I’m not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth! Cami got me an Easter basket this year that included DVDs of Spirited Away and About A Boy, so I’m the wrong guy to ask.
Other than that, slow weekend. The only new release I wanted to see this week was A Mighty Wind, but it’s not playing around here for miles. Lame. If one of our local art houses wasn’t playing Ben Hur, we probably would have gotten it. Guess I’ll have to hold tight for another week or to.
Enough of that crap. ONTO MORE IMPORTANT THINGS!
If you haven’t heard by now, we are selling posters at Theater Hopper and TODAY is the FIRST DAY they go on sale.
If you’re interested, skip on over to the posters page for all the details you will need to get your copy. Remember, there are only 100 of these and when they’re gone, they’re gone!
I also need to mention an addition to the situation. I am currently selling the posters for $5 a piece ($7 with shipping and handling), but that offer will end after one month. After 30 days, the cost will go up two dollars. So get on board now and take advantage of this great deal!
If you have any questions or concerns, as always, e-mail me.
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For those of you purchasing posters, thank you – the response has been great! I wanted to clue you in on a little bit of information.
The poster count you see telling you how many posters are left does not update itself dynamically after a purchase has been made. Those numbers have to be changed manually by me and then uploaded back to the site. It was my intention to make those changes at the end of each day.
If you’re curious about which numbered poster in the series you will receive, that information will be included in the e-mail notification I will send once the item has been shipped out.
Once again, sincere thanks to those who have purchased their posters. You’re helping to make this project a great success!
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I’ve received a few e-mails asking how much shipping will be to places like Canada or the UK. Of course, being the xenophobic, egocentric American that I am, I gave no consideration to the cost of shipping outside of the U.S.
…and this just days after my “Gee golly whiz!” post about getting hits from Zimbabwe.
Right now, I’m kind of playing things by ear. A couple of the orders that came in today were from other countries, so I’m going to see what my local post office says about sending packages to them. I can’t imagine sending something to Toronto could cost that much more than sending it to Minneapolis. But I could be wrong.
If it turns out the cost is much more, I may as those of you outside the country to pass along a couple extra bucks to cover the cost. Remember, the posters are $5, but the shipping and handling is $2. I need your help in getting these fine posters to you!
Thank you for your patience. This is a new thing for me, so I’m kind of picking up tricks as I go!
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Sales of the posters have been pretty brisk – 16 in the first day! If we keep going at this rate, we’ll be out of stock by the end of the week!
If you haven’t purchased a poster yet, don’t get discouraged that the lower numbers are already gone. Remember, there are only 100 of these. So that means, if you buy one, you’ll be one of only 100 people IN THE WORLD who has a signed and numbered poster from Theater Hopper.
Maybe when this is all said and done, the 100 of you can get together for some kind of class reunion? Well, maybe not. But it’s still a pretty exclusive club!
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Did Cami purchase Spirited Away for me on DVD? True. Is Spirited Away a most awesome movie? True. Do I see spirits in my house and mistake them for Jared. Sometimes.
Often times I create strips and I worry that I am only speaking to a few of you in the audience. Experience has taught me that those worries are total bollocks and you guys are whip-smart when it comes to the references. But for those of you who AREN’T… go out and rent Spirited Away right now. It will fill that empty part of your soul with a feeling not unlike cotton candy. Warm and sweet.
Just because I want to get it out of the way, I want to mention that the poster sale is continuing and they’re rolling out like gangbusters! The tally on the left tells you we’re almost past the one-fourth mark, but don’t let it fool you. I can think of maybe a half dozen readers who have notified me that their payment would be coming by snail mail. Don’t sit around on this one! Order your poster today!
Would it help you to know that Zachary Miller from No Pants Tuesday and Aric Christensen from Fish Strips have bought posters? Cave in to the peer pressure! CAVE!
Speaking of web comics, Mark from Jayhoo and Jawhoo mentioned “ripping off” his design for his bonus materials page from my design here on the site. To this I respond – “Good for you!” and “Glad I could help!”
Mark produces top shelf toon action and I feel doesn’t get the recognition he deserves. Lend this man your moral support. He deserves your respect and admiration.
I wanna talk about some trivial crap, because I haven’t done that in a while. Things have felt so business-minded around here, it’s like I can’t goof off anymore. So, some randomness…
I’ve been playing the demo for Amplitude on my PS2 over and over. It has a track from Garbage’s last album called “Cherry Lips”. I am hooked on this song. So much, in fact, I had to go out and buy the album.
One song I am NOT hook on is “Believe” by Cher. A co-worker carelessly left the song on “repeat” in her computer’s CD player and then took off for lunch. Our lunch hours overlap at weird times, so I ended up listening to this song on repeat for 3 HOURS! I couldn’t find the damn CD player on her machine and didn’t want to turn it off cold because, y’know, I’m the GOOD guy.
And here’s a dose of irony for you: I left early from work because I had an eye appointment in the afternoon. I go to the optometrist, tell them I’m here and then sit in the waiting room. What’s the first song that comes over the PA system? You guessed it. “Believe” by Cher. NEVER AGAIN!
You know what movie is good. About A Boy. Why is it I like Hugh Grant more when he’s playing an unrepentant bastard?
Hot Buttered Funk is the shiznit. That is all.
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I just watched Spider-Man for the first time. I don’t know why I waited. I guess i didn’t think it would appeal to me, but it did. ::THWIPP!:: Thumbs up!
I also watched Birthday Girl starring Nicole Kidman and Ben Chaplin. It was a very good film. It’s British and I really hadn’t heard much about it, but it was a good find. Russian mail order brides? Bank robberies? Plot twists galore? Count me in!
I was clicking through the links on the right and stumbled across the music of ComradeF over at The Misc. Check out the tracks with Lucy Doll here, they are definitely worth your time.
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First off, I’ve gotta give credit where credit is due. Cami helped brainstorm the idea for today’s strip, so – thank you honey!
I knew I wanted to make some mention of John Cusack since his new film Identity opens today and I’m a big fan. I just wasn’t sure how to go about it.
I was playing around with the whole “I gave her my heart, she gave (stole) me a pen” line from Say Anything and a joke about how it seems like there is always at least one scene in each John Cusack movie where our hero is standing out in the rain.
It happened in Say Anything. It happens twice in High Fidelity. I think it even happens once after he gets spit out onto the New Jersey Turnpike in Being John Malkovich. What, is this guy some kind of amphibian? Is he half mud-skipper, or something. I’m beginning to think he has a clause built somewhere into his contract. Either that, or a gill sac that needs moistening between takes.
I only mention it because, from the trailer, it would appear that Mr. Cusack spends considerable time in the rain. Here we go again.
I would really like to see Identity, based solely on my affection for Cusack as an actor. He’s probably my favorite contemporary A-lister. In his teenage years, he projected the same confidence underlined by nervousness aura that I felt very in tune with. As an adult, he comes across as a self-assured individual with a certain cocky charm – the kind of man I would like to be. I see a lot of myself in him, although we’re nothing alike. In my opinion, he’s certainly more “everyman” than Tom Hanks, or whoever.
That said, I don’t think we’ll see the picture. Cami and I just aren’t the “scary movie” couple. We prefer to rent films from that genre instead of seeing them in the theater. If it gets too scary – pause.
Poster sales are chugging along and I have you to thank. Well, 30 of you at least. Still, for one week, I think that’s pretty good.
If you’re thinking about buying a poster, I don’t suggest procrastinating. These are nice posters. I think you will be very pleased with their quality.
After this poster business is over, I’m thinking about bringing back the forum. Seeing the kind of support I’m seeing from the sale makes me feel that it may be time to cultivate a community and give you guys a place to put down some roots.
Seriously, I think I have the most complimentary readership in all web comics. Maybe I’m not controversial enough to illicit that kind of negative response, but regardless, I feel damn lucky to have one good fan – let alone the several that have stepped forward in the last week.
Thanks.
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For those of you interested in learning more about John Cusack and his politics, it may be in your interest to check out Cusack For President – a totally legit effort to get out boom box hero into the highest office in Western Civilization. And they sell nice t-shirts to boot.
A shout out also for Alex Shebar who recalled Cusack riding a motorcycle in the rain during American Sweethearts.
Got any other examples of Cusack in the rain? Pass them along.
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Am I aware that everyone and their brother will be making references to X-Men 2 this week? Yes. Do I care? Nope.
I’ve gotta say that I’m more jacked up for this round of mutant mayhem than I was for the first. I always had a mental block against the first picture because Brian Singer was at the helm. “Wrong choice”, I thought. It was confirmed when, in several issues, Singer confessed to have never been a read the comic books. “Oh, snap!”, I thought. “We’re doomed.” The fact that he kept pushing that Martin Luther King Jr. VS Malcom X ideology in regard to the relationship between Professor X and Magneto only exacerbated matters.
I always felt like the first movie was good, but flawed. It delivered in many regards – most notably bringing Hugh Jackman to the role of Wolverine, who slam dunked it. Kudos also for bringing aboard Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan as the aforementioned Professor X and Magneto.
But the remainder of the film felt cobbled together. Like they tried to make more of it, but just couldn’t.
James Marsden as Cyclops was a dud. Ditto for Anna Paquin as Rouge. Ray Park, Tyler Mane and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos as villains Toad, Sabertooth and Mystique were gimmicky additions at best. Darth Maul, a pro-wrestler and a supermodel? Please.
Halle Berry, of course, was the worst casting possible for the role of Storm. It should have gone to Angela Basset, if you ask me. She was offered it, but I guess she turned it down. Can anyone name the last movie she was in? Supernova? The Score? Yeah… good work, Angie.
But I have high hopes for the sequel. I know this is probably the most naive statement I can make considering A). It’s a sequel and B). It’s a comic book movie. But for some reason, I have a feeling it’s going to turn out more polished. I know they definitely had more money to spend. My wish is that it will make me turn around and appreciate the first a little more. Kind of how The Two Towers did for The Fellowship of The Ring. I think that will be the case since they don’t have to waste time on exposition and can just jump right into the action.
We’ll see.
Good news. Selling more posters. We’re inching ever closer to the half-way point of what’s left in the series. I don’t think you want to be left without one, do you?
I gotta give props to all the fine lads who have helped me pimp the wares as of late. Many thanks to Zach of No Pants Tuesday, Brian of Briworld, Carrington at Movie Punks, Aric from Fish Strips and Mark with Jayhoo and Jawhoo for spreading the good word.
Speaking of good ole Jay and Jaw, you need to check out this strip and look in the background of the second panel. See how cool these posters are?! Even THEY get cameos now!
I think this is going to be a pretty busy week for yours personally. I’m going to try and bring a forum to the site in the next week or two because I want those who have bought posters to have a place where they can discuss their experiences. Oh, and talk about movies.
I’ll also have an announcement regarding a new affiliation I’m considering. But the details will have to wait until later.
Thanks.
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Mitch from Nothing Nice to Say has announced that he is cutting back production on his strip from 3 times weekly to once each Monday for personal reasons. I am unbelievably bummed, but wish nothing but the best for Mitch and his emotional heath.
Here’s to Mitch Clem – a great talent much less deserving of the crap being flung his way. Chin up, man. And take care.
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