CONTEST WINNERS

April 5th, 2006 | by Tom
Posted In: Blog

Apologies for the delay posting the names of the winners. I had to make sure a couple of things were organized at home before I could announce them.

Everything is organized!

Congrats to our five winners of The Long Good Friday DVD giveaway! Daniel Pagan, Stuart Baker, Leon Waldman, Chris Brandimore and Will Carpenter. Each of you will be recieving a copy of The Long Good Friday which is now available in store.

If you sent in an application but didn’t win, thanks for your time and support. Generating interest for events like these will increase the likelihood that we’ll get to do them again so be sure to spread the word!

Again, congrats to the winners. You should be seeing your DVDs in the mail within the next week or so!

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KUDOS TO ZACH

April 3rd, 2006 | by Tom
Posted In: Blog

Just wanted to send a shout-out to my good friend, creator of Joe and Monkey and fellow Boxcar Comics brother-in-arms Zach Miller.

His book Totally Boned: A Joe and Monkey Collection recently won the 2006 Lulu.com Blooker Prize – an award the on-demand publisher give to self-published material as a means of drawing attention to quality content found online. A category in which Joe and Monkey firmly resides.

Great job, Zach!

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CONTEST

March 29th, 2006 | by Tom
Posted In: Blog

Sorry for the delay getting this posted to the site. I hope I didn’t leave too many of you in breathless anticipation. But at any rate…

Follow this link to learn more about Theater Hopper’s very first contest. A promotional DVD give-away in conjunction with Anchor Bay Entertainment. Five lucky winners will walk away with a copy of 1980’s The Long Good Friday. (available on DVD for the first time Tuesday, April 4) starring Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren.

This is a bit of a cult film, but it’s really good – I assure you. I watched it over the weekend and it reminds me a lot of other "across the pond" gangland flicks like Snatch. And honestly, when has Bob Hoskins ever been bad in anything? He was even good in The Super Mario Bros. Movie!

Entering the contest couldn’t be easier. All you have to do is send me an e-mail and winners will be chosen at random.

For more details on contest rules and participation, click here.  You can also read a synopsis on the film and forthcoming DVD as well as view the trailer and exclusive video clips!

You can expect me to make a little bit more noise about this in the coming days…

GOOD LUCK, EVERYONE!

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NOW IN DEPRESO-VISION!

March 27th, 2006 | by Tom
Posted In: Blog

So yesterday Cami and I watched March of the Penguins and The Notebook.

I gotta tell ‘ya… Between frozen baby penguin carcasses and old ladies with dimentia, it was a really cheery afternoon around the ol’ Brazelton place!

I don’t know why that was worth mentioning, especially since I should have gotten around to seeing these movies earlier. I was very surprised by The Notebook. It looks like it would be a cloying chick flick, but that’s just well-rounded movie making. No if’s, and’s or but’s.

By the way, I got some new fan art for you. You can say thanks to Will Templeton of Anarchy Soda for being first to the gate with the obvious parody after all the man-lovin’ going on around here lately.

Thanks, WIll!

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NEW SPONSOR

March 15th, 2006 | by Tom
Posted In: Blog

Hey, guys. Just poking my head in really quick before I leave. I wanted to draw your attention to our newest sponsor, Dribble For Kids. If you guys like a more serialized take on your web comics, than this one is for you! Check them out!

Also, if you’re considering becoming a sponsor, there are still 4 spots available with a couple of them turning over soon. For ten bucks, you get 30 days of exposure. That’s a really good deal! I know it’s only a 88 x 33 button, but you don’t see Penny Arcade doing this kind of stuff for up-and-coming comics do you?

Think about it!

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THE WORLD SERIES OF POP CULTURE

March 13th, 2006 | by Tom
Posted In: Blog

I thought you guys might like to know that I posted my experience about The World Series of Pop Culture in the THorum. If you’d like to leave comments, feel free to sign up.

It’s kind of a lengthy post, but I think you’ll find it interesting. I still have more thoughts about the experience, but figured I would let you guys digest what is out there.

I have some photos from this weekend as well. I’ll share those at some point, too. Stay tuned for updates!

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THE CONTROVERSY

March 8th, 2006 | by Tom
Posted In: Blog

I made a promise to come in and talk about the controversy over Crash upsetting Brokeback Mountain for the Best Picture Oscar.

But I gotta be truthful: I’m not as upset about it as I was before.

I haven’t seen Crash, so I can’t vouch for it’s worthiness or unworthiness. But at the time when Jack Nicholson read the name of the winning film from that card, I was shocked. To me, Brokeback seemed like the more culturally relevant film. Just in terms of the awareness it brought to homosexual relationships as fully realized partnerships. Not a gimmick. Not a flamboyant supporting plot device. But just as rich and detailed as any straight love story.

I’ve heard from some people that Brokeback wouldn’t have gotten the same amount of attention if it weren’t about gay cowboys. There might be some truth to that, but I don’t think so. I think audiences are interested in well-crafted stories regardless of the main character’s sexual orientation. To me, the fact that Brokeback was about a gay couple was secondary. It’s about cowardace and not standing up for the most important things in life. It’s about caving to self-imposed and societal expectations and not having the strength to question them. You could swap out two gay characters with two straight ones and it wouldn’t have changed the overall theme of the movie – That love is hard-earned and not for the weak. The characters could be a Muslim and a Jew, a black man and a white woman or your next door neighbors. The whole "gay issue" is a non-point to me.

That said, and presuming that both Brokeback and Crash are equally well-made films (represented by their equal share of earned Oscars in technical categories), at one point I questioned if there was perhaps some kind of bias against Brokeback because Academy voters couldn’t see past the "gay issue."

I think Crash may have also had a "home-field" advantage in and of that it is a movie set and filmed in L.A. and that’s where 80% of the voting block resides. Also considering the location of the shoot was probably a touch point for voters considering that most productions are being farmed out to Canada, Australia and Prague to cut costs. Filming in their own backyard was something the voters wanted to reward perhaps as a means to encourage production to stay in Tinsletown.

But overall, you have to question if perhaps the homosexual aspect of the film was not something voters wanted to appear to endorse. It was tackled at the top of the show that Hollywood was out of touch with mainstream America. A win for Brokeback would have been a strong confirmation of that point to those critics. Why give them more ammunition?

Jeffery Wells of Hollywood Elsewhere made an interesting point about the whole thing. I quote,

"Is anyone besides me seeing the irony here…the irony that howled and flooded the skies above Los Angeles last night? The very thing that Crash laments — prejudice against people of different stripes and persuasions — is what tipped the vote and delivered the Big Prize."

It’s food for thought.

I shared that thought for a while, but I think it’s since worked it’s way out of my system. Friday’s comic will reflect that and, I think, from there we can all move forward.

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MAKE CONTACT

March 6th, 2006 | by Tom
Posted In: Blog

I have a quick question for anyone in the know.

I am trying to establish contact with either representatives of Hollywood studios or PR firms that deal with the promotion of upcoming films and DVDs. My hope is to establish more movie-centric content to you guys in regards to movie and DVD reviews while fostering a promotional relationship that might yeild something in terms of prizes for contests for you guys. It’s a win-win situation. I run contests where you guys win cool stuff and the studios and PR firms are provided a unique avenue through while their projects are being promoted on a web site with monthly unique visits in the hundreds of thousands.

It’s very difficult to get in touch with these firms. Believe it or not, their numbers aren’t in the phone book. So I am approaching this somewhat unconventionally, announcing my attention in hopes of poppping up on their radar screens.

If you are employed by one of these firms or know someone who is, please contact me at theaterhopper@hotmail.com

Many thanks.

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MY PICKS

March 3rd, 2006 | by Tom
Posted In: Blog

Okay, the Academy Awards start in about 20 minutes and I said I would come back to make my picks, so here they are.

Originally I was going to do a huge write up about who I thought would win and why, but I don’t think there’s enough time for that now.

Anyway, here’s who I think will win:

BEST PICTURE: Brokeback Mountain. I don’t know if it was the best movie of the year, but considering it’s origins, the difficulty the writers and producers had bringing it to screen and it’s overall cultual signifigance, I think it should be rewarded. Crash looks like it might upset, though. Especially considering the complexity of the storyline, the large and tallented cast and the fact that it’s set in L.A. – where the majoirty of Academy voters live. If any film could pull an upset, it would be this one.

BEST ACTOR: Phillip Seymour Hoffman. If the Academy could nominate and award Jamie Foxx for his performance in Ray, then they most certainly need to recognized Hoffman. His performance transcends pure imitation. You really get to see the person beneath the public facade of Truman Capote, warts and all. Again, considering the difficulty Hoffman and his writing partners faced bringing this production to film, he’s a sure bet.

BEST ACTRESS: Reese Witherspon. It’s her time. Public opinion is with her and there’s rumor that she’s being paid $29 million for her next movie. It’s safe to say she’s assumed the mantle from Julia Roberts. Is there any other actress out there right now that generates this much attention? Okay, Legally Blonde 2 was a turkey. She might not technically be a great actress, but she’s a certified movie star. Moreso than the other nominees. Except for Charlize Theron and she’s already won.

I give points to Felicity Huffman for taking a more challenging, "actorly" role. But tonight, Reese walks home with Oscar.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: George Clooney. I don’t know if his performance deserves it. I haven’t seen Syriana. But, like Reese, he has good buzz around him. Especailly considering his other film Good Night, and Good Luck has him nominated in the Best Original Screenplay and Best Director categories. He won’t win in either of those, so this is his gold watch. I think mosty voters will have his name on the ballot to see what kind of speech he delivers.

If I had my druthers, I would give it to Paul Giamatti – one of the strongest character actors working today, bar none. But I think the negative press around Russell Crowe during the period Cinderella Man was in theaters has hurt his chances. Poor box office of that film also to blame.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Rachel Weisz. I have no basis for opinon here. It just seems to be where everyone else is going. Some people are talking about Michelle Williams, but I really didn’t see anything in her performance that made me stand up and say "Wow!" From what I’ve heard, Weisz’s character is the lynchpin of The Constant Gardner and she delivers on all fronts.

BEST DIRECTOR: Ang Lee. I think this one is a landslide. None of the other nominees lensed anything quite so peaceful, beautiful and poetic as Brokeback Mountain. As the director of Sense and Sensibility, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and even Hulk, his versitility should be recognized. Right film, right time to give him the nod.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Brokeback Mountain. It says more with less. Again, cultural signifigance pulls rank here.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Crash. The complexity. The characterization. The multiple angles on the same story. It’s the most ambitious of the nominees.

Anyway, those are my choices. Really, a lot of the media outlets I’ve been keeping up with predict it the same. Really the only nailbiter is Best Supporting Actor. It could go in any direction. But the rest seem like locks. I think it’ll be a pretty standard affair for Oscar tonight. That is, unless Crash was able to perform some kind of last-minute rally. I view it as the dark horse. We’ll see!

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NEW AD SCHEME

February 24th, 2006 | by Tom
Posted In: Blog

So you guys may have noticed that there is a new layout on the homepage. I can’t really explain it beyond the fact that I’m still kind of toying with ad networks and trying to find the right combination that fits. It takes time for the metrics to come back on these things, so sometimes you don’t know where you stand because it takes so long to build comparative numbers.

I know some of you guys don’t like the banner ads at the top of the page. I’ll fess up and say I’m not crazy about them, either. But at the same time, there is a certain amount of cost involved with producing the comic and I’m trying to offset that cost so my Dad won’t get on my case about wasting time with cartoons! Know what I mean?

The comic is still free and will always be free. All I ask for right now is a little patience while I try my hand at a couple of different things.

That said… I have a brand new scheme to share with you!

Since instituting the ad networks into the site, I suspended open advertising slots for the everyman. This was regrettable to me, because I always appreciated people who came to the site to advertise with me because it opened my eyes to a bunch of great comics and other sites I wouldn’t have found otherwise. It was always a pleasure to work with them. Omiting the "everyman advertisers" was a downer, but a necessary part of figuring out what balance of ads would work best for the site.

Well, with this new configuration, I believe I’ve hit upon a way to have my cake and eat it, too. As you can see, the banners are still in place. But now, occupying the valuable space between the comic and the blog are eight small banners that now everyone can advertise in for $10 a month!

I must confess, this idea was not mine. I actually stole it from Yirmumah creator and Boxcar partner-in-crime DJ Coffman. He implemented it on his site not long ago and his advertisers have never been happier!

I think it’s a great sollution. I get to help promote other comics and introduce you guys to the broader world of web comics and the advertisers get EXCELLENT month-long coverage for less than it costs to get dinner at Applebee’s.

You can’t beat this deal, guys. If you’ve ever thought about advertising with Theater Hopper, now is the time. Visit our advertising page to learn how you can submit your banner to a sponsorship slot. Hurry! These babies are going to fill up fast! You don’t want to be on the waiting list for next month, do you?

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