SHIRTS ARE IN!

November 23rd, 2005 | by Tom
Posted In: Blog

Something I forgot to mention in my post this morning… Last night the good man from UPS delivered a very large box to my doorstep. What was inside? Why, only a whole gaggle of t-shirts, baby doll tees and hoodies! So that means those of you who ordered items long ago and have been exceptionally patient waiting for their delivery won’t have to wait much longer.

Thanksgiving kind of throws a wrench into things this week in terms of shipping things out. But there’s no reason I can start stuffing envelopes so they’re ready to go on Friday! Hopefully everyone will see their orders completed sometime next week. Hey, at least you get them before Christmas!

Once again, sincere thanks to everyone who has shown patience and understanding. I’m just one guy with limited resources, so unfortunately, things sometimes fall behind. In the future when I return clothing items to the store – and I don’t know when that will be, but it will likely be with new designs! – I will make a more dilligent effort to put a timeline around things. To say "pre-orders are two weeks, recieving printed shirts is two weeks, distribution is one week – you’ll get your shirt in 5 to 6 weeks." I want to be the reliable guy. That’s my New Year’s resolution. I’m making it the day before Thanksgiving.

Super shout-out to Brunetto Shirts. They are the only t-shirt printing company I’ve worked with since starting this whole thing and their excellent service ensures that I’ll continue to use them for a long time to come!

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AS LONG AS WE’RE TALKING ABOUT T-SHIRTS

November 23rd, 2005 | by Tom
Posted In: Blog

Something else I wanted to take a moment to pimp is the $10 sale going on over at Threadless right now.

Some of you know that I am a big fan of Threadless. I actually have a shirt that I designed that was for sale there for a while. It’s out of stock right now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t request a reprint! Actually, I have another design that I’m working on for them, but it’s not ready just yet. Keep your eyes peeled for it. I’ll be sure to let everyone know when it’s for sale.

Anyway, they’re having their big holiday sale where ever shirt is $10. Truthfully, you’re not going to find a better deal than that for clothes this cool and original.

I’m encouraging everyone I know to check out what they have to offer and to follow this link when they do so:

http://www.threadless.com/?streetteam=Tom Brazelton

Y’see, if you follow that-there link and make a purchase, then I get points placed in my account for referring the sale. Pretty slick, huh? Then I can buy some shirts and then we can both be cool together – if hundreds of miles apart.

Check it out!

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GUESS WHO’S A MORON

November 18th, 2005 | by Tom
Posted In: Blog

Okay, I’m an idiot.

Chris Cooper is not the creator of The Asylumantics. Chris CANTRELL is.

Chris Cooper is a ver talented actor who has appeared in movies like American Beauty and Adaptation.

Chris Cantrell is a very talent artist and writer who has created The Asylumantics and Please Rewind.

Apologies for any confusion. I’ve gone and mixed up movie-life and real-life again!

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WHY NO WORD FROM HOLLYWOOD?

November 14th, 2005 | by Tom
Posted In: Blog

Here’s a question for you guys.

I’ve been doing this comic three years, right? Why in all that time has no one representing a movie studio or some kind of marketing group for film ever contacted me?

Look at these sites. See all those ads floating around? I’d be happy to run something like that on my site. Indie flick or big-budget blockbuster, I don’t care. It’s entirely relevant to what this audience is interested in and I think they would score some nice traffic from it. How do these other sites get the hook-up? Is it all in who you know? Do the studios approach them? Well, nuts to the waiting game, I’m bringing it straight to you.

I understand if you haven’t considered advertising with a web comic before. You stick to what you know. Advertise within your own industry. It’s smart. Hey, I totally understand. Most of us web comic guys only advertise with other web comics! But I’m telling you – if you want to diversify the audience that you reach, tap into the web comics genre. I know my audience. They are a motivated and dedicated bunch. If your movie looks good, they’re going to see it. Look at Penny Arcade or PvP. When was the last time you saw these guys advertising other web comics? They advertise for the gaming industry and things are coming up roses!

My prices can’t be beat, guys. These are the rates that I’ve been giving to everyone else. I’ll give the same deal to you.

If you represent a studio, some kind of movie-related web site or even just know a guy who knows a guy that can put me in touch with someone in movie-making circles  – drop me a line so we can discuss some advertising possibilities. What I have going on to the right of the comic isn’t a permanent method of ad delivery. In other words, you don’t have to cram it into that tiny area. We could run an ad down the whole length of the comic. I can adjust things. You ad will stay above the fold and that space right next to the comic is prime real estate.

I don’t know if being so blunt with this request will actually yeild any results. But I figure after three years, it’s high-time I put the concept out into the universe. CONTACT ME!

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SHELF THE SIDE ORDER OF WINE

November 11th, 2005 | by Tom
Posted In: Blog

Writing today’s blog last night while I was feeling wistful and reflecttive wasn’t necessarily a bad decision, but it precluded me from mentioning something important and that is for all of you to visit our latest sponsor Yirmumah!

I love Yirmumah! but I’m proabably the last person in the world to get on the bandwagon. I mean, I knew the comic was out there, but I never really explored it until after I joined ranks with my brothers at Boxcar Comics. Now I’m in up to my eyeballs with it and loving every second of it!

Although I’m sure DJ would appreciate the compliments, I’m afraid heaping too much praise onto his wholly original and hilarious comic will reveal me for the noob I am. But I’ve already kind of admited it as much, so what’s the shame in giving kudos where kudos are due?

Yirmumah! is the kind of comic that I would like to write if I weren’t locked into the timeliness and the thematic perameters of the genre I chose for Theater Hopper. DJ can really go all over the map with his stuff. Everything ranging from fights with his wife to Bill O’Reilly  being spit on by a venomous cobra. Always great energy in his strips and I can’t think of a single one is his archive that didn’t make me laugh or at least smile. It’s very clever and you need to check it out.

In reference to the little pity party above, I have to say thank you to those who have already send letters of encouragement. I was actually kind of surprised that anyone would take the time to write, but I shouldn’t have been because you guys are always awesome.

Sometimes you get so close to your work that you have trouble envisioning what it must look like through someone else’s eyes. I think it’s important to note that I don’t write my comics in terms of what I think will go over well. I don’t go for that "creativity by committee" thing and I don’t assume anyone else with a creative outlet would stand for it, either.  I try to write for myself first. If I can make myself laugh with a concept I’ve come up with, then it should go over fairly well on the site. On the days when I don’t come up with something that makes me laugh, I try to push it as far as I can and hope it goes over. I think the disparity of this situation is that there have only been a handful of comics that – for me – really worked well. But it never occured to me that the pressure I put on myself is not something that factors into your enjoyment of the strip. By that I mean, people have written in and complimented me on stuff that they thought was brilliant and I thought was par for the course. So it goes to show that not only am I my own worst critic, but I have crappy taste in my own material!

At any rate, thanks to everyone for their support. I’m still very much excited about Theater Hopper, I just want to be able to do more. I have a lot of stuff in works for the site, but how awesome would it be if I could do this full time. I think I would find the work very fullfilling.

Here’s to doing what we can with the time we’re given. Cheers.

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MORE LINKS

November 7th, 2005 | by Tom
Posted In: Blog

I know last Friday I totally bombarded you guys with links. But there was one in particular that I forgot which was important to me.

Last week, Michael Lalonde’s Orneryboy celebrated its 200th strip. I’m a big fan of Mike’s work. I think Orneryboy has been one of the most consistently entertaining and most richly designed comics on the web. I also think Mike has one of the sharpest looking sites in web comics.

Swing by the site and give Mike your best. He’s worked hard and he’s earned it.

Additionally, I’m still pimping my recently minted MySpace account. I have now become addicted to adding people to my friends list. It’s like Pokemon! Gotta catch them all!

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SO MANY LINKS!

November 4th, 2005 | by Tom
Posted In: Blog

Hey, guys. It’s been a busy week, so let’s jump into it. I wanna give you some fun distractions so we can all go out on a high note.

This Monday I closed down the area of the store that features t-shirts, hoodies and baby-dolls. I’m busy collecting all the orders this very moment and prepping them to send to the printer. Hopefully we’ll have them turned around soon. Thanks to everyone for their support during this last drive.

Turns out merchandise orders aren’t the only thing keeping me busy this week. I’ve added a slew of links to the top banner that I want you guys to check out. Most of them are just for fun. Some of them are Theater Hopper related, some aren’t. But I think they’re all worth your time to investigate.

First, I have leads for you on two great comic notification systems. The first is Comic Junkie. A very handy application that you can download that will let you know when all of your favorite comics are posted. It’s packed with a slew of other features like subscription and rating services. I’ve added a whole page about it under the Resources tab. You should really check it out.

The second notification system is Comic Alert! You sign up for this one through their web site and they use Theater Hopper’s RSS feed to notify you by e-mail when all comics and blogs are updated! Very handy, especially if you forget to check the site every once in a while. Register with their service (it’s free!) and add Theater Hopper to your favorites!

Of course, if you have a LiveJournal account, you can skip that whole rig-a-ma-role and visit the Theater Hopper LiveJournal feed. It automatically posts new comics as soon as they are available. I’ve been pimping this one for a while, but there’s no reason not to give it a little more prominence!

Something else that could use a little more prominence are the Boxcar Comics 2006 Calendars. I’ve contributed artwork to the project and if you place your order now, you’ll enjoy it all through the month of February. Sure I got the shortest month, but I’m not complaining because the proceeds go to a good cause – helping the Boxcar crew reserve a booth at the 2006 San Diego ComiCon. Why, it’s only the largest comic book and small press convention in America, sillies! I think they’re just about done collecting pre-orders and they’re going to send it off to the printer. So make sure you have yours reserved when that happens!

And the last bit of Theater Hopper-related goodness I’ll share with you, the brand new Theater Hopper map brought to you by Frappr! Using GoogleMaps technology, this map can tag your location by zip code and display them together with everyone else. I thought it would be cool to see how far and wide Theater Hopper readership spans, so feel free to add your location to the global party! Don’t worry! It doesn’t ask for any addresses or personal information. Although you can leave your name, a photo and some commentary if you like. I totally stole this from DJ at Yirmumah!, but who cares?! It’s lots of fun! Check it out!

A few other items because I enjoy networking.

My recently established MySpace profile. Both Mitch and Zach wouldn’t shut up about it, so I got one, too. Won’t you be my friend?

My profile at Last.fm. If you’re not familiar with this service, it’s really cool. You download a little plugin for your MP3 player and it reports back what songs you listen to and which artists are your favorite. I love music as much as I love movies, so it’s really cool to build a network of friends and see what they’re listening to. A great opportunity to branch out and listen to new things!

Last but not least, my LiveJournal page. I know everyone and their sister has one of these and I’ve had one for quite a while myself. But I was kind of hungry for a few new readers so I thought I would pimp it out here a little bit. Right now I’m writing a lot about the 10 week fitness program I’ve been doing in an effort to change some bad habits and improve my overall health. I’ve also been writing a lot about the beard I’m growing in conjunction with the program. I’ve been posting pictures and everything. It’s a long story, but it’s pretty entertaining if you want to check it out.

Oh, before I forget! I want everyone to check out Robobo! Rusty, the creator, tipped me off to a fun cameo he did recently. Check it out!

Anyway, that’s it for this week. Beyond hooking you up with all these links, we’ve been busy revising the archive to make it easier for you to search in the future. I say "we" because Dave from Taking the Bi-Pass is really doing all the work. He’s doing an excellent job at that. Visit his web site and tell him you love him!

Hope everyone has a great weekend! Take care!

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LAST DAY

October 31st, 2005 | by Tom
Posted In: Blog

First things first. Today is the VERY LAST DAY that you can order t-shirts, hoodies and baby-doll tees. At MIDNIGHT TONIGHT (On Halloween, no less! Spooky!) I will be closing down this area of the store and will no longer be taking orders. That means this will be your last chance in a good while to get your hands on the “Spoiler” shirt, “Professional Movie-Goer,” “Johnny Number 5” and “Pimp Tom.”

It is also important to note that this will be the LAST TIME you can get your hands on “Truman in a Purse,” “Under Construction” and “Emerging.” After today, these designs will be retired – available for purchase NO MORE!

Once the store has been closed and all orders have been received, I will gather the information and submit to the printer the final tally of shirts, hoodies and baby-dolls needed. It is likely that there will be a two week turn around. Perhaps longer since we are approaching the holiday season and my printer is responsible to other clients. Once the shirts have been sent to me, I will then package and distribute from there. It’ll probably be another week added to the process. So, in short, you can expect to see your order sometime around the third week of November.

Thanks to everyone who has shown their support to the site with their purchases. You’ve helped me more than you know. It is your generosity and support that helps keep Theater Hopper going and I sincerely appreciate it. I am very excited for the future of the store and the new designs I will be bringing you in the future – as well as many exciting new products to satiate your desire for all thing Theater Hopper!

I’ll be back later today with commentary on the comic and incentive “sketch”.

Thanks again!

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SO LITTLE WORDS

October 31st, 2005 | by Tom
Posted In: Blog

I realized this morning that I said yesterday I would come back with another blog about today’s comic. Then I realized that I had very little to say about it. Maybe it’s because it kind of follows in the tradition of our previous Halloween comic or maybe it’s because Diesel Sweeites does the whole thing so much better and I was intimidated. In either case, at least you get another comic where I take a cheap shot at Tom Cruise. Has America’s Action Hero ™ become my latest foil? Is he the new Ben Affleck of Theater Hopper?

What can I say? The comic gets a little more popular and you start goin’ after the big guns. LOOK OUT, CRUISEY-BOY!

In other news, the t-shirts, hoodies and baby-doll tees have been completely removed from the store. Many thanks to those of you who placed orders. I will be working hard to fill out all the orders from this last run as well as those that have been on hold for a while. I plan on contacting the printer this evening and hopefully the turn around will be swift.

Here in Iowa, we didn’t pass out any candy for Halloween Monday night. Instead we dressed up and gave out treats on Sunday night. Or – as the civic leaders like to call it – Beggar’s Night. I never understood the logic behind ignoring the actually holiday and celebrating it the day before. Someone told me it was to keep children and families off the street while irresponsible adults were off having Halloween parties and getting loaded. I supposed that’s justified paranoia, but ultimately kind of confusing. Why not let these kids dress up and go door to door on the day they’re supposed to?

At any rate, we had a good time. If you’re interested in seeing our costumes, you can vote for Theater Hopper at Webcomics List and get a spooky treat. For posterity, I’ve preserved this photo along with a couple snap shots of the front of our house in the THorum so you can see our decorations. Marvel at our 8 foot tall inflatable Homer Simpson dressed up like Dracula! Click here for the link.

One last story. Cami and I decided to sit down last night to watch a movie in spirit (HA!) of the Halloween holiday. We don’t own a lot of horror movies, though. Cami isn’t a fan of the genre and you all know about my aversion to gore as explained in last Friday’s blog. But we do have one spooky film that fit the mood perfectly – Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow.

I kind of remember at the time the movie took a few hit’s on the chin from people who didn’t feel it was his best work. In light of Planet of the Apes and Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, it looks like Lawrence of Arabia. Tons of great actors, brilliant set and costume design, seemless effects andCasper Van Dien. This movie has it all.

Although I have to laugh every time martial artist -slash- the erstwhile Darth Maul Ray Park appears on screen as The Headless Horseman. What is he, like 5’2"? RUN! But I digress. It’s a great interpretation of an American classic. I wouldn’t be ashamed to admit I think watching Burton’s movie is a fine Halloween tradition. One I would hope we can continue for years to come.

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BECAUSE YOU NEED TO BE TOLD

October 28th, 2005 | by Tom
Posted In: Blog

As mandated by the previous blog, I’m back to deliver another message of great importance.

I’m sure all interested parties know by now that I will cease to sell all t-shirts, hoodies and baby doll tees on Monday, October 31. Some of these designs will be retired. If you have a hankering for ANY of these items, now is the time to buy them. I don’t know when they will be coming back.

All of this is being done in an effort to meet the minimum order requirements of my printer and also to make one last big push that might help me to burn through some of my old inventory.

I know some of you are sad that these items won’t be available in the store for a while, but don’t be. Taking care of this aspect of my merchandising is going to free up my time so that I can concentrate on bringing you guys not one, not two, but THREE new books next year that catalogue the first year of Theater Hopper’s existence.

It might be kind of dumb to suspend apparel sales right before the holidays, but that’s just the kind of moron I am. So if you think you know someone that would appreciate a Theater Hopper hoodie, you have until Monday to make your purchase!

Thanks again to everyone who has already ordered and those who are soon to order. I appreciate your help and support!

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