Archive for ‘Blog’
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Much like Chris Tucker seems only able to perform in Rush Hour movies, Orlando Bloom seems only capable of taking a role where the brandishing of antiquated weaponry is a requirement. Be it longbow, sword or musket – Bloom is your man!
It’s a fairly commonplace assertion that Bloom has cast himself in the mold of a modern Errol Flynn – having taken roles in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Pirates of the Caribbean and it’s sequels, Troy and Kingdom of Heaven. I don’t think is a totally negative thing to aspire to. Quite frankly, the movies are sorely lacking in brave adventure and derring-do. If someone were to come along and revitalize the persona, why not Bloom?
Okay, he’s a little bit pretty. Alright, not just pretty – but MAN pretty. Not the kind of rakish rouge you would expect to swing in from a rope and save you. But I suppose you take what you get.
I’ve been very interested in seeing Elizabethtown since I first saw the trailers. This is one of those movies where I thought it came out two weeks ago and then was really disapointed when it didn’t. Then I thought it came out again last week and was disapointed again. I really need to read the one-sheet posters for release dates much closer.
I’m excited pretty much because any movie with Cameron Crowe’s name on it is a "must-see" in my book. Between Say Anything…, Singles and Almost Famous, the man’s bitter-sweet storytelling hits me right where I live. I can do without Jerry Maguire and Vanilla Sky, but that’s why pencils have erasers, right?
I found it curious to learn that Crowe had Bloom in mind from the onset as his protagonist. When it looked like Bloom couldn’t do the role, he brought on another man pretty up-and-comer Ashton Kutcher to fill the role. I think this would have made the movie much less interesting for me. Good think Crowe thought Kutcher didn’t have any chemistry with Kirsten Dunst and fired him. Then again, cardboard boxes have more chemistry than Kirsten Dunst, so maybe it was just wish fulfillment on Crowe’s part to dump Kutcher when Bloom became available.
Elizabethtown is interesting in that I think it provides Bloom an opportunity to prove something he hasn’t tried before. That’s always exciting.
:: switching gears ::
I would be remiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to again mention that I will stop selling all t-shirts, hoodies and baby doll tees from the store on October 31. Leave a note here now means that it will stay up until Monday. That’s what they call "saturation," kids.
At any rate, three of the designs will be retired forever. So if you want "Under Construction," "Emerging" or "Truman in a Purse" now is the time to get them. After the 31st, the won’t be available ever again!
As for the other shirts – they’ll come back at some point, I just don’t know when. So maybe you’re thinking someone might enjoy a "Spoiler" t-shirt for a November birthday or maybe for the holidays. Best to grab them now because I don’t know if I can make them available by then.
I need to let you know that part of the reason I’m closing off this section of the store is so I can get caught up on orders. But the bigger reason is so I can begin work on a new book collecting the first year of Theater Hopper strips.
I’m having some trouble trying to decide how to distribute the information. Whether it’s one large book about 180 pages and retailing for $20 or splitting the content into two volumes of 90 pages each with the release dates spaced apart and retailing for $10.
There has been some debate about it in the THorum with more specifics than I can get into here. There is also a poll attached. I’d love to hear your feedback if you consider yourself someone interested in buying a Theater Hopper book. If you’re not comfortable posting in the THorum, I am also receptive to e-mails.
Thanks.
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Since I don’t have much in terms of content to deliver to you guys today, I wanted to take a moment to draw your attention to my good friend Beefy.
Beefy is a prominent member of the Theater Hopper online community affectionately referred to as the THorum. Beefy also has quite a talent for words set to music. Otherwise known as "rapping" to all the kids. I hear it’s quite popular.
Beefy is a musician at the forefront of the emerging nerd-core scene. Chances are if you hang out on the internet with any regularity, love Star Wars and comic books, his new EP "Nerd" will be right up your alley.
Maybe you’re the type of person who appreciates "phat" rhymes and "tight" beats. Well, in that case, Beefy’s EP will be right up your alley, too.
Support my good friend Beefy. He’s got some great songs for you to listen to and they don’t cost a lot of dough. I know he would appreciate your support so he can continue to produce his original sound and bring it to the world.
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I’m getting a lot of feedback from people about my Doom commentary today. They’re forwarding me on to behind the scenes reports that indicate that many of the monsters we’ll see on screen are, in fact, NOT CGI and are actually complicated costumes, puppetry and animatronics.
As taken from GameSpy.com…
One of the ironies of the DOOM movie is that, for a film based on a video game, there’s a concerted effort to use real sets and live characters, rather than relying too heavily on green screens and CGI. On our visit, we had a chance to visit several different sets: a reception area, your standard-issue corridors and hallways, a science lab, an excavation dig and a large portal chamber…
Almost as surreal is getting to see one of the creatures in action – in this case, we’re seeing a sequence with the Hellknight (bring referred to here as the Baron). Once again, this isn’t being done with CGI — it’s a real guy in a real costume. It’s not a cheesy rubber outfit, either; it’s an elaborate setup with all sorts of motors in the face to control the creature’s expressions.
Color me surprised! I wouldn’t have figured the producers of the film to be in synch with my concerns with the blow-em-up fare, but considering the marketing I’ve seen for the movie, I think my original assessment was valid.
Literally every trailer, commercial or photo I’ve seen for Doom seems to feature some kind of CGI gimmickry. That footage in conjunction with the fantastic, impossible creatures in the Doom monster gallery would lead one to believe the creature shop would choose CGI over practical effects. Getting that initial taste and not feeling particularly attracted to the project, I didn’t take the time to dig deeper and learn that it is Stan Winston’s studio who is behind the monster creation.
For those of you who don’t know Stan Winston, you can see his trademark for character design all over films like The Terminator, Predator, Aliens, Edward Scissorhands and Jurrasic Park. The guy has serious pedigree.
Does this mean that I’m more likely to see Doom this weekend? Probably not. But in light of these facts, I think it’s earned a little more respect.
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I want to make sure that everyone knows that this is the last week for you guys to buy any t-shirts, hoodies or baby-doll tees from the store. Come October 31, I’m closing that part of the store down.
"Truman in a Purse," "Under Construction" and "Emerging" are all designs that are going to be retired. So after next Monday, that’s it. You won’t see them ever again.
As far as the other designs, I’m not sure when I’m going to bring them back. Maybe they’ll be back by the end of the year, maybe not. Once I wrap things up on Monday, I’m shifting focus into producing a book for Theater Hopper that collects the first year of strips. I can’t manage the distraction of ordering and distributing shirts, which is the reason behind this closure.
Additionally, I think I want to explore other options in terms of how the store is set up. I’m talking on the back end here. The coding. The method by which money and order details are delivered to yours truly. So I’ll have to do some research on that and it’s going to take time.
Lastly, when I eventually bring it all back online, I want there to be some new designs in there for you to choose from rather than peddling the same old wares. I want you to have something to look forward to. Save your money now.
Ultimately, all of this is going to take time. So take advantage of this last-chance opportunity. Place your orders today.
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Wanted to tip you guys off to some good links worth checking out.
First, be sure to visit our newest sponsor Chuck & Elmo. It’s a fun comic and features characters who can talk to squirrels! How can it fail?
Also be sure to check out Taking the Bi-Pass. My good friend Dave is helping to do some coding work on the site right now and I wanted to repay him with some advertising. It was an easy decision to make since I’ve been a fan of Dave’s comic since he started. It’s very good. ENJOY IT!
Lastly, if you’re a gamer, you’re probably familiar with the whole debacle that has pitted Florida lawyer Jack Thompson against seminal gaming web comic Penny Arcade. If you are unfamiliar, the story is probably way to long to go into here.
But at any rate, if you’re following along, my good friend Monk over at Digital Entertainment News scored quite the "get" and was able to sit down with Mr. Thompson for an extended interview.
The interview doesn’t cover the controversy with Penny Arcade, but covers some of the finer details of Jack’s arguments against the gaming industry and it’s marketing practices. Typically Thompson’s bombastic tactics and palpable contempt for his adversaries obscure the work he’s actually trying to accomplish. This interview does a good job of pulling back the veneer and gets to the heart of what motivates this guy to tackle the billion dollar gaming industry head-on.
So it’s clear, I’m not a fan of Jack Thompson. I think he’s a huckster of the highest order. An ambulance chaser building notoriety for himself by standing a top the corpses of violence and somehow trying to tie it to the gaming industry.
But at the same time, I am very much interested in understanding the mechanics of my enemy. I think too many people see Jack’s action as an assault against their pastime – and it is! But instead of shouting the guy down or making fun of him outright, try for a minute to crawl inside his head space. Figure out what makes him tick. What are his motivations?
An interview like this helps to do that.
If you’re a gamer and this issue is of interest to you, please read. If motivated to do so, please share it with others. Thanks.
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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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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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First things first. Today is the VERY LAST DAY that you can order t-shirts, hoodies and baby-doll tees. At
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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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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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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