Archive for ‘Blog’
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There’s going to be a delay getting the comic up today. We’re having some problem with our hosting provider right now. Basically, I can’t upload anything to the site and I don’t know why. I get an error message through Dreamweaver saying that it can’t synch up with the server clock. Then I get an FTP error saying the file I’m trying to upload either doesn’t exist or there is a permissions problem. If any of you guys have an idea why this might be, drop me a line.
Of course, I learn that the server is all screwed up yesterday when I tried to upload a change to the book order page. I was getting the same errors, and like an idiot, thought, "We’ll, I’ll delete the file from the server and try uploading it again!" No go. Now there’s no book order page. Super.
Hopefully, we’ll have this problem fixed soon and you can get the conclusion to the Benbot storyline.
While I have your attention, I want to say thanks to a few people who have helped get the word out on the book. First, thanks to Scott over at VG Cats for including a blurb in his blog. Also thanks to Zach from Joe and Monkey for putting one of our banners up on his site. I really appreciate it, buddy! And last, but not least, thanks to Fenris over at Aikida for also mentioning the book.
I’ll have more to say about the book with today’s comic update, but I wanted to make sure these guys were recognized for helping me get this off the ground! Thanks, guys!
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Something I totally forgot to do about a week or so ago when I added them was to draw everyone’s attention to our newest sponsor Realm Media.
Realm Media is a great video game review site and discussion blog with lots of focus on the upcoming next gen systems. I don’t usually have a lot of extra cash to spend on video games. Truthfully, I play about three a year. But I’ve been a gamer since the NES 8-bit days and I like to keep up on what’s current. Realm Media is an excellent place to go for up-to-the-minute information. I strongly encourage you to check it out.
Apologies to the good folks at Realm Media for not mentioning you guys in the blog sooner. I’ve been real distracted with this book pre-sale!
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Holy crap!
I had so much big news to share about the book and the sponsors, I totally forgot to tell you guys that I am in dire need of guest comics!
Remember how I was talking about Cami using the computer for her Accounting final? Well, that’s because on May 14, she’s graduating with her Masters degree in Public Administration!
As part of that celebration, Cami and I are spending what little money we had left over from the last two years and going to Europe with it. We’ve both been to Europe on our own, but this will be the first time we’ve gone together. From May 18 to May 31, we’re going to Barcelona, Nice and Rome. It’s a dream come true and it significantly marks one chapter of our lives ending while turning the page on a new chapter.
As such, since we’ll be away for so long, I really need someone to help me mind the store. In other words, I need guest strips.
If you’re interested in contributing, I think it would be really worth your while. I have some ad purchase lined up with some pretty big web comics that is going to drive a lot of traffic to this end of the internet. So I’m sure you’ll get a little extra exposure from that since I plan on crediting everyone accordingly.
Please send me your guest strips as soon as possible to theaterhopper@hotmail.com
Thanks in advance for your help!
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Oh, in case you weren’t familiar with the X-Men 3 clip that’s being referenced in the punchline in today’s comic, click here. It’ll help to make a little more sense out of things.
Of course, if you were a huge comic book nerd like I am, you would then see exactly what’s wrong with the clip and it would make EVEN MORE sense!
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I just wanted to say something really quickly about the book pre-orders before I talk about today’s guest strip.
Tomorrow Cami and I are going on vacation. It’s a long one. We won’t be back until May 30. When we get back, we have less than two weeks to really drive home pre-orders to meet the minimum requirement we need to be able to pay the printer. The deadline in June 11.
You guys were really great about placing your orders last week when I mentioned the deadline, so I want to mention it again. I’ve also posted a new graphic to the right of the comic that outlines EXACTLY what we need to make this a success.
If you’re thinking about buying the book, please do so now. How awesome would it be if Cami and I came back from vacation and found 225 pre-orders in my mailbox? That would be pretty flipping sweet!
So, once again, I stress that I need your help. You know the reasons why. Time is running out.
For those of you who have already placed your orders, you guys are awesome and I really appreciate your support. The time is drawing near. It won’t be long now until you get your copy delivered to your hot little hands!
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Hey, guys. Tom here, back from vacation and back with some important news.
On Sunday the pre-order for our first book "Theater Hopper: Year One" will come to a close. If you’ve been visiting the front page and monitoring the tally, you can see that we’re currently 211 orders shy of our goal. Remember that the money from the pre-sale went toward the production of the larger print run.
I’m not optimistic that 211 orders will come flooding into my inbox before Sunday, but I’ve come too far to let this die on the vine and I still really want to see this book happen.
So what does this mean? It means that despite the lack of orders, the book is still going forward. However, I have to cut the number of books I had planned on ordering, which raises the cost per book and cuts into my profit margin. That’s unfortunate because the profits from this book is what I planned to bankroll the second book, shortening the pre-order period.
What doubly sucks is that even with the lower print run, I still have to pay considerable expenses out of my own pocket to make up the difference. My hope is that once the books are completed and I have them in hand, another wave of orders will come in and I’ll make some of that money back. But there are no assurances in life, as I thought getting a few hundred pre-orders was pretty reasonable.
But things don’t have to be that bad. If you’re thinking that you want a copy of the book, PLEASE DON’T WAIT. PRE-ORDER TODAY. You’ll be helping me more than you know.
For those of you who have already places your orders – THANK YOU. I appreciate your generosity and support. If you can help to spread the word about the pre-order deadline or convince your friends to pre-order a copy, that would be great.
I’m still trying to decide if I bit off more than I could chew or if I planned poorly. Looking back, I don’t think there’s much more I could have done in terms of promotion or advertising to get the word out. So now, it’s all in your hands. I’ve shown my cards. You know that the book is going forward whether you pre-order or if you don’t. But hopefully you recognize the financial stakes for me personally and pre-order a copy of the book before Sunday to help lessen the burden.
If you can’t afford to pre-order right now. I totally understand and I don’t mean to guilt you. This call to action is for those of you who want to buy a book but are waiting for them to be published. My goal is to motivate you NOT to wait.
Until then, your continued support of the site is very much appreciated and I thank each and every one of you who make Theater Hopper a stop in their browser every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I consider myself exceptionally lucky that I’ve been able to make it this far on what is otherwise a hobby.
It’s good to be back. I’ve missed you guys.
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Hey, guys. If you have 10 minutes, do you think you could answer a few demographic questions for this survey? Nothing complicated and we’re not sharing your personal information with anyone else. It’s basically some information gathering to help fine-tune certain aspects of the site for better performance.
I appreciate your help!
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Some of you guys have written in and asked me "What’s up with the spelling in panel three?" Some of you are asking "Was it intentional?"
A short preface: If you read Joe’s blogs, LiveJournal entries or forum posts, he’s… a little lax with the spelling. Hey! I’m not one to judge. I’m a terrible speller, too! But when people read Wednesday’s comic, some people wondered if I was maybe having a little fun at his expense.
The answer is "Not intentionally."
I was pretty much trying to find something for Joe to say in the third panel that would rile Tom up enough to display his tattoo in a threatening manner. I actually bounced a few ideas off of Joe because I didn’t want to write his "voice" in an incincere manner. Eventually I just decided to copy one of his posts from the LiveJournal thread I was talking about earlier and let that speak for itself.
Of course, it was so late when I was putting the comic together, I didn’t notice any of the spelling errors at all! See what I mean when I say I’m not a great speller, either?
Anyway, more and more people started to notice and Joe himself saw what he had written. Ultimately, we decided it was funnier just to leave it in. Funnier for us at least.
I know the comic plays a little inside, but if you can amuse yourself from time to time, what’s the point?
I just didn’t want you to think that it was ME who was the terrible speller. Even though I’ve been guilty of that crime many times!
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It’s been interesting to read some of the e-mails and reactions to today’s comic. I must say, I don’t think there’s anything I’ve ever done that’s generated as much response as the "Not Gay" seat.
I’m not complaining, mind you. The fact that people are talking about it and e-mailing me shows that you care!
A lot of people have written in to tell me that I am only exposing one side of the story. "There is another reason men aren’t sitting next to each other!" they say. Over the course of the day, these arguments have formed into what I like to call "The Double Armrest Theory."
Some people say that if they go to a movie with their buddies and the theater is packed, they have no problem pulling up a chair next to them. But if there is room to spread out, why not take advantage of it? You get two armrests and you’re not squished together.
I can understand this line of logic. I certainly wouldn’t begrudge anyone their personal space. But, like everything in life, it’s all about context. Through m y particular filter – and based partially off the experience I shared earlier – if one was to go to the effort of going to a movie with a friend and then sitting away from that person during said activity… Well, it just seems kind of rude to me. Sort of like going to lunch with somone, but sitting at another table. In the "Not Gay" movie theater example, I think the fact that it’s only one chair that separates people who clearly arrived together only further emphasises the situation. If you REALLY valued your personal space, you’d sit two or three rows back. Or, more resourcefully, not arrived with anyone at all.
Some of the feedback I’ve gotten has been somewhat defensive. I should probably mention that all of it has come from guys. Look, fellas. I didn’t mean to put any of you on the spot. I certainly didn’t mean to suggest that because you appreciate a little elbow room that you might be a homophobe. So if it makes you feel any better, look at my explaination as a critique on manners and not on the paranoia of sexual orientation. Tossing in the whole "Not Gay" moniker was just a clever spin on what seems to be an otherwise everyday occurance in movie theaters around the globe. Maybe if you framed it within the context of Dave Barry’s essay about the Every Other Urinal Rule will the concept come into clearer focus.
Whatever your opinion, it’s clear that I’ve touched a nerve with today’s comic and of that I’m proud. If I can find universal themes within the context of the movie-going experience for you guys to enjoy, then I feel I’ve really done my job. Thanks for your letters and keep sending them in!
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A quick post this morning before I come back with more.
Before you ask, yes the bi-plane in the background is a direct reference to Homestar Runner.
Don’t ask me why I threw it in there. I just thought it would be funny, I guess.
I’ll be back later in the afternoon with more!
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