I don’t know if this strip is going to make any sense to anyone who hasn’t yet seen The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, but after watching the movie and complaining I didn’t have any ideas for a strip, Cami came up with the outline for this one and I thought I should run with it.

The Life Aquatic is littered with all sorts of fantastic (albeit fictional) sea creatures. Everything from the Crayon Pony Fish, Sugar Crabs and Rhinestone Bluefins to the mythical Jaguar Shark. Several lizards, fish and frogs also crop up in the movie.

All of the creatures were designed by Henry Selick and brought to life using stop-motion animation. As gimmicky as the premise sounds, it’s nice to see some handmade special effects instead of the plastic sheen of CGI.

You’ve probably seen Selick’s work before but didn’t know it. He directed Monkeybone, James and the Giant Peach, and much-beloved The Nightmare Before Christmas.

It always kind of cheesed me off that Tim Burton got so much credit for TNBC when really he was just one of the writers and producers. All of the magic in that film sprung from Selick’s hands.

At any rate, for another sample of his work, check out The Life Aquatic. His input is brief, but richly designed. A shining example of a dying art form.

We’re closing in on the end of the year, which seems impossible to me. But I’m looking forward to 2005. I don’t want to tip too much of my hand, but I plan on making some big changes to Theater Hopper in the New Year. A new year, a new direction!

Don’t worry. The site will still be about movies and the characters you’ve come to know will remain the same. It’s basically a change in the way I approach storytelling. In August of ’05, I will have been doing this for 3 years. I figure it was time to start acting like I know what I’m doing.

I know you’re pocket books are probably still suffering from the holiday, but if you have any leftover cash, don’t forget to pre-order a shirt, baby doll or hoodie. You have until January 7 and then I’ll probably close the store for a little while. No real reason other than so I can catch up on orders. I’m also planning on unveiling some NEW merchandise in the New Year, so keep your eyes peeled for that!