Yesterday The Lord of the Rings Trillogy: Limited Edition DVDs landed on shelves. Apparently there was some great demand for another DVD collection of these movies that are no less than three years old. This time around, they compile the theatrical editions along with the extended editions. But for a limited time! This is what we call "quadruple dipping." Seriously, Peter Jackson is getting worse than that George Lucas fellow.



I'm not going to buy these DVDs. I was able to grab all three of the LotR Platinum Extended Collector's Gift Set Editions from Deep Discount DVD in late spring for about tweny bucks a piece. Can't really beat that deal. It cost as much as the newly collected trillogy and I got some cool statues out of it to boot!



Not too much else to report today. It looks like you guys are really responding to the Theater Hopper: Year One Labor Day Sale. Remember, all copies of "Theater Hopper: Year One" are $15 through September 3! All proceeds go toward the production of "Theater Hopper: Year Two" to help shorten the pre-order period!



A few of you who pre-ordered the book earlier in the year have expressed dismay that you aren't in the running for the lottery give-away of this fine, hand-crafted Truman doll made by my lovely wife Cami. Don't worry. We've heard your plea. Cami plans on making 6 MORE DOLLS to be given away in a similar fashion when the pre-order for "Theater Hopper: Year Two" comes around. We've got our eye on September 6 to start taking pre-orders for the next book, so start saving your money now!



It appears that a bunch of the pre-orders of Year One are finally starting to make it to their new homes and I've been getting great feedback all week. I want to give a big thank you to everyone who has written in with their kind words. People are telling me that they've been really impressed with the quality of the book. Several people have told me that they read through it all in one-sitting! They couldn't put it down! Others still complimented the brand-new commentary on each strip and shared that they thought it added great value to the book.



However the most consistent feedback I've heard is how much my art has improved since the early days and those are the compliments I appreciate the most. I've really made an effort to grow and learn new things. I don't feel like there has ever been a period that I could point a finger to and say "Here is where everything lept forward." I think it's been a consistent evolution. For others to come back and say the same thing is very gratifying.



If you've gotten your copy of "Year One" and would like to share feedback, I strongly encourage you to do so. A few of you have given me GREAT ideas to incorporate into "Year Two." One friend mentioned that he missed not seeing the original publication dates of the strips. Another suggested that I create an index of all the movies discussed or parodied during the period the book covers. Both of these features will be included in "Year Two." So if you have thoughts, send them in.



Incidentally, I tried doing something new with the shading in today's comic. I haven't decided if it works or not, but I feel it cleans things up a little. I've also been lightening up my line work and have eliminated the heavier strokes from the left side of the characters. If you have opinions about these changes, I would love to hear them!



Talk to you guys soon! Spread the word about the book sale, won't you?

 I took a step back from all the controversy generated from the last three strips and decided to have a little fun with it. I felt both sides were starting to take themselves a little too seriously and I just wanted to put a fork in it.



So that's it. That's all I have to say about Snakes On A Plane. What's next?



Oh, I thought you guys might get a kick out of this photo:

It's the very last of the Theater Hopper: Year One pre-orders. I sat down this weekend and cranked out a TON of sketches. Over 80 in all, I think. What can I say? I wanted this off my plate!



I was able to do a handful of orders before these and those people who placed their orders the earliest are seeing their books in the mail this week. I actually got a very nice write up from Jacob over at the web comic Blue Sky. Here's an exerpt:

Of course this being a collection of the first year the art isn't as refined as what you see on his site today, but that's not really much of an issue because it's the writing that sells it. And since I'm on the art anyway, the cover is perfect for this type of webcomic and I loved the backcover when it turned the book over. Perfect.

It was a really nice review and Jacob actually gave me some ideas for "Theater Hopper: Year Two." If you'd like to read the rest of his comments, please visit Blue Sky.



Incidentally, if you've gotten your copy of the book, please send me your feedback. I'm very interested to hear what worked and what didn't. I'm fast-tracking "Theater Hopper: Year Two" so I can debut it at Wizard World Dallas in November, so I want to try an integrate as many suggestions as I can!



For example, my good friend Daniel over at Digital Entertainment News got his copy and told me he really enjoyed it. The one thing he thought was missing was the original date of publication on the strips. I honestly never would have thought of that and it's a valuable suggestion! So please, write in with your opinions! I'm interested in hearing from you!



Something else that's going on over at Digital Entertainment News is a contest that Daniel wanted me to talk to you about. Right now he has 5 copies of a PS2 game to give away called Brave. The contest runs until September 8, but Daniel is encouraging everyone to get their entries in early. He has ANOTHER contest that he's running on Friday that's so secret, he can't tell me about it! Good stuff!



If you want to enter for a chance to win a copy of Brave, click here and submit your information!



In regards to the mailing of the books, I've been visiting the post office every day and sending out about 10 at a time. So, hopefully I'll be done sending out everything I have by next week. So the very last person to get their book domestically will probably see it the last week in August. International orders will take a little longer. You guys might not see your books until mid to late September. I know some of you have been waiting since April and that's a really long time. So I appreciate everyone's patience. I think you'll be very happy with what is being sent to you and now I can take what I've learned from this experience and use it to turn around "Theater Hopper: Year Two" even faster. There will be a MUCH shorter waiting period the second time around and I hope I can count on your support. A hearty "Thank you!" to everyone who has shown their support thus far!.



That's all for the time being. I hope you enjoyed today's comic!

I'm starting to get a little static in the THorum for what has developed into my anti-Snakes On A Plane agenda. I don't care. I'm like a hound dog with a bone. You're not gonna shake this lose. If there were people out there declaring themselves hard-core S.O.A.P. fans before it hit theaters, I'm allowed to have a dissenting opinion and declare it overhyped. I don't need to see it to have that opinion confirmed. It's poor box office speaks for itself.



Snakes On A Plane did $15 million this weekend. It's nothing to sneeze at, I suppose. Especially considering the overall downturn of American box office tallies. But at the same time, for a film that's been hyped since February - adopted as the internet's love child -  $15 million doesn't impress me.



It'll make it's budget back and I'm sure it'll live in infamy as the first big-budget Hollywood movie to be both influenced by and spin the overwhelming interest of the internet to it's advantage. In that respect, it will be a success. A miniscule triumph of marketing over content.



But Snakes On A Plane could have been so much more! Y'see... that's what you guys don't understand about my criticisms. I criticisize because I love!



If New Line had left well enough alone and released S.O.A.P. when interest was at a fever pitch, they could have had a monster on their hands. What people overlook is that the movie wrapped in September of 2005. Word started to leak in February of 2006 and by the time the internet got a hold of it by April, ironic hipsters were in a frenzy. Two months later the mainstream media got a hold of it and the whole country was primed.



New Line should have released S.O.A.P in June. They could have been the forerunner of the '06 blockbuster season. The biggest, dumbest B-movie that America would have fallen head over heels for since Armageddon. In June of '06, I was READY to see this movie. I was right there with the rest of you!



But then, like a gallon of milk set out in the hot summer sun, it spoiled. It was overhyped and I lost interest. I got tired of waiting!



Clearly the five week reshoot to add more "rated R" material didn't help it. A $15 million dollar opening weekend communicates only one thing - that the internet interest in a film doesn't translate into a box office success. If I was someone who went to the effort of making a parody song or poster, invested all this time believing that the movie was going to be the best thing since sliced bread... I would feel a little used.



I mean, didn't you get the sense from reading all of these blogs and visiting all of these web sites that talked about how great S.O.A.P. was going to bewere in it partially to show that the internet has real-world influence? That we're not just sitting in our basements, firing off angry diatribes at Ain't It Cool News and leaking screenplays to CHUD? That we actually CONTRIBUTE to the filmmaking process somehow? Then the film does $15 million in it's first weekend after nearly HALF A YEAR of buildup and the influence of the internet is revealed to be  a paper tiger.



For someone like myself who communicates his art primiarily through the internet, I can understand why having a dissenting opinion would be unpopular. It smacks of biting the hand that feeds you. And I understand that I'm being harsh by declaring the movie "over" without even seeing it. But I have a real issue with being hoodwinked by marketing - organic, viral or otherwise and in this instance, I didn't want to play into it. I don't mind having my strings pulled from time to time. Just don't let me see the hands of the puppeteer.



I could be all wrong about S.O.A.P. Friends I've talked to says it delivers exactly what you want it to. A million different death-by-snake scenarios and an entertaining ride. Maybe word-of-mouth will spur an incredible comeback at the box office for the second week. Who knows? But I think, ultimately, it'll end up being a big cult film on DVD and by next month most people will have forgotten completely about it.



When you think about it, is that so bad? I mean, hipsters would have made this movie their own regardless of the hype. This time around they got a wild hair up their rear and tried to spread their enthusiasm to the mainstream. They failed, but that's nothing to be ashamed of.