The events of today's comic actually happened to us in real-life when Cami and I saw The Last Kiss a few weeks ago. There were maybe three or four teenage girls sitting behind us and they would NOT SHUT UP. Cami told me that one of them even placed a call outside of the theater with her cell phone at one point.



I think it's understandable if you unexpectedly get a phone call when you're in a movie theater. Sure, it's distracting. But usually the person fumbles around for a second before switching it off. It's slightly more rude if that person takes the call and starts gabbing away. But you're in a completely different realm of inconsiderate behavior when you proactively take out your phone and CALL SOMEONE ELSE while other people are trying to watch the movie.



Whenever we're at the movies and someone is talking, I tend not to notice it. Mostly because I'm so engrossed in the film, but partly because I don't hear very well due to years of overexposure to THX sound systems. Just kidding. It's just that I don't notice.



In this case, however, these girls were really distracting. Every few minutes Cami would turn and look at me and then roll her eyes. Eventually - like I did in the comic - I asked her if she wanted me to do somehing about it. And - just like in the comic - she said no. She feared being embarassed by me calling these girls out on their lack of consideration.



I thought it over for a little bit and decided to ignore her protest. During a quiet part of the movie when most everyone could hear them talking loudly, I threw my arm over my chair and said, "HEY! SHUT UP!"



It worked like a charm. They didn't make a peep the rest of the movie.



I'm not boasting. I also know exactly what that feels like. There have been times in movie theaters where strangers have told me to shut up. This was mostly during the time when I was a teenager and was really into Mystery Science Theater 3000. It's moritifying to be publicly scolded like that. But I'll tell you what - it really makes you think twice before acting up again.



I think that encounters like these are becoming more and more frequent. With the advent of DVD technology, larger televisions and more powerful home theater systems, people seem to be confusing the confines of their living rooms with public movie screens more and more these days. I didn't take any great pleasure from telling these girls to shut their pie holes. Well, okay. Maybe a little. But just like in the comic, it was very rewarding when Cami acknowledged how I stood up to them - her earlier protests having since evaporated

 As you can probably imagine, this week has been nuts. So I'm going to keep this short.



Response to the article in Juice has been excellent! Lots of people sending messages of support. It feels great to know there are so many people behind me!



I posted my first comic and blog over at the Juice web site. If you're looking for a more in-depth explaination as to how this wonderful opportunity fell into my lap, answers can be found there. I've already gotten some feedback from a local establishment who wants to put on an art show featuring my work in November! It would be perfect timing. By then I would have copies of "Theater Hopper: Year Two" back from the printer.



Which reminds me, I need to name the winner of the second week hand-made Truman doll give away!

Congratulations to Elaine Brady and Cary Gordon. These two won based on a random draw on orders submitted between Wednesday, September 13 and Tuesday, September 19. I'll be sending your prizes in the mail this Saturday!



Our pre-order period is coming to a close next week - Friday, September 29. That means two things. 1). This is your last chance to win the last remaining hand-made Truman doll and 2.) our pre-order period is coming to a close. We've just about made it to the half-way point with our sales drive, so let's not give up now! Remember, this is the money we need to take "Theater Hopper: Year Two" to the publisher!



If you don't want to buy a copy of the book, you can help in other way. Take for example the excellent gaming site Digital Entertainment News. The advertising they purchased to the right of the comic (at a very reasonable rate, I might ad) goes toward the overall sales drive. Obviously they are very generous and should be rewarded with many clicks on their ad and multiple visits to their site!



Or what about Dustin Brants who already pre-ordered his copy of "Year Two" but donated extra money just for the heck of it! That's a classy move in anyone's book. Thank you, Dustin!



If nothing else, help to spread the word about Theater Hopper and our next book and you've done your part. If you tell five friends, they'll tell five friends, and eventually we'll end up with an overtly preachy movie starring Kevin Spacey and Halely Joel Osment! Good times for all!



You can get started with this good-will campaign by heading over to the Juice blogs and letting them know just how awesome you think Theater Hopper is!



In the meantime, I'm holding out hope that we'll be seeing Jackass: Number Two sometime this weekend, but it looks like we have plans both Friday and Saturday night. All I know is that even though I wasn't the biggest fan of the television show, watching the first Jackass movie in a packed theater on opening night was probably one of the most enjoyable community theater going experiences I've ever had. Everyone was hooting, hollering and groaning at the same time. I can only imagine the sequel will be more of the same and that's exactly what I want!



If I'm not at the movies or hanging out with friends this weekend, you can bet I'll be going gonzo on putting the finishing touches on "Theater Hopper: Year Two." I have a few more finishing touches before it goes off to the printer next Friday. Wish me luck and have a great weekend!

I'm not exactly sure what point I'm trying to make with today's comic. Certainly The Last Kiss has a lot more to contend with than Zach Braff's eco-friendly policies.



I don't know what it was about that damn car that set me off. But it morphed into a symbol - a metaphor for everyone who self-aggrandizes their actions without ever earning the right to do so. I don't mean to make this a rant about the benefits of hybrid technology. But since Garden State, Braff's persona has become neatly entwined with that of "Mr. Sensitive Everyman" and I just started to look at that Prius and wished he was driving a Ford.



I had high hopes for The Last Kiss and was left woefully dissapointed. Maybe. I don't know yet. It's been three days and I'm still mulling over it in my head. So maybe it got to me. And that's a good thing. Good movies should stick with you.



Yet, at the same time, it's difficult to enjoy the movie because all of the characters - and I mean ALL of them - are walking around with their head's totally screwed on backwards. The men make irrational decisions based loosely on this notion that they're loosing their freedom - whatever that means. And the woman are all hysterical over-reacting harpies who didn't find a situation they couldn't solve through excessive screaming or crying. It's like the genders have been reduced to their most basic sterotypes and have positioned themselves for our entertainment set to the most heartfelt indie songs imaginable!



If you don't know the plot of The Last Kiss, at it's core it seems to be about trust. Zach Braff has a girlfriend who is three months pregnant. The marriage issue is at arm's length. Then one day, he decides to have an affair with a college-aged raccoon. Oh, my mistake. That's Rachel Bilson wearing too much eye make-up.



I'm sorry. But if you're going to cheat on your girlfriend, why would you pick Rachel Bilson? Maybe it's a personal preference, but every time she showed up on screen, I cringed. Terrible, terrible actress.



At any rate, the motivation behind Braff's actions are totally 5th grade. "I was scared. I freaked out." The kind of nebulous "I don't know" answer your little brother gives you when he melts down all your army men with a magnifying glass. Please. These are people who are not meant to be in serious relationships. Even when he confronts himself and questions what he's doing, he can't explain it. Maybe this is supposed to be ambiguous in order to demonstrate that people aren't always rational - and I get that. But there still has to be something that motivates him to cheat on his girlfriend. I mean, at least the wife of Casey Affleck's character seemed to abuse him and treat him like a total idiot the whole time. At least he had a reason to leave his wife - however tenuous.



I guess I ended up taking the movie personally because I have very little patience for those who treat the emotions of others so carelessly without provication. If Braff's character was so petrified that his life had become predictable, the least rational solution is to take the most drastic action and trample all over the trust of a good woman. Take up guitar lessons. Hey, here's a thought! SHARE your concerns with your partner! I understand there are people like this in the world and things are never black and white. But there are about a million steps between fidelity and betrayal that could have been explored before Braff's character embarked on a totally selfish act.



Seeing The Last Kiss upset me a lot and it puts me in a weird position. I would rather have a reaction than not. I wasn't bothered that the characters were unlikeable or that the movie didn't tie up all the loose ends in a bright, happy bow. Frankly, there aren't ENOUGH movies like this right now. But the execution was half-baked. Give better reasons why the characters are so unpleasant and if you're going to go the unresolved route, leave Braff on that doorstep wondering with the rest of us if his relationship will ever be repaired. The crack of light the ending leaves open totally undoes the 15 minutes that proceeded it.



If you're going to put the audience through the wringer, teach me something valuable. The movie doesn't teach me anything because these are lessons I already know. Trust your partner. Share your feelings. Don't screw around. It's basic human decency.