If you’ve been visiting this site for the last four years (and bless you if you have), you might remember the storyline where I introduced Charlie as an additional female voice to the cast.
If you were REALLY paying attention, you might have remembered an exchange between Tom and Jimmy in the story line’s B-plot where Jimmy revealed something very personal about himself: He’s afraid to go into the women’s restroom.
I inserted that personal detail into that story line for a specific reason and with the intention of revisiting it in another story line sometime later.
Well, four years later, here we are.
It’s been a while since I’ve attempted a longer story line or made an effort to flesh out the characters a little more.
It’s kind of hard to flesh out Tom, Cami or Jared because they’re avatars for real people and I don’t want to dive into some kind of backstory inconsistent with their actual lives. It just causes confusion.
So Jimmy, Victor and Charlie become the tools that I experiment with and, in the process, you get to learn a little more about the background characters.
One of the reasons I wanted to tackle a longer story line again was because I’ve really been enjoying Questionable Content and Anders Loves Maria lately and, frankly, I’ve been jealous. Writing an engaging story is one of my weaker muscles. I have to flex it every now and again before it atrophies.
But probably the biggest reasons I wanted to give it another go is because I recently wrapped up work on Theater Hopper – Year Three.
The book covers my work from 2004 to 2005 and during that period I wrote both the “Jimmy Loses His Job” story line as well as “Meet Charlie.” That was a very successful period for me both in terms of the site’s popularity and my satisfaction artistically. So I’m going to see if I can’t try and put lightning in a bottle for a third time.
What can you expect from this story line? Well, obviously, we’ll explore the reasons why Jimmy is afraid of going into the women’s restroom. But the reasons why will shock you. In revealing his past, you’ll come to understand more clearly why he is the good-natured doormat he is today.
On that note I’d like to mention that Theater Hopper – Year Three is now available for pre-sale in the store. The book has not yet been published. To gauge demand, it is available for pre-sale until February 28. My goal is to have them printed up to take to the Emerald City Comicon in the first week of April. So if you order a book today, you can expect to see it by then.
As I mentioned before, the book has two of our my most prominent story lines as part of its collection of nearly 150 strips. Every comic includes brand new commentary that explores things behind-the-scenes.
The book also features 139 original sketches – collected here for the first time – and a forward from Joe Dunn of Joe Loves Crappy Movies.
I’ve prepared a 10-page preview of the book that will give you an idea of how the comics and commentary are laid out along with the front and back cover.
I am selling the book for $15.00, but if you are looking to save money, please consider bundling your purchase. Order and two books and receive $5.00 off the cover price. Order any three books and receive $7.50 off the cover price.
This book has been a long time coming and I’m pleased to finally offer it to everyone. I think it represents some of my best work and hope you enjoy it.
What? No! I mean, isn't that Cecil's job?
I sent Cecil to buy a new light bulb for the projector.
You need to clean the women's lavatory.
Heh! Uhh... I want to be a team player and help out where I can, but I actually had an arrangement with the previous manager?
Y'see, I don't go into the women's restroom because, one time, I ran into this girl and...
If I wear my 3D glasses, will Tom poke my eye out?
That’s my hope. Well, I don’t hope that you get your eye poked out. But my hope is that the 3D effect works.
Actually, something I forgot to do was order a bunch of 3D glasses to bundle with the sale of the book. That was an idea I had in the back of my head while I was putting it together.
Thanks for reminding me!
I can’t wait to see why Jimmy won’t go into the women’s restroom. I have been reading Theater Hopper for a few years now and Jimmy is one of my favourite characters. I remember after reading the comic that introduced that trying to guess what the reasons might me. Now I will get to see if I am right (I doubt it though, I never manage to correctly guess the way a story line is going).
I just picked up a good handful of #D glasses from a Sobe stand meant for the Super Bowl preview of Monsters Vs. Aliens. 3D makes EVERYTHING better.
Oh and YAY! More Jimmy!
I grabbed some of those, too. Is it sad that I’m looking forward to the 3D trailer for Monsters Vs. Aliens more than the Super Bowl itself?
I’m such a sucker for 3D. I’ll probably end up watching Chuck, too!
I love it when the supporting characters play parts in the stories. Might need to move Theater Hopper up the list to follow this more closely and to go through the archives again
The lady’s room is no laughing matter Tom, the entrances are booby-trapped (no pun intended!) and I doubt Jimmy has his father’s war time diary to get him through!
In fact I’d love to see Jimmy directly ripping off Indiana Jones. Although without the nuking the fridge part of course… or the King of the Monkeys bit … actually on second thought Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is dead to me. But I’m sure Jared would have a thing or two to say about Jimmy’s choice of a certain leather-clad sidekick XD
I really like your Indiana Jones idea, but what Jimmy finds in the bathroom delivers more of an emotional wallop than a physical one!
Stay tuned!