I really don't have anything to say about this week's comic except that I decided to take the themes explored in last week's comic and ran with them.
I guess as I thought more and more about a horror movie with social media elements, I figured that there had to be some kind of boogeyman to really stoke audience's fears. Y'know, like Jason Vorhees or Freddy Krueger. Facebook's Privacy Policy seemed as logical a choice as any to depict the embodiment of walking evil. So, there you go.
Oh, and also, please use the ShareThis plugin below to spread the comic around to all your friends - preferably the Facebook share button.
Y'see... that's what evil DOES. It creeps into your heart and becomes commonplace. You come to depend on it for strength. Before you realize it, the evil has consumed you... FROM WITHIN!!!
TMZ posted footage of actor Shia LaBeouf getting knocked to the ground by some hairy, shirtless dude outside of a bar in Vancouver. Although, truthfully, most of the video is of LaBeouf getting talked down by his bros before he decides to engage in any more fisticuffs.
Shia's looks pretty drunk in the video. I can't tell you how many times I've seen someone who has had a few too many try to clumsily extract themselves from the grasp of a friend who is trying to keep them from getting their head caved in. If that's the case, it makes it a little difficult to cheer for the comeuppance I feel he's due for. Make it a fair fight, at least.
That said, the wave of schadenfreude that took over Twitter when the news broke pretty much reflects what I believe is the general consensus - "People don't like Shia LaBeouf."
This coupled with the news that LaBeouf won't be back for the next two Transformers sequels they're filming back-to-back (Jason Statham is rumored to be the replacement), it's been a pretty interesting week in Shia-related news.
People you have NO IDEA how long this joke has been percolating. I think I came up with it months ago - on Twitter, naturally.
I don't know why, but the term "retweeted" also kind of had this ominous tone to me. This, despite the fact that I seem to spend an inordinate amount of time coming up with pithy one-liners to achieve exactly that designation.
But, y'know, think about it. Big, booming voice like James Earl Jones bellowing at you - "YOU'VE BEEN RETWEETED!" It would kind of shake you up a little, wouldn't it?
Something else I'll tell you, figuring out the logo for this fake movie took a lot longer than I thought it would! I guess I'm a stickler for these things. Although, in retrospect, a Twitter bird in a pool of blood is maybe a little on the nose.
And by the way, I'm completely aware of the anachronism of having a girl talk into an phone with a cord on it when I'm proselytizing for a horror movie about technology.
Not much else to say about the comic except that I hope you enjoyed it. But I will bring a couple of other issue to the fore:
I introduced a couple of new features to the comment area including giving you the ability to give a thumbs up/thumbs down to comments AND uploading images or files into the comment thread. Hopefully this will help promote greater conversation with the comics. Let me know how that works out for you!
I wanted to remind everyone that you can now buy prints of your favorite Theater Hopper comics. Just look for the "Buy Print" button in the comic navigation to submit your order. All comics are printed on 8.5 x 11" cardstock and are signed by me. For $5.00 you can have a piece of Theater Hopper mailed to you in a re-enforced envelope. It's a pretty good deal!
Lastly, there's a conversation happening on the Theater Hopper Facebook page that I would like you to participate in. Recently, I got the wild idea to do a children's book about manners at the movie theater. This project would likely use Theater Hopper characters in a different context and I think the idea has legs. The twist is that the kid already knows how to behave, but comments on the things ADULTS do that are inconsiderate. At any rate, I'd like your feedback on it and if you're not following Theater Hopper on Facebook, maybe gimme a little "Like" action. We're 6 followers away from 1,000 and I'd like to pass that mark sometime before I die. You could be a part of history!
Anyway, that's all I have for right now. Thanks for checking out the comic. Don't forget the ShareThis plug in at the bottom of the blog to share the comic through your social networks! Facebook it, Twitter it, Google+ it - Heck! Even e-mail it! Everything you do to spread the word helps.
I guess they decided to call the movie This Means War because "Cockblockers" would have been a little too on the nose, eh?
Okay, okay. I'll give them some credit. A romantic comedy that can mix in explosions will probably get a pass in my book. But, more specifically, any movie that calls Chelsea Handler and "old man" as least has a sense of humor about itself.
I'm not entirely sure why Reese Witherspoon would lower herself to something like this, though. The trailer makes her out to be a complete airhead, which is kind of contrary to the refined persona she's cultivated up to this point.
I guess we'll have to wait and see how it turns out. What are your reactions to This Means War? Leave your comments below!
I think pretty much everyone is on board with the idea of a new Muppets movie. So I'm not going to waste a lot of time trying to convince you how awesome it will be. I'll just leave this new trailer here for your enjoyment.
That said, I sincerely hope that The Muppets is successful and that it leads to a brand new Muppet Show. Because if there's one thing America needs right now, it's a new Muppet Show.
So that's what this blog post is for. If you haven't seen the trailer for The Avengers yet, here it is:
INITIAL REACTIONS
Immediately I was impressed that there was an adversarial tone between the individual members of the team. "I don't play well with others," Tony Stark quips. "Big man in a suit of armor - take that away and what are you?" Captain America sneers. Oh, and is that Thor taking a flying leap, about to smash Captain America's shield?
This is all very much in keeping with the comics. The "friendly misunderstandings" that lead to heroes battling each other before banding together to fight the common enemy. Total "Who Would Win in a Fight" geek bad-assery on display here.
Clearly Joss Wheadon is giving Tony Stark all the best lines - at least in the trailer. I hope this is the case throughout the movie. One of the biggest advantages to the Iron Man films was Robert Downey Jr's motormouth style. With a script by Wheadon, you've got the best of both worlds when it comes to words and delivery.
What I really like is how close to the vest they're keeping Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye and Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk. Barely any screen time or dialogue for either of them in this trailer. Everyone else we've seen in action in other movies. But these two are the last unknown variables. Expect Marvel to continue to keep fans on a string regarding those two.
What's you reaction to the trailer? Personally, I think it was perfectly executed and it gives me high hopes for May 2012. Why don't you leave your comments below. C'mon. You know you wanna...
Just so we're all on the same page, everyone know what Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots are? If not here's a commercial from a time before fun was invented.
I know I'm not the only one who looked at the trailer for Real Steel and immediately thoughts of Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots. I mean, there's clearly a moment in the trailer where a robot's block is literally knocked off. But dammit if I'm not a sucker for nostalgia.
And violence.
I know I went a little overboard with the Photoshop effects in the last panel. But what can I say? I wanted to make it colorful!
I don't know that I have too much more to say about Real Steel except that I really wish they hadn't thrown in the kid as some kind of conduit for Hugh Jackman's redemption. It's an old trope and it reminds me too much of Over The Top... and not in a good way.
If you haven't seen Over The Top, it's a movie starring Sylvester Stallone as a truck driver that reconnects with his son through the power of competitive arm-wrestling. You read that right. Arm-wrestling.
Do you see where I start to draw the comparisons with Real Steel?
I mean, I get why they had to throw a kid in there. They have to sell toys, after all. It's pretty much the same reason Jake Lloyd was cast in The Phantom Menace. Little kids need to see themselves on screen as some kind of proxy... I guess.
Although if you're taking your 7 year-old to a movie about robot boxing, well... there are bigger problems in the household that need to be addressed.
Do I still want to see Real Steel? Of course! Why? Because I'm mentally 7 years-old and I have a driver's licence, that's why.
I CAN DO WHAT I WANT!!
I wanted to post a quick reminder that I currently selling prints of comics from my 1,000+ archive. Making a purchase couldn't be easier. Just comb through the archives and find your favorite strip. Then click on the "BUY PRINT" icon in the navigation field just below the comic. Send me $5.00 and I'll ship to you a SIGNED print on lovely cardstock paper - suitable for framing!
I've already received a bunch of orders since announcing the option last week. Thanks to everyone who have already ordered prints. I really appreciate it! I'm finding it very interesting to see what comics are people's favorites. Some nice surprises in there!
As always, anything you can do to help spread the word about Theater Hopper helps. If you could click on one of the icons below to share this comic on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or with a friend on e-mail, I would really appreciate it. Word of mouth is the most valuable form of advertising there is! Think about it: Right now, one of your movie-loving friends has NO IDEA Theater Hopper exists. Share it with them, won't you?
That's all for now. If you have comments about Real Steel or Over The Top, throw 'em into the comments ring below, ya?
I don't know if you heard the good word or not, but both Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown were released on Blu-ray this Tuesday.
Considering how long I've waited for both of these films to be released on Blu-ray and considering how integral both films were to the development of my taste in film during my formative high school and college years, I thought it was worth sharing the trailers for the Blu-ray editions here.
Incidentally, if you wanted to pick up either Pulp Fiction or Jackie Brown on Blu-ray for your collection, I've provided handy links right there so you can do that...
It's been a while since I've seen Jackie Brown, so I'm eager to revisit it. Pulp Fiction, of course, I can quote backwards and forwards.
What's your impression of these two seminal Quentin Tarantino films? Leave your comments below!
This video was shared with me on the Theater Hopper Facebook page and it's too perfect for words. It goes along with what I was saying on Monday about introducing my son to Star Wars.
Writing the comic, I became kind of paranoid and thought to myself "I hope people don't think I'm making fun of cancer." I'm not. I'm making fun of the "cancer movie" as a trope.
Cancer sucks. That much is clear. I've lost people I've loved to cancer. It's not fun. But I kind of roll my eyes at the way Hollywood treats cancer. As if having cancer gives you some kind of wisdom or clarity that will help you resolve your personal shortcomings and interpersonal relationships.
I haven't seen 50/50 yet, but based off the reviews I've read, it seems to do a good job of deflating everything that is serious and self-important about the cancer trope in mainstream entertainment. Frankly, I think that's a good thing.
Yeah, cancer is scary and should be considered seriously. But it also doesn't make you a mystical wizard with extra-sensory perception about the fragile nature of our being. It's more than one thing, you know?
Lemme get off my soapbox and talk about something else for a second. If you follow the Theater Hopper Facebook page, you already know what it is. (So maybe now you'll click that "Like" button?) But for the rest of you, here it is:
I AM NOW SELLING PRINTS OF ALL MY COMICS!
Here's how it works...
Comb the archive for your absolute FAVORITE Theater Hopper comic or comics. Use the search box if you're having trouble finding it.
Look at the navigation just below the comic, you'll see a little dollar sign that says "Buy Print" below it.
Click on the link and it will take you to a page with the comic in question on it and a PayPal link that you can use to send me money in exchange for goods and/or services.
Incidentally, you don't need a PayPal account to purchase a print. You can use a credit card as well.
I will send you a copy of the comic printed on a sheet of 8.5 x 11" high quality card stock in full-color from the original digital file. It's gonna look SHARP. And - because I love you - I'm gonna sign it as well.
I'm going to mail it flat in a reinforced envelope and stamp it "DO NOT BEND" so the Post Office doesn't muck up your investment.
When it arrives, you are then free to frame it and admire it longingly.
This is something that I've wanted to do for a while and thanks to the magic of Comicpress, is now possible. Big thanks to Philip Hofer for making it possible.
Since this is a new feature, it's going to take some work to get the kinks out. I think I still have to figure out shipping on this bad boy as well, so bear with me.
But, yeah... I have almost 10 years of comics in the archive and I know you guys have some favorites. I knew it was time to open up the flood gates and make them available to you. So have at them! Order away - and thank you for your support.
