I’ve been having a hard time coming up with follow-up jokes like I normally do with the incentive images, so I drew a profile of Victor for this week’s comic. Vote for Theater Hopper at Top Web Comics if you’d like to see it.
Incidentally, last night I noticed I had a stack of incentive images – maybe 50 to 100 – and took a picture for the Theater Hopper Facebook page. I’m not quite as attached to these as I am the original artwork for the comics and was thinking about selling them through the Theater Hopper store.
What’s you’re take on that? Would you be interested? How much do you think I should sell them for? Should they all be the same price or should they be priced differently? Admittedly, the quality of some of these is much better than others.
Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.
While we’re talking about the store, I wanted to take this opportunity to remind you that I’ve still got my sale going on – buy two books and get the third one free, but two shirts and get the third one free!
I could really use your support. I’m going to C2E2 on April 13 and it’s coming up fast. I need to make a little money to help cover expenses. You can read more about it on the Theater Hopper Farewell Tour page.
If you already own all of the Theater Hopper merch you can stand, I’m also taking donations. Every little bit helps. We’re making progress toward our $1,000 goal! Thanks to everyone who has chipped in so far!
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about today’s comic. I don’t want to say that this is Victor’s “coming out” comic. We’ve all known for a long time that Victor’s gay. But he’s never really admitted it to the other characters. So, in a way, he’s actualizing himself here.
Granted, his answer to Tom’s question is slightly cagey. But it’s not exactly false, either. Don’t worry. It’s all going to get sorted out in the next comic or two. But I’m not going to make a big deal about it. Because, frankly, it shouldn’t be a big deal.
Let me amend that statement. Coming out IS a big deal – especially if you’re the person that’s coming out. It’s stressful. You don’t know how the news will be received or if you’ll be accepted by your peers after that.
I’ve had friends come out to me in the past and I’ve found the best way to react to that news is to hardly react to it at all.
Not to be dismissive, mind you. Obviously I’m aware of the struggle these individuals have faced leading up to those moments. But, fundamentally, it doesn’t really change what you know or appreciate about that person. If you valued them before, news like that shouldn’t really change anything.
I’ve only ever been on one side of that conversation. I can’t imagine what goes through the mind of someone who is coming out. But what matters is that the person coming out knows that they’re supported, that nothing will change and they can go about their life without carrying that horrible weight on their shoulders.
That’s pretty much how you can expect things to play out in the comic as well.
I’m not trying to lecture or impart some kind of wisdom. I’m just sharing my experience. I know there are people out there who are uncomfortable and even outwardly hostile to these issues. All I’m saying is that’s not my perspective.
Anyway, that’s my little moment for the day. Thanks for checking out the comic. Share it up through social media using the links below if you’re so inclined. I’ll see you next week!
Okay...
So, was that, like a homosexual thing or was it more like a celebratory European thing?
Yes.
It’s always so weird when a friend comes out. Four or five of us were crammed in a car in high school when one of my friend’s admitted he was bisexual. It wasn’t necessarily anything we expected, but we were surprised it took him so long.
It basically was like “Oh. Okay. Cool.” and then it never really came up again. Maybe we should have had a party or something? I don’t know. Anytime someone’s said that to me, it’s been like they said they were wearing different colored socks.
I had a similar experience with a friend who came out to me and a mutual friend in college.
He had worked SO HARD to convince others (himself?) that he was straight and you could tell that he was exhausted by the effort.
No one really questioned his sexuality, but when he came out, neither of us were very surprised. We ended up having a really good conversation about it with us asking questions about his life up until that point and it was a very positive experience.
It was almost like a coming out “beta test.” He hadn’t really planned it and there wasn’t any big production around it. Just a couple of friends hanging out on a Saturday night and he just kind of laid it down for us.
Oh, Tom, I would give you a oddly European celebratory kiss. 🙂
From the otherside it is a little something like this.
American media storytelling (perhaps other countries as well but I am most familar with American) hightens drama and very rarely shows quiet and well recieved revelations. It is not commercially interesting.
Most people when coming out are more familiar with the media’s interpretation of the drama of telling others than they are with the reality of just letting it happen casually.
Things are getting better and nice people like yourself do make it easier for people to realize that it is not all drama all the time.
but the few people who are treated poorly tell the loudest stories. and they tell them often.
It is nice to know the other side as well. it is awkward for everyone involved. 🙂
you are correct though. It is not a big deal, it is just a realignment of how a person wants to be recognized socially. Not that much thought. um.
it just means that they dont care if you talk about hot chicks but they are relieved you are not going to ask them if they want to go out with hot chicks.
Does that makes sense?
It is actually a small adjustment that seems bigger than it really is.
and now that I have gayed up your comments page I will stop before I ramble further. 🙂
Keep being a great guy. The comic is good and your integrity is great. Honest and kind.
I like how Comic!Tom is handling this. Most other webcomics (at least the webcomics I read) would have the protagonist absolutely freak out about it, but not Comic!Tom. He’s mature, takes it in stride.
Sorry about the double post. Can’t figure out how to edit, yet. I wanted to add that Comic!Tom understands that Victor may be reluctant to just say it, so he’s being a friend.
I would be interested in getting one of the incentive sketches! I do think some would be worth more than others but I can also see that being a bit of a headache for you to sort out and list them all individually. But I think that might be something needed anyway because we can only see the most current sketch on our end. Hrmm.
Regarding coming out from the other side’s perspective… it really depends on who you come out to. The first person I came out (as a bisexual) to was a very open-minded male friend who was very supportive. My boyfriend at the time was a very strict Christian who said very hateful homophobic things when the subject of homosexual anything came up, but was very quiet when I told him it and broke up with him. My father yelled at me and told me that everyone in the world hates bi people, and that it’s natural to feel one way or the other but I had to pick a damned side and stick with it. He also asked me to never tell my mom which to this day I haven’t…
And then there’s my cousin whose mother accidentally outed her to our grandmother and grandma’s taken it… about as well as you can expect an 82 year old to take it. Which is to say not great, but at least she isn’t trying to disown her grand-daughter or anything.