Posts Tagged ‘Blu ray’

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DVD REVIEW – MONSTERS, INC.

by Tom on November 24th, 2009
7 votes, average: 7.14 out of 10
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DVD REVIEW – MONSTERS, INC.

In 2001, the proposition of Monsters, Inc. must have been a scary one for Disney / Pixar.

Coming fresh off the success of Toy Story 2, A Bug's Life and the original Toy Story (all directed by Pixar King John Lasseter)Pixar put an unproven director in the driver's seat for Monsters, Inc. - Pete Docter.

Of course, time would prove that Docter's madcap vision of a world inhabited by monsters who collect the screams of human children to power their communities proved to be a smash hit. But it's interesting to learn about the behind-the-scenes hand wringing that occurred at Pixar before the release of the film.

One of the bonus features of the movie is a film makers round table with Docter, co-director Lee Unkrich, producer Darla Anderson, and script supervisor Bob Peterson (who also lent his voice to the surly clerical worker Roz in the movie). In their round table, they discuss not only their uncertainty over the somewhat complex idea of a world powered by screams, but also the real-life intrusions that threatened the success of the film.

For example, I had completely forgotten how Monsters, Inc. had come out one short month after the terrible events of 9/11. An even that lead Pixar to wonder if they should push the film back. Ultimately, according to the feedback they received, the film became a refuge for families looking to steer themselves away from the unending and horrible coverage of that day. The insight that the round table provides certainly adds a layer of enjoyment to hard-core fans of the film.

Eight years after its theatrical release Monsters, Inc. holds up incredibly well and the Blu-ray transfer gives the film a candy-coated shot in the arm. Colors are richer, details are more pronounced. Even the hair on Sully's arms looks more refined. A more perfect version of the film I can't imagine unless you were sitting in Pixar's offices, watching it over the shoulder of one of the animators.

In terms of extras, the Blu-ray doesn't bring much that's new to the table. A short documentary about a Monsters, Inc. ride at Disneyland Toyko made me want to hop a flight to Japan immediately and an interactive game featuring over 100 doors intimidates more than it inspires gameplay.

Additional features include those already packaged on the Collector's Edition that was released in 2002. The animated shorts "Mike's New Car" and "For the Birds", storyboards, a database of monsters featured in the film, and multiple gag reels.

However, the Blu-ray package gives you a bevy of formats including a digital copy of the film as well as a DVD copy of the film, which are nice bonuses.

As a Pixar fan, I have no problem replacing all of my DVD copies with Blu-ray editions of the film. I believe they are the most authentic reproductions of the movies possible and a visual treat. However, it would have been nice to see a few more extras with the film and I probably wouldn't have minded waiting another 2 years for a 10th anniversary edition if it meant getting additional content.

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DVD REVIEW – UP

by Tom on November 11th, 2009
11 votes, average: 7.18 out of 10
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DVD REVIEW – UP

With 9 smash films and nearly 15 years of film making under their belts, one might assume that Pixar would celebrate in grand fashion with their 10th theatrical release. Instead, with Up, Pixar has delivered their most unconventional and absurdly layered film to date.

Carl Fredricksen, the 78 year-old widower at the heart of Up is an unusual protagonist. Arthritic, grumpy and boxed in by life, he is partnered by the youthful and exuberant “Wilderness Explorer” Russell as he sets off for adventure to South America.

Up hooked us with its visual signature of a tiny house being lofted into the air by tens of thousands of balloons. But the story takes an unusual left turn when Carl and Russell finally land in South America.

Surrounded by strange vistas and a lush, but harsh environment, the duo is greeted by the affable and endearing Dug, the talking dog. Things only get weirder from there as the pair encounters a 13 foot tall iridescent bird, a crazed long-forgotten explorer and dirigibles.

The unusual details of the story are what sets Up apart from previous Pixar films. But it’s the rich metaphors and subtext that make Up truly engaging.

At its core, Up is a movie about lost opportunities, obsession the struggle to “fix” the past ruins the opportunity to enjoy the present.

Each of the main characters deals with this in some way. Russell uses over achievement and collects Wilderness Explorer badges to attract the attention of his absent father. There is one small space left on his sash full of accomplishments - a badge for “Helping the Elderly” and it's missing directly over his heart.

Carl is trying to make up for lost time by going on the adventure his never got to go on with his wife. But since he can’t bear to leave behind his belongings and all of his memories, he takes them with him by setting the house aloft. The house becomes a symbol for his wife – something he has to learn to let go of by the end of the film.

Muntz, the story’s villain, is corrupted completely by his obsession to trap a rare bird in order to bring it to civilization and repair his damaged reputation. His relentless pursuit is ultimately what leads to his literal downfall.

These story elements are framed beautifully by the bevy of mini-documentaries among the Blu-ray’s bonus materials. The character studies for Carl and Russell are particularly insightful.

Carl, for example, is one of Pixar’s most stylized human characters and the decision to make him so was very deliberate.

Animators noted that, as a septuagenarian, Carl’s movements would very limited. His physical restrictions mirror his world view as every shot Carl appears in before going to South America he is placed inside some kind of box. He is either looking out of a window or the camera is looking at him through a door frame. He lives a very interior life. As a result, Carl himself became very square shaped, with hard-edged and inflexible features. A boxy character living in a boxed-in world.

Alternatively, the rotund Russell is almost egg-shaped. This reflects the nurturing he requires in the absence of his father. It becomes Carl’s instinct to take care of him.

Another fantastic bonus feature is the original story concept behind the 10 minute montage of “Married Life” – the emotional gut punch the starts the movie and leads Carl toward his adventure.

Assembled through animatics (animated storyboard concept drawings) and set against Michael Giacchino’s brilliant score, the alternate version of “Married Life” is just as emotional and affecting as what ended up in the movie – a testament to Pixar’s storytelling process.

It should be noted that there is also an excellent piece on Ciacchino’s contributions and how he transformed a simple, heart wrenching four-note melody into a glorious score.

Another great example of the lengths Pixar animators will go to capture their subject material is the engrossing :22 minute documentary “Adventure Is Out There,” which details how directors Pete Docter and Bob Peterson traveled with a team of animators to remote and nearly inaccessible tepius mountains of Venezuela.

Other features include audio commentary, the theatrical short “Partly Cloudly,” a second animated short called “Dug’s Special Mission” (that runs parallel to the main storyline in Up) and several other production features detailing the care, craft and precision Pixar executed to bring their unique vision to the screen.

The direct digital transfer to Blu-ray looks sumptuous as one might expect and the Blu-ray edition of the film comes with a digital copy and regular DVD copy as well (for your portable DVD player, I assume?)

Up may not be Pixar’s best film, but it is certainly one if it’s most ambitious. Despite its eccentricities, the emotional core of the story is potent – easily making it one of the best movies of the year.

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DVD REVIEW – ADVENTURELAND

by Tom on August 27th, 2009
3 votes, average: 5.67 out of 10
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DVD REVIEW – ADVENTURELAND

AdventurelandI remember being bummed that I wasn't able to catch the coming-of-age comedy film Adventureland when it was in theaters last April, so it was a real treat to finally catch up with it when it was released on Blu-ray last Tuesday.

Writer / director Greg Mottola's semi-autobiographical tale about a recent college grad languishing away at the "worst job on Earth" at Adventureland Amusement Park in 1987 doesn't exactly benefit visually from the Blu-ray format. But the movie has an intentional, gritty feel - as if it's been filtered through someone's memory.

The movie does a good job setting itself within the time period without pushing too many "Hey, it's the 80's!" cultural touchstones. Yuppies and Madonna are mentioned here and there, but the protagonists in this movie are far, far away from the mainstream. For the most part, they're grossly over-educated, analytical and sarcastic shoe-gazing romantics with a Lou Reed obsession. I guess the comedy is supposed to come from the contrast of otherwise smart people doing what Martin Starr's supporting character called "the work of pathetic, lazy morons."

Adventureland, Kristen Stewart, Jesse EisenbergFalling somewhere between Shia LaBeouf and Michael Cera on the Geeky/Sensitive Leading Man Scale, Jesse Eisenberg plays James Brennan - a recent college grad whose plans to travel Europe with a friend are dashed when his Father loses his job. As things get worse for James's family and his future in grad school at Columbia University is threatened, he's forced to take a summer job. Overqualified for every job he applies for, James is forced to take a job at the local, run-down amusement park Adventureland.

The movie serves James a romantic interest in the form of Kristen Stewart's Em Lewin. I have to admit that I was prepared to hate Stewart going into the movie by virtue of her preening, posturing, sneering performance in Twilight. But in Adventureland, she's fascinating to watch. Em has a lot of problems at home and despite her cool and friendly exterior, she doesn't really want to be known by anyone. Her performance really made me reconsider my previous negative attitude toward her as an actress.

James's confidant at Adventureland is Joel, played by Martin Starr. A sarcastic and somewhat lonely intellectual who shows James the ropes at the park. Mottola gives Joel the pretentious habit of smoking a pipe, but makes him self-aware enough to know that it's obnoxious. "It's a revolting affection," he acknowledges. "But it relaxes me."

The rest of the cast is rounded out by Ryan Reynolds as the park's mechanic and Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig as the park's managers.

Reynolds finally does something very interesting with his innate charm and makes his character a little sleazy for once. Hader and Wiig aren't in the movie as much as the advertising for the film would have led you to believe. But they are used effectively throughout the movie to add comedic punch between scenes.

There really isn't anything in Adventureland that hasn't been done by a thousand other coming-of-age movies. But the film is very relaxed and sure about itself. More than anything, it seems to be about hanging out, getting high and letting relationships unfold. Watching it, I was actually reminded of Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused - another period piece about hanging out, getting high and letting relationships unfold. The only difference here is that the jocks and popular kids have been completely replaced by the intellectuals and misfits.

Similar to Dazed and Confused, however, is the film's excellent soundtrack. David Bowie, Big Star, The Cure, Crowded House, The New York Dolls, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Replacements, The Velvet Underground and, of course, Lou Reed wrap the film in a perfect period time capsule.

Inventively, in addition to skipping ahead to specific scenes, one of the menu features on the Blu-ray lets you skip to scenes using specific songs from the soundtrack. Falco's "Rock Me Amadeus" appears as a menu option no less than 4 times - a funny callback to a running joke throughout the film.

Additional bonus features include audio commentary with Greg Mottola and actor Jesse Eisenberg and the requisite deleted scenes. There's a 17-minute making-of documentary and a few interesting behind-the-scenes featurettes utilizing some of the supporting cast members. "Lisa P’s Guide To Style" instructs you on all the "latest" 80's fashion. "Welcome to Adventureland" gathers a couple of commercials promoting the park, the employee orientation kit and a peek at the official drug policy. "Frigo’s Ball Tap" instructs you on the proper technique and variety that is the art of tapping your friends in the balls.

Adventureland didn't set the world on fire at the box office last April, pulling in $16 million domestically during its theatrical run. That's a shame. The movie is confidently told and competently performed. It deserves a bigger audience and hopefully it will find it on DVD.

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TRANSFORMERS 2 – OCTOBER 20

by Tom on August 20th, 2009
Posted In: Blog
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Uh oh, guys. Look what's being released on October 20!

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

As much as I ragged on the theatrical release of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, I'm actually kind of excited to see it on DVD. I think there's a better chance of me kind of understanding the action on a smaller screen. At least, that was my experience with the original Transformers. I hated it in the theater, but it's fun to watch at home. I just skip chapters to the scenes with all the robots. Takes about 15 minutes.

Here's a list of all the bonus features available on the two-disc special edition, plus features exclusive to the Blu-ray edition:

Disc 1:

  • Commentary by Michael Bay, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman

Disc 2:

  • The Human Factor: Exacting Revenge of the Fallen—This multi-chapter documentary chronicles the entire creation of the film and includes interviews with the cast and crew:
    • Seeds of Vengeance - Development and Design—After the overwhelming success of 2007’s Transformers how do the filmmakers top themselves for the sequel?
    • Domestic Destruction – Production: United States—Michael Bay believes in going big: Big action and big explosions. Cast and crew are pushed to the limit as they traverse the U.S. from New Mexico to Pennsylvania.
    • Joint Operations – Production: Military—No other filmmaker in the world enjoys the kind of military access and cooperation Michael Bay has. Here we see just how efficient our armed forces are and the awe and respect shown by the cast.
    • Wonders of the World – Production: Middle East—You can’t really reproduce Egypt anywhere but Egypt so off we go to Giza and Luxor.
    • Start Making Sense - Editing—In order to turn over the massive amount of film as quickly as possible to VFX, four editors work tirelessly in a unique tag-team approach to shape the film.
    • Under the Gun – Visual Effects—Revenge of the Fallen features the most complicated VFX in film history. So complicated in fact that the filmmakers were unsure they would make the deadline. The DEVASTATOR VFX alone required 83% of ILM’s total render farm capacity.
    • Running the Gauntlet – Post-Production and Release—Working seven days a week, Michael Bay and company usher the film through sound design, Digital Intermediate color-timin and a globe-trotting whirlwind of premieres.
  • A Day with Bay: Tokyo—An intimate and fun all-access journey with Michael Bay as he travels to Tokyo, Japan tor the world premiere of the biggest film of the year.
  • 25 Years of TRANSFORMERS—Access an all-new featurette celebrating a monumental milestone for one of Hasbro’s most successful and popular franchises.
  • NEST: Transformer Data-Hub—Explore conceptual artwork created by the production for 12 of the most popular AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS from the film.
  • Deconstructing Visual Bayhem with Commentary by Pre-Vis Supervisor Steve Yamamoto—A series of multi-angle pre-visualization sequences allowing viewers to learn how some of the film’s most spectacular scenes were created with an introduction by Michael Bay.
  • Extended Scenes
  • Music Video: Linkin Park’s “New Divide”

BLU-RAY EXCLUSIVE:

  • The ALLSPARK Experiment—Viewers get their chance to unleash the power of the recently recovered ALLSPARK shard on Earth vehicles. Begin by selecting and customizing a vehicle with a selection of parts and accessories. Then apply the ALLSPARK to this creation and watch what happens. Applying the ALLSPARK to certain custom combinations enables four new robot characters with special powers. If viewers discover all four, they unlock a fifth vehicle, which reveals a top secret message about the future of the TRANSFORMERS movie franchise.
  • NEST: Transformer Data-Hub—A database of some of the TRANSFORMERS characters that appear in the new film, offering users access to each robot’s confidential file including:
    • Innovative 3D spin galleries of each robot
    • A timeline for each TRANSFORMERS character charting its origins, back story and design evolution from toys to animated series to comics and finally feature films
  • Giant Effing Movie—A very personal look at the making of the movie.
  • The Matrix of Marketing—An archive of the film’s promotional media including trailers, posters and television spots.

Despite my problems with the movie, I'm looking forward to the Blu-ray release. No matter what your opinion might be about the story, characterization or editing - the technical aspect of this film was a Herculian effort and I'm very interested in learning more about the behind-the-scenes details.

So mark your calendars for October 20!

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DVD REVIEW – I LOVE YOU, MAN

by Tom on August 18th, 2009
4 votes, average: 6.50 out of 10
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DVD REVIEW – I LOVE YOU, MAN

As far as R-rated comedies go, I Love You, Man is kind of like a sheep in wolf's clothing.

Sure, it tries to convince you that it's a raunchy sex farce with it's jokes about masturbation stations, oral sex and grandma's riding Sybian machines. But in actuality, it's an adorable little film about the difficulties of making friends in your 30's.

I Love You, Man tries frequently to shock you into laughing, but is undercut by the sweetness and likability of it's principal players.

After proposing to his girlfriend, real estate agent Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd) realizes that he doesn't have a lot of guy friends and goes on a series of "man dates" in an effort to make friends. After a series of set-ups and disasters, Peter meets the enigmatic Sydney Fife (Jason Segel) and hijinks ensue.

I Love You Man, Jason Segel, Paul Rudd

The ever-agile Rudd takes his character's earnestness and propensity for inventing half-cooked slang and nicknames ("See you later, Joben!") beyond the socially awkward situations he finds himself in. Rudd's character is pathetic in a way that you root for, not laugh at.

Segel as Sydney is meant to come off like some kind of latter-day hippie. We don't know what he does for a living or why he dresses like a pawn shop refugee. Later, when Sydney asks Peter for an $8,000 loan, we're meant to question if his intentions are honorable. But Segel's sincerity as a performer shines through. And even though Sydney is a bit of an odd duck, he operates within the parameters of a very specific, laid back personal philosophy. He's never really as outrageous or dangerous as the movie wants you to think he is.

These are not criticisms meant to convince you that I Love You, Man is a bad movie. In fact, it is a very tidy, effective and humorous examination of making friends later in life and the importance of male bonding.

Certainly it is buoyed by the strength of it's phenomenal supporting cast. Writer/Director John Hamburg did an excellent job of gathering talent. Everyone from the adorable Rashida Jones as Rudd's fiance, Andy Samberg, Jaime Pressly, Jon Favreau, J.K. Simmons, Jane Curtain, Human Giant's Rob Huebel and The State's Thomas Lennon and Joe Lo Truglio make appearances.

On Blu-ray, the movie looks spectacular. You can see every last freckle on Jason Segel's face. Although, I'm starting to become concerned that between this movie and Forgetting Sarah Marshall on Blu-ray, I'm becoming a little too knowledgeable about Segel's dermatological landscape.

Extras on the disc are everything you would expect. Deleted scenes, extended scenes, a gag reel, a "making-of" documentary and audio commentary from Hamburg, Rudd and Segel.

The extended scenes and gag reel demonstrate not only the large amount of quick-fire improvising that was happening during production, but also Rudd's aparant inability to keep a straight face at any given time.

Then again, when you have Rob Huebell (as Peter's real estate rival) sitting across from you ad-libbing all of the celebrities he's sold homes to, it's kind of hard not to laugh "Gary Coleman, Emmanuel Lewis, Jaleel White, Donald Sutherland..."

In fact, everything about these extras seems to indicate that the production of I Love You, Man was one of the most loose, playful, happiest experiences ever captured on film. And there's nothing wrong with that! Next time, don't try to compete with Bruno for shock value. There's nothing wrong with making a sweet natured comedy and playing to those strengths.

For people looking for some relaxed laughs with a couple of sex jokes thrown in, I Love You, Man fits the bill.

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THINGS MEANT TO GO UNSEEN

by Tom on June 17th, 2009
15 votes, average: 4.80 out of 10
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THINGS MEANT TO GO UNSEEN
Vote for Theater Hopper at Top Web Comics

The one thing about Ghostbusters I never really understood was adding Winston to the team. He kind of sticks out. Here you have three scientists walking around with proton accelerators and then... Winston. And we never see him go through any extensive training on how to operate the equipment. It can't be as simple as throwing on the pack and going to work, can it? Don't you think you'd have to be eased into it? Vote for Theater Hopper at Top Web Comics to see what I mean...

I know I say this a lot, but I had a really hard time coming up with an idea for today's comic. Lately, the ideas just aren't there. It's like scooping a frozen block of ice cream out of the back of my mind.

Thank goodness for Twitter. I can go online any time of the day or night and say "I have no idea what tomorrow's comic is going to be about" and I'll receive at least a half-dozen replies with suggestions.

That's not to say I'm stealing ideas from readers. But they do provide valuable inspiration. I wouldn't have come up with today's comic if someone hadn't reminded me that Ghostbusters came out on Blu ray yesterday. I had completely forgotten about it. Bill Murray's acne scars, however? That's vintage me.

Speaking of scary, let me tell you about my first encounter with Ghostbusters. I think I may have told this story before. So if you've heard it, bear with me.

The year was 1984 and I was 7 years-old. As a present for doing something good (I can't remember what), my parents were going to surprise me with a special gift.

In my mind were visions of Go-Bots - or, dare I? - Transformers. Imagine my shock when my parents rolled up on a movie theater and said "Surprise! We're going to see Ghostbusters!"

I'm 7 years-old. I haven't seen any commercials for this movie. I barely know what movies are (we never really went to movies as a family). All I see on the marquee is "GHOST" and I freak out, convinced that the movie is terrifying and that my parents are playing a cruel, sadistic joke. I am crying in the back seat and BEGGING my parents not to take me to this movie.

Instead we ended up going to an educational toy store next to the theater and they bought me some Mad Libs. I remember clearly the disappointment on their faces. They tried to do something nice for me, something they thought I would love, and I turned it into an ugly mess.

It becomes ironic, then, that as an adult, Ghostbusters is probably one of my all-time favorite movies.

I don't remember when I came around to appreciating Ghostbusters for what it is or when exactly I shed my irrational fear of the film. Probably after the Saturday morning cartoon version of it came out. But these days I watch it probably 5 times a year, easily. It's infinitely quotable, fascinating conceptually and entertaining from start to finish. I can't stress enough how much I love this movie.

That said... I'm kind of on the fence about buying the movie on Blu ray.

I have a funny relationship with Blu ray. Snobbish, in fact. I love my Blu ray player, but I resent having to buy old movies in the format - especially for $25 - $30 a pop. As such, I've developed all these rules about which Blu rays I pick up and which one's I won't.

If I already own the movie on DVD, chances are slim that I'll buy it unless it's something recent like Wall-E or Iron Man. I tend to snub older films because I actually think some of them look WORSE in the format.

If you don't believe me, watch The French Connection on Blu ray sometime. They applied this kind of high-res grain to the film to make it look 1970's gritty, but it comes off as manufactured and soulless. This coupled with the fact that if the movie wasn't captured at least partially digitally, I'm convinced a Blu ray transfer won't look good.

In other words, watching a film like Ghostbusters in the format for visual "Ooh's!" and "Ahh's!" is kind of like squeezing blood from a stone. There's only so much a digital transfer is going to give you.

One might argue that, similar to how audiophiles listen to records on vinyl and not CD, there are certain advantages to watching older movies in an older format.

VHS and DVD do a better job of hiding some of the effects work in older films. The roto-scoping, the green screen... Blu ray drags everything out into the light. Sometimes you see more than you should.

This, perhaps, only makes sense to me. But it's how I feel.

I know most of you guys are probably more excited about the Ghostbusters video game that also game out this week, but what's your opinion of picking up the original film on Blu ray... or your opinion of Blu ray in general? Do you have any rules you follow? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

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THE POWER OF BLU-RAY

by Tom on December 26th, 2008
8 votes, average: 7.00 out of 10
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THE POWER OF BLU-RAY

And with an awkward pause, we inch quietly away from 2008. That's the note I leave you on.

Today will be the last comic of the year. I'm going on vacation with Cami and my sister-in-law starting Sunday and there will be no guest strips to pad things out while I'm gone. Don't forget about me! You'll want to be sure and check out the site again in 2009 because I'll be introducing a new site design as well as announce the pre-order for Theater Hopper: Year Three! Big news all around!

As for today's comic, it's somewhat based in truth. Cami *did* in fact get me a Blu-ray DVD player, but for my birthday, not Christmas. And it's true that we put it through it's paces by watching Forgetting Sarah Marshall. It's probably not the first movie you'd think of when it comes to testing out the picture quality of a Blu-ray DVD player, but I have to admit -- I did notice a distinct difference in picture quality!

It's funny, because I was talking about receiving the Blu-ray player for my birthday during Monday's night's Triple Feature podcast and I was riffing on how you have to find a movie that's worthy of the technology because it's cost-prohibitive to buy every single DVD you want in that format. Specifically, I think I said "I'm not going to get Step Brothers on Blu-ray so I can see Will Ferrell's jacked up teeth in 1080i resolution."

Oh, but Jason Segel's wang is perfectly acceptable!

I should point out that I tried to get something cool, but Cami nixed The Dark Knight because seeing in the theater bummed her out and she didn't want to watch it again. Also, pathetically, I couldn't find any copies of Iron Man at my local Best Buy. LAME! I did grab Wall-E, though. We haven't watched it yet because we actually watched it a few weeks ago in the inferior "regular" DVD format.

I think I have a clever idea about replacing some of my old DVDs with Blu-ray editions, though. I had the idea to sell them on eBay with an original sketch of the title character. So you guys out there can bid on one of my old movies and get something a little extra to boot. It might be fun! We'll have to see how it works. Stay tuned for that in the future.

Anyway, Forgetting Sarah Marshall was great. A lot funnier than I remembered it! There's a lot going on in that movie. Lots of different plots and character points to keep up with. That's a good thing! Gives a comedy dimension rather than it being a catch phrase machine.

I'm kind of kicking myself that I didn't pick it up on DVD earlier, but now I'm kind of glad I didn't so we could enjoy it on Blu-ray. The extras are crazy. There are literally dozens of them. Good stuff.

That does it for me today. I hope everyone who celebrates the Christmas holiday had a happy and safe experience.

Remember, no new comics next week and that includes taking a break from The Triple Feature as well. So if you're a fan of the show, we're not recording on Monday.

I'll be sure to post a reminder of the hiatus to the front page on Monday as well as ways you can be notified when the new site design goes live on Monday, January 5th. You guys are going to love it. I've shown it to a bunch of my web comic buddies and they've been very supportive. If these guys can't find anything wrong with the layout, than that means you guys are going to LOVE IT!

Have a safe and happy New Year and I'll see you again in 2009!

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GUEST STRIP – JOE DUNN

by Tom on February 21st, 2007
32 votes, average: 8.94 out of 10
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GUEST STRIP – JOE DUNN

Apologies to Joe Dunn for not publishing his guest strip earlier. The reason for which is two-fold:

1.) Uhh... having a newborn is time consuming. I have recently learned this.

2. Tycho from Penny Arcade linked to the site on Monday and TH was on the receiving end of a proper"wanging." I'm not complaining. It's a good problem to have. Service is spotty right now and we're looking at opening up a little more bandwidth, but I'm kind of on the periphery of those changes at the moment.

Be that as it may, I wanted to get Joe's comic in front of the new influx of readers because his web comic Joe Loves Crappy Movies is quite wonderful and I want all of you to know about it.

It may have been the lack of sleep, but when Joe sent me his comic not long after Henry had been born, I teared up a little. I found it to be very personal and touching, which is always appreciated. Love that Iron Man reference, Joe!

Thanks also to Tycho for his link. Not for what it means for the site, but so I could share my joy not only with my readers but with Penny Arcade's readers as well. What a privilege. Not everyone can say they can share the news of their son's birth around the globe to tens of thousands of people. It sounds like a cool story to tell him when he's older. "They celebrated your birth around the planet, little guy."

At any rate, if you're new to the site, WELCOME! I hope you keep us in your bookmarks and come back to visit us when things have settled down a little.

Thanks to everyone who left their well wishes in the comments section of Monday's blog before the site went ker-flooey. I read all of them to Cami in the hospital. Both she and Henry are doing great. He was sleeping about 3 hours at a stretch while we were in the hospital, so that gives us hope.

We brought him home today. It's been a little rough because he's been very gassy and nearly inconsolable. But as I was typing this, he let out the biggest gurgle of a fart you can imagine and I almost started crying. It sucks when you know what the problem is with your child and you can't help him. So, just as he was relieved, so was I.

Pictures and whatnot are still forthcoming. We just have to find some gaps in the day when we aren't sleeping to do it. It's nice being home. All three of us were getting a little annoyed at how often people were coming into the room for one reason or another. I'm not talking about the friends and family that came to visit us. We were always thankful to see them. I'm really not even talking about the doctors or nurses. They provided us with EXCELLENT care and we were thoroughly impressed.

It's just that... after a while... it all becomes a little overwhelming and you need a quiet moment. Coming home with Henry today was all about having that quiet time together. Phones were unhooked, televisions were turned off and we spent all of our time just staring at him.

Oh - for anyone who was wondering, Truman took to Henry immediately and their introduction couldn't have gone smoother. We put him down in his car seat and Truman stuck his nose in under the blanket we were using to cover him up. We took the blanket away and Truman sniffed him all over, wagging his tale happily. He didn't lick or bark or do anything to startle him. I think he was happy to see Cami and I after three days and really happy to meet the newest member of the family. He's been great all day. He can certainly sense that Cami is a little tender from her surgery and that's she's recovering. He's not as rough as he sometimes can be. He's curling up at the foot of our bed and sometimes giving us our space by sleeping on his floor pillow - which he NEVER does.

Anyway, we were thrilled that he took to Henry so well. We were a little worried he'd get too excited and would be careless.

As for me? What can I say? I'm happy and that sums things up perfectly.

Come back to the site again on Friday. I'll have a whole new comic from yours-truly posted on the site. Hopefully on time.

Thanks for your patience and support as we sort things out around here. Cami, Henry and I appreciate all the kind words!

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