After drawing today’s comic, I sat and wondered just how effective Donald Trump would be as a super hero? My guess? Not very.
First thing’s first. I want to let everyone know about the art auction I currently have running over at eBay. Click here to see the auction listing. Here’s an image of the artwork.
It is a rendering of Tom cast as Anakin Skywalker as he appeared through all three Star Wars prequels. From his days as a snot-nosed brat on Tatooine, through his pouty teenage-years, into his mulleted twenties and onto the grim visage of evil – Darth Vader.
The art is a one-of-a-kind original, done in pencil and finished in ink on a sheet of 11″ x 14″ Bristol board. The winning bidder will have the art shipped to their residence in a re-enforced cardboard shipping tube to prevent creases, bends or folds.
This artwork was something I originally intended on auctioning off last month to coincide with the release of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. But those plans got sidetracked and I’m auctioning it off now. Better late than never, right?
I plan on following up this auction very soon with a piece inspired by Batman Begins. So if you don’t win this auction, look for the next one to come down the pike in the next week or so.
As previously mentioned above, people who have signed up for the Theater Hopper mailing list were tipped off early to the auction last night. In fact, I let them know as soon as I posted it to eBay and there has already been a handful of bids. You don’t want to be left out of the loop for next time, do you? Sign up for the mailing list today and be the first to know about auctions, new merchandise and possibly be given the opportunity to cash in on discounts for advertising and stuff in the store! It takes literally seconds and you’ll only be getting e-mails from me. We do not sell your information to anyone else!
Regarding the comic, I really wanted to do something closer in the spirit of the new Batman movie opening today, but when I sat down to conjure something up, the idea of the wealthy transforming their lives to become super heroes just stuck in my brain. Paris Hilton as “Tanorexia,” specifically. The only way to get it out was to put pen to paper.
Incidentally, this isn’t the first time Uncle Moneybags has appeared in the comic. Enjoy him in his utter 1920’s carpet bagging glory in these two strips from the archive.
When you stop to think about it, Bruce Wayne did a pretty amazing thing taking his family’s fortune and using it to avenge his parents murder. Whenever I think of a spoiled rich kid from the East Coast, I’m thinking of some coked-out yuppie yachting with his blue-blood girlfriend Mitzy. Most people don’t have the drive or determination to use their resources to become better than what they are.
I suppose that’s why Batman resonates so well with people. He represents the potential we could reach if we had deep, psychological issues, unlimited supplies of money and a flying rodent fetish. (Young wards optional.)
I have high hopes for the new Batman film. It’s been getting positive reviews out the wazoo. But it doesn’t look like I’ll be able to go to the theater any time soon. Cami is getting her Master’s degree and started her summer semester this week. She’s taking an accelerated course, so she’s in class tonight and almost every day this week. Even Saturday!
Of course Sunday is Father’s Day, but(unfortunately) my Dad isn’t into these kind of geek-fest cinema offerings. Oh, man! When I have kids, they’re gonna pay on Father’s Day.
“But Dad! We want to take you golfing!”
“Screw that! We’re going to see Batman 15: Bat Attack! starring Haley Joel Osment!”
Dumb kids…
People who travel in geek circles are already aware of the Batman / Iron Man comparison and where you fall on that divide basically depends on a handful of factors. But, truthfully, in the early days of comics, you couldn’t throw a rock without hitting a super hero with a large bank account that he used to fight crime. Green Arrow was basically a direct rip-off of Batman. He had an Arrowmobile, people. AN ARROWMOBILE.
I took the opportunity to address the concept of the idle rich using their deep pockets to better society once before – back when Batman Begins was in theaters. Personally, I find it funny that Cami still has to take pause and verify Batman’s character arc in both the previous strip and this one – just to make sure she’s right.
I like that strip a lot and I wish I could have reused the joke. Because, truthfully, I had a hard time picking a direction in regards to my week’s worth of comics for The Dark Knight.
I guess what I’m saying is that it’s really hard to make fun of The Dark Knight. It’s easily the most anticipated movie of the summer, looks excellent and features amazing, much buzzed about performances. Really my only “in” is to poke fun at the over-the-top natures of The Joker, but after Heath Ledger’s passing, that would just look tasteless.
So, in turn, I decided to use The Dark Knight as the background of a larger story and Tom’s established history as a hard core Iron Man fan as the catalyst that kicks things off. It’s nothing epic, mind you. But these comics will be more about Tom and his geeked out brain than they will be about The Dark Knight specifically.
Trust me, it’s going somewhere. That’s why I put that little "To Be Continued!" in the corner. See? I’m always thinking of you!
That does it for me today. But if you’re looking for more grist for the mill, watch these videos that outlines the differences AND similarities between Batman and Iron Man. It’s all part of the hilarious series of “I’m a Marvel… and I’m a DC” clips that can be found on YouTube.
ENJOY!