Posts Tagged ‘dress up’

31 items.

KEEP YOUR MAN HOME

by Tom on May 8th, 2009
53 votes, average: 8.38 out of 10
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KEEP YOUR MAN HOME
Vote for Theater Hopper at Top Web Comics

Sometimes being a nerd is hard. You get made fun of a lot, you're usually kind of pasty and there are swirlies involved.

But if you're lucky enough to land a hot wife who indulges your nerd tendencies? Well, you've just hit the jackpot, tiger. Just try not to be a jerk about it like Tom is in the most recent incentive sketch. To see what I'm talking about, vote for Theater Hopper at Top Web Comics.

I like drawing the comics where Cami geeks out with Tom from time to time. I've done a few of them in the past and I think it helps to move their relationship beyond the loudmouth protagonist and the long-suffering wife. Not to say there isn't some of that to be found in Theater Hopper, but that Everyone Loves Raymond dynamic gets a little tired after a while.

Hopefully it's clear that Cami is dressed up as an Orion slave girl from the original Star Trek. I never know if I'm in safe territory when I'm making visual references from 40 years ago.

It was... interesting doing photo research for the Orion slave girl's "look." I found a bunch of images from when they made an appearance on Enterprise a few years ago. It was as if someone had sprayed them down with industrial strength whore. Guess I missed that episode.

Of course, there are the ubiquitous images of everyday fans dressed up as Orion slave girls. Ladies, I love you. But take my word for it when I suggest that there aren't many of you who can pull off the green skin and tattered rags look. I'm just trying to be a friend.

So, as you know, Star Trek is in theaters today and it's been really interesting getting e-mails and reading the feedback of people who've seen it. Pretty much all of them are saying it's awesome. My expectations were already a little high, but I'm starting to worry that if I don't see this movie soon, my expectations will be TOO high and it's going to disappoint me in some way.

People keep saying that the film is like this year's Iron Man. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, I think I might have seen a commercial for Star Trek that says the same thing. So who knows if that's their real opinion or if they're just parroting something they've heard elsewhere (like I have).

I assume people make the comparison for the fact that it sounds like Star Trek simply gets a lot of things right and puts the characters to the fore with a healthy dose of the science fiction elements that support them. I think the biggest thing Star Trek has going for it is that people are starting to remember that it was the characters - specifically the relationship between Kirk and Spock - that made the show so much fun to watch.

I mean, let's be frank. By the time they got around to making Star Trek VI, it was more about the novelty of seeing these actors we had grown to love on screen together one. last. time. I mean, look at the way people treat Shatner these days. He's like a Goofball Grandfather God. But I think audiences forgot why they fell in love with them in the first place.

I'm hoping to see the film tonight. Probably a late showing. Cami has no interest in it, of course. That's okay. I can nerd it up all the more flying solo. I'll let you know what I think on Monday. Or, if you want to know before then, I'm sure I'll tweet about it at some point over the weekend. Maybe come back here for the more in depth review...

Anyone else ready to be beamed up? What are your expectations for the film? What elements do you think they have to include to keep the die-hard fans happy? What's something new you'd like to see contributed to the franchise? Leave your thoughts below!

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THE THERMOS CLASSES IT UP

by Tom on May 30th, 2008
5 votes, average: 8.20 out of 10
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THE THERMOS CLASSES IT UP

Sex in the City comes out this weekend and seems to be as hotly anticipated by the fairer sex as every comic book movies is ready to be embraced this summer. Unlike most men who seem to be operating from a database of "I won't watch this movie because I don't have vagina" zingers, I'm not psyched out by this proposition. It's been a while since there was a romantic comedy with any real pedigree. Seems to be you had to wait for some kind of Tom Hanks / Meg Ryan vehicle to come along before you could permit yourself to feel confident about the genre.

Cami is a big fan of the shoe, so I've seen enough episodes of the show to know what's going on. I even went to a Sex and the City finale party when it ended. I bought her that huge pink velvet book that collects the entire series for her birthday a few years ago, so the occasional Sex and the City marathon is not a rare occurrence in our house.

These are all things MAN LAW tells me I should be ashamed to admit. But I'm not. What can I say? It was a good show and I can certainly understand why the power fantasy was so attractive to women.

Since Sex and the City went off the air a few years ago, every romantic comedy since then seems to extrapolate from it's formula. Smart, career-minded women who can HAVE IT ALL! The Job, The Clothes, The Man. Think about it. Think about all of the romantic comedies that have come out just this year that share this formula. 27 Dresses and Baby Mama, for example. Nevermind all of the television shows that try to capture lightning in a bottle. Lipstick Jungle, Cashmere Mafia... even Gossip Girl, Dirty Sexy Money and Grey's Anatomy try to capture this to a degree. Why needs men, right?

Ah, but therein lies the rub. Box office for romantic comedies has been down in the last few years not only because they're all operating out of the same playbook, but because these movies and television shows almost entirely exclude men from the equation.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, men enjoy romance from time to time. But when the movies tell you over and over that you're a prop for a successful woman, no wonder men lose interest.

I'm trying to avoid categorizing this in sexist terms. Certainly movies for men have been using women as props for years. Most, if not all of them, in fact. A little turnabout is fair play.

BUT for a genre that is supposed to be all about UNIFYING the sexes, does anyone else find it curious that it is so thoroughly alienating one half of its audience?

In a social climate where there are so many pretenders to the throne, it's interesting to me to see if Sex and the City can return to the big screen and not feel completely stale. And, if it fails, what will become the next flavor of the month when it comes to romantic comedies?

A little food for thought over the weekend. Take care and I hope you guys have a good one. I'll see you back here on Monday.

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TOMMY SPARK

by Tom on May 2nd, 2008
7 votes, average: 7.86 out of 10
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TOMMY SPARK

Apologies for the gross lateness of today's comic. I had a problem with my internet connection Thursday night and couldn't upload it. Then, on Friday night, my parents came over to the house for dinner and conversation after being on vacation for a week and I was further delayed.

I wish I had a large, profound blog post for you right now. But I don't - which is a shame, because I would love nothing more than to talk to you about Iron Man right now. Cami and I saw it on Thursday night and LOVED it.

I have a review written for the movie and I will most likely post it Sunday. So you'll get the full scoop then.

I could literally talk about it for hours and probably will during The Triple Feature podcast on Monday night. So you have that to look forward to as well. No reason burning everyone out on Iron Man discussion just yet.

Here's to you and yours and hopefully you all have a great weekend.

See you here on Monday. Take care.

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RAT MCNUGGET

by Tom on July 2nd, 2007
13 votes, average: 8.00 out of 10
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RAT MCNUGGET

This was actually supposed to be the comic you guys were get on Friday and the Live Free or Die Hard comic was the one you were supposed to get last Wednesday. Of course, since my computer completely melted down last Wednesday, the order is all screwed up.

I'm sure it makes no difference to you, but I enjoy being timely with the comics. It's one advantage the web has over digital media. So, for me, it would have been a lot more fun if I could have gotten the LFoDH comic up on Wednesday when the movie started playing in theaters and having this Ratatouille comic up on Friday before the latest Pixar film was proven a success with a near $50 million opening weekend.

There has been so much crap written about Ratatouille and these concerns that it wouldn't connect with audiences. Rats in a kitchen? Yech! French cuisine? Double yech! So what? If the story is good, the audience will be there. And I think word of mouth is only going to improve on this thing, from what I've been reading.

Marketing aside, the only red flag that came up for me is that the original director Jan Pinkava was replaced by Brad Bird. But then, that's like having Nolan Ryan come in to finish out a pitching session for a rookie's first time on the mound. Everything is going to be fine.

Shamefully, I didn't get to see ANY movies this weekend due to my overwhelming computer issues. What a pain in the ass. I finally got a hold of a new hard drive Friday night and it pretty much took me the rest of the weekend off and on to get Windows XP and the rest of my software loaded back onto it. I didn't really suffer any significant data loss, but it just takes SO MUCH TIME. Like, HOURS at a stretch, it seems. I don't really have that kind of free time with Henry in the house. I pretty much stuck him with Cami all day Sunday. Father of the year, over here, gang.

At this point, my concern is falling behind. In addition to Ratatouille, both Cami and I want to see Sicko. But it's a matter of finding the time and getting someone to babysit Henry. My radar is up for Transformers on Wednesday. Begrudgingly, I think I have to go to this one. Not particularly because I think it's going to be a good movie (I certainly don't respect the direction they went in regards to the robot designs) but because I feel like this is the movie everyone is going to be talking about.

In a way, Michael Bay and company were right to wait until the July 4 weekend. It seems like Spider-Man 3, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End and Shrek the Third all kind of blew their wad by landing in theaters back in May. No one is really talking about them now because I think they all kind of canceled each other out. I'm looking at the upcoming release schedule and I'm not really seeing anything that is going to challenge Transformers dominance. I mean, Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix will probably steal some of it's thunder, but that's the fifth movie in the franchise and - truthfully - haven't we seen it all before?

I never thought I would find myself in the position of defending Bay or Transformers, but I really think it's going to be the blockbuster to beat this summer. It's going to show us something new. Or at least a big-screen version of a concept we've been waiting to see for the last 20 years.

However, unlike Sicko and Ratatouille, Transformers is a movie Cami has no interest in seeing. So I might be able to sneak out of the house Wednesday night after Henry is asleep and check it out for myself. I kind of hate that it's come to this - me seeing these movies by myself. I used to really like dragging Cami along with me. But I'm kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. I kind of have to see these bigger movies as part of my "job," but with a baby, you can't drop what you're doing and go see everything you want. I feel like I'm being selfish going by myself. But for the immediate future, this looks like the best solution for us.

Oh, well. What about the rest of you? Have you finally started to give in to the Transformers hype

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ANSWERING THE CALL OF JUSTICE

by Tom on May 2nd, 2007
6 votes, average: 6.17 out of 10
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ANSWERING THE CALL OF JUSTICE

I don't care how many times I pull the joke out of storage, I will never grow tired of seeing Tom wearing the Spider-Man mask along with his street clothes. He can afford the mask, just not the body suit. It's very innocent and charming to me. Plus, a lot of fun to draw.

Are you guys getting as hyped up as I am about Spider-Man 3? Man, I hope it lives up to the hype. This was actually something Gordon, Joe and I talked about on this week's Triple Feature talkcast. If perhaps we've been waiting and thinking and salivating over Spider-Man 3 for so long, it's lost some of it's verve?

I haven't seen a lot of television commercials for Spider-Man 3, which I suppose is good. Either that, or I'm just not watching the networks that run the bulk of the advertising. Oh, no! Am I culturally irrelevant?

For me, however, a lot of air was let out of my tires as soon as the marketing blitz took shape for the movie. I remember being in the toy aisle at Target a few weeks ago (looking for playthings for Henry, I swear!) when I came across the full line of Spider-Man 3 action figures.

The first thing I noticed is that they looked like ass. The SECOND thing I noticed was the Venom action figure. Production had been keeping things under wraps for so long and they were doing such a good job about it, seeing Venom on screen was probably 50% of my motivation to see the movie (even if he only gets 10% of screen time).

But then there I was, standing face to contorted plastic face with the tiny avatar of fictionalized evil and I thought to myself, "Hmph. Okay, so that's what he looks like. Mystery solved." I walked away almost defeated by my own apathy.

I'm turning 30 this year and I won't pretend for a minute that it's more than likely the window is closing in regards to my interest in such things. But I can't help but imagine what delivering a movie like this would have been like in the days before the internet. The first Spider-Man kind of took people by surprise. X-Men was the first of the "nu comic book" movies to land in theaters and people were somewhat impressed. But I don't remember people expecting great things from the first Spider-Man movie. When it arrived post 9/11 during a period where we REALLY needed heroes, people were over the moon about it. Since then, it seems like we're all on the same page in terms of our Spider-Man love.

But is third time NOT the charm? You get the vague sense that with three villains in the mix and all the rumors about Raimi and the principle cast not coming back for a fourth movie that they're really going for broke and adding everything imaginable. That worries me. Because I can't think of a single blockbuster that was best served by a "What the hell - throw that in, too" mentality. Look at the latter Batman flicks or even the most recent King Kong. Sometimes, to have a great popcorn flick, you gotta show a little restraint.

Of course I'll see Spider-Man 3 this weekend and of course I will love it. All the nit picking at this stage is just a nervous fanboy tic. But if the rumors are true and Raimi and the cast really decide to hang it up after this, I think I'll be okay with that.

As mentioned above, Gordon, Joe and I completed another successful broadcast of The Triple Feature talkcast on Monday. I strongly encourage you to download it along with all of our other episodes. They're a lot of fun and hopefully it will motivate you to participate in them as they occur live.

Since most of the free world will be seeing Spider-Man 3 this weekend and since that's what we plan to talk about for the full hour this coming Monday, it'll be a great opportunity for you to check out the show and call in live. We want to get your thoughts and reactions in real time. So set aside some time on your calendar, Monday, May 7 at 9:00 PM CST.

Another thing we had hoped would draw in more listeners are our contests and I announced two giveaways on Monday - Dreamgirls and Diggers (which both came out on DVD yesterday and - incidentally, was giving a glowing review on Ebert & Ropert this weekend). You need to download and listen to Monday's show for the first half of the clue for these giveaways. I'm hear now to give the second half.

For Dreamgirls, the second half of the clue is "HIVE"

For Diggers, the second half of the clue is "BAKE"

If you've participated in a few of these, you know the drill. Send in the complete clue along with your name, age and mailing address to theaterhopper@hotmail.com. And for the sake of organization, please send in your entries in two separate e-mails. If you submit both clues in one e-mail, I have to throw it out because I won't be able to keep them straight.

Sound good? Good! Fire away!

Oh, and by the way, I received in the mail my giveaway copies of Copying Beethoven, Deja Vu and The Queen and the winners have been chosen and mailed out. Don't worry, I'm not going to post your name if you won. I just wanted to let everyone know that those contests are now off the table.

Come back a little later in the day. I have some news regarding that freelance movie review job I was shooting for with The Des Moines Register that I talked about about a month ago.

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INTERNET FAMOUS

by Tom on March 23rd, 2007
5 votes, average: 7.40 out of 10
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INTERNET FAMOUS

That's what it feels like to be internet famous sometimes - getting hit in the nuts by a costumed third grader wielding a bo staff.

And it never stops hurting.

I don't know what it is with me punishing Tom's junk this week, but if there's anything I've learned from America's Funniest Home Videos, images of people getting hit in the groin are comedy gold.

Since the advent of shows like Jackass and the immediacy of YouTube, it feels like we're living in the Renaissance of people getting hit in the groin. It's been elevated into some kind of competitive performance art. Well, consider my hat in the ring.

Now watch as someone posts a clip of themselves taken a sledgehammer to the nuts.

As you can tell, I'm not particularly full of insights today. But I'm excited none-the-less. My folks have offered to watch Henry this weekend long enough for us to get away and watch a movie. I'm super psyched because Reign Over Me comes out this weekend and both Cami and I have been looking forward to it.

I know, I know. Our first social outing without Henry and what do we choose to do but watch a delightful little movie about 9/11 and coping with grief. Should be a fun time!

Now if we can somehow persuade Cami's folks into babysitting next week so we can go see Blades of Glory!

Some good news for those of you who ordered Junkie shirts a little while back - they're FINALLY back from the printer. So this weekend I'm going to sit down and package up all the orders. Hopefully I can get them in the mail over my lunch hour on Monday and you'll be seeing them in the next few days after that. Sorry for the delay. Apparently my printer had a stick up his butt.

For those of you who haven't ordered the new Junkie shirt and maybe want to see it modeled before you plunk down your hard-earned money, here's a glamor shot for you:

If you guys like what you see (and honestly, how could you not?) swing by the store and place your order. Keep in mind that Junkie is also available with all of the special bundling discounts. So if you want to grab a shirt along with a copy of one of our books, you'll save a little extra dough in the process. Everyone wins!

That'll do it for me. See you guys next Monday!

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GRAVEROBBING

by Tom on February 16th, 2007
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GRAVEROBBING

Ghost Rider comes out today and I'm excited for it. I would go so far to say that I'm looking forward to it.

I know that this is the unpopular opinion. People have been ragging on this movie for months now and who can blame them? Everything about it seems to have been bungled in some way. It was originally slated to be a big summer tent pole release in 2006. Then it was pushed back to the studio dumping ground during the latter part of February.

Bad sign.

There were rumors that star (and unrepentant comic book nerd) Nicholas Cage was doing bizarre improvisations on set, even adding sections to the script he wrote himself. People complained he was too old or too much of a fanatic for the material. Don't get me started about that IMDB item that reported that it took 3 hours every day to apply Cage's hair piece.

There was a botched marketing campaign that inexplicably centered around an overweight goth girl being interviewed about the Ghost Rider and a movie poster that showed a burning motorcycle tire tread and nothing else. What's this movie about again?

And, of course, there is fanboy punching bag director Mark Steven Johnson at the helm. The man who ruined Daredevil. The critics were licking their chops.

I recognize all of these incredible missteps, but here's the thing: I don't care. I am genuinely excited for this movie.

You know me. I'm a comic book nerd. So right there, this movie gets a pass. But added to that, Ghost Rider was one of my favorite comic book characters when I was coming up in the world. I didn't read Ghost Rider in the '70's when Marvel was trying to capitalize on Evel Kinevel's cool factor. I read it in the '90's when it was all angst and supernatural doing's. Trust me - when you're 12 or 13 and still carving out a niche for a personality, an authentic biker from hell leaves an impression. Skull on fire, bad-ass motorcycle, spiked leather jacket and gauntlets, sentient chains swirling around - Ghost Rider looked like a prison tattoo come to life. Visually, I always he looked as cool as Spider-Man, The Punisher or Iron Man. I was infatuated.

Fast forward about 15 years or so and I still don't have a motorcycle, or any tattoos or even a length of chain lying around my garage. But I still think Ghost Rider is awesome and I can't wait to see this movie.

The only thing that matters to me is that they got the look of the character right. And, from the stills I've been seeing, it appears pretty spot on. The look of his new "hellcycle" leaves a little bit to be desired. It looks like a left-over from Spawn's garage sale. But so long as they keep G.R. on screen, they'll be fine. I know Nic Cage is the star, but I don't care. This is a film where I don't mind looking at CG effects for the majority of the running time. If Nicholas Cage is on screen more than 40% of the time, THEN we can call the movie a failure!

I want to give a quick shout out this week to David Buist for his guest strip on Monday and Jerry Holkins for his guest essay on Wednesday. From the sound of it, you guys got a kick out of both of their efforts this week. It means a lot to me that they would both take the time to contribute, so thanks guys!

By the way, how is this working out for everyone so far? Two guest strips and then a new comic from me on Friday? I think it's been a good compromise. Let me know you're thoughts in the comments! BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! You guys remember those 5 samples of a new t-shirt design I was working on from earlier in the week, right? Well, I made a decision and there is a new shirt available in the store:

Junkie

The shirt is currently available for pre-order through February 28 and all current bundling discounts apply. So if you want to pick up this shirt with one of our other shirts or maybe one of our books, you can!

To place your pre-order for "Junkie" click here!

Oh, and for those of you who are on "Baby Watch '07," no news for you yet. Cami is extremely uncomfortable, but that's about all. We have our fingers crossed for a baby this weekend! I'll be sure to let you know if it happens!

Have a great weekend, everyone. SEE GHOST RIDER! Piss off one of your movie snob friends!

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THE COUPLE THAT FIGHTS CRIME TOGETHER…

by Tom on November 1st, 2004
10 votes, average: 8.80 out of 10
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THE COUPLE THAT FIGHTS CRIME TOGETHER…

Tom and Cami are about to embark on a crime-stopping spree. Click here to vote for Theater Hopper at buzzComix to see them launch into action Wonder Twins style!

Oh, and incidentally, the top list has reset for the month of November, so to help Theater Hopper stay in the Top 10, be sure to vote today and everyday!

In fact, to help remind you that you should be voting every day, I'm going to be doing a FULL WEEK of strips to celebrate the upcoming release of The Incredibles.

Frankly, I've pretty much grown tired of hovering around the middle of the Top 10 and I want to make a sincere push to the top of the list. I know I'm not promising you scantily clad women as a reward like some other web comics, but hey, let's give it a shot?

As they say, thinking is doing and saying is action. So I'm out here saying I want the number one spot at buzzComix and I need your help to do it!

I think I'm pretty much going to leave things at that for now. Since I'll be updating five times this week, I'll have plenty of opportunity to talk about The Incredibles. I don't want to waste all of my commentary in the first post, you know?

Tomorrow is Election Day. I'm not going to go on some big rag about it except to say that if you are of voting age, please be sure to make time to exercise your rights. I don't care who you vote for (okay, that's a lie - but I'm trying to stay unbiased here on the front page), just make sure you vote.

I took down the shirts from the store so I can give my printer time to catch up on orders. I know a few of you have been wondering when you'll see your shirts. It really depends on when the printer can get them finished. He does a lot of work for some other comics, so he's running a little behind. Last I heard, I could be mid-November by the time he has them done. So, after stuffing a few dozen envelopes, that might mean you guys won't see them until the end of the month.

Regardless, I wanted to let you know that I didn't run off with your money. When I know more, you'll know more.

Thanks to everyone for their support on the shirts. Expect the store to be updated with access to posters and a page for commissioned artwork soon!

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WEB-SLINGERS SHOULD EXFOLIATE

by Tom on July 5th, 2004
10 votes, average: 8.80 out of 10
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WEB-SLINGERS SHOULD EXFOLIATE

BuzzComix seems to be having some difficulty connecting to its database this morning, but in the off-handed case it returns to us soon, do me a solid and vote for Theater Hopper, would you? The top list recently reset and we have a little leg-work to do before we reach the upper echelons again. Did you know we placed number three last month? That's a record for us!

Anyway, I've slapped this little reminder on the front page for the time being, mostly because I'm trying to find a way to stretch out some content!

I know the third panel in today's comic is particularly repulsive because it's been battle-tested and market researched by my closest accomplice, Cami. I showed it to her while she was eating her Rice Krispies, and let's just say she had some trouble finishing for a minute or two.

The idea for today's strip pretty much came to me after I realized that I had kept Tom in the Spider-Man mask all of last week. In the movies, it looks like the Spider-Man costume is made out of some kind of Body Glove wet suit material. I don't imagine that "breathes" very well. Anyhow, figuring "Comic Tom" wouldn't have the sense to take off the mask combined with "Real World Tom's" propensity for sugary snacks led me to the ultimate conclusion.

Switching gears now, I should probably notify you that I am sitting on some bomb-shell information relating to the comic. Don't worry. It's nothing bad. But I'm keeping it under my hat today since the comic was already late. Come back to this space on Wednesday and prepare to have your world blown apart!

Am I building things up enough for you? ;)

Hey, you have the day off, don't you? Why don't you sign up for the THorum and say "Hi" to all the cool people that inhabit our little sanctuary?

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FLAMMABLE WEBBING

by Tom on July 2nd, 2004
14 votes, average: 8.43 out of 10
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars6 Stars7 Stars8 Stars9 Stars10 Stars
FLAMMABLE WEBBING

As part of this holiday weekend, today's incentive sketch is an image of Jared wishing you and yours a very happy AND SAFE Fourth of July. Click here to view it!

In case you're wondering what product I'm referencing in today's comic, you can find information about it here. This isn't the first time that the Theater Hopper crew has suffered injury caused by carefully marketed comic book movie licensed merchandise. And if you forgot, here's a refresher.

Does everyone remember back in the day when Silly String used to be flammable? I know you've all seen that footage from America's Funniest Home Videos where some dude is about to blow out the candles on his birthday cake just before someone unleashes a wad of Silly String in his face when his lips are inches from the flames. The dude lights up like a stack of dry twigs.

I guess these days the makers of Silly String learned it's a good idea not to physically scar people for life and went ahead and made their product non-flammable. I was at least hoping to find a video of that footage somewhere so I could link to it. Oh, well.

Wanna talk about Spider Man for a minute? I know I do!

So Cami and I saw the sequel opening night and I couldn't have been more excited. I'll spare you the full-length review because I think everyone should go out and see this movie with fresh eyes, if possible - but I enjoyed it immensely!

You can tell that Raimi and company really settled into a groove on this one. The action sequences are very fluid and astounding. And for fans, there are tons of small references to the comics littered all over the place.

"Hey? Is that Dr. Conners, AKA 'The Lizard?' And isn't that shot a recreation from the classic cover to Amazing Spider-Man #50?"

Oh, yeah. You comic book fans are going to love this one!

Just as the first movie was able to do, Spider-Man 2 is peppered with several great scenes. After losing his powers and landing on a rooftop, Spidey has to ride the elevator down to street level and has an uncomfortable conversation with the individual he's riding down with! And when Doc Ock's tentacles first spring to life, it's truly a terrifying moment! (Be sure to keep an eye out for the Evil Dead reference).

I like how the story allowed for the secondary characters to breath a little more. Aunt May, Harry Osborne and J. Jonah Jameson all have a chance to really expand their range.

Of course it's Tobey Maguire who sells it as Peter Parker and his alter ego. He perfectly captures the conflict and guilt he suffers trying to balance his two lives. The scene where he admits responsibility for his Uncle Ben's death to Aunt May is heartbreaking and the core of the movie.

I don't often see the same movies twice while they're in theaters. At least not anymore. Even though I love the first movie, I only saw it once before buying it on DVD.

The sequel is everything I could have hoped for and more. MUCH better than the original, it improves upon it's formula in nearly every category. Don't be surprised if you see me standing in line to watch it again this weekend!

That's it for now. For all my American readers, have a safe and happy Fourth of July! See you here on Monday!

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