Posts Tagged ‘Monsters Vs. Aliens’

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THE PR FIRM OF RESGRAM AND OZON

by Tom on August 9, 2011 at 12:00 am
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(25 votes, average: 7.96 out of 10)
Monsters vs. Aliens, Predator vs. Aliens, Cowboys and Aliens, public relations, dissapointment, anal probe, aliens

Apologies for the delay this week. This comic about Cowboys and Aliens was originally supposed to go up last week when it was perhaps a little more timely. That didn't happen and now I'm wondering if anyone cares.

I've not yet seen Cowboys and Aliens, but no one I know seems to be talking about it - good or bad. The few reviews I've read basically say the film is competent, but unspectacular. All of the positive buzz that was surrounding it before its release seems to have died on the vine. Tying for first place at the box office with The Smurfs probably didn't help.

I'll probably end up seeing Cowboys and Aliens sometime this weekend while I am attending the Chicago Comic Con as the Rosemont Convention Center. I'm really looking forward to attending this year. I skipped out last year because I decided to go to C2E2 instead. I decided to come back to the Chicago Comic Con because, frankly, C2E2 was too expensive.

There will always be a special place in my heart for the Chicago Comic Con. It was the first big show I ever went to back in 2004. Since then, I've steadily progressed and learned how to operate and one of these big shows and it's been a treat to hang out with the fans every year.

If I could do more big shows, I would. Unfortunately, I'm kind of limited to the shows I can drive to. So that means I'm pretty much stuck in the Midwest. But it's nice having a show of this size relatively in my backyard.

If you're attending Chicago Comic Con this weekend, you can find me in Artist Alley, table #3314. I'll be easy to spot because my table is right next to Gordon McAlpin from Multiplex. It'll be great to see him again.

Not sure what else to say except that I managed to somehow see both Captain America AND The Change-Up this weekend. I'd like to talk about them, but I'm kind of distracted because I'm focusing on Chicago Comic Con.

I'll say this regarding Captain America - Chris Evans made me forget that he ever played the Human Torch.

Probably the less said about The Change-Up, the better.

But, hey! If you saw either of these movies (or Cowboys and Aliens) and want to talk about them, feel free to fire up the comments area! I'd be interested to read your thoughts. Maybe if we can prompt a conversation, I can go into more depth on both those films.

Sorry for running and gunning it this week. Please come see me at table #3314 this weekend at Chicago Comic Con! Otherwise, I'll catch up with you next week!

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A NON SEQUITUR TO EVERYONE ELSE

by Tom on March 30, 2009 at 12:00 am
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars6 Stars7 Stars8 Stars9 Stars10 Stars
(15 votes, average: 7.87 out of 10)
Monsters Vs. Aliens, Dreamworks, Monsters, Inc., Pixar, conspiracy, paranoid, video store, Monster, Charlize Theron, Monster's Ball, Halle Berry, Monster Squad, Wolfamn's got balls, high five

Wanna know the best way to start your week? MONSTER SQUAD REFERENCES!

You're welcome.

Speaking of monsters, I saw Monsters vs. Aliens this weekend and, unfortunately, was NOT bowled over. I'm not exactly sure what went wrong other than it fell into that same trap of pop culture references and soullessness that other Dreamworks animated movies seem to fall into.

Maybe I went in with my expectations too high after the success of Kung-Fu Panda last year. But Monsters vs. Aliens is just more of the same.

There are a few laughs to be had. Great line delivery from Stephen Colbert as The President and Will Arnett as The Missing Link. But, unbelievably, it's Seth Rogen who steals the show as the indestructible blob, B.O.B.

Much like B.O.B., Rogen has crafted an indestructible slacker/stoner/moron persona that brings the biggest laughs in this film. He's pretty much the only character having a good time while the rest of the world is falling down around him and his cluelessness and confusion makes him instantly endearing.

The rest of the movie is a cheap girl-power parable wrapped up in a few action pieces that have been strung together. Pretty much the best thing it had going for it was the 3D. But even that was a little annoying when they were pulling cheap moves like a guy hitting a paddle-ball toward the screen.

Really, Dreamworks? Why not shoot a scene at a kids birthday party so someone can blow a party noisemaker that uncurls into in our faces.

Should you see Monsters vs. Aliens. If you're a fan of animation, 3D movies and cheesy sci-fi from the 50's and 60's, I'd say "yes." If you're a fan of laughing or have laundry to fold, I'd say "no." I don't really regret going. But it could have been executed much better.

Theater Hopper will be at Emerald City Comicon, Artist Alley, table H-05, Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5

Switching topics, I wanted to let everyone know that I will be at the Emerald City Comicon in Seattle this Saturday and Sunday, April 4 - 5. I'm going to have a table on Artist Alley and you can find me at H-05.

I'm a little nervous about going because this will be the first convention I've flown out of state to attend. Typically I only go to conventions I can drive to so I can save on cost. But I found a cheap flight to Seattle and Emerald City was too good to pass up (they have an excellent reputation and are very welcoming to web comics).

Part of my nervousness stems from not knowing anyone at the convention. Sure, there will be a lot of web comics people there like Scott Kurtz, Jeph Jacques and the guys from Penny Arcade. But these guys operate WAY out of my league and they aren't people I've really had an opportunity to interact with socially before.

When I go to Wizard World Chicago ever year, I get to hang out with Gordon McAlpin, Joe Dunn and the rest of the Digital Pimp crew. We set up shop next to each other and goof off for 8 hours while we try to sell our wares. In Seattle, I'll kind of be own my own.

Well, that's not entirely true. To take the sting out of travel expenses, I'm splitting a room with Indigo Kelleigh from The Adventures of Ellie Connelly. So at least there is someone I can hang out with after being on the show floor all day. Or, if he has better places to be, I could always go see Fast and Furious the weekend.

Oh! I should probably mention that I was invited to speak on a panel at the convention! Yeah - it's the Business of Webcomics panel at 1:00 PM, Sunday, April 5 in panel room 3AB.

I'll be in a room, talkin' web comics with Robert Khoo from Penny Arcade, Danielle Corsetto from Girls With Slingshots and Jeph Jacques from Questionable Content, doing my best not to sound like an idiot. It's an amazing opportunity and I want to say thanks to the show organizers for including me! If you're coming to the show that day, check it out!

Is anyone reading this planning on going to the convention this weekend? If so, can you talk about it a little bit in the comments section? I just want to get a general sense of what to expect. I'm sure everything will be fine, it's just the unknown that's eating at me a little bit.

If nothing else, it'll be a real treat to meet fans from the West coast. This will be my first trip to your neck in the woods and I'm eager to meet you!

Thanks again for reading and I'll talk to you soon

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VS. EVERYONE

by Tom on March 27, 2009 at 9:17 am
Posted In: Blog
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It's been kind of interesting to read the reaction to today's strip. People have been leaving comments here and over at my Twitter account about what mythical or pop culture combatants they'd like to see in the free-for-all.

Vikings, pirates, astronauts, zombies, cavemen, vampires, Chuck Norris, The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man... I've heard 'em all!

The idea was floated around that I draw it and sell a print. I think it sounds like a good idea, but I keep thinking I've seen something like that before. In fact, after rummaging through the ol' memory banks, I remember Young American Comics produced an anthology a few years ago called The Big Ol' Book of BIZMAR - 75 stories combining Bunnies, Insects, Zombies, Monkeys, Aliens and Robots. I remember because a few of my friends contributed to it.

Certainly no one owns the rights to these kind of mash-ups. But I don't want to pour a lot of effort into something that's already been done.

What do you think? Would you like to see an original art piece from me featuring all of your favorite pop culture heroes and villains duking it out?

Leave your comments and suggestions for additional fighters below!

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TOO MANY COOKS

by Tom on March 27, 2009 at 12:00 am
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(8 votes, average: 7.75 out of 10)
Monsters Vs. Aliens, sequel, monsters, aliens, robots, ninjas, monkeys, cowboys, indians, one-up

I wish I had a little more room in the comic to really capture the epic-ness of a Monster versus Alien versus Robot versus Ninja versus Monkey beat down. I hope the ASPCA doesn't mind that I put a shuriken between the eyes of Bobo there.

I'm still pretty pumped to see Monsters vs. Aliens this weekend even though some reviews are starting to come back negative. I guess some are complaining that it's kind of short on laughs and not very innovative. Some people are saying it's the Bad Old Days of Dreamworks Animation and not the blockbuster Kung-Fu Panda was.

I suppose maybe some of that is to be expected. After all, the director is the same guy who wrote and directed Shark Tale. But I don't care. I just want to watch something fun, bright and colorful. MVA fits the bill. Heck, I think I'm even going to shell out a few extra bucks to see it in 3D! Why not? What else am I going to see A Haunting in Connecticut? I think not. I'll report back later with my findings.

I don't have very much to talk about today. So, instead, I'll take this opportunity to point you to my good friend Joe Dunn's web comic Joe Loves Crappy Movies. Joe recently made a big announcement. His first book Joe Loves Crappy Movies: Volume One is now available from his site.

You guys really gotta check this out. Odds are, if you're reading Theater Hopper, you're probably already reading JCLM. But if you're not, you're gonna love it. Joe put a lot of work into this book to really add value beyond what you get on his site for free.

Most impressively, he's selling "Artist Editions" of the book featuring kick-ass original sketches inside. People who order before Sunday get upgraded for free! You gotta look at the work he's doing with these sketches. Check out this thread in his forum. They're amazing.

Joe's a great guy and I really want him to have a lot of success with his first book. So maybe you can take some of your tax return and invest it in something you're really going to enjoy. Take my word for it.

That's all I have for today. Thanks for reading and I'll see you guys next week!

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UNFORTUNATE PLACEMENT

by Tom on March 25, 2009 at 12:00 am
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(13 votes, average: 6.31 out of 10)
Monsters Vs. Aliens, posters, indestructible gelatinous mass, 50 foot tall woman, human cockroach, insult

You know, I was working on a big blog post this morning to talk about Monsters Vs. Aliens, but my browser crashed before I could post it, so I lost everything.

I'm kind of frustrated at the moment, so I'll give you the Cliff's Notes version instead:

  • I used to think Dreamworks Animation sucked.
  • Kung-Fu Panda changed my mind about that.
  • Now I'm really looking forward to Monsters Vs. Aliens.

I know that doesn't give you a lot to hang your hat on in terms of discussion, but I was literally just about to hit the "SEND" button when I lost the whole thing. So I'm just gonna roll with this.

I think I might be back a little later in the day with some more news. But in the meantime, let's see if we can generate some conversation around Monsters Vs. Aliens. Are you guys excited for it? Dare I say I might be anticipating this one a little more than I was Watchmen! It just looks fun! Leave your comments below!

Thanks!

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