Wait. This Benbot came from the future? What do you suppose his warning was all about? I guess we’ll never know… Or will we? Come back Friday to find out!

In the meantime, you only have this incentive sketch of another T-800 skull to tide you over. To see it, vote for Theater Hopper at Top Web Comics.

For those of you who find it out of character for Tom to point a shotgun point-blank to the face of a Benbot when it’s usually Jared who does the dismantling, remember that Tom’s paranoia against and hair-trigger for robotic interlopers was established long ago. I also think it’s funny that Tom has defenses established for the zombie apocalypse and felt forced to improvise with a cyborg in his home.

When did this comic become so weird?

I tried something different with the coloring in the second panel. I guess I was a little worried about the violence being too graphic, so I tried to stylize it a little bit. I think it turned out okay.

I guess I don’t have very much left to say for today, so I’ll point you to this article about Terminator Salvation from Entertainment Weekly. I was particularly taken by this part about Christian Bale receiving the pitch for the movie from the much-loathed director, McG:

Bale recalls, ”I had this guy sitting there saying, ‘Christian, didn’t somebody ever take a leap of faith on you to do something radically different than you’ve ever done before? Give me that opportunity.’ So I’m thinking, ‘Oh, f—!”’ Bale’s advisers were against it too. Not just because Terminator Salvation was a sequel to a sequel to a sequel, but also because of McG himself, a man with little more to his credit than The O.C., a couple of Charlie’s Angels movies, and a ridiculous name. ”I had people telling me, ‘Don’t do it, Christian. Don’t go with that guy.’ In a strange way, I like the fact that he keeps that name because it does him no friggin’ favors,” says Bale. ”But people hear it and they go, ‘F— him!’ People were telling me, ‘Christian, you’re too good for Terminator.’ And I’m thinking, I’m too good? I’m not a snob. I really f—ing enjoy watching a good action movie. Who do you think I am?!”

I think Bale is a pretty smart guy who knows that he has to mix it up a little bit and take a paycheck role like John Conner so he can attract the attention of more out-there material like The Machinist or The Prestige. But I think between the Batman and Terminator franchises, he’s getting dangerously close to painting himself into a corner.

I also found it interesting that he has this rebelliousness in him that tells him to work with a ridiculous director because everyone else thinks the guy is a joke. Just like there is some truth in stereotypes, there is plenty of evidence to support the idea that McG doesn’t have the emotional maturity to direct more than music videos.

Later in the article, McG talks about his credibility problem and how others perceive him…

The artist formerly, and formally, known as Joseph McGinty Nichol knows what you think of him. He’s spent the past decade battling the perception that just because of his name, he’s some shallow jackass. Or, as he puts it, ”a lightweight with some hip-hop nickname and a gold chain around my neck, who drives a Lamborghini.” It drives McG nuts that with nearly $570 million under his belt at the global box office, he still has to explain himself. ”If you can’t get past my name after 12 years in this industry, you’re not invited,” he says in his L.A. production office two weeks before the film’s release. ”If you don’t have the hustle to figure out that McG’s short for ‘McGinty,’ which is my mother’s maiden name, and that she’s the least funky person ever, I’m kind of done. My name won’t define my movies. My movies will define my name.” He pauses to let this sink in. ”Look, I know I have a body of work that would not suggest that I am a credible storyteller. I need to prove myself on this film. Before you can be Johnny Depp, you have to do your time on 21 Jump Street.”

First of all, anyone who uses the word “hustle” in that context, I can’t take seriously.

Secondly, “$570 million under his belt at the global box office” and “12 years in the industry” don’t make you legitimate. Box office is rarely an indicator of quality. It is an indication of effective marketing and some gullibility on behalf of the movie-going audience. So don’t point to a stack of money and say “See! I’m talented!” If you want to talk talent, look at James Cameron who brought the concept of The Terminator to life, created something original and groundbreaking. McG is only playing with someone else’s toys.

I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt because I’m a fan of the franchise. But if the movie turns out to be good, it’s not because McG is at the helm. The Terminator concept is too strong, too powerful in our collective imagination. It sustains itself. The only way for McG to go is down and he’ll do that if he screws with the formula too much and audiences don’t accept it.

There looks to be some interesting tweaks to the Terminator mythology in this film. If people really end up liking the motorcycle Terminators, then I guess I’ll have to eat crow. But until McG comes up with a concept as strong as the Terminator on his own, he’s still a scrub.

What are your thoughts about Bale, and McG? Do you think Bale is taking a risk with this film. What about Bale’s on-set explicative-filled rant from earlier in the year? Do you think it will affect Terminator Salvation’s box office take or has it been long enough that people have forgotten? Does McG deserve respect? Do you think he should take the credit if Terminator Salvation’s is a hit? Leave your comments below!