The Who and the What

A panel from Theater Hopper's Easter Strip, Editor Steve's fave.

I found Theater Hopper in my online comic reading a while back. The three main characters are Tom, his pal Jared, and Cami (who happens to be Tom's wife, muse and the female perspective in the strip). There are also occasional guests and visits from Truman the dog.

The strip comes out three times a week and covers new film releases, past favorites and the trials of having to go to the theater. Everyone can relate to Tom's frustration with the local theater and the fun he pokes at them. (Read the Why I Hate Wynnsong strips.)

When I read these I found out Tom is referring to the same theater that I go to here in Des Moines! So we chatted a few times in emails and I was able to meet Tom and Cami at the coolest comic/coffee store in Des Moines, Cup of Kryptonite, and talk about movies and what the future holds for the site.

Jenn:		What programs do you use when you do the strip?
Tom:		I pencil (hand draw) and ink the strips. Then I scan them in using a standard HP and I color them in Paint Shop Pro to do the final touches.
Jenn:		A lot of people use their family for their inspiration. I think you're the first comic I've seen where I have seen someone actually use themselves and friends. Did you decide to do that right away or did you consider using characters?
Tom:		I never considered using characters. There are a lot of other strips that do use real people, but it was just easier. I don't know, when I started this I didn't want to spend a lot of time into a back-story and characters if this wasn't successful. Now I kinda wish I did, now that I know it works.
Jenn:		Are you going to add any more people to your strip?
Tom:		No, there are a few other friends in there when I feel like it. The three of us that are in there now work pretty well, and it holds up.
Jenn:		Cami, what did you think when Tom said, "I'm going to do this web comic and put you in it"?
Cami:		The first thing I was wondering was how much time it was going to take and if he could make any money from it. I was a little skeptical at first; he really put a lot of time into the site. It's very time-consuming, but now it's paying off and I am very proud of him. It's impressive to see how many people visit the site and that it has fans and it's flattering.

Closing Remarks
We talked for a while about the new comic movies coming out this summer and Tom and Cami politely listened to me talk nonstop about comics. They were a lot of fun to meet and I wish them the best. Cami is a really good sport about being in the strip. (Not many wives would let their husband do that!)

So go and read them all (especially the crossover with Movie Punks, another comic site) and have a good time, a few laughs and know that you're not the only one who's wanted to kill the kid running the projector!