Coming Soon



Man, I am totally serious about this. Today's comic was originally intended as a joke, but now I realize these changes are too awesome to ignore. I mean look, Sam is... I guess some kind of robot. And they are in space or something! TO THE MAX!



Maybe you have heard about this new upcoming show that features darker, edgier versions of the Looney Tunes. (You can download the promotional trailer here.) Now, creating an action show that features superheroes who vaguely resemble the classic WB characters is certainly a... puzzling move. But no, it's the way this show is being presented to us that is really getting people so riled up. WB execs are talking about the characters from this spinoff as though they were permanent replacements for the classic ones.



It's a blatant lie, of course -- one that they are willing to play up to generate controversy and get some free publicity for the show. You can't fault the strategy: the "Loonatics" are all over the news, even on television. But these guys are no more replacements for the Looney Tunes than the Muppet Babies were replacements for the puppets. Still, even if it is just a marketing scheme, when you're reading quotes from some idiot WB exec claiming that the original characters are too old and too dated to use anymore, it's hard not to get a little worked up.



I remember reading once (somewhere) that occasionally, a news story comes along that results in hundreds of editorial cartoonists coincidentally drawing the same comic. For example, when Bob Hope died, countless artists paired the phrase "Bob Hope: 1903-2003" with a drawing of a lone microphone on an empty stage. Well, over the next few days I predict you will see a lot of "extreme" versions of the comics you read. It's just too hard for us to resist.



Sam Logan

It's thinking



Here is the latest in the long line of nifty things Claire has made for me: a terrycloth/fleece Dreamcast Pillow! The DC was my baby... the only game console I ever developed any kind of emotional attachment towards. It's unjustified failure has left me bitter and jaded. Who cares what system I own anymore, it's all just spinning discs and a buttons to me now. Anyhow, click the image to see just how cute this pillow is. Awwwww!







Speaking of Sega consoles, I am still in the market for a used Sega Saturn. I do think it needs to be a North American system to play North American games -- otherwise, I would be accepting the incredibly generous offer made by one of my Scottish readers. (You know who you are!) But it doesn't need to be a free system. Ideally, I am looking for a Canadian seller, so that I can keep shipping prices low and avoid possible customs fees. I know you can avoid customs sometimes by labelling things as gifts, but those dudes are wiley and I'd rather not risk it.



Sam Logan

You are experiencing a car accident



When Sam and Fuzzy update number 400 rolled around a couple of weeks ago, a few emailed to ask why I didn't even mention it. Am I that modest? You wish! I didn't say anything only because, due to guest strips and so on, update number 400 was not comic number 400. So, celebrating the 400th update would have been empty and artificial, much like celebrating the dawn of the new millennium in 2000 instead of 2001. Update number 425 is the one to remember, though I don't have much planned other than raising my hands into the air and cackling maniacally.



I saw that I, Robot film the other day. As I recall, people were awfully hard on it when it was in theaters, but I really liked it. Even if it bore little resemblance to the original book, it had very likeable characters and a pretty compelling mystery storyline that managed to avoid the usual robots-become-intelligent-and-turn-against-their-makers cliches (See: the Animatrix). Normally I hate blending CG characters and live action, but it was reasonably seamless here... either because the CG characters were meant to be mechanical or because I was watching on a very small television. And face it, if they really could make household robots, they would probably make them look like creepy humanoid I-macs. I hope I'm not the only person who thought this was a good film, because if I am... everyone is wrong but me.



Sam Logan