Little Boxes All The Same

Josh is acting on the theory that the more times he pushes the button the more millions he gets. He assumes additional strangers are dropping dead, but you gotta’ break a few eggs to make a money-omelet.

Watch the trailer for The Box and tell me the movie wouldn’t start and end exactly like this. Based on what I’ve seen The Box is a stupid name for this movie. It should be called The Button, or The Button in the Box, or HOLY SHIT WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT DUDE’S FACE WAS IT EATEN BY A MONGOOSE?!

I hope this movie features my favorite button-related dialog of all time:

How can he possibly resist the maddening urge to eradicate history at the mere push of a single button? The beautiful, shiny button? The jolly, candy-like button? Will he hold out, folks? Can he hold out?

PODCAST UPDATE:

We are currently in the planning stages of resurrecting The HE Podcast. Scheduling was always the problem and it still is. Everyone is too busy. To that end we are working on having one permanent studio (Eli’s house) with all the fancy gear we already own, and one portable studio that can be thrown together at a moment’s notice and used and relatively any location. That will require some new equipment. So while I am trying to sell every computer I own in order to purchase a laptop that can handle the Podcast’s processor and RAM intensive requirements, I have also posted an AMAZON WISH LIST with a few of the items that would make the mobile studio a reality. Namely the two Blue Snowball Mics (which are half price right now) and the PreSonus Headphone Amp. Most of these things are high dollar items, and I’m not saying the Podcast won’t return without them. It’s just part of the overall plan to have this mobile recording capability.

MEDICAL UPDATE:

Your generous DONATIONS have completely paid off my first medical bill! 1000 thanks to everyone that donated or sent an email/twitter/etc wishing me a swift recovery. The 2nd bill just came in the mail (from the 12 hour hospital stay) and it’s $1800. I am probably going to do a limited print or some such to raise money for this. If you are interested, stay tuned.

I am also considering offering certain comics as larger prints in the store. Maybe 11X14 instead of 8.5X11. The Calvin and Hobbes/Wash/Firefly comic comes to mind.

CON/APPEARANCE UPDATE:

Come see me in Austin, TX this weekend. You have 3 chances! [read more]
I am confirmed for Staple! (Austin, TX) and Emerald City Comic-Con (Seattle, WA) in March and I’m lining up new cons left and right. I might also be at San Diego Comic-Con 2010 as well. I’ll let you know if that’s going to happen or not.

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54 Comments

    • Stimpy: "NOOO I CAAAAAAAAAAAAAN"T!!!"
      [slams down button]
      Announcer: "Tune in next week as…"[BZZZZZZZZZZTTT!]
      God, how do I still know that bit?

  1. Josh's expression is brilliant!

    I just checked out IMDB cos I didn't get the face thing, and it looks like he had a bad attack of Zombies! Is he going to start eating Josh's brains soon?

    • What the fuck DID happen to that guy's face? If he gave me a kill-somebody-for-$1Million, I'd ask if it's him, 'cause then I'd do us both a favor.

  2. I've been excited for this movie since I heard Richard Kelly talk about it at a screening of Southland Tales. It's based in Richmond, too, which is a city that needs more love.

  3. Kudos on the R&S rant (always one of my favs!), and yes, please on the large print of the "Snowflake on the Wind" strip!

  4. > We are currently in the planning stages of resurrecting The HE Podcast.

    This may be best news this week. I'm going to donate right away. 🙂

  5. Wasn't that movie like a ten minute short film floating around on the internet for a while? I thought it was a featured YT vid in like 06 07 or something. The concept was stretched, hard, to last ten minutes.

  6. For a movie based on a short story written in the 1920's I think its pretty strange looking. But I'd pay good money to go see the Box starring Josh and the rest of the HE crew. Probably not so much with the actual film.

    Great work as per usual.

  7. So when they say someone you don't know, does that include followers on Twitter? I mean are they safe?

    Ok, I'd just press the button like 6 billion times, and reduce the worlds population, solving the energy crisis, global warming, famine and more.

    Done!

  8. I hope Ghoti Hook is featured on the soundtrack.

    "The box, THE BOX! The box, THE BOX! The box, THIS ONE'S CALLED THE BOX!"

  9. I wish I could donate and help but being a poor student…yeah I know that sounds crap. Still, if I could help bring the HE podcast back through the power of positive thoughts then I would, it's been sorely missed.

  10. Just one thing… like africa is 1/3 or so of the world population, 1 of every 3 times the button is pressed an african dies. I really don't care about those africans so i would press the button x times and give 2/3 of the money to charity for feeling bad about the people, then 1/3 to me.
    Morally unaccceptable? yes. Money? yes. Killing people with no future is good for people with future? YES!

    GREAT COMIC.

  11. 1. PODCAST!

    2. dolan kerys is a genius. Christmas 'snowflakes on the wind' cards is the best idea in the world. DO IT.

  12. Santy – Charming. I think a larger point about the allegory is that people like you picture themselves pushing the button and feeling just a little bad about it, not being on the receiving side.

  13. In this context "TF" does not stand for Transformers? If not, then WHAT IS IT, MAN?! (gotta love the ever-enraged Ren Hoek)

  14. I always just thought of Josh as amoral. If it benefits him, excellent. If not, why bother? If there's a downside that doesn't affect him, meh!

    And I figure that as the person pressing the button is not going to be one of the ones to die, as Muinamir says who *wouldn't* do it?

    Further to Santy/Rathskellers comments, I feel like we could get into a whole philosophical debate about the morality of 'the many vs the few' or the impact of wiping out a whole bunch of people, or finding out that you have in fact killed everyone you've ever met. Although the comment about Africans was a bit poor taste. I don't care personally about many people in the world, doesn't mean I would happily murder them.

  15. “The Box” is based on the short story “Button, Button” written in 1970 by Richard Matheson. It was made into an episode in the short lived revival of Twilight Zone in the 80’s.

    I’m not sure how they’re going to pad the story out to feature film length.

  16. Hah! My friend and I were watching a commercial for this and were both screaming at the screen "PRESS THE BUTTON! TWICE! MORE MONEYS!"

  17. How sad is it that I not only instantly recognized the quote, but immediately was compelled to read it aloud in the original voice?

  18. Oh, and for all the people saying “sure, why not press the button”, you have to keep in mind that the box works on “monkey paw” rules. I won’t spoil the details of the original story or the tv episode (which, interestingly, had different plot resolutions), but while the protagonist does get the money, there’s a twist in the tale so that the protagonist ends up worse off in the end.

  19. I’m surprised no one ever figures it out–the person who dies when the button is pushed is the last person who pushed the button. Which means if you push the button–You Die Next. Because whatever power responsible for the box likely figures that if you believe someone else deserves to die so that you can become a million dollars richer–then you deserve to die as well.

    Which means that in the above example, Josh would have died the second time he pushed the button. Sucks to be him—but that’s what he gets for being greedy.

  20. I think the funniest bit in the "button dialogue" you mentioned was when the narrator was slapping Stimpy's face closer to the button with his butt cheeks. Just THINKING about that scene is enough to make me laugh so hard, tears roll down my face.

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