New comic is finished. I like most of the movies mentioned, incidentally, and I definitely love two of the three filmmakers referenced (two thumbs down, Spielberg), so don’t get me wrong or anything. I saw that new Iron Man movie, as that was the big superhero comic I read as a kid, and I’ve gotta say the movie was a hell of a lot better than the comics. Wow, Tony Stark actually has a personality now! Neat. I wish they’d made actually good Marvel films when I was 14 years old and might have been more excited. Still, it was a decent two hours at the theatre, and bald-beard Jeff Bridges was hilarious. Unconvincing acting on the part of the people playing military personnel though. That one F-22 pilot was kind of distractingly terrible, but never mind. In other news, me, myself, and I have some cameo action in the new “Bananaglass” comic, which you can see below (click the image for the full comic). Drawing me being disgusted by Nickelback is definitely one way to get on my good side, although my appetite for ice cream has been taking a beating this month. Cheerio for now.
–Rowntree
Virus Comix News 
June 9, 2008 at 6:59 am
aw man, sorry.
have a cornetto or something, but think of some actualy good music, whilst eating it.
thanks for the mention as well.
love the conceptual sweding.
June 10, 2008 at 3:52 am
Now imagine what you’d get if you subtracted not only all the men, but also all the _young_, _attractive_ women, from Hollywood movies. Here’s a sample screencap:
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…Otherwise known as “A Post-1970s Horror Movie without Nubile Teenaged Girls or ‘Magical Negroes’,” “A Post-1980s Action Movie without Running Away from Fireballs,” “A Romantic ‘Comedy ‘without Two Quirky, Opposite People Who Hate Each Other,” etc.
June 10, 2008 at 3:53 am
Okay, that ASCII art was supposed to be a perfect box. Damn it.
June 10, 2008 at 10:07 am
That is TOTALLY Schindler’s List minus the guys.
/nitpick
June 11, 2008 at 1:47 am
Point made, ASCII problems aside. All the cliches you mention are of course spot-on.
Well, I DID say “pretty much every Spielberg movie,” as opposed to “every,” but never mind. Still waiting for the Mamet fans to write in with huge lists of female characters from his movies/plays/etc.
June 11, 2008 at 11:01 am
Well I don’t see what point there is giving girls serious roles anyway, if you guys, and by “you” I mean America(ns), don’t trust them with their own bodies, why should you trust them with your mass media?
June 12, 2008 at 1:01 am
Your criticism would be valid, except I’m not American, I’m very pro-choice, and the point of the comic was that it’s ridiculous that most of my own favorite movies lack substantial female roles. So, y’know, I’m not sure why you’re assuming I feel otherwise. I’m on your side, judging by the thrust of your argument. Don’t be all anonymous and defensive–you got something to say, this is the place to say it and not get verbally attacked. I don’t play that game. I’ll hear you out.
June 15, 2008 at 7:55 am
Oh no, I didn’t mean you as in “You, the creator of this comic”, but rather “You, Hollywood”, which is in America.
June 20, 2008 at 11:04 am
Why mention Aliens instead of the original Alien?
June 21, 2008 at 2:07 am
What I should have said was “the Alien series,” but that would have used up more words, and since I was making quasi-accurate grand statements to begin with I just went with the installment with the most female characters.
June 28, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Goodfellas?? (A) Italian mobster film, (B) based on a true story. Unless you happen to know that in the real world there was a woman who was influential to the story but was cut out of the film, that’s a really weird film to include.
PS if you haven’t seen Silent Hill, I have a feeling you’d like it…
August 29, 2008 at 1:27 am
sigourney weaver is beautiful i think 😦
August 31, 2008 at 8:04 am
I’m going to object to Goodfellas for a completely different reason. I thought Lorraine Bracco’s role was actually pretty memorable, and it’s not fair to downplay it by saying she was just there to look pretty.
C’mon – “Watch the wall with the rock”? Inspired stuff.
September 25, 2008 at 5:13 am
Okay, as a Mamet fan I basically agree with you. His female characters are two-dimensional at best, they are either male or overly weak. But you still cannot beat his writing with a stick.
October 9, 2008 at 12:41 am
What would you like Pepper Potts to do in Iron Man? Also don a non-canonical suit or otherwise kick some physical ass? I do believe she both hacked into the computer of, and later electrocuted, Obadiah Stane.
Though I’ll agree with you on the science fiction front, if by “every sci-fi movie except ‘Aliens’,” what you REALLY mean is “every sci-fi movie except Aliens, the Star Wars trilogy, the Matrix trilogy, the Resident Evil movies, Barbarella, X-Men, and probably lots more I’m too feminist to come up with.” Though since you included Star Wars and Matrix in the list, I have to assume you didn’t mean that. Really curious to know what the characters of Trinity and Leia would’ve had to do to earn your respect.
December 4, 2008 at 7:30 am
Phrank, seriously.
It’s just a comic.
December 13, 2008 at 12:40 am
Just discovered your work,love the irony, love the smart and just cynical enough women characters, (oops, almost called them chics.), really dig the tone of the strips, they are like a Mcmurtry song.
December 19, 2008 at 12:48 am
Casino? Sharon Stone didn’t have a substantial role? And Kubrick? Lolita and The Shining, huge female roles (god knows Shelly Duvall wasn’t there to be pretty). And Princess Bride? What the? Spielberg’s got a significant roster of interesting, if not starring, female characters. And science fiction TERMINATOR HELLO.
February 5, 2009 at 3:18 am
-grimace-
February 16, 2009 at 10:49 pm
brilliant!
March 12, 2009 at 6:16 pm
I love you.
March 12, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Also, this comic seems to be about the fact that these movies all only have ONE female character (whether she is, like Leia, important or as the comic implies “just a pretty face”). Sure, all the movies you guys try to list as “exceptions” have some okay female characters (*ahem* like Leia), but they only have ONE. Beyond the token female, they might as well be all-male casts.
June 23, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Absolutely fucking perfect observation, a well done and well thought out comic.
July 8, 2009 at 12:12 am
It’s a reference to the Bechdel Test, which asks “Does this movie have a female character talk to another female character about something other than a man?” and comes from a comic (Dykes to Watch out for).
Alien works because Ripley tells the alien queen “Get away from her, you bitch”. I think it’s actually the canonical example.
November 13, 2009 at 10:30 am
I assume you’ll do a sequel where they film a cardboard cutout of a handsome, adventurous, funny guy who cares more about marriage than sex, and have that represent every mainstream romantic comedy since time immemorial.
Oh, and don’t forget to add the bland and/or assholish guy who is casually tossed aside by the end of the movie.
February 19, 2010 at 6:11 am
Se7en? Oh, come on, that’s a good movie…
June 21, 2010 at 9:15 am
Brilliant. Well, they’re all great, but I just noticed the “comment” button, 45 strips later.
This reminds me of the Bechdel Test:
http://bechdeltest.com/
August 4, 2010 at 2:10 am
you don’t like Spielberg? what the fuck is wrong with you?
August 14, 2010 at 1:38 pm
quite deep, satire and all.
funny sometimes i also get caught up in same mindset
October 22, 2010 at 1:30 am
I could do this with this comic by filming a printout of that cartoon woman!
November 13, 2010 at 6:08 am
I adore you, but the fact that you put the Princess Bride on here upsets me. I simply refuse to acknowledge any criticism of that movie, whatsoever. I am blind to any faults you may perceive. Now, stop it.
June 27, 2011 at 8:19 pm
aah the timelessness of the Internet where a thousand years from now this site could still be receiving comments even though the concept of movies will have to be researched and debated and how “popcorn” and “milk duds” are relevant to watching of a movie .. of course you wouldn’t have to add anything else as sound effects are generally used to keep the males in the audience from wandering away when the camera isn’t showing the girl in the scene and females are kept captivated in the hope “usually in vain” that the girl will mess up her makeup/hair/etc. OR put on a really unflattering dress/shoe color combination
July 2, 2011 at 5:18 am
Smart, creative concept ruined by seemingly choosing the list of films at random, as other commenters have pointed out. “Goodfellas”, “Star Wars”, “The Matrix”, “The Shining”(Kubrick), countless non-Alien series sci-fi films, etc. Totally unjustified. You’re still pretty brilliant, more often than not.
August 16, 2011 at 5:52 am
What actress is this supposed to be?
September 12, 2011 at 12:09 pm
i didn’t know anyone else even knew of algebra suicide.
October 1, 2011 at 6:50 am
Make a poster! Make a poster! Or a print. I must have it.
December 17, 2011 at 6:20 pm
Our you a feminits?
September 23, 2012 at 6:41 pm
pretty much, if you even think on it.
March 29, 2018 at 11:21 am
Hey Lolita had more than one female character xD