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Multiplex Enjoy Your Show TP Vol 1
The cinema-loving and customer-weary staff of the local movie theater star in thispremiere collection of the webcomic Multiplex, which features the series' first 102 strips. Showcasing a unique blend of comedy and drama with real-world film commentary and criticism, this compilation also includes more than 30 bonus comics, character bios, and an all-new, exclusive 12-page prequel story set on the opening night of Star Episode III—Revenge of the Sith.
Comic
First published September 1, 2010
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About the author
Gordon McAlpin
14 books48 followersGordon McAlpin lives in Somerville, Massachusetts, with his fiancée Karyn and their cats Dipper and Mabel. Gordon has written movie reviews, co-hosted a movie podcast, and edited a movie news blog. Multiplex concluded in April 2017, but he continues to work on the print collections, and he is currently producing an animated adaptation of the comic called Multiplex 10.
From 2004–2006, Gordon created Stripped Books, a series of non-fiction strips covering book- and comics-related events in comics form. Multiplex began in July, 2005, and is Gordon’s first on-going comic strip.
From 2004–2006, Gordon created Stripped Books, a series of non-fiction strips covering book- and comics-related events in comics form. Multiplex began in July, 2005, and is Gordon’s first on-going comic strip.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 30, 2010
I think this must have been my third or fourth read through of the material in Multiplex: Enjoy Your Show but it was by far the best experience yet. Something about holding a psychical object created a new excitement as I flipped page after page. From the moment I saw the cover I was already blown away and how different McAlpin's drawings looked. Maybe there's some tricks going on but the cover definitely felt like it had some depth to it that you would never get on a computer screen (yet - I'm looking at you 3D monitors!).
Anyways, the new material was a very well done slice of life prequel that just makes you smile at characters you've spent however many years getting to know (or for those uninitiated, are just starting to know). That's one of the better parts about Multiplex, the characters. Its not all about gags or one-liners but getting to somehow peek into the Multiplex 10 Cinemas and hang out with the staff. (Full disclosure, I'm a little biased from working in a Theater for two summers). Oh, but the absolutely best part - the Book 1 tag that hints at future volumes!
Anyways, the new material was a very well done slice of life prequel that just makes you smile at characters you've spent however many years getting to know (or for those uninitiated, are just starting to know). That's one of the better parts about Multiplex, the characters. Its not all about gags or one-liners but getting to somehow peek into the Multiplex 10 Cinemas and hang out with the staff. (Full disclosure, I'm a little biased from working in a Theater for two summers). Oh, but the absolutely best part - the Book 1 tag that hints at future volumes!
November 3, 2010
Awesome! I've been reading this strip online (www.multiplexcomic.com) since about 2006. You really get to see Gordon McAlpin's writing and art grow in the course of these strips. The bonus material is fantastic and well worth the wait. Plus, it was just nice to go back and revisit these old strips, but be able to hold them in my hands while I did it. And just on a format note, I do wish this was available as a Hardcover. That being said though, its is probably the best constructed Trade Paperback I've ever purchased. I hope it last for awhile, cause I am going to be loaning this thing out for sure.
September 23, 2018
2.5
So, I want to preface this by saying I'm not much of a comics/web comics guy. Typically it's just not my medium of choice. Also, I think McAlpin's brand of humor just isn't my style either (though I do appreciate some of his satire). So if I rate this kind of low, it my be more of a reflection of personal preference than any criticism of the quality of McAlpin's work. Other people are going to like this more than I, and that's fine.
Things that I do like though: I like the character dynamics. I think there's some real depth there. Jason, for instance, comes off initially as a grumpy movie snob at first, but as Devi notes in the the second anthology, once you get to know him, you start to see that he isn't just one-dimensional. Kurt's costumes are funny, and aren't just a gag; they show off a genuine side of Kurt, namely his love of props and movie effects.
I also like Gordon's commentary throughout the anthology. I think it adds value to the reading experience, and offers some interesting insights into the process, into McAlpin's thoughts and intentions for the strip, and into little details that I otherwise wouldn't have noticed.
And I like the art. From what I gather, it sounds like he may have received a fair bit of criticism; that the art is low quality, that he's just cutting and pasting from one panel to the next, etc.. Over the course of the anthology (and on into the second one), I think you can see his style develop and improve (which is further highlighted by his commentary). He makes a clear choice/commitment to work with this particular art style, and over time, it seemed to me like he really took ownership of the art, developed and improved in it, and decisively incorporated it into his work to achieve his goals for the strip. I admire that.
That said, I do like the satire (and for that matter, the film commentary is also interesting), but as I said before, the general style of humor isn't to my taste. I'm not a huge fan of off-color humor and innuendo; as far as humor goes, it often feels like low-hanging fruit. Cheap. Easy. Often not very funny and lacking in substance. McAlpin's comedic sensibilities are clearly much broader than that, but there's a periodic buzz of these kinds of jokes running through the series. Some people won't mind that. That doesn't really interest me though. (To be clear, this is only one facet of McAlpin's humor, and it certainly doesn't command the general comedic ethos here. As I said, I like the satire, and there's plenty of that. But this is one aspect of the humor I don't really go for. I'm a bit 'meh' on situational comedy too. There are aspects of the humor I like, and others I don't. It is what it is.)
Going beyond that though, there are times when I wonder if McAlpin's characters aren't getting railroaded. Sometimes it seems like character development takes a backseat to McAlpin pushing a joke or satirizing an idea, and suddenly the characters, well, lose their character. A much more prevalent aspect in McAlpin's humor has to do with stereotypes: some of it has to with the demographic cohort (late teens and early college agers having drama), some of it has to do with race, some of it has to do with the characters themselves--their own personalities, quirks, foibles. And again, it makes me wonder if, say, despite what Devi or some other character might say, Jason might just be a one-dimensional jerk. I'm inclined to think he's not, but when I'm halfway through vol.2 and Jason and Kurt are pulling the same stunts that they were in the beginning...I don't know. I think clearly McAlpin wants to create an interesting cast and draw them into a broader story arc. This isn't just a series of static one-off comics, trying to make a daily punchline quota. But sometimes it seems like character development may get sidelined from time to time for the sake of a particular joke or external commentary. I wonder if it might have been different if I had been reading the comics as they were being published. Perhaps this isn't as big of an issue for a strip-a-day format. And maybe this is just an aspect of Gordon's humor, and it's just a preference thing. Reading through the anthology though, alongside Gordon's commentary, makes the intention for narrative progression and character development clear. And I wonder if some of these jokes might end up working at cross-purposes this that. If Jason continues to act like a grumpy film snob, was their ever anything more to him, like Devi said, or is he just the same guy he was at the beginning? I think the answer is "yes, there is more too him," but sometimes McAlpin's humor, satire, commentary, stereotyping may be creating obstacles for character growth.
For all that though, I finished the first anthology and started reading the second. Recently, I've been much less tolerant of continuing to read things that I think are bad or aren't enjoyable. And clearly I've stuck with this one. I expect I'll finish vol.2 and will probably go on to vol.3 after that. I have some criticisms, sure. But at the same time, a thing can have value or merit, and I still might not like it. I think that's an important distinction to make, especially when expressing opinions about creative works like this. And I also think it's important to be willing to read things that you may not be particularly drawn to or agree with. I think we all need to listen more, to be open to looking at things beyond ourselves, beyond our preferences and prejudices, and try to see things from the other perspective. And then to be critical of ourselves in this process, to ask, "Do I not like this because it's actually low quality, because I disagree with it, or is this just my personal opinion/preference?"
To that end, I think this is one area where McAlpin succeeds quite well. He has a wide range of characters, who have varying preferences, values, beliefs, and McAlpin lets them express those ideas. On the topic of film alone, McAlpin's characters often disagree with each other, and they talk about it. They argue and debate. And ultimately, McAlpin allows them to have that voice, even when he himself probably doesn't always agree with them. And I think that's admirable.
So yeah, while I don't rate this very high myself, I think there are certainly things here to recommend it. This is no where near the conversation of a book like "Jaran" which I read last year; I had some serious issues with the story, would not recommend it, and have not plans to continue the series. Some people will enjoy "Multiplex" a lot (based on other ratings/reviews, quite a few people do). Some people will agree with McAlpin's ideas and choices. Some people will enjoy his art more than others. And that's fine. Is it weird to recommend a 2-star? I mean 2.5. Maybe. Whether this is for you or not though, I'll leave you to decide for yourself. I'ma go finish vol.2.
So, I want to preface this by saying I'm not much of a comics/web comics guy. Typically it's just not my medium of choice. Also, I think McAlpin's brand of humor just isn't my style either (though I do appreciate some of his satire). So if I rate this kind of low, it my be more of a reflection of personal preference than any criticism of the quality of McAlpin's work. Other people are going to like this more than I, and that's fine.
Things that I do like though: I like the character dynamics. I think there's some real depth there. Jason, for instance, comes off initially as a grumpy movie snob at first, but as Devi notes in the the second anthology, once you get to know him, you start to see that he isn't just one-dimensional. Kurt's costumes are funny, and aren't just a gag; they show off a genuine side of Kurt, namely his love of props and movie effects.
I also like Gordon's commentary throughout the anthology. I think it adds value to the reading experience, and offers some interesting insights into the process, into McAlpin's thoughts and intentions for the strip, and into little details that I otherwise wouldn't have noticed.
And I like the art. From what I gather, it sounds like he may have received a fair bit of criticism; that the art is low quality, that he's just cutting and pasting from one panel to the next, etc.. Over the course of the anthology (and on into the second one), I think you can see his style develop and improve (which is further highlighted by his commentary). He makes a clear choice/commitment to work with this particular art style, and over time, it seemed to me like he really took ownership of the art, developed and improved in it, and decisively incorporated it into his work to achieve his goals for the strip. I admire that.
That said, I do like the satire (and for that matter, the film commentary is also interesting), but as I said before, the general style of humor isn't to my taste. I'm not a huge fan of off-color humor and innuendo; as far as humor goes, it often feels like low-hanging fruit. Cheap. Easy. Often not very funny and lacking in substance. McAlpin's comedic sensibilities are clearly much broader than that, but there's a periodic buzz of these kinds of jokes running through the series. Some people won't mind that. That doesn't really interest me though. (To be clear, this is only one facet of McAlpin's humor, and it certainly doesn't command the general comedic ethos here. As I said, I like the satire, and there's plenty of that. But this is one aspect of the humor I don't really go for. I'm a bit 'meh' on situational comedy too. There are aspects of the humor I like, and others I don't. It is what it is.)
Going beyond that though, there are times when I wonder if McAlpin's characters aren't getting railroaded. Sometimes it seems like character development takes a backseat to McAlpin pushing a joke or satirizing an idea, and suddenly the characters, well, lose their character. A much more prevalent aspect in McAlpin's humor has to do with stereotypes: some of it has to with the demographic cohort (late teens and early college agers having drama), some of it has to do with race, some of it has to do with the characters themselves--their own personalities, quirks, foibles. And again, it makes me wonder if, say, despite what Devi or some other character might say, Jason might just be a one-dimensional jerk. I'm inclined to think he's not, but when I'm halfway through vol.2 and Jason and Kurt are pulling the same stunts that they were in the beginning...I don't know. I think clearly McAlpin wants to create an interesting cast and draw them into a broader story arc. This isn't just a series of static one-off comics, trying to make a daily punchline quota. But sometimes it seems like character development may get sidelined from time to time for the sake of a particular joke or external commentary. I wonder if it might have been different if I had been reading the comics as they were being published. Perhaps this isn't as big of an issue for a strip-a-day format. And maybe this is just an aspect of Gordon's humor, and it's just a preference thing. Reading through the anthology though, alongside Gordon's commentary, makes the intention for narrative progression and character development clear. And I wonder if some of these jokes might end up working at cross-purposes this that. If Jason continues to act like a grumpy film snob, was their ever anything more to him, like Devi said, or is he just the same guy he was at the beginning? I think the answer is "yes, there is more too him," but sometimes McAlpin's humor, satire, commentary, stereotyping may be creating obstacles for character growth.
For all that though, I finished the first anthology and started reading the second. Recently, I've been much less tolerant of continuing to read things that I think are bad or aren't enjoyable. And clearly I've stuck with this one. I expect I'll finish vol.2 and will probably go on to vol.3 after that. I have some criticisms, sure. But at the same time, a thing can have value or merit, and I still might not like it. I think that's an important distinction to make, especially when expressing opinions about creative works like this. And I also think it's important to be willing to read things that you may not be particularly drawn to or agree with. I think we all need to listen more, to be open to looking at things beyond ourselves, beyond our preferences and prejudices, and try to see things from the other perspective. And then to be critical of ourselves in this process, to ask, "Do I not like this because it's actually low quality, because I disagree with it, or is this just my personal opinion/preference?"
To that end, I think this is one area where McAlpin succeeds quite well. He has a wide range of characters, who have varying preferences, values, beliefs, and McAlpin lets them express those ideas. On the topic of film alone, McAlpin's characters often disagree with each other, and they talk about it. They argue and debate. And ultimately, McAlpin allows them to have that voice, even when he himself probably doesn't always agree with them. And I think that's admirable.
So yeah, while I don't rate this very high myself, I think there are certainly things here to recommend it. This is no where near the conversation of a book like "Jaran" which I read last year; I had some serious issues with the story, would not recommend it, and have not plans to continue the series. Some people will enjoy "Multiplex" a lot (based on other ratings/reviews, quite a few people do). Some people will agree with McAlpin's ideas and choices. Some people will enjoy his art more than others. And that's fine. Is it weird to recommend a 2-star? I mean 2.5. Maybe. Whether this is for you or not though, I'll leave you to decide for yourself. I'ma go finish vol.2.
January 22, 2011
Rating: 3.5 stars (after some internal struggle)
My Thoughts: Because I feel like I've become friends (or at least acquaintances) with Gordon McAlpin through Twitter and through the crowd-funding project that enabled him to bring Multiplex to print form, I had the urge to just paste a 5 star rating onto this. But that wouldn't be an honest assessment of the book, and I'm sure Gordon would rather have an honest review than a kiss-ass/flattering one.
So why 3.5? Because I've grown so accustomed to where McAlpin's webcomic is currently at that looking back at the earliest strips is a bit jarring. There's a little bit of rough edge to a portion of this book. McAlpin hits his story-telling stride towards the end of this volume and really comes into his own in the strips that I presume will someday form Book Two. If I were reviewing the webcomic in full, I'd give it 4 stars for sure, possibly 4.5. But honesty compels me to recognize that at this early point in the series (2005), McAlpin was still finding his way into his story pacing, his characters, and his art.
And I do honestly enjoy the characters. I see parts of myself in several of them -- I mean, hey, I am still a pop-culture geek and occasionally a bit of a snob and a bit of a hopeless romantic as well -- and even more so I see quite a few of the twenty-somethings I know in the characters as well. I've enjoyed, over the last few years of the webcomic, watching them grow, watching the cast expand and diversify, and watching Gordon's art improve and change to fit the type of story he's telling.
My Thoughts: Because I feel like I've become friends (or at least acquaintances) with Gordon McAlpin through Twitter and through the crowd-funding project that enabled him to bring Multiplex to print form, I had the urge to just paste a 5 star rating onto this. But that wouldn't be an honest assessment of the book, and I'm sure Gordon would rather have an honest review than a kiss-ass/flattering one.
So why 3.5? Because I've grown so accustomed to where McAlpin's webcomic is currently at that looking back at the earliest strips is a bit jarring. There's a little bit of rough edge to a portion of this book. McAlpin hits his story-telling stride towards the end of this volume and really comes into his own in the strips that I presume will someday form Book Two. If I were reviewing the webcomic in full, I'd give it 4 stars for sure, possibly 4.5. But honesty compels me to recognize that at this early point in the series (2005), McAlpin was still finding his way into his story pacing, his characters, and his art.
And I do honestly enjoy the characters. I see parts of myself in several of them -- I mean, hey, I am still a pop-culture geek and occasionally a bit of a snob and a bit of a hopeless romantic as well -- and even more so I see quite a few of the twenty-somethings I know in the characters as well. I've enjoyed, over the last few years of the webcomic, watching them grow, watching the cast expand and diversify, and watching Gordon's art improve and change to fit the type of story he's telling.
March 23, 2011
I've tried to think about just what it is that I enjoy so much when it comes to Multiplex and I'm not sure I can pick out just one thing. Yes, the whole interplay between Kurt and Jason reminds me a lot of the kind of interplay I used to do with my friends back-in-the-day when talking (and often dissing) movies was very much a part of our weekly life. But that's just what first drew me to the original web comics. Once I spent a bit more time reading through more and more of the strips, it became clear that there was more of a depth to these characters than just one-off jokes of bad movies. The rest of the cast are well-defined with personalities that stand out and makes you laugh with them and not at them.[return][return][return]And the pranks? And the theme nights? The idiotic moviegoers? All help take this band of misfit characters and make them into "real" people who I could easily picture myself hanging out with, sharing a pizza and a coke with while ... talking and dissing bad movies :)[return][return]When I first found the site, I got so caught up that I read through the entire Archive of strips in a matter of days. This book, on top of collecting the early strips, brings with it some extras that help round out the early stories. On top of that, the slick printing makes it a real good looking book! :)[return][return]If you're a fan of movies, and you have a good sense of humour, there's no reason you shouldn't be reading Multiplex! It's a hoot! :)
June 5, 2013
While searching for movie webcomics to read, I stumbled upon this little gem. I read a few strips and they made me laugh so I decided to buy this book. And I'm glad I did.
What makes Multiplex so enjoyable for me is that I love movies, I like comics, I've had all sorts of crazy co-workers, and I've had shitty jobs where I've had to deal with stupid customers. It's a great combination of it all.
I've not read many webcomics, but I believe what makes this stand out is that the characters have their own story lines. Sure, it's a slice of life story, but the characters don't reset after every strip and they're not just there for the weekly joke.
There is one downside to Multiplex. The art is a little bit rough in the beginning. Things do get a lot better as it goes on.
Hope to read the second volume soon!
What makes Multiplex so enjoyable for me is that I love movies, I like comics, I've had all sorts of crazy co-workers, and I've had shitty jobs where I've had to deal with stupid customers. It's a great combination of it all.
I've not read many webcomics, but I believe what makes this stand out is that the characters have their own story lines. Sure, it's a slice of life story, but the characters don't reset after every strip and they're not just there for the weekly joke.
There is one downside to Multiplex. The art is a little bit rough in the beginning. Things do get a lot better as it goes on.
Hope to read the second volume soon!
September 29, 2016
I absolutely LOVED this!!
I started reading Multiplex online when a co-worker recommended it and I instantly fell in love! You see we work at a movie theatre and most of these are eerily accurate either to the hi-jinks that happen behind the scenes or to the many interesting guests that we encounter daily.
The moment I learned that I could own these in a physical copy I jumped on the chance. I was lucky enough to get a signed copy with a personal illustration of one of my favourite characters dressed as Professor Snape!
I would recommend this especially to anyone who works or has worked at a movie theatre!
I started reading Multiplex online when a co-worker recommended it and I instantly fell in love! You see we work at a movie theatre and most of these are eerily accurate either to the hi-jinks that happen behind the scenes or to the many interesting guests that we encounter daily.
The moment I learned that I could own these in a physical copy I jumped on the chance. I was lucky enough to get a signed copy with a personal illustration of one of my favourite characters dressed as Professor Snape!
I would recommend this especially to anyone who works or has worked at a movie theatre!
February 2, 2011
I Stumbled upon Multiplex a couple of years ago and it pulled me in. The book is a fantastic compilation of Gordon McAlpin's work, with an exciting new story at the beginning, as well as comments along with each strip. I really enjoyed seeing the "bonus strips" chronologically, as well as all of the bonus features at the end of the book.
I won this through Goodreads First Reads
I won this through Goodreads First Reads
September 24, 2011
Didn't make laugh as much as Ctrl+Alt+Del, but anyone who works with the general population can sympathize! These younguns working in the theaters are geeky, cute, and pathetic enough to make me want more! You can also tell in this first book how McAlpin is slowly growing in confidence and style.
December 5, 2010
very lame.. in a good way!! Seriously
February 13, 2011
The characters make this strip work.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews