637:, which since their inception have been colloquially referred to by industry professionals as "long-underwear characters". Too Much Coffee Man wears literal long underwear, dressing in what appears to be a spandex version of old-fashioned red "long johns" (full-body underwear with a buttoned flap on the back for bodily functions) with a large mug attached atop his head; it remains unclear whether he is wearing it or whether it is physically part of him.
34:
625:— Although he spends most time in his apartment or at the local coffee shop debating with his often pessimistic cohorts, Too Much Coffee Man is capable of going into a "manic paranoid frenzy" in combat, allowing him to pulverize opponents. He gains his amazing powers from coffee and cigarettes – he distills his extra potent
618:
Through multi-layered narratives, the comic explores issues of politics and the toils of urban society, often through the lens of the comics scene and coffee shop culture. In addition to the titular character, the creator of the strip often appears as a character, as does a "reader" character.
647:
cup atop his head is strapped on in an obvious way. He is addicted to alcohol, is vaguely narcissistic, often swaps between left and right-wing views, and is perpetually annoyed by Too Much Coffee Man and Too Much German White
Chocolate Woman With Almonds, who he believes to be stupid.
416:
With the
January 23, 2006, installment, the "Too Much Coffee Man" strip was retitled "How to Be Happy, with Too Much Coffee Man". On February 6, 2006, the title was simplified to "How to Be Happy", and Too Much Coffee Man did not appear in the strip again until January 21, 2008.
654:— their mutual friend. She is pale-skinned, worries a lot, and has large almonds on her face. She is skilled at making cakes, and also possesses the ability to detach her almonds, which are allegedly edible. She is nicer than Espresso Guy, causing them to often be antagonists.
681:. They first fought when Too Much Coffee Man was sued by Trademark Copyright Man due to their initials both being TMCM and they both have a coffee cup strapped to their head, but Too Much Coffee Man presumably killed him after he ate his lawyer.
664:
with a diving snorkel and mask. He first appeared in the early comics and was almost entirely unspeaking. He was later retconned into being their new friend in later comics. He presumably has the power to breathe underwater indefinitely.
609:
shoe commercial, Wheeler purchased a computer, launched his website tmcm.com on
December 7, 1995, and began posting his comics online. He continues to post new and newly colored Too Much Coffee Man cartoons on his website every week .
381:(Blackbird Comics, 1991). The minicomics, which appeared in many different formats, even one issued as a one-inch square, were self-published, photocopied, and handmade by Wheeler in initial runs of 300 black-and-white copies.
849:. The character appears on the cover, drawn by Shannon Wheeler, and there is a title track (originally intended to be music for an animated series based on the character) as well as a cover of the Richard Miles composition "
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comic book via
Adhesive Comics between 1993 and 2005. The first five issues were dated from July 1993 to February 1996. These were followed by three annual issues of
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appeared on stage for the first time in 2006. Wheeler, fellow cartoonist Damian
Willcox, and composer Daniel Steven Crafts adapted the strip into an opera.
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mix in a secret laboratory above the coffee shop. TMCM rarely sleeps and his nerves are shot from an excess of caffeine. He has also been in
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Too Much Coffee Man was included as a bonus multiplayer model in Half-Life: Further Data, released in early 1999. He was added to
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in 2000 and 2001. However, the project was abandoned after both
Wheeler and Comedy Central agreed that the script lacked quality.
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Wheeler said he created Too Much Coffee Man to make more accessible themes he had begun in a college newspaper. He said in 2011:
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with themes of alienation and loneliness. When I described it, people's eyes glazed over. As a cheap gag, I started
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shoe company licensed the rights to use Too Much Coffee Man for a 15-second commercial spot, first airing during a
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who broods about the state of the world, from politics to people, exchanging thoughts with friends and readers.
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In 2013, TMCM was featured in a three-issue how-to guide on submitting comics to the digital comics platform
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1111:"Shannon Wheeler and The Slow Roasted Death Star: An interview with the creator of Too Much Coffee Man!"
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newspapers, though occasionally the story arc stretches into multi-page stories. TMCM has appeared in
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in 1991. Over time, it became syndicated to a number of alternative weeklies throughout the U.S.
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No. 8, thus skipping issues No. 6 and 7. After issue No. 10 (Dec. 2000), the comic became
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398:. I still address the same themes, except now there's coffee. People like coffee.
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1006:"Too Much Coffee Man Special :: Profile :: Dark Horse Comics"
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Artist
Shannon Wheeler drew Too Much Coffee Man for an appearance on
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1997 was a banner year for Too Much Coffee Man, with stories in the
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Too Much Coffee Man started as a one-page ongoing strip running in
1155:"Coffee fan tutti: Caffeinated comic character goes to the opera"
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and in a U.S. prison. Visually, the character is a parody of
326:" with a large mug attached atop his head. He is an anxious
1231:"Half-Life - Half-Life 25th Anniversary Update - Steam News"
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957:"Shannon Wheeler: 'Funny and Tragic is Funnier Than Funny'"
1295:
Transcript, interview from NextPlanetOver.com (March 1999)
1273:: A caffeinated portrait of the cartoonist as a young man"
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issues #1–4 and No. 6, published by
Wheeler's own imprint
1290:
Acid Logic: Shannon
Wheeler interview (August 12, 2002)
963:: The Cartoon Bank Blog. March 15, 2011. Archived from
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333:
The strip is most often presented as a single page in
1078:, Lambiek Comiclopedia. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
901:in celebration of the game's 25 year anniversary.
780:
Too Much Coffee Man: Cutie Island and Other
Stories
478:In 1994 TMCM appeared in the independent anthology
445:from 1996 to 1998. In July 1998, Adhesive released
370:Too Much Coffee Man first appeared in 1991, in the
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Too Much Coffee Man: Cutie Island and Other Stories
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132:Too Much German White Chocolate Woman With Almonds
931:"1995 Eisner Awards: For works published in 1994"
533:Wake Up and Smell the Cartoons of Shannon Wheeler
482:, published by Washington Citizens for Fairness.
349:, comic books, magazines, books, and operas. The
318:. Too Much Coffee Man wears what appears to be a
388:In 1991, I drew an autobiographical cartoon for
889:, debuted again at Brunish Hall in April 2008.
386:
776:— collects all previous Dark Horse collections
701:Too Much Coffee Man's Guide for the Perplexed
8:
643:— Too Much Coffee Man's cynical friend. The
1206:"'Too Much Coffee Man' Opera Gets a Sequel"
461:Too Much Coffee Man strips appeared in the
753:Screw Heaven, When I Die I'm Going to Mars
152:
32:
23:
572:, in issues No. 8, 10–13, 41–43, and 48.
377:, as a self-promotion for Wheeler's book
1338:Eisner Award winners for Best New Series
1309:. The Daily Cross Hatch. March 26, 2007.
1061:"Too Much Coffee Man's Shannon Wheeler,"
691:Too Much Coffee Man "Saves the Universe"
505:Too Much Coffee Man "Saves the Universe"
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829:or special with the production company
256:
1153:Joseph Gallivan (September 29, 2006).
714:Too Much Coffee Man's Parade of Tirade
542:In 1998, TMCM stories were printed in
873:at the Center for Performing Arts in
727:Too Much Coffee Man's Amusing Musings
671:— Too Much Coffee Man's secret love.
660:— another mutual friend, who wears a
430:Wheeler published four issues of the
7:
1373:Comics characters introduced in 1991
593:. In 2014, TMCM stories appeared in
120:Coffee shops and apartments on Earth
1307:"An interview with Shannon Wheeler"
1089:"Jitters, Caffeine, and Otherwise:
443:Too Much Coffee Man's Color Special
1136:"Bob Dorough: Too Much Coffee Man"
14:
1031:"Review and Analysis of tmcm.com"
821:and the cable television network
582:, published by Image Comics, and
527:No. 50, the Head Press anthology
1204:Rick Marshall (March 19, 2008).
1181:Warmoth, Brian (April 2, 2007).
1010:Dark Horse Comic's official site
911:Rootless Coffee Co.'s HYPERSPACE
264:Too Much Coffee Man Omnibus Plus
933:. Comic-Con.org. Archived from
887:Too Much Coffee Man: The Refill
586:No. 1, published by Red Anvil.
1363:Male characters in advertising
1109:Tom Waters (August 16, 2002).
575:In 2011, TMCM appeared in the
322:version of old-fashioned red "
212:
1:
595:BANG! The Entertainment Paper
1333:Dark Horse Comics characters
825:were developing a potential
451:Too Much Coffee Man Magazine
1271:Too Much Coffee Man Omnibus
766:Too Much Coffee Man Omnibus
457:Appearances in other titles
437:Wheeler self-published the
16:Satirical cartoon character
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1378:Comics adapted into operas
1368:Mascots introduced in 1991
768:(Dark Horse, August 2011)
531:, and the trade paperback
1358:Male characters in comics
1093:'s Massive Retrospective"
1066:zine (September 9, 2011).
867:Too Much Coffee Man Opera
863:Too Much Coffee Man Opera
605:With the earnings from a
580:20th Anniversary Monster!
151:
31:
677:— Too Much Coffee Man's
434:minicomic in 1991–1992.
353:comic book won the 1995
1300:April 19, 2001, at the
845:recorded a CD entitled
841:In 2000, jazz musician
675:Trademark Copyright Man
584:War of the Independents
163:Publication information
50:Publication information
1235:store.steampowered.com
1193:on September 30, 2007.
400:
314:created by cartoonist
1279:. September 14, 2011.
1099:(September 15, 2011).
641:Too Much Espresso Guy
529:No Justice, No Piece!
357:for Best New Series.
130:Too Much Espresso Guy
1097:The Portland Mercury
552:Judge Dredd Megazine
503:in the 1997 special
372:Too Much Coffee Man
104:In-story information
84:Too Much Coffee Man
1328:2005 comics endings
1277:The Willamette Week
1237:. November 17, 2023
1091:Too Much Coffee Man
990:Too Much Coffee Man
847:Too Much Coffee Man
814:Saturday Night Live
755:(Dark Horse, 2007)
742:(Dark Horse, 2005)
729:(Dark Horse, 2001)
716:(Dark Horse, 2000)
703:(Dark Horse, 1998)
623:Too Much Coffee Man
614:Plot and characters
562:stories ran in the
560:Too Much Coffee Man
558:From 1999 to 2002,
501:Dark Horse Presents
496:Dark Horse Presents
489:stories ran in the
487:Too Much Coffee Man
485:From 1994 to 1996,
475:from 1992 to 1995.
447:Too Much Coffee Man
439:Too Much Coffee Man
432:Too Much Coffee Man
396:Too Much Coffee Man
361:Publication history
351:Too Much Coffee Man
301:Too Much Coffee Man
226:Too Much Coffee Man
157:Too Much Coffee Man
38:Too Much Coffee Man
27:Too Much Coffee Man
1393:Works about coffee
1383:1991 comics debuts
1343:Parody superheroes
1323:1993 comics debuts
986:Wheeler, Shannon.
967:on October 6, 2011
685:Collected editions
465:-based anthology,
379:Children with Glue
257:Collected editions
1269:"Shannon Wheeler
1183:"Wearing the Cup"
1059:Medsker, Joshua.
1041:on March 24, 2012
937:on April 27, 2011
566:anthology series
564:Dark Horse Comics
493:anthology series
491:Dark Horse Comics
335:alternative press
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555:vol. 3, No. 41.
514:Small Press Expo
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371:
369:
355:Eisner Award
350:
339:comic strips
332:
304:
300:
299:
279:
263:
156:
128:Nicoteenager
125:Partnerships
83:
71:Boom Studios
18:
893:Video Games
869:debuted at
843:Bob Dorough
635:superheroes
631:outer space
517:anthology,
190:Independent
68:(1994–2011)
63:(1993–2005)
1317:Categories
1284:Interviews
1115:Acid logic
917:References
817:episode.
803:Television
695:Dark Horse
591:ComiXology
549:No. 2 and
537:Mojo Press
480:Hands Off!
426:Solo title
343:minicomics
324:long johns
236:Written by
94:Created by
1215:April 28,
1210:Comic Mix
1166:April 28,
1120:April 28,
1045:April 28,
1015:April 28,
807:In 1994,
679:archenemy
374:Minicomic
347:webcomics
312:superhero
309:satirical
246:Artist(s)
215:of issues
171:Irregular
141:Abilities
86:Minicomic
56:Publisher
1298:Archived
809:Converse
645:espresso
627:espresso
607:Converse
366:Creation
328:Everyman
168:Schedule
883:Seattle
831:Nelvana
662:wetsuit
320:spandex
147:debater
109:Species
40:Art by
1187:Wizard
790:
772:
759:
746:
733:
720:
707:
601:Online
597:#7–8.
578:Madman
421:Comics
287:
271:
205:
201:
176:Format
112:Human?
89:(1991)
73:(2012)
857:Opera
837:Music
512:SPX:
186:Genre
1243:2023
1217:2012
1168:2012
1122:2012
1047:2012
1017:2012
973:2011
943:2011
861:The
788:ISBN
770:ISBN
757:ISBN
744:ISBN
731:ISBN
718:ISBN
705:ISBN
305:TMCM
285:ISBN
269:ISBN
207:2005
199:July
853:".
545:Oni
521:'s
468:Jab
213:No.
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