Part the Nineteenth: Penny Arcade OR Two Gamers on a Couch
Webcomics have come a long way, baby. Scott McCloud would surely wax academic on the whole thing, but I’ll leave that to him (since that’s kind of his “thing” now). What I will say is that I remember a time when there was great controversy over the role that comics on the web was going to play in the “New Media” (which weren’t even the “New Media” back then). Was this going to be the death of newspapers? Should artists be banding together to support each other against exploitation? Would a paying model work?
Not for your typical webcomic artist, no.
Well, a lot of those questions have been answered, and they’ve been answered by the Ur-webcomic, Penny Arcade. PA has been around for over a decade now… which doesn’t really sound so long. But to put it in Internet terms, they’ve been making comics since 1998. Yeah, that’s right, the freaking Stone Age. That’s a long time, but Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik (aka Tycho and Gabe) have kept art coming with a devotion to quality (and professionalism) that is a rarity amongst webcomics.
While the main focus of the strip is video games, the pair have touched on a wide variety of subjects, including corporate practices, child birth, and censorship. Indeed, they are well-known for having taken on one of the most annoying jerks to have ever tilted at digital windmills, and have served him up some sweet, sweet pwnage.
But aside from all that, there’s much to love about PA. The dense prose of Tycho’s postings can be a bit much for some readers (though I personally love it), but he brings a razor sharp wit and humor that serve the comic well. Gabe’s art has developed dramatically since the early days, and he constantly pushes the limits of his talent and skill. The two embrace side projects, and have eagerly done longer series of strips that are entirely outside the regular continuity of their comic, such as the popular Lookouts stories.
They’re also good friends with one of my favorite webcomic artists, Scott Kurtz, and their D&D podcasts have been absolutely hilarious to listen to.
The duo’s involvement in the greater gaming world has been nothing short of extraordinary. Their PAX (and recently, PAX East) conventions, with tens of thousands of attendees, are celebrations of gaming and related culture par excellence. Child’s Play, their personal charity, has contributed over 6 million dollars worth of games and toys for sick children, and gone a long way to disproving the myth that gamers are soulless, antisocial monsters. Perhaps the crown jewel of their achievements, however, is in being named among Time’s 100 Most Influential People for the year 2010. That’s right, they’re on the same list as Steve Jobs, Conan O’Brien, and Barack Obama.
They didn't make it on the cover, though. Maybe next year.
The comic isn’t for everybody; if you don’t have at least a passing knowledge of games and gamer culture, you may find yourself scratching your head. Even if you do, you might find it necessary to consult Tycho’s news posts for the necessary context for the comic’s humor. It doesn’t shy away from profanity, either, which has made for some interesting Google image searches to find pics for this piece.
All that aside, Penny Arcade remains (arguably) the single most successful web comic in production, with no discernible end in sight. Their noble hoisting of the banner of geekdom is an inspiration to us all. Godspeed, Gabe and Tycho. You’re f’ing metal.
