Slashdot Mirror
Ask Gabe and Tycho of Penny Arcade
If you're a gamer or a fan of online comics, you've likely already heard of Penny Arcade. Mike "Gabe" Krahulik and Jerry "Tycho" Holkins have been writing and drawing their comic for almost exactly six years under the PA name and in that time they've grown into something of a representative voice for the gaming community. An honesty in dealing with the delays, hype, and frustrations of being a gamer has made their comic into a shared experience for dorks the world over. Recently they've been involved with their games-for-kids charity Child's Play, contract work for game-specific comics, and efforts to improve the grammar of forum posters. They've kindly agreed to answer our questions, so ask away. One question per comment, please. We'll send the best on to the gents and post their responses as soon as we have them.
My question is very simple: What tools do you use (both physical and digital) to create your comics?
:)
I'm a long-time reader and have always wondered
Disconnect and self-destruct, one bullet at a time.
What, in your opinion, is the best internet comic strip other than PennyArcade, and why?
--- Ãther SPOON!
How long does it take for a strip to be born?
the characters in the comic don't look like you guys?
It's hard to believe that's how Micronians are made. Why don't we see it right now by having you both kiss one another?
how much of your personal life does Penny-Arcade consume? On that note, great job, I love your strip.
JediLuke
-Do or Do Not, There is no Try
Over the years, your opinions on various video games have grown to be respected in internet circles, and how games are portrayed in your comic and writeups has an effect on whether or not your fans will buy them.
Me question is: have any game designers/publishers ever approached you and offered kickbacks for positive reviews, and if so, how do you usually deal with the situation?
You can mod your friends, you can mod your nose, but you can't mod your friend's nose.
Slashdot linking to PA, and presumably PA will be linking back to Slashdot at some point...
For you comic book geeks in the audience, this is sort of like those old "What would happen if the Unstoppable Juggernaut met the Unmovable Blob?", or "Who's faster, Superman or the Flash?" questions.
I've met some webcomic artists who were everblown with an ego problem, but you guys seem to be fairly level. What makes other artists scream "I AM THE KING OF THE INTERNET!"
Were there any earlier print or web comics that influenced you?
No doubt it's nearly impossible to predict where technology is going to go in the far future, but perhaps the near future (say, within five years or so) is somewhat more predictable. Where do you two see gaming in general going within the next five years? MMO's becoming even more mainstream? Some kind of VR control schema becoming usable? Heck, nothing really changing at all?
"We are the Dyslexia of Borg. Your ass will be laminated. Futility is resistant."
How long does a comic's creation usually take -- and how much time does that leave for other stuff? It seems web comic creation for a living would be the best, most easy of lives ... if one can reach the superhero status of PA. Isn't it so?
Was Penny Arcade the first, regularly produced gaming webcomic? I read approximately 20 webcomics on a daily basis, and many of them are dedicated to gaming humor or frustration. Were you guys the first, and if so or if not, who or what inspired you?
How do you feel about becoming a big name, one of the things you dispise most? How do you feel about becoming something you have stated hatred to? This is not meant as a flamebait and I await an answer.
Those poor bastards, they have us surrounded. Now we can fire at them in all directions!
A question for both of you: Name the console and three of its games that you would take to that mythical desert isle.
Just curious: Are there any webcomics you read?
Irritable, left-wing and possibly humorous bumper stickers and t-shirts
What was your inspiration for creating the Fruit Fucker 2000?
Please dont answer grass, hash, or shrooms...
Business \Busi"ness\, n.;
A scam in which all people involved perceive as beneficial...
Jerry's bought a house, Mike's had a baby boy. How has becoming bona-fide adults changed your lives, and do you find your priorities changing away from drawing comics and playing games.
Bonus Question: What advice would you give to geeks looking to in some way ensare geek grrls?
You guys absolutely roasted the original Halo, then gradually grew to like it. You've said you've met with Bungie since then. Were the meetings amicable?
How far does the collaboration between you two go?
Does Tycho usually come up with the text/idea for the comic, then Gabe does the art as a separate process or is it more of a collaborative venture?
Also I stronly suspect that your ideas are born of late night mescalin and tequila induced "adventures". Am I correct?
[C]
Or is there a chance for a new wave if independent developers breaking free from the EAs of the world?
P.S. I loved the Headcrabs expression in the second panel! Brilliant!Free Mac Mini Yeah, it's
Are there any plans for a new collection of your works?
Over the years Penny Arcade's been running, you've poked fun at just about every machine to have been launched or speculated at. But which machine was your absolute favourite? If you had to pick just one platform, which would it be, and why?
And tomorrow the stock exchange will be the human race
Out of all the comics you've done, which one is your all time top favourite, and why?
Obviously, this is for both of you.
How do you spend your free time outside of gaming?
And on that note, what do you and your spouses do for fun (outside of the apartment)?
Thank you Mario! But our princess is in another castle!
Why did you choose to use animated personas that look nothing like you do in real life?
What is the craziest merchandising idea that you have (or a company has) come up with, regarding your PA characters? Plush dolls? Pez dispensers?
How did you decide to start writing Penny Arcade?
As you get older and as PA's popularity increases to more of a mainstream level (thanks to the great job you did on last year's Childplay), are you starting to feel the pressures of self-censorship? I mean, how many news anchors could reference the good work you do with Childsplay without giving a "Within that site, there be fruitfuckers" warning?
Are you becoming too popular to maintain your riske side?
There are 01 types of people in this world. Those that understand binary, and me.
-Phixxr
ungggghhhh
Which one of your comics is your personal favourite?
One of the things that makes PA so valuable to me is that it shoots from the hip, the heart, and the gut. You guys are perfectly happy being fanboys for games that you love, while skewering those you hate.
I know PA isn't journalism, but it's not Nintendo Power either. That said, how do you balance your desire to be honest with the needs of running a business?
--- Where's my car, and why are these grass stains on my pants?
Guys,
At the last SAGE-AU conference in Brisbane we had J.D. Frazer ("Illiad") as guest of honor.
At dinner J.D. spoke of the difficulties he faced in the early years attempting to make a living from comics - the insanely difficult process of being "sydicated" into newspapers, working out a revenue model for a web-based comic when he realised syndication was too restrictive, and generally attempting to make a living doing something he loved.
With PA and UF being roughly as popular as each other these days and thus (hopefully!) both providing decent incomes, I'd like to hear how you guys coped with "the early years" and how you faced some of what seem to be the common difficulties such as the syndication process, creating a viable revenue model and dealing with early set backs.
Janie took my gun...
I understand Penny Arcade is now the sole source of full-time employment for both of you. Presumably this wasn't always so and you both had "real" jobs to pay the bills. At what point did each of you cease to labor for The Man and start devoting your time exclusively to Penny Arcade?
Never approach a vast undertaking with a half-vast plan.
How do you guys feel about the downloading of ROMs for older systems (NES, Genesis, SNES etc)? I'm not talking about piracy of modern games, just long-since-discontinued systems. Given that Nintendo (for example) will not be making any money off of the original Super Mario 3 any more, do you think it's acceptable to download that game, so it can be played on a computer?
"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one " -Albert Einstein
How come you guys disrespect your east coast readers so much? I mean, you cancelled on our Otakon and you only came here once ever. At a very bad time to a not easy to get to convention. Then you have PAX, which is like the best thing ever, all the way on the other side of the country.
What will you do to make up for the lack of love for the east coast? If I don't like your answer I'm going to come to PAX2 with water from the Atlantic Ocean and drench both of you with it. Seriously, watch out.
The GeekNights podcast is going strong. Listen!
In a newspost by Tycho, which I cannot seem to find anymore, Tycho mentioned that your original reviews of Halo, in which playing the game was akin to crucifying your genitilia, was sort of embarassing upon actually meeting the Bungie crew.
So what I am curious about, is that it seems to me as if as your friendship with the developers increases, it becomes more difficult to express your true viewpoints of the games that you review. Since Microsoft and Bungie treat Penny Arcade with such high regard, it's very difficult to produce the comics of old that genuinely criticized the console and its games.
To what extent does Penny Arcade plan to take this? I realize that it would not be on any gamers to-do list to pass up a chance at exclusive happenings going on in your area... but I also know from news posts of old that Penny-Arcade does not ever wish to "sell out", and just repeat blindly the big kudos to every popular game out there. (Such as IGN or Gamespy). Is there any thought given to a situation like this?
Penny Arcade is funny, but I found myself somewhat turned off to it after reading your game industry commentary for a while. Initially this was simply because while I thought PA was well-done and witty, the associated commentary from the authors was less so. Then it got to where I was disagreeing with you enough that I lost interest in the comic. It's kinda like finding out someone in a band whose music you like has some personal habits or beliefs that put you off. It shouldn't affect what you think of the music, but it naturally does. Do you see the commentary as an integral part of your web presence?
http://mail.rochester.edu/~dr002j/pics/contraband_ comic.jpg
Strawberry Shortcake?
Perhaps the best artwork ever on PA, and the best supressed non-porn artwork anywhere.
Do you get somewhat frustrated at attacks on your motivations for child's play? I mean... Your encouraging us to give toys to sick children for chrissake!
~D
This sig has been enciphered with a one-time pad. It could say almost anything.
What is the weirdest thing that has happend or that you recived cence you started penny-arcade? -Jay
How the heck are you guys making a living! You clearly get the opportunity to try a heck of a lot of games, and you spend time drawing your comic - writing your editorials - going to conventions - and drawing more stuff (I've noticed you've drawn comics for a number of games, in addition to the desktops/etc.).
Where's the money coming from, certainly not just web advertisements... If you have professional careers, how has your head not exploded among it all?
(troll) Is it just corporate knockbacks? (/troll)
cyn, free software and *nix operating systems enthusiast.
A little while back, PA had a run-in with American Greetings over the use of the copyrighted and trademarked likeness of Strawberry Shortcake in what was obviously a (protected) work of parody.
American Greetings got called Nazis, but American McGee's Strawberry Shortcake is still missing from the PA archives.
What are the reprecussions of the Strawberry Shortcake debacle? If you had it to do over again, either the strip, or your interactions with American Greetings, would you have done anything different?
Anyone who has surfed enough web comics knows that there are a quite a few comics that seem to be PA Wannabes in some fashion. What do you guys really feel about people who blatantly copy the the style or look/feel of your comic? Does it piss you off, or do you simply accept imitators as a price of being one of the most popular comics online?
Oh, and on a totally separate note, there have been some jabs thrown between you guys and Scott Kurtz. Is it all in good fun, or is is there actually some sort of animocity going on?
"You spoony bard!" -Tellah
I discovered Penny-Arcade around the time of the infamous strawberry shortcake debacle. As I went through the old strips gradually working my way towards present day I noticed a huge increase in the quality of the artwork. So here is my question: What would you attribute the noticeable improvement in art and design to? Just the fact that you are doing this everyday and getting better at it? Or did you pursue some formal education?
When I first started reading PA, it was a comic strip about Gabe and a Squirrel sitting on a bench. After that, there was the worlds first taste of the conflict between Red Vs. Blue (although I think they were Tribes characters, not Halo).
What was the motivation to change to the now familiar format of Gabe vs Tycho at home and at play? Was it art imitating life, or just a natural progression from simple strips to more complex storylines (the dreaded Continuity!)?
Are there any current gaming trends that you wish would lose momentum and disappear.
Are there any trends you hope take hold in the future.
Would you please reply to these questions in the form of PA comic strips? Thanks.
Having seen numerous Penny Arcade comics poking at other comics, have you had any odd personal interaction with the creators of those comics? What's the weirdest thing to happen as a part of your lampooning, aside from Carlton Cards' reaction?
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
I understand your first PAX (Penny Arcade Expo) game convention was a huge success. Why did you do it? What's coming up for next year? Are you planning to expand to other cities? How can you top this year's Omegathon prize package?
Ok I know this is probably the kind of question you answer all day long, but I thought I'd ask anyways as I'm sure there are members of the slashdot community that are interested in the answer:
What's it take to get you to look at my indie / small design team game? I've always enjoyed your "game round up" posts and wondered how the little guy gets in, or is this an invitation only kind of event? And I'm not trying to infer that you would make a dishonest review with this following question, only that I understand your time is probably stretched thin, so... What kind of bribe is required to ensure coverage? Bottles of liquor, prostitutes, free hardware?
I am disrespectful to dirt! Can you see that I am serious?!
And if so, do you have any powers? Do you use them for good, or for awesome?
SAILING MISHAP
Any good story behind the choice of Gabe and Tycho for pennames/gamertags/screennames/whatever you want to call them? Side question: Why is it always Gabe and Tycho and never Tycho and Gabe?
#include <signature.h>
Y'all have managed to do what certain syndicated cartoonists still think is impossible: Turn a web-only strip into a money-maker. So imagine you're talking to someone who is just starting out:
1. What do you feel are the key elements to having a successful web comic?
2. Do you feel that the barrier to entry is higher, lower or about the same today as they were when you started?
As the wikipedia article on Penny Arcade, your characters/alter-egos full names are Tycho Brahe, after (so we assume) the danish astronomer, and Jonathan Gabriel, who'se only reference I can find in google is a gay male porn star (no, I'm not joking, google "Johnathan Gabriel" yourself)
Although there are probably a million better questions that could be asked, I'm pretty interested by this little bit of trivia, so I would like to know: How did you come up with these names, and why?
The "Insert Quote Here" line is almost as predictable as inserting an actual quote.
Why did you choose the name of an obscure (well, compared to the big boys) Danish astronomer, Tycho Brahe, as a name for a PA character?
On a related note, what kind of offers have you received from mainstream (and not-so-mainstream) publications?
Linux, you magnificent bastard, I read the fucking manual!
I want to know if the "Flesh Pikmin" someone sent them a photo of actually had a leaf in the top. I asked them via email, but you never get a response from those guys. :-(
If you were to depict a typical Slashdoter in your comic, how would that character be? (not only physically)
Slashdot Sig. version 0.1alpha. Use at your own risk.
Despite your distaste for dreaded continuity, do you think longer-format web comics will ever achive the popularity of strip-based comics like yours? Is a longer, more plot-driven narrative too much work for too little payoff? Do three hypens exceed the quota for a question?
Guys, we know that Gabe and Tycho look nothing like you, but how close is the resemblance between your signigicant others and their cartoon representations, and do they like themselves in strip?
In the past it has been asserted that the ads run on your site are only ones for games that you approve of. Have you found that game companies come to you with offers that you have to refuse because the games are not good enough? With houses and kids and other real life expenses, do you think your model of advertising only what you believe in will continue to provide you with the income necessary to support the increasing family of Penny Arcade? Keep it up guys, and make some trips out to the East Coast!
I'm not Gabe or Tycho, but here's a hint for college-aged geek guys: Female medical students.
I myself am a computer nerd. My fiancee is a med student. Her four best female med student friends consistently date computer nerds. Also, this isn't a case of two groups of people... none of us guys knew each other until we met through our girlfriends. Go figure.
There's no question that you guys are funny and talented, however I'm sure that there are lots of other comics out there that you've seen that have been in your leaque in terms of quality and content, yet never seem to reach the same popularity.
What would be the most important thing - outside of actual comic and newspost quality - to creating a popular web comic? Were there any specific promotional avenues you took that made Penny Arcade into the success that it is?
Specifically, who's going to be replying to these questions - Gabe & Tycho, or Mike & Jerry?
For that matter - how significant is the difference between them?
fortune -o
Have you ever considered trying an animated form of Penny Arcade? It seems that your brand of humor makes particular use of precise timing, and while you tend to be successfull at conveying that through comic strip panels, the formula could translate to animation quite well.
:)
As an animation student myself, I of course have no particular stake in the matter
Yup...
Do you see what you're doing now as something which can be sustained for a long time? Do you have any contingency plans?
Schnapple
You guys love games. How did it make you feel to find that Cardboard Tube Samurai got a reference in Hitman: Contracts? Have you found any other PA references in games, manuals, etc that you weren't expecting? How's it feel?
To what lengths do you go to keep PA and Child's Play separate? Have any of the hospitals looked at Penny Arcade and questioned whether they should get involved with Child's Play?
In the recent article about Penny Arcade in the Seattle Times (I think it was the Seattle Times), you made mention that you did not plan on doing PA "forever". Then, on a news post on the PA site, Tycho tried to make it clear that you are not just "grooming PA to sell it to some big company" (quotes, but I'm paraphrasing). How would you classify your business: drawing comics and ads for games companies or publishing a regular web comic? At what point does the independent ad agency bit conflict with or replace the webcomic?
You've dominated the mindshare of many a gamer, you've started a very successful charitable endeavor and you've started what can be considered a successful gaming con.
What is next? Write a book? Columns in a major magazine? A Penny Arcade cartoon?
btw, Props to you for keeping politics off your site. It has turned me away from so many others. I come to PA to read about games, and you understand that. Thanks.
Why do you keep relying on swear words, gay bashing, sex, and references to male genitalia for cheap punch lines and easy humor?
I haven't read PA in ages, but after a while it seemed as if the above was the only way you could get any laughs. It is as if the formula is: add a bunch of random swear words, throw in a game/console/company, say or imply that Gabe is gay, and/or constantly have him referring to his penis. Or it involves making fun of someone else's alleged sexual orientation, sexual problems, and saying they are into bestiality.
Is it your choice to do this, or dose your audience limit you to this kind of humor?
From the sometimes adult nature of the strips, it's clear that you're probably not easily offended. However, especially as a new parent, what role do you feel censorship should play in video gaming?
Misery loves company. Online misery loves unsuspecting random strangers.
I apologize for the crass nature of the question!
But you guys are living what is essentially the dream life of a gamer - using your writing talents and artistic talents to make a living talking about games. Millions of schlubs all over the world run websites; but you guys managed to produce a website that's better than 99.9999% or more of them and make money doing it. It's not an understatement to say that you're quite an inspiration to those of us who would love to make a living doing that sort of thing. So I can't help but be a little curious about exactly what kinds of financial success it's brought.
(And whether you answer the question or not... I wish you more success in the future both with loved ones and your business)
OtakuBooty.com: Smart, funny, sexy nerds.
The first book was part of a 5 year deal they signed with a guy who ran off to Alaska with all the money and is apparently refusing to let them publish more books from the first 5 years of PA. It's in legal hell.
They seemed hopeful to have it worked out soon and also to get books out for year 6 and up.
No sig for you!!
If, for 24hrs., you were Gods over this planet, ala Black & White, what would your avatars be, and what would you do with your allotted time of godhood?
If you can't beat them, embrace and extend them.
The half-serious version:
Despite having nearly gotten into virtual fisticuffs with Scott Kurtz, amongst other artists, you guys still seem to maintain quite a bit of respect for each other. Do you view the little rivalries as "side quests" for your bigger endeavors, as serious competition, or as just a way to use some of those great insults you've been sitting around thinking about?
The more humorous version:
How many different other webcomics and/or their artists can you insult in a single sentence?
Libertarians somehow believe that private businesses should be stronger than governments but weaker than individuals.
So, Jerry "Tycho" Holkins, ever wanted the Tycho nickname on Slashdot?
Impersonating Tycho from Penny Arcade since before there was a PA.
How has it affected your time spent with making comics/working. Since many gamers spend an enormous amount just gaming, do you see any problems in the future trying to maintain a gamer's lifestyle with a baby?
I'm a long-time fan of PA, and I noticed both of you are married. Do you have any advice for your fellow gamers on how to find mates?
Arguing about vi versus Emacs is like arguing whether it's better to make fire by rubbing sticks or banging rocks.
It might not seem like the most key element that goes into a game, but I find it to be one of the most enjoyable. I'm wondering which games you guys think have the best music. Thanks for taking the time to answer questions.
My question is this: "Many game companies now recognize your website as a bit of a gaming review site (or at least you've tricked them into thinking that). What sorts of things have they given/done for you all, and have they affected the way you see yourselves as gamers?"
Don't sweat the petty things. Don't pet the sweaty things. --Stephen J. Simmons
Just a wild guess, but I think it must have involved late night infomercials for this product.
Div the drunken dvd player is a personal hero of mine. Who or what was the inspiration for him?
"On a scale of 1 to 10. I'm sooo drunk."
I don't know how to live, but I've got a lot of toys.
Penny Arcade and PvP have taken a few shots at each other over the years -- some playful jabs, some that seemed less than benign. Now be honest: what's really going on between you guys and Scott?
"Times have not become more violent. They have just become more televised."
-Marilyn Manson
From an artist's perspective and from someone who is (or seems very much to be) outside of the linux love-fest, what do you think of the various free tools(both in current usablility and/or distance from usability) for doing art, or arting? ie. the GIMP, Sodipodi, Kontour, Xfig, Inkscape
George II -- Spreading Freedom and American values, one bomb at a time.
The community cartoon project, it was hilarious and I remember you guys doing at least the starter strip. Maybe even a few of the others. It just seemed to fade away.
Sorry I know I'm coming in WAAAAAY late on this one but I loved that project.