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Penny Arcade Speaks at MIT

An anonymous reader writes "Gabe and Tycho of Penny Arcade recently gave a talk at MIT. One attendee recorded the event and has made available a transcript of the talk, in which the guys talk about the comic and various related topics. The Penny Arcade crew always puts on a good show with their own brand of witty humor and disarming personalities and this is certainly no exception. If you have never seen them talk in person it may lose a little in the translation from speech to text, but still a funny read in any case."

88 comments

  1. In the absence of a hyperlink... by FalconZero · · Score: 5, Informative

    www.penny-arcade.com
    C'mon guys, its easy <a href="...">...</a>

    --
    Windows in 6 Bytes (IA-32) : 90 90 90 90 CD 19
    1. Re:In the absence of a hyperlink... by digitaldc · · Score: 3, Funny

      C'mon guys, its easy ...

      It's really strange, but when I click on that link I always get an Ellipsis.

      --
      He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
    2. Re:In the absence of a hyperlink... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A perfect example of when Taco's rules-of-hyperlinking don't work.

    3. Re:In the absence of a hyperlink... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Point well taken, but there's no reason parent should be modded up. This is perhaps the most overt karma whoring ever on Slashdot.

      And what's worse is it's not the only one.

    4. Re:In the absence of a hyperlink... by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      A perfect example of when Taco's rules-of-hyperlinking don't work.

      I know I shouldn't feed the cowards but you, sir or madam, are a dumbfuck.

      He said that you shouldn't link to a site AND to an article on the same site. This is a link to an article on a different site, and the story is about Penny Arcade, so linking PA would have been entirely reasonable. Go back and read what he wrote.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  2. PA -spoke- at MIT... by itscolduphere · · Score: 5, Informative

    ...back in September. So in other words, just about forever ago.

    1. Re:PA -spoke- at MIT... by ObsessiveMathsFreak · · Score: 5, Funny

      ...back in September. So in other words, just about forever ago.

      This is all part of Taco's new system, whereby dupes are avoided by delaying the breaking of stories by several months. That way, ScuttleMonkey's short term memory loss won't be an issue!

      --
      May the Maths Be with you!
    2. Re:PA -spoke- at MIT... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually....

      They spoke part way down the "infinite corridor." Naturally, it took a few months for the information to make it to the nearest Athena cluster.

    3. Re:PA -spoke- at MIT... by fatphil · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      Is this, in the related links section, also part of Taco's new system:

      * Compare prices on Funny Stuff

      Subtle - I can't get adblock to remove those...

      --
      Also FatPhil on SoylentNews, id 863
    4. Re:PA -spoke- at MIT... by Yahweh+Doesn't+Exist · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      I would love if you could implement a universal "compare prices" block. whenever I search google for product reviews I always have to use '-"compare prices"' to get useful results. it's the new "generic viagra".

    5. Re:PA -spoke- at MIT... by tolan-b · · Score: 3, Informative

      The talk was a long while ago, but the guy that did the transcript only just put it up. It was mentioned on PA late last week, so /. isn't that late.

    6. Re:PA -spoke- at MIT... by RidiculousPie · · Score: 1, Offtopic

      You could use a greasemonkey script, searching for all links containing the text compare prices, then removing them.

      I'm no javascript programmer, but it should be able to handle that fairly easily.

      --
      ah, mod points ... now where is my crack?
    7. Re:PA -spoke- at MIT... by Tsaot · · Score: 2, Informative

      PA did speak back in september, but the transcript was just recently released. One of the students there at MIT recorded the event and spent hours of his time transcribing it on his own, in his own free time.

    8. Re:PA -spoke- at MIT... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      sorry that just doesnt make any sense. ooh, you know MIT lingo, you're real impressive.

  3. Coming soon ... by SpooForBrains · · Score: 2, Funny

    Weebl and Peabo lecture at Cambridge University ...

    --
    "The dew has clearly fallen with a particularly sickening thud this morning"
  4. Re:Penny for your thoughts? by arb · · Score: 4, Funny

    Sorry, haven't gotten First Post in ages

    You'll be pleased to know that you haven't broken your streak yet. ;-)

  5. Book launch more the point by doctela · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I think that the recent launch of the Penny Arcade book, Penny Arcade Volume 1: Attack of the Bacon Robots! is more the point of the article than the transcript of last September's MIT visit.

    1. Re:Book launch more the point by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      I think that the recent launch of the Penny Arcade book, Penny Arcade Volume 1: Attack of the Bacon Robots! is more the point of the article than the transcript of last September's MIT visit.

      If that is the point then it is a crap article, because it spends about 95% more time on the MIT visit than on the book release. I suspect that you have actually missed the point, and the fact that the book is being released just paves the way for releasing the transcript. Or bringing attention to it. I can find out that the book it out from the PA website. I can't read the transcript there. (There might be a link to it from there by now though...)

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  6. I've wanted to do this for a loooong time... by XaXXon · · Score: 5, Funny
    1. Re:I've wanted to do this for a loooong time... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Surely "Shitcock" is far more appropriate for Slashdot?

    2. Re:I've wanted to do this for a loooong time... by roertel · · Score: 1
    3. Re:I've wanted to do this for a loooong time... by m50d · · Score: 4, Funny

      Am I alone in being rather unwilling to click that link?

      --
      I am trolling
  7. Related comic strip by roxtar · · Score: 2, Informative

    Associated comic. Happened a long time ago.

  8. Thanks for this transcription!!! by njen · · Score: 0, Redundant

    It was an engrossing and hilarious read for those of us who were not able to attend the talk. Thank you for putting in the time to write this out!!!!

    1. Re:Thanks for this transcription!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm not sure how this got modded redundant, it's certainly the only comment I've seen like this.

  9. Re:The funniest thing about penny-arcade EVER is.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    wait wait, are you saying that a couple of gamers are unattractive and their girlfriends are *not* both skinny with nice tits? that's unpossible!

  10. Re:The funniest thing about penny-arcade EVER is.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Well, where are the pictures?
    Your post is next to worthless without pictures :p

  11. Disambiguation recent by poeidon1 · · Score: 0, Troll

    "Gabe and Tycho of Penny Arcade ***recently*** gave a talk at MIT" What is the definition of recent, how many years, months, days minutes or seconds..Is a talk given in September can be considered recent?

    --
    They called me mad, and I called them mad, and damn them, they outvoted me. -Nathaniel Lee
    1. Re:Disambiguation recent by m50d · · Score: 0, Redundant

      This is all part of Taco's new system, whereby dupes are avoided by delaying the breaking of stories by several months. That way, ScuttleMonkey's short term memory loss won't be an issue!

      --
      I am trolling
  12. Re:The funniest thing about penny-arcade EVER is.. by gihan_ripper · · Score: 4, Informative

    Links to pictures:

    "Tycho" (a.k.a. Jerry Holkins)

    "Gabe" (a.k.a. Mike Krahulik)

    Couldn't find pictures of better halves though.

    --
    Phoenix, Boston, Little Rock, see a pattern?
  13. Tycho really DOES talk like that... by Johnny+Sailor · · Score: 2, Informative

    Wow, so Tycho really speaks like that in real life. I figured he sat there writing his post with a thesaurus website opened up in the background!

    1. Re:Tycho really DOES talk like that... by 0xdeadbeef · · Score: 1

      Wow, anti-intellectualism even on Slashdot... welcome to George Bush's America!

    2. Re:Tycho really DOES talk like that... by Johnny+Sailor · · Score: 1

      Nice troll. Don't assume I mean that like it's a bad thing. Truth be told I'm envious that he's got such a great vocabulary that he can use in daily conversation.

    3. Re:Tycho really DOES talk like that... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh yeah?! Well you're just jealous!

    4. Re:Tycho really DOES talk like that... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Johnny Sailor (936454):
      Wow, so Tycho really speaks like that in real life. I figured he sat there writing his post with a thesaurus website opened up in the background!

      FTFA:
      Tycho: An ounce. Per post. Yeah, it's definitely fluid from the very beginning to the very end. Until I have the whole thing, I see how it all sounds and looks, and I'm always goofing around. Spend some time at thesaurus.com, you know what I'm talking about. But yeah, that's basically it. What a nice young man. Gabe, you wanna get another one? I mean, it's probably for me.

      Of course, speech and written word are not quite the same. I think I'm decent at communicating through writing, but I normally fail with the other.

      As for Tycho, I can appreciate his skill. In the scope of the strip his crutches are obvious, but their use/overuse is definitely part of the fun.

    5. Re:Tycho really DOES talk like that... by John+Muir · · Score: 1

      Yeah ... I find myself doing the good old command+control+D trick (onscreen dictionary in OS X) as often at Penny Arcade as I do the most technical of sites. Quite something for a comic strip and games blog.

      Of course I think he's at his best when using expletive combos!

    6. Re:Tycho really DOES talk like that... by hobbesx · · Score: 1

      It's mentioned late in the session that he does keep the thesaurus around for potential polysylaballic post polishing.

      --
      This rating is Unfair ( ) ( ) Fair (*) Funny
      Sigh... If only. Modding would be so much more fun.
  14. Re:The funniest thing about penny-arcade EVER is.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Brenna : http://www.penny-arcade.com/docs/tycam.jpg http://www.penny-arcade.com/wombean.jpg She's cute... most of us geeks should be so lucky.

  15. Re:The funniest thing about penny-arcade EVER is.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Now you're just plain scary, mr. Anonymous Coward.

  16. Don't look!!! by HeavyMS · · Score: 0

    It will forever ruin you penny-arcade experiance.

    1. Re:Don't look!!! by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 2, Funny
      It will forever ruin you penny-arcade experiance.

      I thought that came pre-ruined.

  17. Have You Seen What These Guys Look Like ? by tealover · · Score: 0, Troll

    Sometimes it's better not to know.

    --
    -- You see, there would be these conclusions that you could jump to
    1. Re:Have You Seen What These Guys Look Like ? by 0xdeadbeef · · Score: 1

      Oh God, their necks... they're not slender!!!

    2. Re:Have You Seen What These Guys Look Like ? by snuf23 · · Score: 1

      Something Awful did a hilarious (or offensive) piece on just this topic.
      Of course it's not really any more offensive than anything else on Something Awful.

      --
      Sometimes my arms bend back.
    3. Re:Have You Seen What These Guys Look Like ? by John+Muir · · Score: 1

      Nice link, my good Troll...
      Actual appearances to one side, I've always been surprised by the scale of PA's graphic evolution. The strip could really be *the* case study for comic artists starting out, trying to find the right way for themselves.

      Besides, I'm sure you have a pencil neck and extra head-height hairdo to match!

  18. Re:The funniest thing about penny-arcade EVER is.. by Babbster · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's one thing to take potshots at satirists who have demonstrated they're always up for a fight and often do assholish (but IMO funny) bits in their comics. It's quite another to take shots at their wives. The fact that the above people who did so posted anonymously shows cowardice, though maybe it shows shame as well which would at least indicate the presence of some kind of conscience. In any case, it's completely uncool.

  19. Re:The funniest thing about penny-arcade EVER is.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Last time someone publically insulted their spouses, G&T (or J&M) shut down their forum community. People are afraid of what they will do if they find out /. members are throwing the insultings now.

  20. Am I ... by sabit666 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    .. the only one, who doesn't find Penny Arcade funny?

    1. Re:Am I ... by slungsolow · · Score: 4, Funny

      no

    2. Re:Am I ... by koltrane · · Score: 1

      Not by a long shot. I got over giggling at copious profanity in high school. It's amazing to me that what used to be deemed juvenile humor is now considered the pinnacle of intelligent satire. Here's to MIT's lofty standards. I imagine Kevin Smith is up next on the agenda.

    3. Re:Am I ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wow, aren't you stuck up?

    4. Re:Am I ... by koltrane · · Score: 1

      If having a modicum of taste and demanding that humor contain more that random sophomoric observations punctuated by a proliferation of off color language constitutes being, "stuck up", the yes - by your definition.

    5. Re:Am I ... by Warped1 · · Score: 2

      Everyone has different tastes. That's expected. However, being "stuck up" refers to looking down upon others for not liking the same qualities as yourself - generally when that person thinks their own opinions are the pinacle of achievement.

    6. Re:Am I ... by Taulin · · Score: 1

      That pic of Thomas looks like John Stuwart in a gray wig.

    7. Re:Am I ... by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Yes! Well, no. But lots of us like it. In fact, I still haven't found another webcomic I can stand, besides that one about final fantasy. Black Mage is my favoritest comic character ever. Even if he doesn't count as a minority.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    8. Re:Am I ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      wowwie... big words... modi cum... (heeee, you wrote "cum"!)... sophomoronic... proliveration....constitutes (heee, you wrote "tit"!)...

    9. Re:Am I ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Considering the low number of comments on this story, I'd have to say many slashdotters don' find them funny and/or interesting.

  21. Re:The funniest thing about penny-arcade EVER is.. by Babbster · · Score: 1

    Oddly enough, I frequented that forum back then (assuming you're referring to the same incident a couple [few?] years back) and, in fact, was banned for a short time because I took a shot at Kara and chose my words poorly. The fundamental difference to my mind was that I was actually responding to something she did or said (it's been so long I don't remember the details) and wasn't just trying to be an asshole.

    I actually thought about that after I wrote the above post and realized that I probably should have mentioned it "in the interest of full disclosure." It just didn't occur to me right away because I find the two instances to be very different, and, of course, in that long-ago incident I wasn't talking "behind [anyone's] back" - just as now, my name (both handle and real) is right there. Ill admit, though, that my horse is not too very high and my home, though mostly solid, has plenty of glass.

  22. Regular Guy + Anonymity + Audience by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    SHITCOCK!

    1. Re:Regular Guy + Anonymity + Audience by Elad+Alon · · Score: 0

      Ever funnier than "cockthirsty". Man, I love those guys.

      --
      News for merdes. Shit that matters.
      Ask me about my sig.
    2. Re:Regular Guy + Anonymity + Audience by Guysmiley777 · · Score: 1

      Who'd think you could define Slashdot with such an elegant formula?

      --
      Coding with assembly is like playing with Legos. Coding an application in assembly is like building a car with Legos.
  23. Since when.... by slapout · · Score: 1, Insightful

    ...is saying @#$@#$ all the time "witty humor" ?

    --
    Coder's Stone: The programming language quick ref for iPad
  24. Re:The funniest thing about penny-arcade EVER is.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Brenna looks like Mike with a full head of hair and a hanger through his lip. That's gotta be illegal in some states.

  25. Did they... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Did they follow up each of their witty and funny comments with a long, boring blog entry about why the comment itself was funny?

  26. Where was Batjew? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    He was the only thing funny about that shitty comic.

    1. Re:Where was Batjew? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
  27. Now the slashdot is a racist bishes! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Why is the slashdot taking of my +1 of the posting and is a 0 again? It is because the slashdot are racist against the uzbek? Please no more hurting of and making unhappy. I am nice man!

  28. Index of Boston/Cambridge speakers by czion3 · · Score: 0

    I'm a college student in Boston who is interested in attending different speakers at different schools. Unfortunately, I never hear about the speakers until it's reported in the Globe. Is there an index or calendar of all the upcoming events at local colleges?

    PS: Are most lectures easy to sneak into? At Northeastern University know one checks ID and the doors aren't locked.

  29. You wouldn't happen to know this guy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
  30. Re:The funniest thing about penny-arcade EVER is.. by arexu · · Score: 1

    Oh, bite me. Who realistically expects comic artists to look like models, rock stars (other than Keith Richards) or Movie Stars. Potshots those were not. And "taking shots at their wives?" Yeesh. Let me go look, I'll bet I can find a stupid picture of your wife, and I KNOW I can find some of me and mine... so posting a picture of Brenna in a wombat suit can't be a terrible crime. ME in such a suit, certainly, but on her, it's just geek cred. +5 Insightful -- no. +5 knee-jerk hypersensitivity.

    --
    I'd love to help you out -- which way did you come in?
  31. Re:The funniest thing about penny-arcade EVER is.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    At least those two aren't forced to looking for cocks to suck, like you.

  32. Re:The funniest thing about penny-arcade EVER is.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I AM SUCKING COCKS>>>

    HOW CAN THIS BE????

  33. What a pity... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ... it doesn't work for comments ... :)

    1. Re:What a pity... by m50d · · Score: 1

      Yes. I was attempting a humorous mockery of the prevalence of dupes on slashdot, by duping a comment about dupes. Never mind.

      --
      I am trolling
  34. Re:The funniest thing about penny-arcade EVER is.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I don't know, but I am laughing at thinking about what Penny-Shitage would do to slashdot....

    Post about their love for cocks and shit?

  35. Re:The funniest thing about penny-arcade EVER is.. by JahToasted · · Score: 1
    I remember Tycho explained that originally the two characters in their strip weren't supposed to be them, just two guys that played a lot of video games. Over time they started notice that the personalities of the characters start to resemble theirs, then the rest is history.

    Not sure what the story on their GF's are.

  36. Re:Penny for your thoughts? by billstewart · · Score: 1

    Yup. And the actual first post was actually on topic and informative :-)

    --

    Bill Stewart
    New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
  37. I said the same thing about my feces, then came PA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What brought Penny-Arcade back into a fun and encouraging resource, ever since hitting low marks around 2002, was to put a Penny-Arcade glossy sticker in my underwear. The logo is positioned right where my asshole would give grease if ever it were encouraged to let go. I recently contracted the Flu and let me tell You that it saved a lot of money in preventing stains in the underwear. After two days of unrelenting vomit, and what little food that goes through the stomach quickly leaving the bowels in an eruption remeniscent of a Boeing 747 jet engine eating a goose in flight, the Penny-Arcade logo precisely adhesed to cover the largest of ejection area; thereby effectually saving hard-earned geek-cash to buy new underwear, and encourage use of that elusive "laundry" mechanism down the street from my card-board box House.

    Thankyou Penny-Arcade and their blessed Fruit Fucker of the Loom logo pirated in mass under the asscracks of viral humanity.