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How do you feel about Penny Arcade?
- Thread starter SolVanderlyn
- Start date
I still read every update, although it has certainly plateaued after its peak in the mid to late 2000's. Jerry's art has improved as much as it has because he has experimented and pushed himself to do so. However, I can't say I'm a fan of the latest direction his style has taken. But like before, he's simply keeping things interesting for himself by trying new things, as any artist should. Some attempts as more successful than others.
This is still my favorite strip, bar none:
I still have and wear the shit out of the Hoodie they made with that speech on it, it's seriously one of my favorites. I don't read the comic or news posts much anymore, but that has more to do with me not finding the time as I get older over any of their content. Still consider myself a fan and one of these days ill start diving into the couple years of comic backlogs I've missed.
Those casts were fantastic. Just them shooting the shit.
I tried the 4th Wall video stuff as well but they just weren't the same
R_thanatos
Member
Some of my favorite strips:
The die hard one is a thing of beauty ... damn that movie was awefull.
sik witted
Member
hehe yep. I read the strips in the OP before reading the text, and figured that this was going to be a thread about how NOT funny their shit is
really overrated, IMO, and when you learn more about their actual RL personalities...meh
the pax conventions are cool though
I think the new art has some questionable choices (those noses don't fit the style very well and the characters look considerably younger, despite being older) however i think y'all don't give enough credit to the actual improvements.
For one, the poses are generally much more varied and complex, same for composition, something a LOT of these comic strip struggle with (characters always standing still or sitting down in the same 4 or 5 poses, always from the same 3/4 angle), and in general they are much much more expressive, like out of a Micky Mouse comicbook:
.
Perhaps some of the more "lively" poses and expressions don't fit the tone of the comic very well, but in general, he's gotten much better at handling characters in a scene, as long as he is willing to tone it down a notch or two.
For one, the poses are generally much more varied and complex, same for composition, something a LOT of these comic strip struggle with (characters always standing still or sitting down in the same 4 or 5 poses, always from the same 3/4 angle), and in general they are much much more expressive, like out of a Micky Mouse comicbook:
Perhaps some of the more "lively" poses and expressions don't fit the tone of the comic very well, but in general, he's gotten much better at handling characters in a scene, as long as he is willing to tone it down a notch or two.
timetokill
Banned
Bunch of kids in here! Y'all are veggie haters.
TheSaddestSort
Member
Thoroughly meh. Generally not a huge fan of the social controversies they embroil themselves in periodically and never was a fan of the comics. But hey, opinions!
Mushroomer25
Member
As a comic, it's pretty okay. On the spectrum of "gaming webcomics", it certainly could be a hell of a lot worse.
PAX is great though. Hopefully the name gets known for that event, long after they retire the comic.
PAX is great though. Hopefully the name gets known for that event, long after they retire the comic.
Hyperzephyrian
Banned
I read Penny Arcade pretty frequently. Sometimes their humor doesn't click with me, but it often does, especially when they go in a weird absurdist direction--those are my favorite.
funkystudent
Member
For whatever reason I havent paid attention to PA recently.
No real reason, just havent looked at the comic in a year+. I use to check it regularly.
Dont see a lot of people reposting the comic around the internet as well which I feel like happened more back in the day.
No real reason, just havent looked at the comic in a year+. I use to check it regularly.
Dont see a lot of people reposting the comic around the internet as well which I feel like happened more back in the day.
Don't care so much for the comic, only in as much as the genuine laughs it produces are pretty few and far between. I still enjoy checking it out, as webcomics by their very nature are so pleasantly immediate and non-committal time-wise.
My favourite PA content is easily the stuff they do adjacent to the strip. The podcast is excellent, oftentimes extremely funny, plus it can be really interesting listening to their work process, especially when they deep-dive on a very specific wording or phrase, panel layout, etc. Both Jerry and Mike genuinely have a super sharp wit and this really comes through in the podcasts when they're in their comfort zone of just ribbing each other / talking shit with a best friend. You get an excellent sense of them as the real, normal, rounded people that they (obviously) are, which I guess has gone a long way to inuring me away from the "mike and jerry are nasty shitbags" internet general kneejerk sentiment. Watching the Q&As from their PAX shows is similarly useful (and enjoyable!).
Their DnD podcast and occasional live show videos, Acquisitions Incorporated, are fantastic, half because they have a superb DM running things and half because it lets them all flex their comedic improv, which they have a real knack for.
I got quite into their reality series, Strip Search, too. It dragged a little in places, but some of the daily challenges were genuinely interesting (how to deal with contracts, etc.) and the elimination section with Jerry and Mike incessantly toying with the contenders was hilarious more often than not.
My favourite PA content is easily the stuff they do adjacent to the strip. The podcast is excellent, oftentimes extremely funny, plus it can be really interesting listening to their work process, especially when they deep-dive on a very specific wording or phrase, panel layout, etc. Both Jerry and Mike genuinely have a super sharp wit and this really comes through in the podcasts when they're in their comfort zone of just ribbing each other / talking shit with a best friend. You get an excellent sense of them as the real, normal, rounded people that they (obviously) are, which I guess has gone a long way to inuring me away from the "mike and jerry are nasty shitbags" internet general kneejerk sentiment. Watching the Q&As from their PAX shows is similarly useful (and enjoyable!).
Their DnD podcast and occasional live show videos, Acquisitions Incorporated, are fantastic, half because they have a superb DM running things and half because it lets them all flex their comedic improv, which they have a real knack for.
I got quite into their reality series, Strip Search, too. It dragged a little in places, but some of the daily challenges were genuinely interesting (how to deal with contracts, etc.) and the elimination section with Jerry and Mike incessantly toying with the contenders was hilarious more often than not.
I still read it, but I admit that the quality has gone down in both writing and art over the past few years. Nowadays it's a bell curve: a small number of groans and/or blank stares, a small number of out-loud laughs, and a lot of mild chuckles and mediocrity in the middle.
I don't like the new art style, with the bizarre red noses, snaggle teeth, and rubbery faces. It's not innately bad art; it just doesn't fit the comic. It seems to have coincided more or less with Mike doing the art on a tablet. Manga Studio is nice software, but the tools it's given him to play with have not been kind to the comic. He's lost some consistency with regard to his characters' anatomy: the sizes of eyes, noses, mouths, and even heads vary wildly from one comic to the next in a way they never used to do.
It's also just not as funny. The comic went through a painful period during 2013 when the "jokes" read just like news posts.They often consisted of just one or both characters talking to the fourth wall, preaching about something. They've scaled back on that, but their humor just doesn't have the consistent punch it once did.
All that said, I think anyone who says they've never laughed at a single strip either hasn't looked at very many or is suffering from Too Cool For The Room Syndrome.
And people still nursing a grudge over the Dickwolves controversy and Mike's other tirades need to get the fuck over it. He apologized publicly and pledged to be a better person, and for the most part he's followed through. We have to allow people room to evolve.
The strip is still overall good enough for me to continue checking out. And I'll continue to be a PAX-goer and Child's Play contributor: both strong, indelible contributions to the gaming community and the world.
I don't like the new art style, with the bizarre red noses, snaggle teeth, and rubbery faces. It's not innately bad art; it just doesn't fit the comic. It seems to have coincided more or less with Mike doing the art on a tablet. Manga Studio is nice software, but the tools it's given him to play with have not been kind to the comic. He's lost some consistency with regard to his characters' anatomy: the sizes of eyes, noses, mouths, and even heads vary wildly from one comic to the next in a way they never used to do.
It's also just not as funny. The comic went through a painful period during 2013 when the "jokes" read just like news posts.They often consisted of just one or both characters talking to the fourth wall, preaching about something. They've scaled back on that, but their humor just doesn't have the consistent punch it once did.
All that said, I think anyone who says they've never laughed at a single strip either hasn't looked at very many or is suffering from Too Cool For The Room Syndrome.
And people still nursing a grudge over the Dickwolves controversy and Mike's other tirades need to get the fuck over it. He apologized publicly and pledged to be a better person, and for the most part he's followed through. We have to allow people room to evolve.
The strip is still overall good enough for me to continue checking out. And I'll continue to be a PAX-goer and Child's Play contributor: both strong, indelible contributions to the gaming community and the world.
Kingpin Rogers
Member
The only thing I've heard about penny arcade is apparently they had some bs kickstarter which led to another group making their own kickstarter to get the money to physically beat up the penny arcade people.
Is that true?
Is that true?
ilikesanta
Member
I still check read the comic three times a week, but it seems more out of habit more then anything. Occasionally they point out a cool boardgames, book or something else that I never heard about. The art donse't bother me, tyco can get a little wordy with his post and I have no idea what he's talking about. The humor in the comics is the most disappointing thing, they talk about their dicks way to much.
Regulus Tera
Romanes Eunt Domus
IMO 8-Bit Theatre started very by-the-numbers (they are Final Fantasy characters and one is a murderer and the other a doofus!11!11!!) and became really good after the first hundred episodes. You can see Brian Clevinger's sense of humour develop throughout the run, and by the time he started tackling the mid-game dungeons it turned into something special.
P.S. Read Nuklear Age and Atomic Robo. They are good.
Did you not type out that last part and consider you already had the answer to your question?
Seijuro
Member
I used to love the comics that were about video games and recent develepments in the business, as they were often spot on, cynical, funny.
The comics about board games/ dad stuff/ serials of their own stuff (Lookouts etc) in recent years isn't really my cup of tea, but It's their life's work, If they feel like shifting their focus more power to them...
The comics about board games/ dad stuff/ serials of their own stuff (Lookouts etc) in recent years isn't really my cup of tea, but It's their life's work, If they feel like shifting their focus more power to them...
Yeah, if I was a betting man, I'd put good money on Mike's current 'exaggerated' art style owing a lot to him working in an office adjacent to Katie Rice. I'm pretty certain he's mentioned how much of an influence her work (and work attitude) has had on him.
I personally have no problem with the silly faces and turned-up-to-eleven mannerisms. It works for the ridiculous pieces of dialog, and they still stick to deadpan faces for deadpan lines. My main critique of his recent work is an overuse of that 'bloom' effect. I think it's way too overbearing, but you get the impression that Mike is really playing around with his inking/colouring in general of late.
Beelzebufo
Banned
I don't remember ever laughing at one of their comics, and I especially hate the design of the two main characters, but I like the larger stuff they do like PAX. That stuff is neat, I just can't believe that much spawned out of those comics.
Edit: I take it back the robot one above me is great lol. All of the ones without those two dudes seem better.
Re-edit: Never mind, only the robot and Islam one are funny
Edit: I take it back the robot one above me is great lol. All of the ones without those two dudes seem better.
Re-edit: Never mind, only the robot and Islam one are funny
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Oh yes, that's my #1 favourite. Both mocking the girl's ridiculous outfit and the angry generic male protag tropes in one go. "I smoulder with generic rage" never gets old.Still their best:
But it's really fully deserved. I mean look at this shit. Look at it! xD
Haha that was one of their best indeed.Some of my favorite strips:
Really hate the art on this one, but the "Sandwich! I trusted you!" does crack me up for some reason.
Opinionatedfish
Member
I need a Season 2 of Strip Search.
I loved that show. Best "reality TV" show I'd seen in a while. Although I do like "Behind the Mask" and some of those shows where complete idiots flip houses/junk they buy from garage sales/storage lockers.
Gabe's technique has improved so much over the years. But as he's succeeded in removing his limitations he hasn't learnt the restraint necessary to complement his strengths. I think it is because of this that he makes a lot of questionable stylistic choices.
That said, the new stuff is much more interesting to look at than the old, even if it does sometimes get in the way of communicating the joke.
That said, the new stuff is much more interesting to look at than the old, even if it does sometimes get in the way of communicating the joke.
I used to be really into PA several years ago, but, like many here, I don't like the new art direction (never was a huge fan of Mike's art to begin with) and the humor just isn't there anymore, although I still like Tycho's ramblings (I'd love to see Jerry write a novel, in any genre).
Still, have to give them major props for coining terms like "bullshot" and the Greater Internet Dickwad theory.
Still, have to give them major props for coining terms like "bullshot" and the Greater Internet Dickwad theory.
HP_Wuvcraft
Banned
Honestly, I've never seen the appeal or thought it was ever good.
But we did get PAX out of it.
But we did get PAX out of it.
Diablohead
Member
I like a few of their comics but I started reading them a long time ago for a little while, the heavy use of repeating the same pose I. every panel was annoying, they don't really do that now.
good in past, not anymore
tumblr red nose + wall of text and talking heads syndrome + too much real life stuff = zzzz
and tycho's writing is grating. always sounded like one of those kids at school that constantly use 17 dollar words to pretend to sound complex
I used to read Real Life Comics and ironically, that comic also had it's downturn when he started basically using the comic to blog about actual real life.
tumblr red nose + wall of text and talking heads syndrome + too much real life stuff = zzzz
and tycho's writing is grating. always sounded like one of those kids at school that constantly use 17 dollar words to pretend to sound complex
I used to read Real Life Comics and ironically, that comic also had it's downturn when he started basically using the comic to blog about actual real life.
Baron_Calamity
Member
I guess I fall into the category of loving them in the mid to late 2000s. My interests trailed off and then when they started defending "dick wolves", I grew a dislike for them.
jim2point0
Banned
I really enjoyed this destiny one. Tells a more interesting tale than the game itself.
Sometimes... the art is gorgeous. But when they do their "daily Tycho and Gabe" stuff, it doesn't feel as inspired.
I still appreciate the jokes every now and then.
Personally, I don't get caught up in the political nonsense. I don't follow a lot of internet celebrities on twitter for exactly that reason. I like entertainment. I wish I never knew that Adam Baldwin had anything to do with Gamergate, for example.... sigh.
But yeah. I like Penny Arcade. And I think PAX is one of the best gaming conventions in existence. And that wouldn't exist without Penny Arcade. Then there's their Child's Play charity. People can hate on these guys all they want for shit they say on Twitter, but it's pretty freakin awesome what they do with Child's Play.
Oh, and I guess I'll post one of my faves.
Eh. I've slowly fallen out of favor with Child's Play. I mean, helping kids is great, but they also actively try to ignore other gamer charities from working in their "territories", and they only allow you to donate to buy new games - meaning a large portion of big donations made by video game companies go directly back to the video game company making the donation. That's a little too iffy for me anymore.
In addition, unless you're a super popular entity like Humble Bundle, they DO NOT allow you to have a donation drive where Child's Play gets a share of the proceeds. It has to be 100% proceeds or none at all.
Idea is nice, the execution needs work. If they drop the pretense of being "us or nobody", I could get behind them again.
In addition, unless you're a super popular entity like Humble Bundle, they DO NOT allow you to have a donation drive where Child's Play gets a share of the proceeds. It has to be 100% proceeds or none at all.
Idea is nice, the execution needs work. If they drop the pretense of being "us or nobody", I could get behind them again.
Vincent Grayson
Member
Been reading it since damn near the beginning, and it's still the only webcomic that I read religiously.
I've loved watching these guys grow up, try new art styles, and in many ways, change the face of gaming significantly with the inception of PAX. Their occasional foibles aside, I think they're one of the best things to happen to the gaming community.
I've loved watching these guys grow up, try new art styles, and in many ways, change the face of gaming significantly with the inception of PAX. Their occasional foibles aside, I think they're one of the best things to happen to the gaming community.
TheSlySoul
Member
I like Jerry, but I hate Mike.
So neutral I guess?
So neutral I guess?
joeygreco1985
Member
Tycho's (Is that Jerry or Mike?) blog posts make my head hurt. I don't follow the comic regularly like I used to but I've been following it since college, love their stuff
I used to love Penny Arcade. I own all eight or nine (?) of their collected strip books as well.
It was a marvel seeing Gabe's artwork mature over the years, now I think the regular strips have gotten a bit too fancy. But the old stuff is gold.
Even though I always wanted to go to some PAX, I never managed to do so. Going there from where I live is fucked-up expensive.
It was a marvel seeing Gabe's artwork mature over the years, now I think the regular strips have gotten a bit too fancy. But the old stuff is gold.
Even though I always wanted to go to some PAX, I never managed to do so. Going there from where I live is fucked-up expensive.
benicillin
Banned
I used to be a huge fan of Penny-Arcade. Less so now, but I still read it occasionally. Some of the art work they do outside of the comic strip is cool.
