First of all, hello everyone. Secondly, I apologize, I promised more reviews sooner and I haven't delivered. It's been a crazy time for me, going through Grad School and discovering that many of the students in my school know I write this column. Some thought I actually worked for the Escapist. I wish! Though Susan I confess, I did admit I had some correspondence with you. But alas, I am not an employee, and truly I don't think I should be. All I do is read webcomics and try to review them honestly. And that brings us to this moment here, perhaps one of the most important reviews I will give. Penny Arcade.
First let me say sorry, I should have posted more reviews sooner, but I have been a bit busy working and trying to pass school and get my masters. Not an excuse (at least not a good one) and not worth mentioning (though I just did) but I wanted to clear that up anyways. For now let's get to the comic and my interpretation of it. Against my better judgment I am going to delve into some crossover controversy, because I think it bears mentioning. But I believe my opening should sum up my feelings on the subject:
Penny Arcade is not the best webcomic out there.
This will be perceived as blasphemy by many in the gamer community, and I am okay with that fact. The reality is that Penny Arcade is a niche comic, and an excellent one, but still a niche comic. And in fact, Gabe and Tycho recognize that fact better than many of their readers. It is a comic for gamers, by gamers, and you know what? It IS the best gaming comic out there. PVP is great, but it is still a real-life drama on occasion. Ctrl+Alt+Del is good at times, but I still believe Tim Buckley only wants to make money off his work. Penny Arcade is similar to Ctrl+Alt+Del, some might say it is the origin of Ctrl+Alt+Del, and yes, Penny Arcade wants to make a living.
Let's start with the concept, because I believe it is incredibly important to Penny Arcade. There are few seminal moments in comic history, but Penny Arcade absolutely lays claim to one of them. Scott McCloud can shove it, and Penny Arcade will tell you so, but not for the best of reasons...
Let me explain something. I have a big problem with Gabe and Tycho's interpretation of what Scott McCloud claimed. Yes, Scott McCloud is a pretentious asshole not worth your time. A guy who tried to take the revolution of webcomics and make it into something he invented himself. It was the equivalent of Al Gore claiming he invented the internet. Scott McCloud is a douche, and I will never review his work for that simple reason. Gabe and Tycho are to be praised for bringing his selfish and "holier than thou" attitude to light, but at the same time one could easily damn them*.
Look, one of the things Penny Arcade lives off of is it's one-off nature. The comic is a short fire jokester and there is nothing wrong with that because it is damn funny most of the time, but the creators went out of their way to condemn others who tried to do more. The problem with that is, in the attempt to nail Scott McCloud to the cross he deserved, they crucified a lot of great artists. Tycho and Gabe, for better or worse, have retained a 3-4 panel comic with a set gag or short run story. It works, they are funny, often hilarious, but they overlook a lot of what the webcomic medium can do based on the bullshit of Scott McCloud.
Okay, maybe based on is unfair. It's in response to. McCloud tried to make himself and the comics of the web into something akin to a Picasso. They are not. Penny Arcade is to be praised and admired for its commitment to what it is: a gag comic. It isn't trying to be anything else, Hell it even narrows the scope down to gaming and nerds just to fit that little niche of internet users a bit better. But what I didn't like, and it may be a wasted point because the statement was made so long ago, is that Penny Arcade claims to see other more grandiose webcomics as futile and stupid. Don't break the panel format, don't take the genre out to limits it couldn't previously reach, understand the point is setup, setup, punchline and let it go there. At most, you are granted three panels before delivering the joke. Well, other comics have shown you can go beyond that. You can have a lengthier piece of work that still is effective. Some touch upon the realm of graphic novel. We haven't seen this generation's Watchmen yet, but we will. It is coming. Whether you like it or not this is where comics, true comics, live now.
Penny Arcade embraced this earlier than most. Is it still funny? Hell yes. Penny Arcade remains one of the kings of webcomics. The work is inspiring as much as it is contained. Gabe and Tycho do not want to branch out like PVP does into drama, they are all about gaming for gaming and you know what? That's good. Gamers, the hardcore especially, need that anchor in a time when everyone is becoming a gamer of some kind. We have bypassed the casual gamer as a blip on the radar. The world is now dominated by the casual gamer. Whether you bemoan it or welcome it is your own decision, but Penny Arcade does not care. This is a great comic. It is funny without having to try, poignant when it is necessary, and always crafted with the most extreme care.
This review has been less about a comic and more about a time, a place, an era. That's okay with this reviewer, because the greatest part about Penny Arcade is that it has never apologized for what it is. It's a damn funny comic. It's a brutally honest one too. Unlike Ctrl+Alt+Del which arguably stole its inspiration from Penny Arcade this work is true to its form. Penny Arcade makes money to be sure, but it does not exist for the purpose of making money. Gabe and Tycho retain an ownership of the one true gaming comic that exists, the original, and the best. Penny Arcade is worth reading, through all the archives and should be continuously followed. It won't ever grow old or tired unless it's creators do, and while it won't ever hold the title of Greatest Comic in my eyes I cannot see it falling from the annals of classics because it has never betrayed itself. Gabe and Tycho lamented the idea that webcomics placed themselves upon a pedestal, anointing their work as something special. Penny Arcade has never seen itself that way and THAT is why it is special. It is funny, truthful, and daring. Let's hope that never changes.
If you consider yourself a gamer, read Penny Arcade. If you do not, read it anyways. It's worth your time and it will remain one of the most important webcomics in the history of the art, even if it does not acknowledge it's own existence as art.
On a personal note. Thank you to everyone who continues to read what I write and my sincerest apologies for being so lax in my duty. I appreciate everyone who reads this swill and continue to send your requests. I'll get to them.
*I damn them not for their outing of the cyst that is Scott McCloud, but for arguing that Webcomics had no place as art in the modern world. Truthfully the last great artist we had in comics was Bill Watterson and if he ever had this kind of freedom as afforded from the internet's lack of constraint he might have done something incredible. As it is, we are left with some fantastic alternatives that simply must be pursued and enjoyed.
EDIT: Forgot to add in the link to the page, but then I remembered 100% of all internet users including your grandmother who still thinks VCRs are too advanced know what Penny Arcade is, so just google it yourself this time!
First let me say sorry, I should have posted more reviews sooner, but I have been a bit busy working and trying to pass school and get my masters. Not an excuse (at least not a good one) and not worth mentioning (though I just did) but I wanted to clear that up anyways. For now let's get to the comic and my interpretation of it. Against my better judgment I am going to delve into some crossover controversy, because I think it bears mentioning. But I believe my opening should sum up my feelings on the subject:
Penny Arcade is not the best webcomic out there.
This will be perceived as blasphemy by many in the gamer community, and I am okay with that fact. The reality is that Penny Arcade is a niche comic, and an excellent one, but still a niche comic. And in fact, Gabe and Tycho recognize that fact better than many of their readers. It is a comic for gamers, by gamers, and you know what? It IS the best gaming comic out there. PVP is great, but it is still a real-life drama on occasion. Ctrl+Alt+Del is good at times, but I still believe Tim Buckley only wants to make money off his work. Penny Arcade is similar to Ctrl+Alt+Del, some might say it is the origin of Ctrl+Alt+Del, and yes, Penny Arcade wants to make a living.
Let's start with the concept, because I believe it is incredibly important to Penny Arcade. There are few seminal moments in comic history, but Penny Arcade absolutely lays claim to one of them. Scott McCloud can shove it, and Penny Arcade will tell you so, but not for the best of reasons...
Let me explain something. I have a big problem with Gabe and Tycho's interpretation of what Scott McCloud claimed. Yes, Scott McCloud is a pretentious asshole not worth your time. A guy who tried to take the revolution of webcomics and make it into something he invented himself. It was the equivalent of Al Gore claiming he invented the internet. Scott McCloud is a douche, and I will never review his work for that simple reason. Gabe and Tycho are to be praised for bringing his selfish and "holier than thou" attitude to light, but at the same time one could easily damn them*.
Look, one of the things Penny Arcade lives off of is it's one-off nature. The comic is a short fire jokester and there is nothing wrong with that because it is damn funny most of the time, but the creators went out of their way to condemn others who tried to do more. The problem with that is, in the attempt to nail Scott McCloud to the cross he deserved, they crucified a lot of great artists. Tycho and Gabe, for better or worse, have retained a 3-4 panel comic with a set gag or short run story. It works, they are funny, often hilarious, but they overlook a lot of what the webcomic medium can do based on the bullshit of Scott McCloud.
Okay, maybe based on is unfair. It's in response to. McCloud tried to make himself and the comics of the web into something akin to a Picasso. They are not. Penny Arcade is to be praised and admired for its commitment to what it is: a gag comic. It isn't trying to be anything else, Hell it even narrows the scope down to gaming and nerds just to fit that little niche of internet users a bit better. But what I didn't like, and it may be a wasted point because the statement was made so long ago, is that Penny Arcade claims to see other more grandiose webcomics as futile and stupid. Don't break the panel format, don't take the genre out to limits it couldn't previously reach, understand the point is setup, setup, punchline and let it go there. At most, you are granted three panels before delivering the joke. Well, other comics have shown you can go beyond that. You can have a lengthier piece of work that still is effective. Some touch upon the realm of graphic novel. We haven't seen this generation's Watchmen yet, but we will. It is coming. Whether you like it or not this is where comics, true comics, live now.
Penny Arcade embraced this earlier than most. Is it still funny? Hell yes. Penny Arcade remains one of the kings of webcomics. The work is inspiring as much as it is contained. Gabe and Tycho do not want to branch out like PVP does into drama, they are all about gaming for gaming and you know what? That's good. Gamers, the hardcore especially, need that anchor in a time when everyone is becoming a gamer of some kind. We have bypassed the casual gamer as a blip on the radar. The world is now dominated by the casual gamer. Whether you bemoan it or welcome it is your own decision, but Penny Arcade does not care. This is a great comic. It is funny without having to try, poignant when it is necessary, and always crafted with the most extreme care.
This review has been less about a comic and more about a time, a place, an era. That's okay with this reviewer, because the greatest part about Penny Arcade is that it has never apologized for what it is. It's a damn funny comic. It's a brutally honest one too. Unlike Ctrl+Alt+Del which arguably stole its inspiration from Penny Arcade this work is true to its form. Penny Arcade makes money to be sure, but it does not exist for the purpose of making money. Gabe and Tycho retain an ownership of the one true gaming comic that exists, the original, and the best. Penny Arcade is worth reading, through all the archives and should be continuously followed. It won't ever grow old or tired unless it's creators do, and while it won't ever hold the title of Greatest Comic in my eyes I cannot see it falling from the annals of classics because it has never betrayed itself. Gabe and Tycho lamented the idea that webcomics placed themselves upon a pedestal, anointing their work as something special. Penny Arcade has never seen itself that way and THAT is why it is special. It is funny, truthful, and daring. Let's hope that never changes.
If you consider yourself a gamer, read Penny Arcade. If you do not, read it anyways. It's worth your time and it will remain one of the most important webcomics in the history of the art, even if it does not acknowledge it's own existence as art.
On a personal note. Thank you to everyone who continues to read what I write and my sincerest apologies for being so lax in my duty. I appreciate everyone who reads this swill and continue to send your requests. I'll get to them.
*I damn them not for their outing of the cyst that is Scott McCloud, but for arguing that Webcomics had no place as art in the modern world. Truthfully the last great artist we had in comics was Bill Watterson and if he ever had this kind of freedom as afforded from the internet's lack of constraint he might have done something incredible. As it is, we are left with some fantastic alternatives that simply must be pursued and enjoyed.
EDIT: Forgot to add in the link to the page, but then I remembered 100% of all internet users including your grandmother who still thinks VCRs are too advanced know what Penny Arcade is, so just google it yourself this time!
