Over the last decade Penny Arcade has been providing social commentary to a niche market over the Internet. I’ve been a fan since I was introduced to the comic in 2001. Their main focuses are video games and the surrounding culture, a truly vast and encompassing topic when you consider how little the Associated Press actually covers related issues other than addiction and violence. Gabe and Tycho, the artist’s and writer’s pen-names, are still making me and many other people laugh while making some good points.

The beautiful thing about Penny Arcade is the insightful nature of the comic. They don’t simply make a joke at the expense of the video game (or other “nerdy”) industry, but try to provide some commentary.

I credit their success to the dynamic contrast of the two primary characters: Gabe and Tycho. They are a part of fractured stereotypes. Gabe represents a classic fan boy, someone who doesn’t analyze any experience beyond the enjoyment factor. Things can be stupid, ridiculous, and over the top even for the fantastic genre, but he will love it anyway. I went to school with many people like him. Each one identifies with a certain aspect of the fantastic genre and any time that aspect (wizard, android, werewolf, etc.) is represented they instantly take up the cause. Conversely, Tycho is an intellectual. He loves the fantastic but adheres to an artistic standard; he’s never mentioned them but I’d assume the basics such as Neil Gaimen, Ray Bradbury, Samuel R. Delany, and J.R.R. Tolkien would be a fair representation. If the content goes too far into the nonsensical, Tycho rejects it. In this way he is a tortured patron (and because of the comic, a tortured artist as well). He can’t not try something but knows that the experience may offend him to the point of physical pain. The six part Witch-a-lock comic does a good job displaying the dynamic. But the subject matter is fictitious. A more realistic example is this recent comic in which Gabe and Tycho are discussing the premise of a video game based on Dante’s Inferno. That’s right, there is a video game based on The Divine Comedy. I haven’t played it, but I’m going to eventually.

In a micro-sample sort of way, struggle between Gabe and Tycho is representative of the struggle within most, if not every, contemporary artist: high art vs. commercialism. Do you make art to sell? Or do you make art for the sake of art?

The back-and-forth over art is roughly 40% of the overall comic. Business commentary is about 30%. And the final 30% is zany antics. The success of the comic is purely its point of view: the common gamer. I can’t say common man because gamers can be girls and regardless of gender are typically an educated astute audience. Furthermore, their emotional involvements with the gaming community is substantial, meaning a game being announced (a company saying they’re going to try and make a game based on X) can be received like news of a pregnancy; the release as a birth; and cancellation can be as devastating as a miscarriage. Please note an abortion can only occur if the company makes a crappy game — generally a poorly done sequel of a popular game.

What makes Penny Arcade amazing is its ability to concisely cover any given topic in three cells.  The interesting thing is the fan base it has developed is divided based on insider knowledge. Every comic assumes you know what they’re talking about. And most of the time I don’t have a clue. I read Penny Arcade to find out what’s going on in the world of video games (and a few other sites). So Tycho (and occasionally Gabe) write a blog describing the basis for the material and usually a few links to help you investigate. After I became familiar with the text the comic’s role and the blog’s role reversed themselves. I mean no offense but both contributors digress drastically in their blogs. Often going from coherent to purple-prose-esque lunacy inside of three or four paragraphs. Still you get the jist of what’s going on.

It’s worth noting that the focus has sharpened over the years. In the early 2000s random comics would drift in and while they were funny they weren’t as impressive. Here are a few of my favorites, which friends and I still quote today: bears, wangs, fruit fucker, fruit fucker prime, etc., etc., etc.

All their comics are collected in volumes, which are available from their website as well as Barnes and Noble (I have actually seen them in the stores). I’ve been reading this strip for almost ten years and I hope they keep informing and entertaining me for the next ten.

Just Fantastic appears the second and fourth Wednesday of the month, at least in theory.

Tweet  Print This Post

Tags: books & writing, just fantastic // Add Comment »