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Video: Washington State Senate Honors Penny Arcade today

IntestineBoy

Sasquatch of 1000 (hairy) colons
http://blog.senatedemocrats.wa.gov/the-hopper/wa-state-senate-resolution-honors-penny-arcade/

SENATE RESOLUTION
8640
By Senators Jarrett, McAuliffe, and Fraser
WHEREAS, The greater Seattle area is home to over 45 video game companies, making the
video game industry in Washington one of the largest in the nation; and
WHEREAS, Jerry Holkins, a comic writer, and Mike Krahulik, a cartoonist and artist, both
originally from Spokane, Washington, collaborated to create an online comic about video games
called Penny Arcade in the fall of 1998; and
WHEREAS, Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik recently celebrated the comic's 10th anniversary;
and
WHEREAS, In 2004, Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik launched the first annual Penny
Arcade Expo, a gaming festival in Bellevue, Washington; and
WHEREAS, By 2008, the Penny Arcade Expo has grown to become the largest game
convention in the United States, with over 58,500 video game enthusiasts attending the Penny
Arcade Expo at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in August 2008; and
WHEREAS, The Penny Arcade Expo attracts thousands of tourists from around the globe
to visit the city of Seattle while attending the convention, and has served to further reinforce Seattle's
status as a leading locale of the game industry; and
WHEREAS, In 2003, Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik created the Child's Play Charity, an
organization which raises contributions of money and toys to donate to Children's Hospitals
worldwide; and
WHEREAS, Child's Play Charity has raised over 4.5 million dollars for sixty different
Children's Hospitals since it was established, including Washington's own Seattle Children's and
Sacred Heart Children's Hospitals;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate officially
recognize the accomplishments of Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik in becoming widely accepted
leaders in the computer and video game industries, encouraging industry growth through
scholarships, and advancing Washington State as a hub of the gaming industry through the presence
of Penny Arcade Expo; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate honor Jerry Holkins and
Mike Krahulik for their hard work and dedication to improving the lives of hospitalized children
worldwide through their creation and continued work with Child's Play Charity; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted
by the Secretary of the Senate to Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik.
I, Thomas Hoemann, Secretary of the Senate,
do hereby certify that this is a true and
correct copy of Senate Resolution 8640,
adopted by the Senate
March 5, 2009
THOMAS HOEMANN
Secretary of the Senate
 

GDJustin

stuck my tongue deep inside Atlus' cookies
Wow.

Say what you will about Penny Arcade, positive or negative, but damn... what a high (but strange) honor.
 

C4Lukins

Junior Member
I know my vote may seem suspect and not worth consideration when you take into account my former 28 years in Texas and my past year as a resident in Florida, but I vote AYE on this one.
 
my reaction:
lolgintokiln4.gif
 
They deserve every bit of it.

I got to attend PAX last year, and it was truly something special.
Seriously. If you're thinking about going, just do it. Just go. It's unbelievable.
 
That's just amazing. Penny Arcade continue to set an example as upstanding members of their local community and as members of the video game industry at large.
 

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
Nice.

I remember the day after the strip where the cardboard tube was introduced, I saw "The tube is civilization!" scrawled in chalk in Red Square (UW).
 

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
For those who are confused, this is most likely almost entirely due to their charity work with Child's Play but when you commend someone at a government or similar level it is traditional to list all of their major accomplishments within the commendation.

At least, generally the government chooses to commend someone for running a highly successful worldwide charity for sick children rather than having a popular web comic, and for that they totally deserve it.
 

Jackson

Member
Firestorm said:
Remember when some lunatic lawyer tried to sic the police on them?
Fun times.

Some lawyer?

Jack Thompson deserves more respect than listing him as "some lawyer".

Come on, the dude got himself disbarred over video games and when he was disbarred people threw parties for his disbarment. That's pretty epic!

Congratz to the PA guys, they deserve it!
 

Htown

STOP SHITTING ON MY MOTHER'S HEADSTONE
Jackson said:
Some lawyer?

Jack Thompson deserves more respect than listing him as "some lawyer".

Come on, the dude got himself disbarred over video games and when he was disbarred people threw parties for his disbarment. That's pretty epic!

Congratz to the PA guys, they deserve it!
Is "senate resolution" going to be in the game?

I'm sorry
 

Firestorm

Member
Jackson said:
Some lawyer?

Jack Thompson deserves more respect than listing him as "some lawyer".

Come on, the dude got himself disbarred over video games and when he was disbarred people threw parties for his disbarment. That's pretty epic!

Congratz to the PA guys, they deserve it!
The point was to refer to him without referring to him specifically. I'd rather his name is eventually forgotten.
 

Blackace

if you see me in a fight with a bear, don't help me fool, help the bear!
This is why Washington rules.

Nice work guys.
 

Aegus

Member
Still not sure why they're being classed as leaders in the video game industry though.

Good on them though for their charity work.
 

Ulairi

Banned
Aegus said:
Still not sure why they're being classed as leaders in the video game industry though.

Good on them though for their charity work.

They run one of the most important gaming website out there.
 

Dyno

Member
That is high end all the way, top drawer, and very classy too boot.

Kudos to the Penny Arcade team! To take an internet comic strip and parlay it into millions for kids is an astounding feat. I look forward to their continued success.
 
IntestineBoy said:
http://blog.senatedemocrats.wa.gov/the-hopper/wa-state-senate-resolution-honors-penny-arcade/

SENATE RESOLUTION
8640
By Senators Jarrett, McAuliffe, and Fraser
WHEREAS, The greater Seattle area is home to over 45 video game companies, making the
video game industry in Washington one of the largest in the nation; and
WHEREAS, Jerry Holkins, a comic writer, and Mike Krahulik, a cartoonist and artist, both
originally from Spokane, Washington, collaborated to create an online comic about video games
called Penny Arcade in the fall of 1998; and
WHEREAS, Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik recently celebrated the comic's 10th anniversary;
and
WHEREAS, In 2004, Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik launched the first annual Penny
Arcade Expo, a gaming festival in Bellevue, Washington; and
WHEREAS, By 2008, the Penny Arcade Expo has grown to become the largest game
convention in the United States, with over 58,500 video game enthusiasts attending the Penny
Arcade Expo at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in August 2008
; and
WHEREAS, The Penny Arcade Expo attracts thousands of tourists from around the globe
to visit the city of Seattle while attending the convention, and has served to further reinforce Seattle's
status as a leading locale of the game industry
; and
WHEREAS, In 2003, Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik created the Child's Play Charity, an
organization which raises contributions of money and toys to donate to Children's Hospitals
worldwide
; and
WHEREAS, Child's Play Charity has raised over 4.5 million dollars for sixty different
Children's Hospitals since it was established, including Washington's own Seattle Children's and
Sacred Heart Children's Hospitals
;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate officially
recognize the accomplishments of Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik in becoming widely accepted
leaders in the computer and video game industries, encouraging industry growth through
scholarships, and advancing Washington State as a hub of the gaming industry through the presence
of Penny Arcade Expo
; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate honor Jerry Holkins and
Mike Krahulik for their hard work and dedication to improving the lives of hospitalized children
worldwide through their creation and continued work with Child's Play Charity
; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted
by the Secretary of the Senate to Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik.
I, Thomas Hoemann, Secretary of the Senate,
do hereby certify that this is a true and
correct copy of Senate Resolution 8640,
adopted by the Senate
March 5, 2009
THOMAS HOEMANN
Secretary of the Senate

for people who apparently can't read why they were honored without it popping out at them. People seem to forget how influential they really are, something like Gerstmanngate wasn't that long ago and was brought to public eye by them. PAX is huge and the gaming convention since E3's demise. It even manages to be a public event that's successful from a business and consumer side. They should never be discredited as just an online comic, and for someone in the gaming industry to receive that kind of recognition should be celebrated.
 

border

Member
cr_blah_blah said:
It even manages to be a public event that's successful from a business and consumer side.
Well from what I gather they kinda do that on the backs of unpaid employees, so it's probably easier for them to be "profitable" than a large convention staffed by a crew of paid professionals.
 

truly101

I got grudge sucked!
border said:
Well from what I gather they kinda do that on the backs of unpaid employees, so it's probably easier for them to be "profitable" than a large convention staffed by a crew of paid professionals.

They have a staff of volunteers or actual unpaid employees? There's a difference.
 

Zoe

Member
border said:
Well from what I gather they kinda do that on the backs of unpaid employees, so it's probably easier for them to be "profitable" than a large convention staffed by a crew of paid professionals.

It's SOP for fan-centered conventions to employ mostly volunteers. That doesn't mean that there aren't paid professionals though.
 
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