I'm not a fan of the noses.
It's also interesting that the older those two get, the younger their avatars seem.
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How do you feel about Penny Arcade?
- Thread starter SolVanderlyn
- Start date
I'm not a fan of the noses.
It's also interesting that the older those two get, the younger their avatars seem.
SpinningBirdKick
Banned
Never liked it.
Couldn't understand what the fuss was about.
Meh.
Couldn't understand what the fuss was about.
Meh.
RoadHazard
Gold Member
Mild giggles on occasion, otherwise I don't feel anything at all.
revolverjgw
Member
Only occasionally funny, but by internet geek comic strip standards, it's amazing.
SoulUnison
Banned
With these threads running side-by-side right now, the "classic" Penny Arcade art style that everybody seems to love so much - the one with the thick outlines and sharp angles that sort of looks like if it was moving it'd be animated in Flash - I'm noticing that it actually kind of reminds me of some of the stuff that Ctrl+Alt+Delete gets made fun of.
For instance, everybody's mouth seems to be wide open with teeth all the time and there's one really one or two shapes they take, just squashed or stretched.
The way everybody seems to be a coke addict in his new style (or maybe everybody constantly has somebody somewhere talking about them?) is sort of weird, but the faces are way more varied and expressive.
People that are calling his new style "disgusting" and such, hyperbole much?
You do better.
For instance, everybody's mouth seems to be wide open with teeth all the time and there's one really one or two shapes they take, just squashed or stretched.
The way everybody seems to be a coke addict in his new style (or maybe everybody constantly has somebody somewhere talking about them?) is sort of weird, but the faces are way more varied and expressive.
People that are calling his new style "disgusting" and such, hyperbole much?
You do better.
akachan ningen
Member
I think their comic strip is painfully unfunny but I appreciate what those guys do for the community and their charity.
frankly, this one is a masterpiece
While Mike has obviously greatly improved as an artist, I don't think the Jon K. style of the last few years really fits the strip very well. In particular, Gabe as a deer-in-headlights buck-toothed frecklebaby is a really odd creative choice. His expressions almost never make sense in context with the situation anymore.
The style works a lot better in Lookouts, but 2008ish was the best the main strip ever looked, I think.
The style works a lot better in Lookouts, but 2008ish was the best the main strip ever looked, I think.
Quadraphonic
Member
The comic grew and improved over the years. At first it was cool seeing them involved making Assassin's Creed comics and shit.
But then Dickwolves happened, and regardless of the quality (Which is now distracting from the actual punchlines), I can't support bigots.
Gabe is a fucking bully and Tycho shouldn't have gotten close to letting him do that kind of insulting shit, so he's just as complicit. And their 'zone of equality' crap is the most insulting they could have done. So I'm done.
But then Dickwolves happened, and regardless of the quality (Which is now distracting from the actual punchlines), I can't support bigots.
Gabe is a fucking bully and Tycho shouldn't have gotten close to letting him do that kind of insulting shit, so he's just as complicit. And their 'zone of equality' crap is the most insulting they could have done. So I'm done.
Fallout-NL
Member
Have to agree with all the sentiments that the art has been really weird lately (that buck tooth / vegetable nose, everybody is an infant type look sucks to be honest).
But I've been reading them since the very beginning and they've done some great stuff. Pretty consistently for a while there too. They've seem to have mellowed out a bit, but on occasion I do still like what they're doing.
Few of my favs:
But I've been reading them since the very beginning and they've done some great stuff. Pretty consistently for a while there too. They've seem to have mellowed out a bit, but on occasion I do still like what they're doing.
Few of my favs:
Chie Satonaka
Member
The new art is bad, but Claw Shrimp is legendary.
It's been awhile since I went on a PA binge. I should catch up.
It's been awhile since I went on a PA binge. I should catch up.
cj_iwakura
Member
PeakPointMatrix
Member
Some other favorites:
timetokill
Banned
But didn't you hear? Gabe might have been inspired by somebody else's art! what a hack!
bernardobri
Steve, the dog with no powers that we let hang out with us all for some reason
I don't read it as much as I did back in the day, but I prefer any day of the week Mike experimenting and changing his art in comparison of the 80% of comic artists that have been around for years and stick up in a comfort zone like there's no tomorrow.
Anyway, favorite strips:
Anyway, favorite strips:
bobawesome
Member
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:
This is my all-time favorite strip from a webcomic. It's a shame I find PA unappealing these days.
Aaron Strife
Banned
Yeah. I like their really blunt phrasing. It went well with their art style from 04-09ish.
Gabe's art isn't bad but it's weird. I think it's just odd how his style evolved whereas Tycho's writing has always been more or less the same.
TheSadRanger
Banned
paging vidcons
is he still banned?
Probably the only web comic where the serious stuff ends up being better than the comical stuff.
All the mini-series he has done have been great. That Destiny comic is especially great.
Another one of my favorites
That's my favorite PA of all time I think. Just the exposition panel and "Judas, don't be a dick" make this one memorable all these years later.
Oh man. Leagues better. Katie Tiedrich is so damn funny
WickedLaharl
Member
cj_iwakura
Member
superNESjoe
Member
Ok, so for people talking about the art, and I'm one of them, the latest strip is a lot better. Namely, Gabe is making facial expressions in this one that look like Gabe. These are expressions that match the personality of his character. I love everything else about Mike's current art, the only part I hated was this odd childish imp/squirrel approach to faces, and mostly how the expressions didn't portray Gabe correctly.
CeruleanSilver
Member
I think the art style is way better than before. Not only technically, but it's so much better at making the characters fun and expressive. The weird vegetable noses aren't so hot, but at least they're experimenting.
I think there has been a slow slip in comedic value, but I have many favorites from over the years.
I think there has been a slow slip in comedic value, but I have many favorites from over the years.
Moon_frogger
Member
I'll be honest here. I enjoyed their work quite a bit but after all the nonsense with the transphobia and the rape joke fiasco I just kind of....stopped visiting their site. No vocal boycotting or whatever, I just sort of stopped. They way that stuff was handled really left me with a bad taste in my mouth.
PsychoSoldier
Banned
I go back and forth on the strip itself but I have always loved Tycho's writing style.
PeakPointMatrix
Member
Still relevant today for more than one publisher:
old manatee
Banned
I read through that timeline someone made of the way they handled the dickwolves fiasco and now I just have zero love for Penny Arcade.
Green Card
Member
I love this one. I always think about it when I get really into a game.
I read them regularly for what seems like at least a decade, and loved the site and comic. I have nine of their books on my shelf.
They lost some of my adoration with the repeated stumbling with LGBT issues and the dickwolves bit, but I found the apologies sincere enough. Still, I had found myself not reading the comic as often in recent years, partly due to all the side projects that were going on; I think they detracted from their main comic somewhat.
I stopped reading the site after the last redesign. It's not often that a site redesign puts me off something I've previously enjoyed, but I hated it so much that I removed it from my bookmarks the day after the new design went live. It was one of the worst I've ever seen. I have not been back to their site since. At that point I was only marginally attached to the comic, so it was just enough to put me off them.
They lost some of my adoration with the repeated stumbling with LGBT issues and the dickwolves bit, but I found the apologies sincere enough. Still, I had found myself not reading the comic as often in recent years, partly due to all the side projects that were going on; I think they detracted from their main comic somewhat.
I stopped reading the site after the last redesign. It's not often that a site redesign puts me off something I've previously enjoyed, but I hated it so much that I removed it from my bookmarks the day after the new design went live. It was one of the worst I've ever seen. I have not been back to their site since. At that point I was only marginally attached to the comic, so it was just enough to put me off them.
I don't know why, but this comic speaks to me.
I still click the "?" by accident when I want the written post that goes along with the comic, and end up on a random page.
FlyingSaucer
Banned
The art has gotten a lot much better.
The humor has gotten a lot much worse, often bordering on unfunny.
The Warhammer and the Dune comics are my favorite.
The humor has gotten a lot much worse, often bordering on unfunny.
The Warhammer and the Dune comics are my favorite.
EricDiesel
Member
I stopped following it regularly in high school (2002 or so). It just stopped being funny to me. Not sure if the quality got worse or I outgrew the humor. It lost my interest.
The dickwolves bullshit and Gabe's more recent transphobic comments haven't really made me want to return. That shit is vile. Also the bucked teeth are a bizarre choice.
The dickwolves bullshit and Gabe's more recent transphobic comments haven't really made me want to return. That shit is vile. Also the bucked teeth are a bizarre choice.
Freshmaker
I am Korean.
Never liked PA. I'm sure there are old posts of mine back in the DC era insisting that the strip was never funny.
Then they started talking... And gave Ben Kuchera a voice. Then they open their mouths again. Then they did a kickstarter for a pod cast and leeched off their fans. Horrible people.
Then they started talking... And gave Ben Kuchera a voice. Then they open their mouths again. Then they did a kickstarter for a pod cast and leeched off their fans. Horrible people.
Risible
Member
I used to really enjoy Penny Arcade. I can't say I don't any more, I just really haven't consumed any of their product in a long time. I loved the first series of podcasts they did pre-Kickstarter and usually enjoyed the comic.
Then they had a long string of missteps:
All of that lead to me just falling off the PA bandwagon, and I haven't been back since. They seem like cool people, they just made some very human mistakes. I'm sure someday I'll go back and check out their output for the last few years.
Then they had a long string of missteps:
- Dickwolves (I felt it was overblown, but I also didn't like their handling of it)
- LGBT stuff
- hiring Ben Kuchera (my opinion of them dropped significantly when they did this)
- the Kickstarter milking
- Gabe's repeated gaffes
- Too much focus on their "brand"
All of that lead to me just falling off the PA bandwagon, and I haven't been back since. They seem like cool people, they just made some very human mistakes. I'm sure someday I'll go back and check out their output for the last few years.
CeruleanSilver
Member
The dickwolves comic never bothered me. I'm sure it's been talked about to death, but Penny Arcade always had comics whose humor was dark or inappropriate. It seems weird that this one in particular was singled out when they've had plenty of other off-kilter comics, eg: fruit fucker, giraffe porn, etc.
They're obviously not condoning rape, so why are people incensed by it? I guess I can answer that myself, in that PA reached a much wider audience as initiatives like PAX and Child's Play grew. I understand that average people don't laugh at rape jokes, no matter how innocuous they are. That's sensible, but I don't see why it has to become a big crusade of outrage against PA.
Anyways, how about some more lulz:
Freshmaker
I am Korean.
What is the point of coloring in the noses wrong? Are all the characters drunks?
It's not just Penny Arcade. I see it happen a lot, and it always looks like shit.
It's not just Penny Arcade. I see it happen a lot, and it always looks like shit.
PeakPointMatrix
Member
Love this one too.
D
Deleted member 1235
Unconfirmed Member
this was pretty much the moment I stopped both caring about penny arcade and started hating the 'i'm offended by everything' internet.
I mean the dick wolves thing was ridiculous and only really weird people should be offended by it but they misread the response, misjudged their position and doubled down on it. But it annoyed me that the internet expected better from two gaming nerds. fuck off internet.
PA had some good stuff, havent' read it in years, but I don't remember ever hating them.
Zuhzuhzombie!!
Member
The only bad thing about Dick Wolves was their response afterwards. The Dick Wolves comic was not offensive, nor did it joke about rape.
Them egging it on afterwards pretty much did make it a joke about it at that point.
Them egging it on afterwards pretty much did make it a joke about it at that point.
EricDiesel
Member
It was much less the comic itself and more their reaction to the criticism. They made the situation way worse than it ever needed to be by selling t-shirts about it and making fun of victims.