SEATTLE -- Part of the appeal of the Penny Arcade brand is the way that Mike "Gabe" Krahulik and Jerry "Tycho" Holkins make their fans feel part of one big, geeky family.
Today's installment of the traditional "Penny Arcade Makes a Strip!" panel could have been a disaster. The A.V. set-up meant to allow fans to watch Krahulik (pictured right, in 2007) draw Monday's Penny Arcade strip was on the fritz. And Holkins, the writerly half of the Penny Arcade duo, hit the stage quite late -- his wife had just given birth to their daughter that morning.
But the crowd, determined to have fun, remained entertained. Scott Kurtz of the comic strip PvP filled in for Holkins, fielding questions and the more-than-occasional lewd comment from the crowd.
Eventually glitches were ironed out and the new father found his way to the stage, greeted by a standing ovation. "I had the most fucked up morning, you guys," Holkins quipped.
A raucous, casual presentation followed, with Holkins acting the nerdy MC while Krahulik sketched a new digital strip. The process onscreen offered a glimpse at the loose, lively technique Krahulik uses to draw their alter egos. Krahulik frequently took the strip off the rails, granting Tycho a hoof, then a hook for a hand, before deforming his partner's face with a vertical maw and third eye.
Questions were a mix of flip jokes, serious pleas for advice and heartfelt thanks (an earnest children's hospital employee thanked the Penny Arcade team for their Child's Play charity). Despite a preponderance of sarcasm, foul language and pranks, the tenor of the room remained positive -- real testament to the unlikely and uniquely welcoming community the two cartoonists have built.
Photo: Puja Parakh/Wired.com
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