Behind The Brains Of Penny Arcade
November 7, 2005 06:58
Introduction
Blogs and web comics are fairly common occurrences on today's Internet. Anyone with access to an Internet connection and something on their mind can secure a place on the web for their ideas, to have them seen by others. With so much content out there, it can be difficult to find a niche and rise above the masses, let alone attract the attention of an enormous industry and gather militant fans in droves.
Penny Arcade is one of these rare instances. PA follows the day-to-day adventures of characters John Gabriel and Tycho Brahe, as they navigate the line between jaded gamers and rabid fanboys. Tycho and Gabe represent the players, and will sometimes assault the very industry that they love so dearly, while other times kneeling in worship of the latest release.
Penny Arcade provides commentary on the gaming industry and its machinations from the perspective of die-hard fans who know too much. The humor can be extraordinarily subtle at times - appealing only to the most hardcore of gamers - but the strip also features scenarios that everyone can appreciate (though they still revolve around videogames in some way). As the fan base has grown, so has the influence of the site, providing the creators with the opportunity get involved with charities and host their own convention.
We were able to get some time with Tycho, the writer for the comic, and pose a few questions.
| ||||||
