Penny Arcade

We are - collectively - in a miserable mood.  Maybe someday we’ll be able to discuss this year’s problem in detail - but until then, please enjoy/endure our misanthropy.  If you are wondering whether or not I’m speaking about you, ask yourself:  Do I draw husky fox men with massive wing-wongs?  Gabe may cast a wider net, but for me, that about covers it.  TMNT falls under the documented “ninja” exception, as does Sanguine Productions’ superlative Jadeclaw.  Wishbone, on the other hand, is just disturbing.

This middle section of the post was very long, because it included many kilobytes of graphic data - data culled from the winning Dungeon Siege contest video.  I’m not sure if that is connected to the servers getting beaten up today, but just in case, I’ve moved them onto their own page, which I call “humiliation.php3.”

Received a mail from a reader distraught that I hadn’t mentioned Heroes of Might And Magic IV - the reason I haven’t is because I know better.  And it’s not like before, where I claimed to know better and then proceeded to consort with to a known MMORPG.  With Gunvalkyrie, Jedi Outcast, and Freedom Force still in the hopper, another game - let alone another turn-based game where the average play time is over twenty hours per scenario - is just not possible.  Luckily, while excellent graphics are appreciated in a game of this type, it’s not like an FPS (let’s say) where part of the fun is pushing your machine.  I got into HOMM3 after its visuals were a bit stale by modern standards, and it wasn’t any worse for wear.  Everyone who writes about this kind of shit seems to like it, and if I pick it up a few months from now that’s not going to change.

(CW)TB out.

must be the money

Wow, lots of talk in the forum about today’s comic strip. I had no idea that furies see them selves as being so unfairly persecuted. I guess they get this kind of shit from people all the time. I can’t imagine why. *cough*nakedanimalporn*cough* I did get some nice mails from people pointing me towards what they called “tasteful” furry art. It turned out to be a rabbit woman in a bikini, soaking wet. I guess she had just gone swimming or something.  It’s totally okay for you guys to draw that stuff. It’s also totally okay for me to say I don’t like it. I mean come on. When you draw a picture of a unicorn man screwing a gazelle chick on a rainbow in outer space you have to expect some people to be a bit turned off by it.

I played a bunch of Super Mario Bros. today..oops..I mean Jedi Knight II. I get those two confused sometimes what with all the jumping puzzles. It continues to entertain though. Walking into a room and yanking all the weapons out of a group of enemy’s hands before I slice them up is a good feeling. If more Star Wars games were like Jedi Knight II the world would truly be a better place.

People have been asking me for an update on Sweet Potato Pai my Virtua Fighter 4 character. Well the truth is I haven’t had any time to play it lately. So unfortunately I remain a 1st Dan. I plan on setting aside some time this week for it though. I’ll let you know how I do.

I have also been getting a lot of mail asking when in the hell I am gonna do some more gabeart. I actually have a number of sketches laying around my desk here. As I look around I can see Haohmaru, Hanzo, Kyle Katarn and K’. None of them made it past the sketch stage though which is sad. Sometimes I go through periods where my hand doesn’t seem like it’s actually connected to my arm. It just doesn’t respond right. Actually the turtle in today’s comic was the first thing I’ve drawn in a few weeks that actually felt good. I might take that as a hint to do a full blown TMNT piece. We’ll see I guess.

Thank you to everyone who has signed up for Club Penny Arcade already this month. Your support is certainly appreciated. I hope you all enjoyed part two of our behind the scenes look at the making of PA. I talked to Tycho and he said he is planning on doing a similar series covering the writing side of the coin.

My mom says that Penny Arcade Year one is the best book that I have ever made. I am inclined to believe her on this one. It’s got all the comics from the first year along with commentary by Tycho and I. It just doesn’t get any better than that…unless of course you hate me. In which case, why are you reading this? Shouldn’t you be posting in the forum?

I am working on some new t-shirt designs today. I am not gonna say exactly what the design is but think about alcoholic consumer electronics. Some people have asked if we get money no matter what shirt they buy at Gameskins. We actually only get money from the PA related ones. Kiko gets money from the rest of them. He’s saved my ass many times in MOH:AA though, so he probably deserves it.