THE FUNNY e-PAGES

The Most Unpopular Webcomic on the Face of the Internet

Have you heard of this Penny Arcade comic? Apparently all these people are talking about it, like it’s funny or something.*

*Note: Sarcasm may not come across as well written on the computer screen as it would said in-person. The statements above should fall directly under “blatantly sarcastic.”

While perhaps not the granddaddy of webcomics (and really, even though it’s a medium that’s been around for over a decade, can we really say anyone is the “granddaddy”?), Penny Arcade has established itself as one of the premier comics (and websites in general) on the Internet. Ostensibly a video game review site, what’s so amazing is how little you actually need to know about the video games to enjoy the brilliant, antic writing of Tycho (Jerry Holkins) and the exciting, colorful, and often over-the-top graphic art of Gabe (Mike Krahulik).

Now, I do have to warn you: there is a penchant for naughty language in these strips. But how can you argue with such brilliance:

Really? You can argue with that? How about this:

I think what helped create this into such a phenomenon—besides the fact that video game players were the first dedicated group to utilize the Internet—is the fact that the writing is genuinely funny, and their observations are unique. And just as important, there is a consistency to the characters that makes readers feel like it’s important that you actually read the strip every time it updates, because while there might be one-offs, there also is growth and development that all good story-tellers are able to sustain. For example, the super-popular Carboard Tube Samurai is so gorgeously displayed, I kind of wish it was its own comic: