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Sunday Morning Funnies: Happy Clefthoof
It's Sunday morning, and if you're not sleeping in after raiding with your guild until 5 a.m., then allow us to deliver "teh funneh". This week's selection is small, but competitive, and includes a new strip from The Night Council. Zergball by Action Trip Comics. Sure, we can't play Zerglings, but we wish. Besides, just queue up Arathi Basin and you'll learn what it means to Zerg. Mana Berries from Dark Legacy Comics. There can be only one from Shakes and Fidget. Mage Pattern Baldness from Monkey Punchers. From The Night Council comes Stable Slots. Thanks TomWolf! If you're ready to vote, jump on through!
Comic Watch: World of Kung Fu
This is a little off the beaten path, as far as this series of posts go. What's being highlighted here isn't an ongoing webcomic in the usual sense, but in the same vein as all the in-game comics that fans of WoW put together comes the first World of Kung Fu comic!Personally, I think they should have combined the dialogue from panels 3 and 4 into the third panel and made that the punchline, but hey, I've never written one, so what do I know? However, if this is merely the first in an ongoing series (as the comic's title suggests), then it makes more sense. But I do like seeing companies stretch out a little bit with their properties. Who knows? Maybe someday we'll be able to buy costumes like the ones in the comic!
Comic Watch: Penny Arcade bricks up LEGO Universe
Oh, Penny Arcade, is there nothing you can't do? The fancy lads have taken on the news of in-process MMO LEGO Universe and applied conventional wisdom to the announcement. To wit: what if LU played like any other combat-oriented MMO?What strikes me most about this strip is the attention to detail -- all the typeface work, the player avatars, the account holder names -- this is why they consistently rise to the top of most people's 'best comic' list. Enjoy!
Comic Watch: Chocolate Shoes laments 'the real'
Christopher Stuck mocks his own entertainment choices in his comic Chocolate Shoes. An updated take on an old classic concept, it questions where the real value in life lies.Giggles aside, this argument rings more false than ever these days. Videogames are still new enough, anthropologically, to be considered a flash in the pan, and subject to the same skepticism and outright hostility from non-players that rock 'n' roll and the novel were exposed to when they were new. Simply put, value is where you find it, and no one else. It'll be nice when this generation, having grown up with games, comes into its own -- maybe we'll finally stop seeing articles demonizing our entertainment of choice, and move on to the true threat to society: reality tv shows.
Sunday Morning Funnies: Swindle my kindle
It's Sunday morning on a holiday weekend, and we've got the funny stuff. From a star-struck quest to an inventive new attack, to some puns that backfire, this week you're sure to be entertained. Thanks to Andrew for the tip on Awkward Zombie's first WoW-themed comic, due to the artist having recently subscribed to WoW. Check out Swindling Kindling! Also check out Grimfate's mage envy with this Comic Contest Honorable Mention! Clutch Time from Action Trip. Dark Legacy Comics presents Keydar isn't Punny. From Extra Life comes Questing of the Stars. Shakes and Fidget visit A New World. Check out get buffed for more comics. GUComics wants you to Stop Crying. LFG #121. Silent...Deadly from Ding! If you've already picked out your favorite, make the jump to give it your vote!
The Daily Grind: Your favorite gaming webcomics?
Over the last several years, we've seen lots and lots of webcomics come and go. Many of us make it a part of our daily reading to stop into sites like Penny Arcade, Looking for Group, Dark Legacy Comics and PVP Online. Maybe you've even gone so far as to join one of their MMO guilds! But there are so many great comics out there that it could take an eternity to hunt them all down. For today's question, we'd like to ask you just what your favorite gaming-related webcomics are? Are you, like us, fans and followers of the adventures of Gabe and Tycho, or do you have an in-game macro that allows you to charge into battle with the cry "for Pony!" We'd love to hear which ones you absolutely can't live without -- perhaps we'll all pick up some great new webcomics in the mix!
Comic Watch: 'Something Positive' hits Pirates of the Caribbean
I am something of a webcomics aficionado. At current count, I follow ... (carry the one) ... Too Many comics. As such, I'm always reading a variety of topics and humor, and occasionally something that approaches Massively-related content will appear. Such is the case with a recent 'Something Positive', which concerns itself with 'Pirates of the Caribbean Online'.The initiating event of the strip actually begins the episode before the linked comic, but it's not necessary to read for the effect. I'm curious if there really is a swearing-related, bannable offense, as the comic suggests. Barring that, I wonder if anyone's run into the naming issue described here. I'm looking forward to the rest of this series. Check it out, but be forewarned: NSFW language!
Sunday Morning Funnies: Dark forces
This week there seems to be a running theme of dark forces throughout the comics. From naga and murder to Blizzard employees, you won't want to miss the intrigue. This is Your Future from ActionTrip Dark Force: Addiction over generations Best Job in the World, also from ActionTrip Dark Force: Blizzard employees Mote Extractor from Dark Legacy Comics Dark Force: Ignorant players with extractor guns Looking for Group comic #114 Dark Force: Richard. Also, cutting a swathe of death and destruction. Guild Invite from pvponline Dark Force: Anal guilds using potty humor. Fallsus' Comic Contest Honorable Mention entry Dark Force: An implied danger Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn by Chris Jahosky. One Last Sunset Dark Force: Naga
Sunday Morning Funnies: No heals
It's Sunday morning, and instead of reading your local comics page from the newspaper, we have a selection of WoW-themed comics for your enjoyment. Break out your morning beverage and settle in to be entertained. Marshal, from Dark Legacy Comics They Never Heal from GUComics Takoda's submission that won a Comic Contest Honorable Mention Lion's Pride Inn, Vol. 1 pg. 7 The Adventures of Disgraph T. Dwarf, Episode 7: Dr. Disgraph Looking for Group page 111 To vote for your favorite, pass through the break.
Webcomics come back to WoW
Penny Arcade posted a joke about Figureprints driving people back to play WoW, but today's commentary (by the always insightful Tycho) shows that it wasn't just a joke-- the PA guys have sold their souls back to Blizzard. The game has changed a lot in the past few years, and I admit-- going back to play my Hunter, which I've been doing lately, has made the game almost completely new for me. From all the talent changes to all the new items and the midgame updates, it's almost a brand new Azeroth for anyone coming back to the game.PvP Online, another popular webcomic, has been running a "return to WoW" comic series as well-- 'tis the season, apparently, to come back to Azeroth. Besides all the changes and the new content, the only other reason I can think of is that there's not much else out there in terms of really established MMO experiences-- everybody else is still getting up to running speed when most WoW players already know what they're doing and how to do it. Are we in the middle of a World of Warcraft cultural resurgence right now?
Sunday Morning Funnies: Giggles
It's been a quiet week in WoW-themed comedy, largely due to the holidays. While I don't have many for you to choose from this week, I think you'll find these amusing and mysterious. Buffly from Dark Legacy Comics Holiday Wishes from GUComics #109 from Looking for Group Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1 Pg. 6: The Sentinel The latest Comic Contest Honorable Mention, from Scrumpcious Have a favorite? Cast your vote and see the results from previous weeks.
Sunday Morning Funnies: What's cookin'?
This Sunday, we have a break from the slew of holiday-themed comics. Learn how to cook a druid in flight form, get a tour of Undercity, or visit the ever-scenic frosted-over hell. As always, you can vote for the comic you thought was the best, and suggest comics you may have created, or would like to nominate. Gigz' Kitchen from Dark Legacy Comics Unexpected Development from GUComic Comic #107 from Looking For Group Sockpuppet Asylum is hatin' on Undercity and playin' with cookies Tales from the Lion's Pride Inn Vol. 1, Pg. 5 Follow through the jump to cast your vote, and see some of the most recent winners.
/silly: The WoW Insider web comic
Welcome to the first official WoW Insider web comic, from here on titled /silly! I would be your host, artist, and creative mind behind these little forays into the realm of visual expression, Arthur E. "Arturis" Orneck. Each week, I plan to bring a new slice of /silly pie to share with all of you WoW Insider readers, so BYO Sense of Humor and we will see where things go with this!As a disclaimer for the future, please keep in mind that a sense of humor is a subjective thing - Some of these comics will tickle your bone de funny, and some will not. If I happen to post something the doesn't exactly strike your fancy, please hang in there and hopefully next week's submission will hit the spot.Another thing to keep in mind as we go through this, my art style is is subject to change from comic to comic (or even panel to panel) and layout isn't set in stone either, so some comics may have a ton of panels while others can be a single frame experience. I'm learning this as I go, and hopefully we all will enjoy the ride.With that said, click the above teaser panel for the full comic, and let me know what you think in the comments! Time to charge in to this thing headfirst in official WoW fashion:"Let's do this. Leeeeerroooooooooooooooooyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy..."
The Scout Report
I can't be the only one who misses Flintlocke dearly. I have been waiting for a while for something akin to its witty writing and easy to follow screenshot-esque format to come along. Well, with The Scout Report I am happy to say that we may just have a contender. This webcomic is just getting going, but I certainly enjoyed what is up so far. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about my little Dorna ending up a shoplifter, but I can tell you there is definite funny within. Clever use of game mechanics indeed. Check out the comic and see what you think. What other exploits would you like to see as they continue their journey through Children's Week? [via Swath]
Penny Arcade discovers Pokemon, already knew how to curse
Here's something for the grown-up Pokémon fans: after checking out Pokémon Battle Revolution at the Nintendo Media Summit, Gabe and Tycho were struck by a sudden bout of Pokémania (the uncontrollable compulsion to be the very best, like no one ever was). They both became hooked on the latest DS Pokémon. As it turns out, they often draw comic strips about video games they enjoy playing. It's a hobby of theirs.Their resulting Penny Arcade strip, titled The Coming Apokélypse, illustrates the sadistic hatred that drives every Pokémon trainer to imprison and abuse his or her adorable little creatures. We recommend it for the more seasoned trainers out there (read: not children) because dropping F-bombs is another hobby in which Gabe and Tycho dabble.
Kochalka not too cool for Miis
We hear a lot about mainstream coverage of the Wii, but what about non-mainstream coverage? The Mii Channel is so much fun that even indie cartoonist James Kochalka wants in on the "HEY LOOK AT MY MIIS" fun, posting a series of Mii creations to his diary comic American Elf .His Mii creations veer toward the monsterish, which we enjoy. So many people limit their Mii designs to themselves, their grandparents, and celebrities. Unless these Miis are meant to represent Kochalka's family, in which case we're very, very sorry.We also love how the Mii Channel has resurrected the practice of sharing photographs of TV screens. It makes us nostalgic for magazine high-score columns.
Joystiq interviews Penny Arcade's Gabe and Tycho
Just about this time a week ago, we were watching the final two Omeganauts do battle in Tetris ... actually, it was more of a slaughter, but we'll leave that up to the history books. Shortly after the show was over, we got a couple minutes with the duo behind Penny Arcade, PAX, Child's Play, and now Penny Arcade Adventures. Of course we took the opportunity to ask them about the game (they're not talking), the PS3 (they're not buying), and the amount of time it takes to get that good at Guitar Hero ("you gotta have priorities"). Indeed.Grab the admittedly large file from our servers below or embedded after the break. If you're still rocking the 56K, stay tuned for a transcribed version to be added to this post.Watch me:Penny Arcade Interview (.mov)
PAX: IGN goes all Kano in Monday's comic
While creating Monday's Penny Arcade strip live (in front of a studio audience), a member of that very audience made an observation. Fans had decided that a particular style of hand that Mike draws consistently appears cupped as if holding a human heart. After acknowledging that he had just drawn that very hand on an IGN employee in the comic's second panel, Mike adroitly added a still beating human heart to it. So, what might otherwise appear to be an inscrutable non sequitur in Monday's finished product was really part of a unique interaction between fans and creators. The more you know ...Want the full funny? Hit up Tycho's script after the break. We know we're not the professional yucksters here, but we were under the impression that IGN reviewers didn't realize there were numbers less than 6.8. Just saying.
Penny Arcade presents Penny Arcade Game starring Penny Arcade
The news is out, PA Panel and embargoes be damned! Penny Arcade are making a game! We know what your first reaction is:"Knowing Tycho's concupiscent relationship with italicized words of Brobdingnagian proportions, we can only assume it will be an impossibly difficult Scrabble variant tailored, like the finest Italian suit, for lexiconnoisseurs."You might be correct in such an assumption ... but you're not. "It must be a 'poke the doll' game where we play as our favorite erotic fruit juicing device and sweet, succulent fruit takes on the role of the pliable porn starlet."Wrong again. It will be, in fact, an episodic "comic adventure" known simply -- or, rather, not so simply -- as Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness. The installments will initially be available on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux platforms, "followed by a version for next-generation consoles." Robert Khoo, Director of Business Development for Penny Arcade, assured us these would be episodic as well, as opposed to a compilation of episodes. Khoo told us "it's an RPG in short" but will contain elements of adventure games befitting its "comic adventure" moniker. Knowing that adventure games, episodic content, and creative control are a publisher's kiss of death, Penny Arcade, like Telltale before them, will be distributing their game directly, bypassing retailers and online platforms like Steam and GameTap (for now). The game is being developed by Hothead Games, comprised of former employees of Radical Entertainment, makers of Simpson: Road Rage, Hulk: Ultimate Destruction (read: two licensed games that don't totally suck). Khoo was quick to dash any notion that this would, in fact, be a licensed game exactly. Both Tycho and Gabe have been hands-on every day with the developers working on everything from art and story to design. Khoo explained just how much hot and heavy greasy hand to game contact there's been: "We're doing everything we can to make sure it has our fingerprints all over it." Yeah, now that's hands-on.So when can you virtually copulate with big, long words, PA style? They're taking the Duke Nukem Forever "when it's done" route. We'll be sure to ask about the possibility of fruit copulation and Scrabble minigames. Shiny new press release embedded after the break.
Penny Arcade guys reveal all
Gabe and Tycho (that's Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins to you insiders), the brains behind (Weekly Webcomic Wrapup mainstays) Penny Arcade, get the third degree in Computer Gaming World's May issue. Don't have the mag, then check out the "Director's Cut" version at their website. So, what is revealed in this tell-all, gut-spilling, interview? They talk about their spat with Harlan Ellison ("... his audience there erupted and he glared at me like he wanted to choke me onstage."); their feud with Scott McCloud ("We're best friends. He came to my birthday party."); games they're playing ("... what I've been doing at night lately is playing Marble Blast Ultra."); their secret fantasies ("You had to punch guys until their clothes came off. Every time you'd punch them, like, their pants would fly off."); their Bioware module; their favorite comic ("They Hail From Canidon"); PAX ("We wanted to make a show where gamers could get the same kind of experience we got at E3."); and Child's Play.If this is the stuff that didn't make it into the magazine, that means the rest of the interview must have encompassed the sum total of their collective life experiences; a dump of their consciousness, ready and waiting for a post-human existence.
