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I loved Deadpool and Wolverine, especially the team of forgotten heroes they assembled. I leaned over to Noah in the theater and shook him shouting “BLADE” when Wesley Snipes appeared. While I liked seeing Gambit on screen and I appreciate that Channing Tatum likes the character, I have to say I don’t really see him as Gambit. He tried very hard and I don’t even hate the accent but he just doesn’t physically look like Gambit to me. If they want to get serious I think they need to hire someone like Austin Butler who I think would kill the role accent and all.
It’s hard to believe but this coming Monday November 18th will be Penny Arcade’s 26th birthday. We’ve been making jokes about games and nerd shit for a long time! Thinking back on that time I remember making the first couple of comics so that I could enter them in a contest put on by Next Generation. They were looking for a comic to print in their magazine and we submitted three or four I think. Obviously we didn’t win but we had these comics laying around and figured someone might like to read them. We sent them off to the biggest game websites at the time like Blues News and Looney Games. We ended up hearing back from Looney Games and they ran the handful of comics we had already made. We were then asked when the next comic would arrive and how often they should expect new ones. Up until that very moment we had honestly not even considered making more but we didn’t want to be rude. Not long after that they mentioned that they didn’t like our use of the F-Word and so we parted ways and made our own website. The rest as they say is history I suppose.
The rate at which we grew was honestly pretty scary. I’ll never forget our first live appearance at E3 in the Ubisoft booth. As I was walking towards the booth I saw the massive line and it didn’t even register that it was for us. Eventually I realized that hundreds of people had lined up to see Jerry and I and I lost it. I was so scared I ran to the bathroom to hide. I splashed some water on my face and took some deep breaths. After about ten minutes I calmed down, looked around and realized I was in the ladies room. Things really only got crazier from there. I like making comics but getting recognized at the grocery store was something I never planned for or felt comfortable with. About 17 years ago Kara and I took a trip to Paris for her 30th birthday. I had just started taking Lexipro and finally felt like I could manage a trip like that without a panic attack. We were on a bus to Normandy at about 5 in the morning when the couple in front of us turned around in their seats and told me how much they loved Penny Arcade. I couldn’t believe it! As many of you know now I am not what you would call a “people person” but I’ve always tried very hard to take the time to engage with everyone who has approached me about PA. The way I see it I would not have the incredible life I have now if not for the support of the people who read our comic.
These days I’m very happy to say that particular level of fame has come and gone. I really only see it a few times a year when I attend a PAX. We’ve been making these goofy Jpegs for 26 years now and I’ve had many incredible experiences thanks to Penny Arcade but a few stand out as being the most special to me. Over the years I’ve had probably a dozen people approach me and say that PA is the reason they are still here. I’ve listened to people who say that our jokes have helped them through dark times and all I can do is hug them and cry with them. The idea that what we do has saved people is hard for me to process but I can’t think of anything more powerful for an artist to hear about their work. I’m a huge nerd myself with chronic anxiety and depression so believe me I fucking get it.
I’ve also seen the amazing work Child’s Play has been able to do thanks to the incredible generosity of gamers all over the world. You have literally changed the lives of tens of thousands of children in hospitals for the better and I am so proud to be a part of that. Thank you so much for reading Penny Arcade and for supporting the wild ideas Jerry and I have come up with over the years. Things like PAX and Child’s Play wouldn’t have become what they are today without you.
Speaking of Child’s Play, our annual dinner/auction is a week from today and you can still get tickets. I realize there’s not a lot to celebrate right at the moment and a lot of us are feeling pretty bad about the state of things but I hope you’ll take one night to join me for this amazing event. Now more than ever it’s important to focus on the good we can do and for me that’s Child’s Play and helping sick kids. Check out this post for more details or grab your tickets right here. Let’s make some good happen!
-Gabe Out