Penny Arcade

From Homestar Runner Wiki

Revision as of 18:44, 17 November 2021

It has been suggested that the content of this page should not be a separate article on the wiki. If you have an opinion about whether this page or its content should be moved or removed, please comment on the talk page.

"Slickly drawn college roommates make nothing but video game inside jokes."

Penny Arcade is a web comic about video games created by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik. Although the comic has been referred to in the past, most references to Penny Arcade and PAX are due to Telltale Games' involvement in Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People and Poker Night at the Inventory. Trogdor!! The Board Game was also previewed at PAX.

PAX

PAX, originally known as Penny Arcade Expo, is a gaming convention created by Krahulik and Holkins. First held in the Seattle area, the convention has since added events in Boston, Philadelphia, and San Antonio in the United States; and Melbourne in Australia. Homestar Runner characters appeared in Telltale Games panels at PAX West in Seattle, and The Brothers Chaps held a panel and organized playtests of Trogdor!! The Board Game at PAX East in Boston.

• 2008
  • Make a Scene with Telltale: Strong Bad Edition
• 2010
  • Make a Scene with Telltale at PAX 2010
• 2018
  • A prototype of Trogdor!! The Board Game was playable at PAX East (April 5-8).
  • Homestar Runner Panel: Games Games Games!

Tycho Brahe

"Yeah, yeah. I hate you. Whatever."

Tycho is a main character from the Penny Arcade comic, alter ego of co-creator Jerry Holkins.

Tycho first appeared with Homestar Runner characters in Make a Scene With Telltale at PAX 2010 when he was a suspect along with Marzipan in a murder; his appearance was possible due to prior Telltale game Penny Arcade Adventures. However, in that cartoon, the characters had dialogue and voices written and performed by fans at the Penny Arcade Expo. The first instance of characters from both universes interacting together with official dialog came in the crossover game Poker Night at the Inventory, where Tycho and Strong Bad were both participants in a poker tournament at an exclusive club called The Inventory.

Tycho's relationship with Strong Bad

While most of the players at The Inventory's poker game seem casually friendly towards each other, Strong Bad and Tycho have a barely-concealed hatred of each other. Strong Bad mocks Tycho personally, as well as the webcomic (calling it a Geocities "fansite-for-babies"), and PAX (a "rinky-dink dinky-shrink"). In response, Tycho mocks Strong Bad's computers and games, hands, and dating life. He also calls him a "chuwero", a made up racial slur which was used in a 2006 Penny Arcade strip content warning.

Appearances

• Make a Scene with Telltale at PAX 2010 — Tycho is in the toon along with Marzipan and Strong Sad. The characters are voiced by audience members.
• Poker Night at the Inventory — Tycho is one of the players, alongside with Strong Bad. He also appeared in the teaser and trailer.

References

• Email web comics — The art style and premise of the "GAMERJōX" web comic is based on Penny Arcade, with Strong Bad resembling main character Gabe.
• Make a Scene with Telltale: Strong Bad Edition — The "Make a Scene" takes place at PAX, and Strong Bad and The King of Town (as voiced by an audience member) make fun of the expo.