Attack of the Bacon Robots

Penny Arcade #1

by Jerry Holkins, Mike Krahulik (Illustrator)

Get your geek on! Penny Arcade, the comic strip for gamers, by gamers is now available in comic shops and bookstores everywhere. Not familiar with Penny Arcade? What? It's only the most popular comic strip on the web. It's the funniest, most twisted comic that ever lampooned gamer culture, and takes shots at everything from Star Wars to Steve Jobs. Experience the joy of being a hardcore gamer as expressed in vignettes of random vulgarity and mindless violence! Get online and direct your browser to penny-arcade.com, check out the latest strips, then, to read Penny Arcade from the very beginning, get the first collection, Attack of the Bacon Robots, which includes strips, sketches, and creator commentary not available anywhere else!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Humor, Webcomic, Comedy, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

163 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Keith Gerald "Jerry" Holkins is the writer of the webcomic Penny Arcade. Holkins goes by the pseudonym "Tycho Brahe." This is also the name of one of the two main characters of Penny Arcade, who is a cartoonized self-insertion of Holkins. However, as the character of Tycho was not originally meant to represent Holkins, the two have few physical similarities; for example Holkins is bald, unlike Tycho. They are primarily similar in their various interests and attitudes.

Holkins writes news posts or rants which accompany each comic. These newsposts/rants generally take the form of computer and video game commentary. Jerry is also featured in the Dungeons and Dragons 4E podcast, playing the CEO of Acquisitions Incorporated, Omin Dran, a Cleric of the Goddess Avandra.

His style contrasts with that of Penny Arcade artist Mike Krahulik, with Holkins assuming the role of the lead and Krahulik the sidekick. However, it has been mutually agreed between the two that Penny Arcade wouldn't be the same with just one of them. The two have been said to give an indication of the diversity of styles among gamers, with Krahulik representing action-oriented gamers and Holkins representing the more cerebral players.

Holkins' other exploits include being a lead singer/guitarist in a band called The Fine Print, whose works are freely available over the internet and who have opened for Anal Cunt in the past.

Along with Krahulik, Holkins was included on the 2010 Time 100 for their work on Penny Arcade.

Reviews

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

To start with, let's talk about who this is for, because that is everything. The Penny Arcade comics are available for free on their site, penny-arcade.com. If you aren't familiar with the strip, or just want to read the old stuff, go there and do so. This book is not for you and there is a good chance you won't be happy with your purchase.

This volume is for fans of PA who want a little extra commentary. Jerry, the writer, gives a sentence or two about each strip in this book that covers the first two years of strips, from late 1998 through 2000. Some of these are very basic in the "I have no idea what we were thinking" vein. But others are more interesting. They talk about fan reaction, or how they met someone who was in one of their strips after they made it, or about something they were angry about, which led to the strip in question. None of it is in depth or particularly earth-shaking, but it is interesting if you're looking for that sort of thing.

[Michael Hanscom · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm just glad I got this as an ebook in the Humble Bundle deal, and didn't actually shell out full price for a physical book. Admittedly, I'm not a gamer, but I'm enough of a long-time geek that very few of the references were lost on me. They just weren't funny...and usually, not even mildly amusing. Of course, already being familiar with the authors through their unfortunate tendency to needlessly, unapologetically, and even proudly enable the more misogynistic aspects of modern gamer culture (the Dickwolves incident, for example) may well be coloring my opinion of their work.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those who have somehow missed the phenomenon of the webcomic Penny Arcade (at penny-arcade.com), these print compilations are as good a way as any to get caught up, and longtime fans of the series get to tune in to the adventures of slacker gamers Tycho and Gabe with the added benefit of panel commentary from the creators. If the library comic Unshelved is a comic for a nerd's nerd, Penny Arcade is a comic for a geek's geek. References to gadgetry, gaming systems and gamer culture abound and references (and occasional appearances) by industry figures, game designers and developers and software creators can be expected--often to humorous effect(Kelly Flock, the former President of Sony Online Entertainment is often depicted as a diabolical satyr-esque character). In other words, gaming noobs and techie dilettantes be advised...this is definitely an insiders comic. If you do happen to be an insider though, it's hard not to get swept along in the rampant irreverence and Tycho and Gabe's unabashed love it or loathe it perspective on, well...everything.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is hard to believe that Penny Arcade has been around for over ten years now. I didn't get hooked on the web-comic until about three to four years ago. I'm glad that the comics are coming out in print now so that I can learn the history of the e-comic.

The series follows the lives of two gamers, Gabe and Tycho. They have some funny moments sharing the thoughts and experiences about games and the tech industry in general. If you don't follow video games you might not get this book at all.

The best one in the collection was the comic that Mike Krahulik drew to propose to his then girlfriend.

[rhea · Rating 4 out of 5]

While it's their start out strips it's still hilarious, it has my favorite strip in it that is absolutely immature, but it's all in good fun. Also, I'm still a sucker for the proposal in it, it seems to be the only way to do a public proposal and have it not be embarrassing, though still extremely cheesy and cute. If you know nothing about gadgets, gaming, or that culture there is no point in reading this, you won't understand the jokes.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

wow, it's amazing to see what 1999 and 2000 looked like through this lens. I wasn't there for the beginning but close enough to remember some of these. what a weird trajectory for these guys.

[Burt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: The time this was read one might deduce is BEFORE the print date of the book - but NOT before the first run of the strips, starting in 1999. I started reading PA back in the day. So don't get all Jim Cameron chronological on me. Chill.

I remember seeing my first PA strip sometime in college round two. I remember commenting 'Wow, this art is rudimentary' and forgetting about it for a little while. The occasional nugget would pop up after that . A hysterical reference to Pac Man would appear (That kid was f'ed up when I met him), or Spiderman would guest star (Oh Spiderman, you're so STRONG!) and then they started in with jokes from games I actually played. That piqued my interest.

Soon I was a regular reader. Eventually, I came to check it every day, not just for the strips, but for the posts by the authors under their pseudonyms Gabe and Tycho. I still go there like a devotee. I go there with more regularity than I do a house of worship.

In retrospect, I see the same thing going on with the art stylings that I see with my own art or with other cartoonists. Look at Jim Davis for instance. The original Garfield strips were a crime against art. They were pretty ugly. But as time moved on, the art got cleaner, more stylized. I wish I could say the same for Garfield's content. The art for Penny Arcade is now just that - art. Crude, vulgar, insulting art most days (see the fruit molesting kitchen appliance that features as a regular), but hey, I like that kind of thing, potty humor is hysterical. Gabe is also arguably the best color strip comic artist on the webcomic scene.

While this book is a collection of their first forays into webcomics, the content is what sells it, kind of in the same vein of South Park. It's not the art in this case (it took some time for the strip to come into its own stylistically), but the spirit of two guys who had just started hacking out their place in the webcomic scene's nascence. If they keep penning them, I'll keep buying them.

[Megan Baxter · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is swearing in this review. I'm sure most of you don't care, but I normally avoid it. So it's hidden, not for spoilers, but for language:

In this case, however, given that I'm reviewing a Penny Arcade book, I'm going to claim it's a fucking homage, or some such shit.

This book is not David Copperfield.

This assertion may seem fairly plain to most people, but I'm making the comparison for a reason. See, I always have a book I'm rereading in the bathroom. For the last several months, and for the foreseeable future, it has been and will continue to be David Copperfield. I'm making my way through it at a snail's pace. (And loving it.)

My husband, on the other hands, prefers graphic novels to huge weighty tomes for his bathroom reading. He is, perhaps, the more sensible one. Mostly, I skim through the graphic novels, but stick with David Copperfield. Then he brought this book into the bathroom, and even though I've read it half a dozen times before, its siren song lured me away.

For one thing, David Copperfield is fucking heavy. Not in terms of content. The book itself is almost a thousand pages long, and some mornings, the prospect of breaking my arm picking it up just to read a few pages didn't seem the most appealing prospect in the world.

And there Attack of the Bacon Robots sat, with its jokes about video games, which I mostly only get from context, but find funny anyway, and jokes about bloody mayhem, and that shit is frequently hilarious. Now, this is early Penny Arcade, so it's not quite as funny as some of their later comic strips, but there is still some funny stuff in there.

And some days, it beats David Copperfield all to hell.

[Brenton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't really rate this book four stars without a major disclaimer to my friends: if you don't have at least a passing knowledge of video game history and gamer culture, most of the humor in these comics will be lost on you and you'll be faced only with a confusing array of crass gags, volatile language, and cartoon violence. But if you are in the know, you probably already agree with the webcomic-reading masses that Penny Arcade is one of the greatest modern comic strips ever, and that Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik are a massive credit to geeks everywhere and rightfully rule the webcomic world.

This book traces the beginning of PA, and thus Gabe/Mike's art is still rather amateur by professional standards in this volume and some of the strips fall flat (which I don't really hold against them; it takes time to find your form, and when doing three comics a week you're always going to take risks, some of which don't work). Each strip is accompanied by a short explanation or commentary by Jerry, which is a delight because the man is a veritable god among wordsmiths. This, of course, doesn't come through nearly as strongly in these short blurbs as it does in Jerry's longer and wittier news posts on the PA website, but creator commentary is never a bad thing.

All in all, this was a good beginning.

[Daniel Messer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a video game nerd since I was in elementary school. When I hit middle school, my parents bought me the Nintendo Entertainment System and it altered my life profoundly. I cavorted in the dark reaches of video game trivia, backstory, plot line, news, and anything else that piqued my pixelized interests. My peers thought I was slightly crazy. Sure, everyone liked video games, but no one in their right mind liked them that much.

By high school, I'd met a good friend who shared my passions. It was nice to know that there was someone else out there with the same obsession as me. Later, another friend introduced me to the wonders of Penny Arcade, and I've been a fan ever since. Jerry Holkins, the writer, is smart. I mean he's almost scary in his intelligence. Mike Krahulik, the artist, has improved on his style and craft over the years became a fantastic comic artist.

The comic strips, laden with swearing and intellect far too intelligent for the newspaper's funny pages, are a treat for anyone looking for something far more interesting than you'll ever find printed in the paper.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah, the awkward early years. Every TV show, comic, person has them. Penny Arcade's first year was the exact same way. The art wasn't quite nailed yet (and Gabe has been constantly refining it for almost ten years now) and some of the jokes seem lame in retrospect (and dated. Even with footnotes I forgot about some of these PC games). It's hard to believe they made their first "wang" joke way back in 2000 ("wang clips" is all I think of when I close a bag of chips anymore).
I've always wanted to own the PA books, but I always kept putting it off. Every time a new one would release, I'd say I was going to pick them up. Luckily, my wife remembered me mentioning this and got me the first four for my birthday. It was about time - flipping through this I realized I've been reading it regularly since mid-2000 (right around the time I started at Software Etc.) and I've yet to give back to them in any way for getting free entertainment for eight years. They earned it. Even today, when I'd be known as a "casual gamer", I still love their stuff.

[Tung · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unless you are a major geek like me, you have no idea what Penny Arcade is. If you do know what Penny Arcade is, you will have probably already read these four books. Penny Arcade is one of the most-read online comics, especially for video game enthusiasts. If you play videogames or even create videogames or work in an industry related to videogames, you read Penny Arcade as a matter of course. Where ESPN is the daily stop for sports fans, Penny Arcade is the daily stop for video game enthusiasts and nerds. These four books collect the online strips for the first four years of Penny Arcade’s humor (2000-2003); each strip is accompanied by commentaries from the author and artist. A must-read, obviously, for fans of the site, and a pass for all others. But you others don’t know what you’re missing.

[Justinthunderliger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This infamous webcomic or "bcomic" (it's gonna catch on, I swear) is collected in this first volume including stuff from 98-00. Some of the later broader stuff I can relate to, but the only time the inside-gamer-speak was understood was the early stuff-- maybe because that's when I was really into computer games. I remember stuff like the initial problems with 3d graphics cards and whatnot, but these guys must've been hanging out on graphics cards BBSs and whatnot. But who in Nerddom doesn't remember the bust of Sega Dreamcast or the rivalry of Quake 3 v. Unreal. I kinda wish they had started sooner and covered the stuff from my salad days like... well anything by Lucas Arts. Good stuff nonetheless, especially for the gamer set, but even if you know a little bit about it, you'll understand maybe 70 percent of the jokes. Got it from the lye-berry so no harm, no foul.

[Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second collection of PA i've read (in le book form, I read through the backlog online a couple years ago, and have been keeping up religiously ever since).

Just damned enjoyable. refreshing to have some brief new commentaries accompanying old strips.

I write my own webcomic, and find these books to be like simple study guides in how to tell jokes in short strip form. even those that seem obviously pandering (violent) or not in line with the rest of the comics are somehow deliciously useful for those studying "how to tell a joke". a kazillion blessings on these fellows for boldly presenting their past.

i only knock a star off because the "extras" at slim. a couple pages of rough sketches. meh.

though the afterward is very inspired.

hmm. This book succeeds in making me want to buy a master collection.

[J.I.]

If you don't know who Penny Arcade is from their website, it's highly unlikely that you'll enjoy their books. They are crass and vulgar and constantly reference the inane and the obscure, and all of it is (generally) about video games. That being said, this duo is incredibly talented, with solid, interesting art and witty, on point, hillarious writing. The books add a small comment (a few sentences) to every strip, many of them mundane, many of them interesting, many of them funny.

I recommend this book to PA fans, even though the archives are free, and I recommend the website www.penny-arcade.com to the uninitiated. Perhaps you will enjoy it, but probably not. It's a geek thing.

~Jason

[Arensb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh.

I'm a gamer, but not a dedicated or hard-core one, and maybe that puts me outside of Penny Arcade's target readership. Even so, I don't see what all the fuss is about.

Yes, the strip often revolves around whatever hardware/software was just released/delayed/cancelled, so it's perforce topical and therefore dated. I don't mind that. A lot of the strips involve games that I've never played, or don't even recognize. That's fine, too.

No, the reason I say "meh" is that the remaining strips just aren't that funny.

I will say that the artwork is good, certainly much better than the average webcomic, and it's interesting to watch it evolve and improve over time. But in a webcomic, art is secondary to the story and/or humor, and to me, PA is only occasionally worth reading.

[terpkristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this from the ebook Humble Bundle. I had thought that I had been reading Penny Arcade more or less from the beginning. After reading this book, I have realized that this is obviously not true. This book, similar to the others in the PA volumes, includes the strips from 1998-2000, along with some commentary from "Tycho" about each strip. If you're a fan of the Penny Arcade Comic, then this book is a nice addition to your bookshelf, and it shows the PA guys your support of their product. Toward the end of this book, I started seeing some strips I recognized, so I'm looking forward to volume 2. I'll admit, I had forgotten how the strip used to look, the evolution of their art. Good stuff.

[Schnaucl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this collection of Penny Acade's early work to be extremely funny. I didn't always appreciate the nuances since I wasn't really into gaming when the Dreamcast was still around but I still found enough to make me laugh out loud several times.

It was interesting to compare the characterization of Tycho and Gabe in the beginning to what it is now. In the earlier work I think both personalities were similar to what Gabe's is today.

I was highly entertained and envy the working relationship of the authors. It sounds like a fun time.

[Peter Derk · Rating 3 out of 5]

It must be weird to bind 10-year-old work and put it out. But considering the age and that so much of Penny Arcade is pop culture....or maybe not pop culture so much as time-sensitive subculture stuff, the book actually holds up okay. I mean, it's pretty simple to decide whether or not you'll enjoy this.

Spell out a gut reaction to each of the following:

-Daikatana
-John Romero
-Dreamcast
-Divx

If you HAVE opinions on two of those four, you'll probably enjoy this book. If not, well, we just don't have all that much to talk about, do we?

[Matt Mazenauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

As one of everyone's all-time favorites, and one of the most burstingly-laugh-out-loud funny comics there is, PA starts out rough, but really only in artwork. They get into the swing fo things rather quickly, and any slow parts is well compensated by the great behind-the-scenes commentary by the wonderfully wordy Tycho.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's clear that I'm not exactly the target audience for these early strips - I had to ask Mawk for clarification on a lot, because it's almost solely computer and video game jokes. That doesn't mean, however, that I didn't enjoy it. PA Is funny, funny stuff, well worth a read for even the slightly-geeky.

[Rhys Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liquid awesome. Distilled into a book. It was even bought and delivered by a hot chick ;-) I'll be in nerd overload for a while.... So many memories, putting Diablo down my pants, my hand smellng like poop, growth potential of my wang.. or was that the comic? I can't tell anymore..

[Ariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

What could make a comic book compendium sell when all the comics are, for the most part, free on the web? Commentary on every strip! I love commentary! I ate this book up like candy.

[Cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yeah, So I'm a Penny Arcade junkie. What can I say? If you're a gamer you probably know about it, if you're not you probably wouldn't get it...

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great webcomic about the big inside joke that is the world of video games. Each book in this series is better than the last.

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's fun to remember the good old days when all they talked about was Tribes 2.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the comics are online, they are all great. Plus here, some good commentary is done. Very good for gamers that are in need of some nostalgia (like remember Bleem!).

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can I really rate my adolescence? Yes. Yes, I can.

[Jaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first foray into the realm of gamer geekdom. Outcome? I loved it!

[Nick · Rating 1 out of 5]

**1.5 Stars**

As a huge fan of Penny Arcade in my formative years,
I distinctly remembered the first strips I ever read, some even back in 2000 that I had cut out of PlayStation Magazine.

In this book, they really pushed to find their art style, humor and voice for 2 years, and this book / part in their timeline of work is not at that point yet,
Even to the point of making me wonder if I had been crazy all of these years for remembering them so fondly.

That being said, I had always skipped these earlier rough works, so it will remain to be seen as I continue -when- and -if- they get better.

It’s impressive that they kept at their work for 2 years, gained traction and an audience all while their stuff was generally unfunny and it’s also insane to think of where I was in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, and how immature we all were back then.

Here’s to the future.