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Penny Arcade #2
Penny Arcade Volume 2: Epic Legends of the Magic Sword Kings
Verily, the heroes of Penny Arcade return in the second volume of valiant chivalric deeds of brave heroism, heroic gallantry and gallant bravery! Forsooth! Sir Gabe and Sir Tycho return in Epic Legends of the Magic Sword Kings! Collecting all the Penny Arcade strips posted online from 2001 and 2002, Volume 2 includes creator commentary, a sketchbook section and an introduction from somebody sort of famous! If you haven't heard of Penny Arcade, the most poplular online comic ever, it might not be too late to salvage whatever reputation you have and get in on the fun all the cool people have been having. We won't tell anyone.
168 pages, Paperback
First published August 16, 2006
10 people are currently reading
302 people want to read
About the author
Jerry Holkins
32 books112 followersKeith 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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
January 10, 2008
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.
January 29, 2017
Yep. More of the same. Feel free to check my review for the first volume if you need information from me.
Other than that, I had just checked the Penny Arcade website. And when did those guys draw Tycho and Gabe with get brown wedge noses? It's visually weird, like nearly each panel has them with a face like this one smilie face. :^u
To finish this compliment sandwich in between the weird bitter lettuce bits, I'll compliment the cover art. It's stylish. And I like that they went with their original character parodying genre fiction.
Such as this pastel cover with colors like it's from that 80s fantasy novel period of cover creation. It's nice to look at.
Other than that, I had just checked the Penny Arcade website. And when did those guys draw Tycho and Gabe with get brown wedge noses? It's visually weird, like nearly each panel has them with a face like this one smilie face. :^u
To finish this compliment sandwich in between the weird bitter lettuce bits, I'll compliment the cover art. It's stylish. And I like that they went with their original character parodying genre fiction.
Such as this pastel cover with colors like it's from that 80s fantasy novel period of cover creation. It's nice to look at.
August 1, 2017
I count myself as really quite geeky - but I'm clearly not geeky in the right areas (computer games) to fully enjoy this (bought in a bundle with some dork towers) - however I enjoyed the film and RPG references enough to believe if you do like computer games, you'll probably enjoy this a lot!
May 16, 2018
More funny PA comics, and also selected posts from the website and some examples of their other comics projects.
August 7, 2018
If you were there at the time, this’ll bring back memories. They were really starting to hit their stride here and a few all time classics are contained within.
May 23, 2020
much like the last one, it's an interesting view of the internet back then.
February 13, 2021
Second verse, great as the first. I also really liked the bonus gallery; showed a stark contrast between the art from 2001 and 2005.
April 16, 2023
Epic Legends of the Magic Sword King, the second volume in the Penny Arcade series, highlights a year of transformation and growth for the beloved webcomic. As we journey through the strips of 2001, it becomes evident that the art, topics, and writing underwent significant evolution, reflecting the changing landscape of video games and the creators' maturation.
From an artistic standpoint, Mike Krahulik's illustrations demonstrate a marked improvement in this volume. The characters are more consistent in their appearances, the backgrounds are more detailed, and the overall visual style is more polished.
The topics covered in Epic Legends of the Magic Sword King also evolved, with the creators increasingly tackling broader issues within the gaming industry and culture. In terms of writing, Jerry Holkins displayed greater versatility in his storytelling throughout 2001. The humor became more nuanced, and the subject matter often ventured beyond the realm of video games, touching on topics such as technology, popular culture, and the creators' personal experiences.
Epic Legends of the Magic Sword King captures a pivotal year for Penny Arcade as the creators honed their craft and expanded their focus. This volume offers fans a fascinating glimpse into the development of a webcomic that would go on to become a touchstone of gaming culture and a trailblazer in the digital art world.
It's still niche; it's still much rougher than what Penny Arcade would eventually become, but it's a great book for the right reader.
From an artistic standpoint, Mike Krahulik's illustrations demonstrate a marked improvement in this volume. The characters are more consistent in their appearances, the backgrounds are more detailed, and the overall visual style is more polished.
The topics covered in Epic Legends of the Magic Sword King also evolved, with the creators increasingly tackling broader issues within the gaming industry and culture. In terms of writing, Jerry Holkins displayed greater versatility in his storytelling throughout 2001. The humor became more nuanced, and the subject matter often ventured beyond the realm of video games, touching on topics such as technology, popular culture, and the creators' personal experiences.
Epic Legends of the Magic Sword King captures a pivotal year for Penny Arcade as the creators honed their craft and expanded their focus. This volume offers fans a fascinating glimpse into the development of a webcomic that would go on to become a touchstone of gaming culture and a trailblazer in the digital art world.
It's still niche; it's still much rougher than what Penny Arcade would eventually become, but it's a great book for the right reader.
September 13, 2009
Holkins and Krahulik continue their crusade to bring down the immodest giants of the video gaming industry with their scathing and precisely delivered comic strips.
This second volume collects strips from 2001 and also includes other early non-PA comic enterprises from the duo and several news post threads from the keyboard of Holkins that chronicle the more memorable events of that year. Unfortunately, this means that none of the original news posts about the comics themselves are included, which is a shame. Sure, much of the game-related news may be very dated now, but Holkins' delivery could make the most ancient and irrelevant of topics a highly entertaining read, and readers who do not travel back through the online archives are missing out on a trove of great wit and additional contextual jokes.
Gabe and Tycho are still finding their footing here, but even at their shakiest they outclass any other comic on the web in terms of bravado and hilariosity.
This second volume collects strips from 2001 and also includes other early non-PA comic enterprises from the duo and several news post threads from the keyboard of Holkins that chronicle the more memorable events of that year. Unfortunately, this means that none of the original news posts about the comics themselves are included, which is a shame. Sure, much of the game-related news may be very dated now, but Holkins' delivery could make the most ancient and irrelevant of topics a highly entertaining read, and readers who do not travel back through the online archives are missing out on a trove of great wit and additional contextual jokes.
Gabe and Tycho are still finding their footing here, but even at their shakiest they outclass any other comic on the web in terms of bravado and hilariosity.
March 6, 2013
Since both Gabe's art and Tycho's writing improve nicely in this second tome, featuring collected strips from the year 2001, and the inclusion of the occasional original post from the website ups on the hilarity, I was going to give this one four stars.
But then again, a quarter of the book is dedicated to showing the images of some card game they did. Now don't get me wrong, the art is great, but nearly forty pages dedicated to this in a 160 page book, without any commentary whatsoever, is a bit too much. At the very end, they show some projects that they did outside of the main comic, which is nice, but still, three stars for this effort.
But then again, a quarter of the book is dedicated to showing the images of some card game they did. Now don't get me wrong, the art is great, but nearly forty pages dedicated to this in a 160 page book, without any commentary whatsoever, is a bit too much. At the very end, they show some projects that they did outside of the main comic, which is nice, but still, three stars for this effort.
Want to read
May 5, 2015Verily, the heroes of Penny Arcade return in the second volume of valiant chivalric deeds of brave heroism, heroic gallantry and gallant bravery! Forsooth! Sir Gabe and Sir Tycho return in Epic Legends of the Magic Sword Kings! Collecting all the Penny Arcade strips posted online from 2001 and 2002, Volume 2 includes creator commentary, a sketchbook section and an introduction from somebody sort of famous! If you haven't heard of Penny Arcade, the most poplular online comic ever, it might not be too late to salvage whatever reputation you have and get in on the fun all the cool people have been having. We won't tell anyone.
March 24, 2013
Book 2 looks at the web comics from Penny Arcade 2001. It really is a great time capsule, perhaps more important than the content and commentary of the strip itself. It is interesting to see how some issues never change (use of gaming as scapegoat for violence) and how views have evolved ("This game is absolute <>: Halo"). I laughed just thinking about the Duke, the GBA without backlighting, the waning days of Dreamcast. It's amazing to think where the PA guys started, where the web was, and where we are today. Two down...
March 20, 2013
I'm not quite sure why I finished this thing. Maybe because it was short enough that having started it made sense to finish. There were definitely a handful of laugh-out-loud moments, but mostly I think my conclusion is that Penny Arcade is just not meant to be read in large gulps, but rather sampled one day at a time.
Also I think both the art and the writing have progressed a lot in the past decade. I find the average strip of theirs a lot more visually engaging and a lot funnier nowadays.
Also I think both the art and the writing have progressed a lot in the past decade. I find the average strip of theirs a lot more visually engaging and a lot funnier nowadays.
June 14, 2011
The web published comic strip Penny Arcade should be familiar to anyone who likes video games. These books collect the strips in paper format. Holkins and Krahulik have made a name for themselves as the guys with their fingers on the jugular of the industry. Sometimes bizarre, often profane, always funny. Highly recommended if you are or have been a gamer. Others may find it more than a bit odd.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=851
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=851
April 21, 2012
I'm glad I tried the second volume of this series. The art work and jokes improve a TON over the first volume, and I found myself not wanting to put it down as I read. I still didn't get a lot of the jokes being that I haven't played every single game on every single system that's come out in the last 20 years, but when I could follow what was going on I enjoyed it, enough to go a head and get the third volume.
October 21, 2012
Many of the jokes are still hard to get, and the explanation helps but doesn't take out the feeling of "You had to be there". But it certainly improves over the first volume.
The boneyard, the illustrations at the end and the blog stories add a lot more to the book.
Still not good for introducing somebody to the series, but it's way better than a copy-paste from the archives with added comentary.
The boneyard, the illustrations at the end and the blog stories add a lot more to the book.
Still not good for introducing somebody to the series, but it's way better than a copy-paste from the archives with added comentary.
July 1, 2013
More hilarity from Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik. Like Attack of the Bacon Robots, Epic Legends of the Magic Sword Kings contains a heaping helping of sardonic wit and biting satire aimed at the gaming industry, gamers, game culture, pop culture, and anything else that finds its way under Holkins and Krahulik's critical eye. Often vulgar, these jibes sting only because they hit close to the truth; however, they remind us how important it is to be able to laugh at ourselves.
July 3, 2017
There's not much else to really outline that wasn't said already in the first of the reviews of The Attack of the Bacon Robots. The art does however start to make subtle shifts in this volume. It's still a far cry from the standard it reaches today, but gets better with every panel. If memory serves, the watch gag starts in this one.
August 13, 2008
Some of my all-time favorite strips are in this collection: Gabe having strange dreams about Spider-Man, ripping on all things X-Box, DDR ("Tell him he's all the way live.") and perhaps the one I've quoted the most, "The I To The C To The O" (it really helps if ou've played ICO, but still...)
October 26, 2012
I got about halfway through this collection and put it down. Even setting aside the strips about games that I'm not familiar with, or gaming industry drama that I don't remember, the remaining nuggets of humor are just not funny enough to be worth slogging through the rest.
The art continues to improve. I'm afraid I can't say as much for the writing.
The art continues to improve. I'm afraid I can't say as much for the writing.
November 26, 2012
3.5/5
Cambiamento - e miglioramento - dei disegni rispetto al precedente volume, questa volta avevo più riferimenti per capire le vignette, anche se non per tutte.
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Change - and improvement - in the drawings with respect to the Penny Arcade 1, this time I understood more references, even if not for the whole book.
Cambiamento - e miglioramento - dei disegni rispetto al precedente volume, questa volta avevo più riferimenti per capire le vignette, anche se non per tutte.
---
Change - and improvement - in the drawings with respect to the Penny Arcade 1, this time I understood more references, even if not for the whole book.
April 5, 2013
This was a great read of how gaming was back in the day. It brought back memories of how the gaming community was and reminded me of old games that I had forgotten about. The comics are funny due to me living through that period, maybe the younger crowd will have trouble trying to understand the jokes. Overall a great read.
July 10, 2007
Some of my favorite strips are here, really some classics. And, I think the commentary has pepped up, because they no longer need to explain the process, and now just sit back and crack jokes.
October 25, 2007
Great webcomic about the big inside joke that is the world of video games. Each book in this series is better than the last.
December 25, 2007
When I turned this back in at work today, my boss just looked at me like, "Um. What exactly is this?"
Heh.
Heh.
January 4, 2008
Guys. Remember when the Xbox controller was SO FREAKING BIG? HA! Good times.
July 2, 2008
Still not worthy!
January 30, 2009
I continue to be amused and entertained. I think I understood more of the references this time. I particularly enjoyed the addition of some of the posts that originally accompanied the comics.
September 24, 2011
Oddly, I liked this one faaaar less than I liked the first volume.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews