Penny Arcade Creators Make Time's List of Most Influential Artists

[Austin MacKenzie]

Penny Arcade Creators Make Time's List of Most Influential Artists

Penny Arcade co-creators Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik can now call themselves the 14th most influential artists in the world.

This year, Time broke its list of the 100 Most Influential People into four categories: Heroes, Leaders, Artists, and Thinkers. While Holkins and Krahulik could've arguably landed in any one of those, Time placed them in the Artists group.

In addition to the duo's accomplishments with the charity Child's Play, which currently serves more than 60 hospitals nationwide, and the creation of Penny Arcade Expo, a celebration of gamer culture that draws tens of thousands of guests to both the East and West iterations, Time acknowledged the staggering influence they have in the gaming culture.

"Krahulik and Holkins have become the tastemakers, and conscience, of an industry the size of Hollywood," Time writer Lev Grossman said. "But for all their success, they are almost compulsively self-deprecating, and they give all the credit to their fans. You can't put a label on them. Labels smack of hype, and Penny Arcade doesn't do hype."

Whether you love or hate Penny Arcade, it's hard to deny its influence in the gaming world. Who knew two gamers on a couch, a drunken Xbox 360, and a machine that horrifically violates fruit could be so powerful?

Source: <a href=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1984685_1984940_1985513,00.html>Time Magazine via <a href=http://kotaku.com/5527313/penny-arcade-creators-make-the-time-100?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kotaku%2Ffull+%28Kotaku%29>Kotaku

(<a href=http://img.timeinc.net/time/photoessays/2010/time_100/t100art_penny_arcade.jpg>Image)


Permalink

 

[deleted_scifidownbeat]

DELETED

 

[Earthbound]

Nice, they made 14. I can't say I'm greatly surprised that they're up there. When I think of the perfect model of "What is a gamer?", I think of the PA strips. They're not concerned with one genre of gaming or keeping long, serious storylines. They show gamers as how I think of gamers: in the moment.

Still, just some food for thought, do you think your parents have ever even heard the words "Penny Arcade" in a sentence before, much less know what they represent?

 

[bakonslayer]

Wow. I am so pleased and impressed that they made it so high! Beating such people as Elton John, Ricky Gervais, Simon Cowell, James Cameron, and Sandra Bullock? Pretty FRICKIN good for a couple of no-list internet celebrities.

I know I voted for them! Great job guys, this is amazing! Keep being the best!

 

[jerrrry]

By drunken Xbox 360 do you mean the Divx machine(Divvy or someting like that?) that has been in their strips since way before Xbox 360 was around?

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

They've come a pretty long way. No longer are they just a couple of guys who do a comic about games- they run two conventions, develop games, produce merchandise, and even head a considerably powerful charity effort. They've done more than almost anyone else to promote the idea that "gamers are normal folks, and yes, they care too". They definitely deserve the accolades, even though they'd probably say otherwise.

 

[apfontana]

By drunken Xbox 360 do you mean the Divx machine(Divvy or someting like that?) that has been in their strips since way before Xbox 360 was around?

Beat me to it. Div would be pretty insulted by being mistaken for an Xbox...

 

[Joshimodo]

Drunken Xbox 360? It's a DivX...


Still, more power to 'em.

 

[shaso999]

It's great to see the two of them recognized for their work.

EDIT: Ninja'd

Bit to slow

 

[Lancer723]

So wait, if time magazine is calling them artists, and artists presumably make art, and penny arcade makes games, that makes their games art right? So what now Ebert?

But seriously are penny arcade's games really the best that you could have chosen from all the games and game developers that could have been chosen.

 

[DigitalSushi]

Whether you love or hate Penny Arcade, it's hard to deny its influence in the gaming world. Who knew two gamers on a couch, a drunken Xbox 360, and a machine that horrifically violates fruit could be so powerful?

You mean the DivX player?, Div?.

edit, that should have said "you mean Div?, the DivX player?.

http://pennyarcade.wikia.com/wiki/Div

 

[BigD00dManGuy]

It's a shock to see some of the other people on that list, though. These guys command some serious respect and are very formative for gaming culture whereas some of those names are flash-in-the pan music artists or forgettable international politics players. Does anyone think there's alot of merit that should be put on this list, or is the whole thing a kind of sham?

 

[Flying Dagger]

I think gamers are just more easily influenced then other people, that's what makes them so influential.

 

[BigD00dManGuy]

Perhaps, though I wouldn't take the negative connotation of that statement as real, though. Gamers do tend to be rather passionate about their hobby/lifestyle, moreso than most people with most of their likes. This might have a large impact on the perceived influential nature of gamers. Certainly the very young (or the very bro-minded) can get hyped into a frenzy over the next best bloody thing, but aside from forum trolls and fanboys, gamers do tend to be increasingly articulate and discerning in their tastes.

 

[Brotherofwill]

Lady Gaga as the Nr.1 artist in the world? Hahahahaha.

Yeah, the list is based on influence. Remember that. Not quality. This list is rezi-diculous!

 

[WolfThomas]

Take that Ebert!

Still, just some food for thought, do you think your parents have ever even heard the words "Penny Arcade" in a sentence before, much less know what they represent?

My grandparents probably do, seeing as a penny arcade was an old timey pre-cursor to video arcades.

 

[addeB]

Viva la Penny arcade! They really deserve their spot on that list. And btw i love their picture xD

 

[Silver Patriot]

Silly people a (mostly) gaming comic can't be art. How preposterous.

On topic they do deserve it, even if they can't have it, which they can.

 

[VZLANemesis]

By drunken Xbox 360 do you mean the Divx machine(Divvy or someting like that?) that has been in their strips since way before Xbox 360 was around?

Seems that way...

 

[Kiithid]

Next in line The Escapist.
We will take over the world you'll see.

OT: Even though such kind of "Best of" lists sucks it's nice and reassuring to see them... honored? by getting that high on it, now I have something to point to my folks gaming isn't a complete waste of time, resources and talent.