The Splendid Magic of Penny Arcade cover image is courtesy of barnesandnoble.com.

Penny Arcade is a humorous webcomic that focuses on video games and video gaming culture.  Created by childhood friends, writer Jerry Holkins and artist Mike Krahulik, Penny Arcade debuted in 1998.  One of the Web’s oldest online comics, Penny Arcade is successful enough to allow its creators to make a living solely from their work (which apparently few webcomics creators can do).  The strip has also spawned a fan convention (called PAX) and a children’s charity (Child’s Play).

Penny Arcade stars the creators’ alter egos Johnathan “Gabe” Gabriel (Krahulik) and Tycho Erasmus Brahe (Holkins).  The strip apparently borrows somewhat from the authors’ lives, but episodes mainly derive their humor from the characters playing and commenting on video games.  As of this writing, there have been five trade volumes collecting the strip.

The Splendid Magic of Penny Arcade: The 11½ Anniversary Edition celebrates the strip and the phenomenon it has spawned.  The book includes a nearly 20-page “Q&A Section,” in which the authors answer fans’ questions.  Nine artists, including Becky Cloonan and Scott Kurtz, present their interpretations of Gabe and Tycho.  In a 30-page section entitled, “We Like These Comics,” Jerry and Mike talk about their favorite episodes of the strip.  The book also gives an extensive history of the authors’ relationship (both personal and professional), the origin of Penny Arcade, the narrative and graphical development of the strip, and the creators’ trials and tribulations (including bad contracts and shady dealers).

For fans of Penny Arcade, this is a love letter or anniversary gift from the authors to them.  I think it is possible to feel the tremendous love this book generates: the creators’ love of their partnership, of their creation, of the phenomenon it has become, and of their fans.  It’s enough to make me want to be in on that love.  I’ve also certainly gained admiration for Mike Krahulik’s skills as a cartoonist, and I’d never heard of him until I read this book.  With a generous offering of art and episodes of this strip, including “The Cardboard Tube Samurai,” The Splendid Magic of Penny Arcade: The 11½ Anniversary Edition will probably turn the unknowing into known fans of Penny Arcade.

A

Visit www.penny-arcade.com and also delight in www.negromancer.com.