The Top 30 Penny Arcade Comic Strips of All Time
September 15, 2007
Next year, 2008, will commemorate Penny Arcade's 10th anniversary of supplying gamers and computer geeks their regular dose of webstrip absurdity. Aside from chronicling the ongoing adventures of Tycho and Gabe, creators Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins also organize PAX, the 3-day expo for gaming fans. They are also behind Child's Play, an aid organization designed to send donations of toys, books, games, and money to sick kids in hospitals across the world.
So, in a very early tribute to Penny Arcade preparing to enter its tenth year, here are the top thirty Penny Arcade comic strips of all time. Here is to another ten years, guys!
Note: to see the strips in their full-sized glory, be sure to click on them to view at their original Penny-Arcade location (links will open in a new window).
Onto the top 30:
30. A Voracious Reader
Posted November 24, 2003
Being an obsessed Star Wars fanboy myself, I can totally relate...
29. Alien Genocide is Thirsty Work
Posted September 14, 2007
Included since being hated to death for soda sponsorship posts is somewhat cool...
28. Also known as Blackmail
Posted June 30, 2006
One for the Linux fanboys...
27. And all of it true
Posted October 14, 2005
It is Penny Arcade vs. Jack Thompson. And the champion is...
26. The SIN of Long Load Times
Posted November 18, 1998
The first Penny Arcade strip...
25. Gripping!
Posted July 31, 2002
Every now and then, what you want to do just cannot happen due to financial constraints...
24. The Manifold Faces of Vista
Posted February 02, 2007
All he wanted was a copy of Microsoft Windows Vista. How hard could that be, right?
23. Delicious!
Posted November 25, 2005
There is nothing like including this little guy at Thanksgiving.
22. Der Hornen
Posted August 04, 2004
This is what comes to pass when you play games with the messiah...
21. If you only knew the power
Posted January 21, 2001
It is obvious that this contest cannot be determined by our knowledge of Jedi Mind Tricks, but by our skills with a lightsaber...
20. Color Game Boy: Obsession!
Posted June 23, 1999
When impoverished and when you just have to get a new gaming gadget, eBay can be a very handy resource.
19. E32K: The Eyes have it
Posted May 12, 2000
Tycho and Gabe attend gatherings such as E3 and Comic-Con every year; and post sketches to their site of the gear they come across, the big news from the events, and experiences they have. This particular one summed up practically everyone's reaction to the first look at Metal Gear Solid 2.
18. Armadeaddon: Flesh Harvest
Posted August 17, 2006
This is one of many ongoing storyline strips from Penny Arcade, proceeding over numerous posts. In this adventure, Tycho and Gabe are perusing the local mall when it gets overwhelmed by an army of evil undead zombies. Which of course, happens every day. It is at this precise moment, that our tiny hero finally fulfils its destiny; and the outcomes speak for themselves in the sequel to this strip. The first post in the Armadeaddon series can be found here.
16. This is not your father's trilogy
Posted September 09, 2004
With George Lucas tinkering at the original Star Wars trilogy once more in 2004, somebody had to say something!
15. Men are from Krypton
Posted June 28, 2006
In celebrating the release of Superman Returns, Penny Arcade discovered another side to the Man of Steel. Superman, after all, is a dick.
14. Video Violence
Posted December 09, 1998
This is one of the first strips wherein the guys began addressing the accusations of video games causing violent behavior among the younger generation. It is also the first glimpse we get into Gabe's tendency to lose his temper somewhat ferociously on a recurring basis.
13. A Word of Thanks
Posted November 20, 2006
As the multiplayer demo for Rainbow Six came out, Penny Arcade had some appreciation to show to the hardcore Halo geeks who were also trying out the demo
12. Green Blackboards (And Other Anomalies)
Posted March 19, 2004
The theory was proven even further for the duration of the Digg Revolt of May 2007...
11. A Novel Technique
Posted April 09, 2007
I wish I could hate you to death.
10. Nightmare at Twenty-Thousand Feet
Posted October 30, 2006
A message for those who do not shut off their electronic devices when they are supposed to during a flight...
9. Lubricado
Posted November 29, 2006
When reports began surfacing about people breaking their televisions when their Wiimotes slipped out of their hands, Tycho and Gabe evidently could not resist taking on the topic.
8. A VERY Special Penny Arcade
Posted February 17, 1999
It begins as a tale of lining up for Star Wars, but converts into one of the more memorable webstrips from Penny Arcade...
7. Maximum Moisture
Posted November 17, 2006
People were lining up for Sony Playstation 3, and... well, this strip really speaks for itself...
6. Uncomfort
Posted October 24, 2005
For my part, I have always wondered why kamikaze pilots wore helmets.
5. It is really not that hard
Posted February 05, 2007
Tycho on the unforgettable works of H.G. Wells...
4. Treachery Manifest
Posted June 16, 2006
As the exponential success of World of Warcraft continued to explode even further, rumors began evolving about Blizzard's next major project.
3. I Have the Power
Posted December 16, 2005
Nobody messes with Skeletor - ever!
2. We accept PayPal and most major credit cards
Posted February 10, 2007
Penny Arcade embarks on the Find a Playstation 3 challenge laid down by SCEA President Jack Tretton...
1. Tart as a Double Entendre
Posted April 14, 2003
This strip was pulled down by Penny Arcade after they received a cease and desist from American Greetings for using the Strawberry Shortcake characters. It was intended as a humorous misrepresentation of the works of American McGee. It became an instant classic; and the Penny Arcade response to American Greetings is almost just as cool.
Next year, 2008, will commemorate 
