Am I the only one who thinks Penny Arcade is not funny?

[Tom S. Fox]

I might make myself unpopular by this, but I just have to let it out.
I don't understand why Penny Arcade is so hugely popular.
Let's take this strip, for example.
Could anyone explain to me what's supposed to be funny about it? Or at least what the heck it is about? (No, this is not taken out of a storyline, it's a stand-alone strip.)

[MrBogosity]

Dunno. All I know is, xkcd rules!

[Virgil0211]

I might make myself unpopular by this, but I just have to let it out.
I don't understand why Penny Arcade is so hugely popular.
Let's take this strip, for example.
Could anyone explain to me what's supposed to be funny about it? Or at least what the heck it is about? (No, this is not taken out of a storyline, it's a stand-alone strip.)

to answer your question, yes. =P

I'll admit, some of their comics are difficult to understand without reading the newsposts or understand the context, but I find it to be an enjoyable look at geek culture and humor. The above comic was about Gabe's foray into Dungeons and Dragons, a game which Tycho is quite a seasoned player of and takes a little too seriously.

Edit: I find this to be a better example.  http://penny-arcade.com/comic/2009/6/19/

[MrBogosity]

Still not very funny.

Let me post one of my favorite web comics:

[Tom S. Fox]

Dunno. All I know is, xkcd rules!

You are right, that it does!

Still not very funny

I'm glad somebody agrees with me.

[Virgil0211]

I guess it's a generational/gamer thing.

[Lord T Hawkeye]

I'll admit, some of their comics are difficult to understand without reading the newsposts or understand the context

That's where they make their mistake.  They violate the "It's not funny if you have to explain it" rule all too often.

They do have plenty of classics but they need to cut with the "in" jokes.  That's really hurting them.

[MrBogosity]

Well, xkcd does comics like that, the difference is once you explain it it's STILL funny!

[Tom S. Fox]

This reminds me of something Mark Twain said: Explaining a joke is like dissecting a frog: you understand it better, but the frog dies in the process.

[Lord T Hawkeye]

Well, xkcd does comics like that, the difference is once you explain it it's STILL funny!

I haven't read more than a few comics of it.  Got an example?

Usually, that sort of joke is the type where you tell it, your audience looks confused and you go on to explain it.  Everyone says "Oh, that's pretty clever I guess" but you don't get a laugh because you didn't tell the joke properly in the first place.

[Travis Retriever]

"Jesus fanfic"
Priceless. XD

[Virgil0211]

That's where they make their mistake.  They violate the "It's not funny if you have to explain it" rule all too often.

They do have plenty of classics but they need to cut with the "in" jokes.  That's really hurting them.

Thing is, though, to me and the majority of my friends, they aren't in-jokes. We know what the context is and such, as we're following the same news events they're discussing. I didn't need to look at the news post to know what "Prototype" was about and such.

Wait a minute, Tom. Aren't you the one who posted the Ctrl+Alt+Del comic in the "Michael Jackson Just Died Today" thread?

[Tom S. Fox]

*sigh* Yes, that was me. So?

[Virgil0211]

I found a penny arcade comic we can all get behind. =P

[Gumba Masta]

Uuuh, threat necromany...messy business.