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Penny Arcade details webcomic search contest

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Last week I mentioned that the Penny Arcade gentlemen, Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik, launched a Kickstarter project to raise $1 million to replace all advertising on their website. In four days, they raised over $250,000. At various milestones of fundraising, the duo will be “unlocking” certain features are opened. One of which is a webcomic strip contest that will be held in reality tv fashion if fans raise $450,000. On their blog, they have offered a few more details on the contest.

We would start off by asking for submissions. Any webcomic artist could send us a sample of their work and a quick video of themselves stating why they would like to be on the show. Then we take all these submissions and narrow it down to our cast of 10 artists. They are flown out here to Seattle and live together in a house rigged with cameras. We will then put them through a series of challenges based on the skills needed to run a successful web comic. We will test their artistic skills as well as their business smarts. Tycho and I will knock them off one by one over the course of the show until we are left with one winner.

The last artist standing will win a sizable cash prize along with getting plugged into the Penny Arcade machine for one year. That means they will have access to our merchandising, graphic designers, and business brains as well as a studio in our office. This is a massive undertaking for us and it’s sitting at the 450k level of our Kickstarter. If we manage to hit this goal we will release more details about how and when you can apply to be on the show.

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Comments 22

  1. Sounds awesome! I would love to submit but I am too tied down.

  2. This looks too much like a scheme. Besides other cartoonists, who’s going to care about cartoonists living together in a house and having to fight over being the most popular cartoonist?

  3. I agree with Birdie. Unless they choose a bunch of youngsters… No one wants to see a bunch of old farts. Look at the past ratings for “Last Comic Standing”. The show was even cancelled once after season 4 but brought back to even weaker ratings.

  4. I’d watch it. I’ve always been curious as to what hell looks like.

  5. I would watch but I would never participate.

  6. It won’t work because cartoonists are neurotic introverts with big egos. Some mediocre exhibitionists may sign for the public humiliation, but any real talent is going to stay away.

  7. “The response to that concept was overwhelming.”

    Sounds like they’ll move forward with the idea even if they do not reach that monetary target.

  8. And to Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik, if you’re out there… You guys are in a rare position where you could – all on your own through the success of Penny Arcade – create an “incubator” for new comics. Host a site with new talent/comics. Let readers vote on which comics they like, etc.

    Go for it!

  9. Episode One: “Leave Me The Frick ALONE”

  10. Episode Two: there is no episode two

  11. Jerry and Mike, if you’re out there…
    Whether or not it?s on PATV, you guys have a rare opportunity ? through the success of Penny Arcade and PAX, and your position as innovators ? to create an ?incubator? for new talent/comics. Maybe host new comics on your site, and the public a chance to provide feedback on which ones they like, etc. (Maybe even vote for their favorites?)

    Go for it!

  12. I always thought it would be cool to do a show like Chopped where cartoonists have to make a cartoon that includes several different items from a “mystery basket,” then they’re judged and eliminated until there’s a winner.

  13. Tyson, isn’t that something we can do online? I don’t think we need a camera crew to test our artistic merits

  14. Ah yes, penny arcade, the guys who thought it was funny to joke about rape, then say they were only kidding, then profited making a t-shirt on the inside joke. Classy assholes. If I remember correctly they use to criticize other comic contests, but when they want to exploit young creators it’s a-okay if it’s plugged into their “penny arcade machine”, wonder if they’ll split the ad profit with the contestants? I doubt it.

  15. Stupid idea concocted by out-of-control egos.

    >We will then put them through a series of challenges based on the skills needed to run a successful web comic. We will test their artistic skills as well as their business smarts. Tycho and I will knock them off one by one<

  16. I’d have done it when I was 25. It’s a hell of an opportunity, and I trust the PA guys to keep it fun and not degrading.

  17. Don’t be naive. If it’s not going to be degrading why have them live in a house rigged with cameras? Sounds like their following the typical reality m.o. and will highlight and encourage conflict. These shows are always a product for tv and not a real opportunity for the participants. Cartoonists need to stay home and work on their craft.

  18. ooops… “they’re following”

    PS I wish The Daily Cartoonist had an edit option for our posts.

  19. Out of control egos J’s correct!

  20. Cartoonists who get kicked off will be fed to one of my twin snow leopards.

  21. A KS project? Penny Arcade? I thought they were already making millions of dollars? What’s with millionaires having us fund their projects?

  22. Yeah! Who do they think they are? Solyndra?!?

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