SEATTLE — It's the opening day of Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle and a 7,000-seat auditorium is filled to capacity. Dozens of people are lined up behind the two microphones with important questions for two geeks holding court on stage:
"If you were super-villains, what would your powers be?"
"I was wondering what your guys' plans are for the post-apocalyptic world?"
"I just wanted to say that you guys are my celebrities. I wouldn't be nearly as nervous to meet someone I've seen on the screen as I am to meet you."
Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik, two best friends in their 30s who create an opinionated online comic strip about video games, couldn't look less like celebrities. Holkins is short, bald and pudgy, while Krahulik is tall and wire thin. Both are dressed in noticeably untrendy glasses, black short-sleeve shirts, jeans and sneakers as they patiently answer every question throw their way for almost two hours.
In fact, the duo are cartoonists, commentators and convention hosts, the forces behind a brand called Penny Arcade that draws 3.5 million visitors a month on the Web, more than 60,000 people to an annual convention and the devotion of advertisers eager to reach an elusive audience. Their business manager describes the venture as a "micro-media conglomerate."
It might not stay "micro" forever, though, as the growing popularity of gaming is expanding Penny Arcade's audience and its business opportunities. Growth plans include a second yearly convention and a TV series, but that creates tension about not only how much Penny Arcade can do, but whether it needs to compromise any of its appeal to a fiercely devoted core audience in the process.
It's quite possible you've never heard of Penny Arcade. That's because in an age when mass media are being replaced by niche, it's the perfect example of content that speaks to a specific crowd, like Outdoor Channel for hunting aficionados or the Huffington Post for political liberals. If you wonder what the gamer in your life who doesn't seem to watch TV or read magazines does with his or her time when not holding an Xbox controller, check out penny-arcade.com.
Holkins and Krahulik have spent more than a decade on the thrice-weekly strips, in which their animated alter egos Gabe and Tycho poke fun at trends, news and personalities in the world of gaming. There are numerous other online comics, video series and blogs that mock the same targets, but Penny Arcade's consistent track record and comedic chops have earned it a special place in the hearts of hard-core gamers.
