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Penny Arcade: The Animated Series

NoelVeigaNoelVeiga Registered User regular
edited May 2011 in Penny Arcade Games
So, after seeing the in-game intros and the way in which the game manages to use Flash-driven 2D customizable characters on CUTSCENES (best feature in the game by far, IMO. It's genius. I can only imagin how hard that is to pull off) I was wondering how viable a Penny Arcade series is.

Flash-made feature films are starting to appear in the market, and the audience for adult-oriented animated comedy has only grown in the past years, so there is a market.

In fact, after playing some of the game, I could very well give up all that interaction nonsense and just watch a Startling Developments series for half an hour. Make it six hours of that and I'll happily pay twice the cost of the game for a DVD season box set. Can you picture that? Ron Gilbert, Gabe and Tycho teaming up for a weelky show of animated comedy?

Scott Kurtz ("The horror, the horror!" Bet he never gets THAT), over at PVP is trying to lift a similar effort off the ground by muscling through it himself with one or two animators (which I think is crazy and suicidal), but it'd be a nice spinoff bonus if the eps of the game do fine, even if it was solely distributed through the same online channels the game is.

Opinions? Votes for or against? Reasons why this is crazy and it'd never happen?

NoelVeiga on

Posts

  • vegeta_666vegeta_666 CanadaRegistered User regular
    edited May 2008
    As awesome as this sounds, I found one problem... who would voice Gabe and Tycho? And therein lies the problem for me at least. I can't even imagine what they would sound like.

    vegeta_666 on
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  • ChokeholdChokehold Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    vegeta_666 wrote: »
    As awesome as this sounds, I found one problem... who would voice Gabe and Tycho? And therein lies the problem for me at least. I can't even imagine what they would sound like.

    I agree. Voice acting for Gabe and Tycho would be... I can't find the word.
    Let's say they find a voice actor for say, Gabe, right. Some people would love it, others would hate it, because it's not how they imagined their voices would sound, in their heads.

    I just think it wouldn't be fair to the fans, in a sense.

    EDIT:
    It's not like this thought hasn't struck me before though, I would love watching Startling Developments for 30 minutes a week or whatever, since Gabe and Tycho are probably my all time favorite fictional animated/drawn characters.
    I think it's not a straight up impossible idea, there are just so many details and they'd have to get it just right.

    Chokehold on
  • GuardianGuardian Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    When CAD (ctrlaltdel-online) started their animated series, it REALLY ruined the comic for me. The voice acting is pretty bad, imo, and hasn't improved.

    So yes, even though it would be AMAZING to have an animated PA, voices would probably end up ruining it.

    Guardian on
  • Regicid3Regicid3 Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Guardian wrote: »
    When CAD (ctrlaltdel-online) started their animated series, it REALLY ruined the comic for me. The voice acting is pretty bad, imo, and hasn't improved.

    So yes, even though it would be AMAZING to have an animated PA, voices would probably end up ruining it.

    That's what ruined CAD for you?

    Not the poorly executed jokes?

    Or the copy and paste art?

    Oh.

    :o

    Regicid3 on
  • agoajagoaj Top Tier One FearRegistered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Regicid3 wrote: »
    Guardian wrote: »
    When CAD (ctrlaltdel-online) started their animated series, it REALLY ruined the comic for me. The voice acting is pretty bad, imo, and hasn't improved.

    So yes, even though it would be AMAZING to have an animated PA, voices would probably end up ruining it.

    That's what ruined CAD for you?

    Not the poorly executed jokes?

    Or the copy and paste art?

    Oh.

    :o

    The show wasn't really an unexpected leap. There are enough frames in each CAD comic for about 9 minutes of animation.

    agoaj on
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  • ZhirzzhZhirzzh Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    To be fair, the choose your own adventure thing was fun, although not taken far enough.

    Zhirzzh on
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  • TankHammerTankHammer Atlanta Ghostbuster Atlanta, GARegistered User regular
    edited May 2008
    I read PvP but I have always thought his animated series was a terrible idea. Is that even still going on?

    TankHammer on
  • GuardianGuardian Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    You know...if the animated series were to undergo the immense scrutiny that Gabe said the game went under, I have a feeling we wouldn't have to worry about whether or not the animated series would flop.

    A safe bet would be to do one episode, see how fans like it, then figure if it's worth the time and effort to make more animated episodes.

    Although here's a WACKY idea.....what about a Penny Arcade animated feature film? A full two hours? I'd like that more than an episodic series.

    Guardian on
  • SoupsSoups Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Fortunately (in my opinion) they already said they don't see themselves making an animated series. But if they make a movie, all of their dialogue would have to be in speech bubbles. ...No? Oh well.

    Soups on
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  • TaximesTaximes Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Anybody else remember when someone animated and voiced a PA comic a couple of years ago? I assume it was in the Artist's Corner, but I can't remember for sure.

    Wasn't one with Gabe and Tycho, though. I think it was the one about Apple fans and elitism.

    Taximes on
  • NoelVeigaNoelVeiga Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    So the point people are making here is they wouldn't like to see this done wrong.

    Neither do I. That's precisely why the thought came to me after watching the game. I think we all agree that the animation and cutscenes on the game are brilliant... which is why people are cautious about voice acting and not animation, I guess (that and the fact that you're regurgitating the *ahem* lousy excuse the guys gave for having a text based RPG).

    Delivering comedy isn't easy, but I'm gonna go crazy and state that if you can pull off an episodic RPG with that level of writing and customizable cutscenes you should be able to cast actors that can actually perform.

    I agree that other webcomics-turned-animated-series have been disappointing, but they've also been poorly funded and staffed. As I said, it's the quality of the work Telltale achieved in the game that made me wish there was a PA:TAS.

    NoelVeiga on
  • RosettiRosetti Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    As a loose aside, anyone recall The Wandering Age animated short?

    I dunno how an animated series would suit the PA format. But, as Rainslick evidenced, the characters are flexible enough that you can weave practically any world around them and they'd find a way to entertain.

    My main kudos to the ingame cutscenes were the custom characters. Seeing my guy, that I created, put almost seemlessly into an beautiful animated drawn sequence made me feel all glowy inside. And the preveiw for episode 2 looks like they've kicked it up a notch in the cutscene department. Oorah!

    Rosetti on
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    A crude broom stand.
  • DjiemDjiem Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    After listening to the podcast many times, I wouldn't mind an animated series of Penny-Arcade with Mike and Jerry voicing Gabe and Tycho. It'd feel right to me.

    EDIT: Of course, I had to go and make a typo on something that'd get quoted (and limed) afterwards...

    Djiem on
  • benjammn311benjammn311 Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Djiem wrote: »
    After listening to the podcats many times, I wouldn't mind an animated series of Penny-Arcade with Mike and Jerry voicing Gabe and Tycho. It'd feel right to me.
    I agree with this. Of course, that would be loads of work and probably wouldn't be feasible with the games coming out every 4-6 months. As a next project, it would be a good one, but difficult to keep up...

    benjammn311 on
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    I lol'd. :lol:
  • WillethWilleth Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Djiem wrote: »
    After listening to the podcats many times, I wouldn't mind an animated series of Penny-Arcade with Mike and Jerry voicing Gabe and Tycho. It'd feel right to me.

    Willeth on
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  • KarennaKarenna Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    I'm thinking Djimon Hounsou as Gabe, and James Earl Jones as Tycho.

    What?


    Too bad Christopher Collins (Cobra Commander/Starscream) is dead...for some reason I really do imagine him as the inner monologue of Tycho

    Karenna on
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  • PepperjackIncorporatedPepperjackIncorporated Registered User new member
    edited May 2011
    I think the guy they had voice Tycho for Poker Night at The Inventory was perfect. As for Gabe, well, Gabe is difficult. I know I have some kind of voice I imagine him with, but when I actually think about it, I can never remember what it sounds like. I only hear it subconsciously. Lots of people are saying Mike and Jerry should do it, but although they're funny as hell, I just don't think they're lively enough for Gabe and Tycho.

    PepperjackIncorporated on
  • DiannaoChongDiannaoChong Registered User regular
    Man.... I guess I have been around here long enough. They already made a pilot... like ten years ago. This is around when UPN/mtv/fox/whatever was shitting out alot of animated shows. What M&J said was that when it was reviewed, they figured out they would have to change their artistic vision too much in order for it to get considered, much less picked up for regulary. So apparently it is in a vault somewhere, and they say they refuse to show it. I forget the reasons why. I guess it never gets brought up so people forget.

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  • Professor SnugglesworthProfessor Snugglesworth Registered User regular
    I always thought Vic Mignogna would make a pretty good Gabe: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vic_Mignogna

    It is, in fact, the voice I always picture when reading the strips.

  • KitAlexHarrisonKitAlexHarrison Registered User regular
    I thought the voice actor for Tycho in Poker Night at the Inventory (Andrew Chaikin) was pretty damn good. As for Gabe, the only realistic choice I can think of at the top of my head would be Toby "Tobuscus" Turner. He has a fast-paced, off-the-wall style that might suit Gabe.

    I'd be happy to voice Twisp the Cat, being British and all, if we want to do this ourselves.

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  • PepperjackIncorporatedPepperjackIncorporated Registered User new member
    I really, really, really, really, really, really want to see the pilot. We should protest the fact that they won't show us.

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