Time 100 Recognizes Penny Arcade Creators

Time magazine included the creators of popular video game webcomic Penny Arcade, Jerry "Tycho" Holkins and Mike "Gabe" Krahulik, in the "Artists" category of its annual list recognizing the 100 most influential people in the world. While the two are best known by gamers for their online comic which launched in 1998 and now receives some 3.5 million readers, they have also expanded the brand beyond three-times-a-week strips with books, a reality webshow, lots of merchandise (toys, apparel, etc.), and even an episodic video game developed by Hothead Games. Holkins, Krahulik, and their staff also organize the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX), a semi-annual convention devoted to the gamer community, running since 2004. The last PAX "Prime" event in Seattle attracted over 60,000 attendees, and the first PAX East show opened in Boston last month to more than 52,000 guests. The duo's Time 100 profile points out that with the help of their business manager Robert Khoo, they created the gaming community/industry-supported Child's Play charity dedicated to donating toys and games to kids at hospitals around the world. Since its establishment in 2003, Child's Play has raised a total of $6.7 million toward this cause. Time 100's profile also calls Krahulik and Holkins "the tastemakers, and conscience, of an industry the size of Hollywood." The full list of influential figures -- which looks to recognize people who've affected the world, for better or worse -- includes a range of celebrities (Conan O'Brien), world leaders (Barack Obama), heroes (Temple Grandin), and more.