R U Down Wit PTP?

Friday, which traditionally was webcomic day, is once again, webcomic day ^__^. So here it is, the next and newest strip from all of us here at NR to all of you faithful Normalinauts.

(Click the image to see it in a larger, easier to read format)

This obviously is a somewhat topical discussion on the current EA vs Take2 Interactive, attemptive, hostile take over where EA has been trying to purchase a controlling amount of shares in Take2, most would assume before GTAIV hits shelves. This, for those that don’t follow such things, is likely because GTAIV is set to supposedly break all manner of sales figures and increase the net worth of Take2 by quite a bit. There are a lot of other economic and business-y in’s and out’s here, but the bottom line is that not only has EA been trying to buy out Take2, but they have rejected several times, and instead of properly ’sweetening’ the deal with a higher buy-out price point, they’ve actually offered less. True story.

As an aside for the whole PTP business, this is something that came up in the comments for last week’s NR webcomic. If you read through the comments, it’s pretty obvious that the whole PTP concept was born in a rather organic fashion… and as most low-brow things go, this was obviously something that Kilian and I simply wouldn’t let go of, even though we probably should. What can I say, there’s just something about the idea of people running around in shirts that say: ‘ASK ME ABOUT PASSIONATE TESTICULAR PULVERIZATION‘ that we find incredibly amusing. I fear that we might be the only ones, but it makes us laugh just the same.

I’m sure that Kilian will have more to say about this, and quite possibly some insight into the *ahem* creative process what gave birth to this week’s strip, so I will leave the rest of the space to him.

–Aleister

Bella Morte - Legend

Hey Everyone,

Kilian here. Gilgrim and I thought we might let you all glimpse the “method behind the magic” if you will. Though I’m not sure why this might interest anyone else. I mean, we do a good job of entertaining ourselves, but I’m not sure it accomplishes much else. In any event, here’s a large chunk of the “discussion” we had regarding this very web comic:

gilgrim: can do that too - I was just thinking about our earlier discussions and driving more traffic, I think if we tie the strips in some way to not only the copy-based posts on the site, but also current things going on in the (scary) outside world it would help too, plus would allow us to add better SEOpacket tag thingies to the posts… still really wish wee could make tshirts ^__^
Sent at 11:39 AM on Tuesday
gilgrim: …your thoughts?
Sent at 11:42 AM on Tuesday
kilian: makes sense…still though, hitting someone in the nuts…
gilgrim: still can
we’re obviously all about the hi-brow humor at NR
Sent at 11:52 AM on Tuesday
gilgrim: sending you a quick idea sketch for a layout for the strip, just showing the 2 ceo’s…. don’t know if it will help spur the juices any…
(can obviously be changed of course - it’s only a pencil after all)
Sent at 12:00 PM on Tuesday
kilian: ok, well I worked a rough (very rough) script of the two I’ll send that in an e-mail
gilgrim: reading
I like it, I think it needs more punch in the final panel (pardon the pun)
Sent at 12:03 PM on Tuesday
gilgrim: I mean, do you think we should have Ea actually take testicular damage (without physical contact) just from the denial or something?
Sent at 12:06 PM on Tuesday
gilgrim: just trying to throw out ideas…
btw I know you probably read this already, but in case you didn’t this is a good summary and a decent opinion/slant on the EA Take2 thingie
http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/22/the-political-game-one-vote-against-an-ea-take-two-takeover/
Sent at 12:08 PM on Tuesday
kilian: it definitely needs something in the final panel…I don’t what…maybe I could just run into the panel and kick the EA guy in the nuts?
Sent at 12:12 PM on Tuesday
gilgrim: lol
Sent at 12:13 PM on Tuesday
kilian: OK, what about this for the end
Strauss – stares at John
John
-What’d you say?

Kilian and Gilgrim enter
-Kilian – Mind if I take this one Strauss
Strauss
-Be my guest.

PTP commences.
Sent at 12:22 PM on Tuesday
gilgrim: lol - I think it’s good, but perhaps a bit long…
kilian: well, damn it, I’m a writer, I tend toward long winded!
Sent at 12:26 PM on Tuesday
gilgrim: (Panel 3 after final rejection) in excrutiating painJohn
-oh god, my testicles!

(Panel 4) Strauss (not wearing the Tshirt in previous panels) sees Kilian and Gilgrim enter, Kilian is carrying the shirt.
Kilian
-I think it is safe to say that you have earned this
???? just athought (lol I completely understand about the long winded stuff, I do the same)
Sent at 12:29 PM on Tuesday
kilian: ah, better
maybe Strauss doesn’t wear the shirt at all, but kilian and gilgrim come in both wearing them, and then throw him the shirt
I like that we don’t actually see the PTP
Sent at 12:32 PM on Tuesday
gilgrim: I just like the idea that the rejection psychosymattically causes the PTP
Sent at 12:33 PM on Tuesday
kilian: hmm, I don’t know that there is a way to “portray” that, if we don’t see it I think some (like me) would assume that he just got kicked in the nads “off screen”
Sent at 12:35 PM on Tuesday
gilgrim: he could expound it in dialog?
Sent at 12:36 PM on Tuesday
kilian: but then we get back to the long windedness
Sent at 12:38 PM on Tuesday
gilgrim: ‘ow my testicles! Pulverized by the sheer force of your rejection!”
Sent at 12:43 PM on Tuesday
gilgrim: something like that maybe?
Sent at 12:46 PM on Tuesday
kilian: Maybe he just says ow my testicles, but then when kilian and gilgrim come on, gilgrim says, “pulverized by the sheer force of your rejection” and then kilian throws him the shirt and says, you earned it
Sent at 12:53 PM on Tuesday
gilgrim: hrmmmmm
lol - I think this must be something like what the PA guys go through when putting a strip together
Sent at 12:55 PM on Tuesday
kilian: god I hope not…I have an image in my mind that they communicate telepathically and by some dark sorcerous means, the strips are brought unto this plane of existence
gilgrim: no way, listen to the podcast recordings…
Sent at 1:05 PM on Tuesday
kilian: I DON’T WANT TO RUIN THE MAGIC!
gilgrim: LOL
Sent at 1:07 PM on Tuesday
gilgrim: it’s still magical
Sent at 1:14 PM on Tuesday
gilgrim: ok so, I think we have the set-up all pretty solid… we need the beats for the 3rd and 4th panels then… including the ahem punchline
Sent at 1:47 PM on Tuesday
kilian: i like gilgrim voicing the “pulverized by sheer force of will” line, and kilian throwing strauss a shirt….I think that could all be one panel
Sent at 1:59 PM on Tuesday
gilgrim: ok, so is that the last one then? panel 4?
Sent at 2:00 PM on Tuesday
kilian: from the e-mail I sent you, panels 1 and 2 could be combined, that would then leave the one that starts
“we’ve decided to sweeten the deal” as panel 2, then panel three would just be riccitiello on his knees in agony saying “my testicles!”
and then panel 4
Sent at 2:03 PM on Tuesday
gilgrim: ok - sounds very good
Sent at 2:05 PM on Tuesday
kilian: cool,
alright, i’m going to lunch now
gilgrim: so:
panel 1 - press ocnference-y thing
panel 2 - EA comes in with dialog
panel 3 - testicle damage
panel 4 - you and me and the shirt being given
Sent at 2:09 PM on Tuesday
kilian: Well, EA comes in in panel one, that’s were he says press conferency thing…then “sweetens deal” in panel two, then testicle damage in 3, then 4, yeah
gilgrim: ah, gotcha - this is why i asked
Sent at 2:12 PM on Tuesday
kilian: you want me to write a longer script and re-mail it?
gilgrim: sure it would help
kilian: OK, i’ll do that after I eat
gilgrim: k
Sent at 2:14 PM on Tuesday
kilian: OK, just sent the revised script
Sent at 2:58 PM on Tuesday
gilgrim: okey doke will look at it in one sec (posting GNoI)
Sent at 3:00 PM on Tuesday
gilgrim: looks good
Sent at 3:03 PM on Tuesday
kilian: cool, sorry, I was sending an e-mail to the division chair at chapman to get them to let me take a class a second time as an elective that fulfills a requirement for my program
damn that was wordy
but on the bright side, I only have one semester left after may
Sent at 3:11 PM on Tuesday
gilgrim: sweet!
Sent at 3:12 PM on Tuesday
gilgrim: putting it together right now
kilian: cool
LET THE PTP COMMENCE!
Sent at 3:24 PM on Tuesday
gilgrim: lol indeed
Sent at 3:26 PM on Tuesday
gilgrim: alrighty - now that’s how you use a lunchbreak, food is overrated ^__^ check your mailies when you get a chance, I just sent you a small gift…
and for the record, I am a fucking speed demon of webcomis! ha!
I was alos thinking of a title, I put in:
R U Down Wit’ PTP!

just a placeholder…
Sent at 4:23 PM on Tuesday
kilian: I’m fine with that…I couldn’t really think of one anyway
Sent at 4:26 PM on Tuesday
kilian: damn, you are the speed demon of webcomics! That looks awesome!
Sent at 4:28 PM on Tuesday
gilgrim: so, looks ok then?
Sent at 4:34 PM on Tuesday
kilian: totally
Sent at 4:35 PM on Tuesday
gilgrim: groovy, then I should be able to finish it and color it and all that good stuff by Friday
so we will have yet another webcomic up, live and O_O ontime(!)
Sent at 4:38 PM on Tuesday
kilian: clearly, we are in the end times!
gilgrim: lol - indeed

The Misfits - The Haunting