Mike Krahulik
Encyclopedia
Mike Krahulik is the artist for the popular webcomic
Penny Arcade
and co-founder with Jerry Holkins
of Child's Play
, a multimillion dollar charity that organizes toy drives for children's hospitals. He goes by the online moniker "Jon(athan) Gabriel" or "Gabe". He does not physically resemble his comic strip counterpart, as the character was not originally meant to represent him.
as a major influence on his drawing style. His style has dramatically changed since he began drawing Penny Arcade in 1998.
Krahulik has done promotional comics for Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six
and many other video games. He also provided the illustrations for the cover of Agent to the Stars
by John Scalzi
. In his early career he contributed artwork to the Daily Victim, a regular feature that used to run on GameSpy.com, totaling more than 300 illustrations.
regarding an email Krahulik had sent. The email was in response to an offer Thompson had made
to video game creators about creating an ultra-violent game based on a man whose son was murdered by a supposedly video game-influenced teen. Thompson claimed he would donate $10,000 towards a charity of former Take-Two Interactive
chairman Paul Eibeler
's choosing if the game was made (which it eventually was
). Krahulik, in the email, said he and fellow gamers had raised about half a million dollars toward charity. According to Krahulik, "Jack actually just called and screamed at me for a couple minutes. He said if I email him again I will 'regret it'. What a violent man."
Mike Krahulik, along with the rest of the Penny Arcade staff, later opted to "step in" for Jack Thompson. Thompson refused to donate $10,000 to charity because he considered the game put forth to meet his challenge subpar. He also claimed that his proposal was satirical and not a serious offer. Penny Arcade donated the money in his stead to the Electronic Software Association Foundation with the note, "For Jack Thompson, because Jack Thompson won't".
Mike is also featured in the Dungeons & Dragons
podcast
, playing the infamous "Jim Darkmagic (of the New Hampshire Darkmagics)." He and Penny Arcade writer Jerry Holkins
had the opportunity to play the new release of Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition in Seattle for a day with Chris Perkins from Wizards of the Coast
, Scott Kurtz of PvP
, and Wil Wheaton
.
Along with Holkins, Krahulik was included on the 2010 Time 100
for their work on Penny Arcade.
He was also tasked with designing and drawing advertisements, promotional artwork, and pre-order bonuses of several video games, including Assassin's Creed: Revelations
, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
, and others, mostly from Ubisoft
. He and Holkins have archived these projects and keep them within their web page in .
Webcomic
Webcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....
Penny Arcade
Penny Arcade (webcomic)
Penny Arcade is a webcomic focused on video games and video game culture, written by Jerry Holkins and illustrated by Mike Krahulik. The comic debuted in 1998 on the website loonygames.com. Since then, Holkins and Krahulik have established their own site, which is typically updated with a new comic...
and co-founder with Jerry Holkins
Jerry Holkins
Keith Gerald "Jerry" Holkins né Parkinson is the writer of the webcomic Penny Arcade and co-founder of Child's Play, a multimillion dollar charity that organizes toy drives for children's hospitals...
of Child's Play
Child's Play (charity)
Child's Play is a charitable organization founded by the authors of the popular computer and video games-based webcomic Penny Arcade that organizes worldwide toy drives to children's hospitals. Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins founded Child's Play in 2003 to improve the lives of sick children by...
, a multimillion dollar charity that organizes toy drives for children's hospitals. He goes by the online moniker "Jon(athan) Gabriel" or "Gabe". He does not physically resemble his comic strip counterpart, as the character was not originally meant to represent him.
Work
Krahulik credits cartoonist Stephen SilverStephen Silver
Stephen Silver is a professional artist, cartoonist and character designer. He is best known as the lead character designer for animated series such as Kim Possible and Danny Phantom.-History:...
as a major influence on his drawing style. His style has dramatically changed since he began drawing Penny Arcade in 1998.
Krahulik has done promotional comics for Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six is a tactical shooter computer game and the first in the Rainbow Six series. It was developed and published by Red Storm Entertainment for the PC in 1998. It was later ported to Mac OS, Nintendo 64, PlayStation, Dreamcast and Game Boy Color. An expansion pack, Tom Clancy's...
and many other video games. He also provided the illustrations for the cover of Agent to the Stars
Agent to the Stars
Agent to the Stars is an 1997 by John Scalzi. It is also available in a hardback version from 2005. It was originally written as a "shareware" novel. A limited edition was published in 2005 by Subterranean Press, with a cover by Mike Krahulik of Penny Arcade fame. An audiobook version narrated by...
by John Scalzi
John Scalzi
John Michael Scalzi II is an American author and online writer, and president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. He is best known for his Hugo Award-nominated science fiction novel Old Man's War, released by Tor Books in January 2005, and for his blog , at which he has written...
. In his early career he contributed artwork to the Daily Victim, a regular feature that used to run on GameSpy.com, totaling more than 300 illustrations.
Publicity
Krahulik has been in press online, thanks to hostile phone calls from Jack ThompsonJack Thompson (attorney)
John Bruce "Jack" Thompson is an American activist and disbarred attorney, based in Coral Gables, Florida. Thompson is known for his role as an anti-video-game activist, particularly against violence and sex in video games....
regarding an email Krahulik had sent. The email was in response to an offer Thompson had made
A Modest Video Game Proposal
A Modest Video Game Proposal is the title of an open letter sent by activist/former attorney Jack Thompson to members of the press and to Entertainment Software Association president Doug Lowenstein on October 10, 2005...
to video game creators about creating an ultra-violent game based on a man whose son was murdered by a supposedly video game-influenced teen. Thompson claimed he would donate $10,000 towards a charity of former Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a major American publisher, developer, and distributor of video games and video game peripherals. Take-Two wholly owns 2K Games and Rockstar Games. The company's headquarters are in New York City, with international headquarters in Windsor, United Kingdom...
chairman Paul Eibeler
Paul Eibeler
-Early life:Eibler was born July 26, 1955 in Hicksville, New York. He attended Holy Trinity High School where he excelled in basketball and this enabled him to earn an athletic scholarship to Loyola College of Maryland...
's choosing if the game was made (which it eventually was
I'm O.K - A Murder Simulator
I'm O.K – A Murder Simulator is a video game which was released as a free download by a group of people proclaiming themselves to be "3 alcoholics and a foreign exchange student" calling themselves "Thompsonsoft"...
). Krahulik, in the email, said he and fellow gamers had raised about half a million dollars toward charity. According to Krahulik, "Jack actually just called and screamed at me for a couple minutes. He said if I email him again I will 'regret it'. What a violent man."
Mike Krahulik, along with the rest of the Penny Arcade staff, later opted to "step in" for Jack Thompson. Thompson refused to donate $10,000 to charity because he considered the game put forth to meet his challenge subpar. He also claimed that his proposal was satirical and not a serious offer. Penny Arcade donated the money in his stead to the Electronic Software Association Foundation with the note, "For Jack Thompson, because Jack Thompson won't".
Mike is also featured in the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
, playing the infamous "Jim Darkmagic (of the New Hampshire Darkmagics)." He and Penny Arcade writer Jerry Holkins
Jerry Holkins
Keith Gerald "Jerry" Holkins né Parkinson is the writer of the webcomic Penny Arcade and co-founder of Child's Play, a multimillion dollar charity that organizes toy drives for children's hospitals...
had the opportunity to play the new release of Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition in Seattle for a day with Chris Perkins from Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
, Scott Kurtz of PvP
PvP
PvP, also known as Player vs Player, is a webcomic, written and drawn by Scott Kurtz, with around 100,000 unique visitors per day . On February 1, 2007, it became the subject of its own animated series.-Themes:...
, and Wil Wheaton
Wil Wheaton
Richard William "Wil" Wheaton III is an American actor and writer. As an actor, he is best known for his portrayals of Wesley Crusher on the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, Gordie Lachance in the film Stand by Me and Joey Trotta in Toy Soldiers...
.
Along with Holkins, Krahulik was included on the 2010 Time 100
Time 100
Time 100 is an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, as assembled by Time. First published in 1999 as a result of a debate among several academics, the list has become an annual event.-History and format:...
for their work on Penny Arcade.
He was also tasked with designing and drawing advertisements, promotional artwork, and pre-order bonuses of several video games, including Assassin's Creed: Revelations
Assassin's Creed: Revelations
Assassin's Creed: Revelations is a video game in the Assassin's Creed franchise developed and published by Ubisoft Montreal. The game was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on November 15, 2011. For Microsoft Windows, the game is delayed until December 2, 2011...
, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is the third game in the Uncharted series, created by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation 3, and was released in North America on November 1, 2011, Europe on November 2, 2011 and Australia on November 3, 2011. It is the sequel to 2009's Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. It was...
, and others, mostly from Ubisoft
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
. He and Holkins have archived these projects and keep them within their web page in .