GU Comics
Encyclopedia
GU Comics is a single panel webcomic
written, drawn, and colored by William "Woody" Hearn. Established July 10, 2000 and launched August 15, 2000, GU is published, free, five times a week on its own web site (hosted by the SafeHouse). The comic focuses on a single video game such as World of Warcraft
; but, it also comments on gaming industry and community news, often lampooning gamers in general through the adventures of Hearn and his fictional roommate, Ted, and occasionally parodies contemporary social, political, and personal issues related to the online and general video game world.
On February 5, 2003, signifying the move to the Safehouse and a shift in interest to the wider gaming world rather than focusing specifically on Everquest
, the slash and ellipses were officially dropped from the GU logo. As of April 9, 2007 the format of the comic was shifted from 300x465 to 600x450. Along with the format shift the logo, and comic type sub-text was removed from the strip.
-approved PR pieces for various games, including Vanguard: Saga of Heroes
. GU Comics has been featured in many online webzines and print media, including Gamespy, Joystiq, GamePolitics.com, MMORPG.Com, MMORPGamer, Computer Games Magazine, Der Spielekurier, and the film Avatars Offline. Several GUComics relevant to World of Warcraft
were referenced in the official Community News of World of Warcraft Europe.
Hearn has been invited to visit the studios of Sony Online Entertainment
, Sigil Games, Mythic Entertainment
, and NetDevil
, was a yearly press attendee at E3, was invited as a guest of honor to Blizzard Entertainment
's BlizzCon
to serve on a panel with the creators of Penny Arcade
and PvP
, and is a yearly participant/guest of honor ConnectiCon
.
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....
written, drawn, and colored by William "Woody" Hearn. Established July 10, 2000 and launched August 15, 2000, GU is published, free, five times a week on its own web site (hosted by the SafeHouse). The comic focuses on a single video game such as World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
; but, it also comments on gaming industry and community news, often lampooning gamers in general through the adventures of Hearn and his fictional roommate, Ted, and occasionally parodies contemporary social, political, and personal issues related to the online and general video game world.
History
GU Comics was first released to a small group of friends on July 10, 2000. Then known as "/gu ...", the original comics were set inside the MMOG fantasy world of Everquest and centered around the in-game antics of the artist and members of his guild (Purifying Light on Vallon Zek). Intended only as a hobby, the comic's link was passed around to various Everquest related community sites (Evercrest.Com being chief among them). On July 25, GU was contacted by the GameFan/Game Answer Network with an offer of affiliation and a proposal to go "live". Now hosted on the GameFan/Game Answer Network, GU was released for wide public consumption August 15, 2000. The response was swift and significant. Since its inception GU has change hosts for various reasons. February 4, 2003, GU moved to its current home: the Safehouse.On February 5, 2003, signifying the move to the Safehouse and a shift in interest to the wider gaming world rather than focusing specifically on Everquest
EverQuest
EverQuest, often shortened to EQ, is a 3D fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game that was released on the 16th of March, 1999. The original design is credited to Brad McQuaid, Steve Clover, and Bill Trost...
, the slash and ellipses were officially dropped from the GU logo. As of April 9, 2007 the format of the comic was shifted from 300x465 to 600x450. Along with the format shift the logo, and comic type sub-text was removed from the strip.
Public Appearances
GU Comics had featured costume contests for its readers for Halloween, unofficial gatherings at various conventions, gaming trade shows, and the Texas Renaissance Festival. In addition, Hearn had been invited to review the development of and write NDANDA
NDA is an abbreviation that may refer to:* National Dance Association, the oldest American organization for dance education* National Defence Academy , a military academy in India...
-approved PR pieces for various games, including Vanguard: Saga of Heroes
Vanguard: Saga of Heroes
Vanguard: Saga of Heroes is a high fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game created by Sigil Games Online, and now developed and run by Sony Online Entertainment. Originally, the game was co-published by Sony Online Entertainment , and the company producing it, Sigil Games...
. GU Comics has been featured in many online webzines and print media, including Gamespy, Joystiq, GamePolitics.com, MMORPG.Com, MMORPGamer, Computer Games Magazine, Der Spielekurier, and the film Avatars Offline. Several GUComics relevant to World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
were referenced in the official Community News of World of Warcraft Europe.
Hearn has been invited to visit the studios of Sony Online Entertainment
Sony Online Entertainment
Sony Online Entertainment is a game development and game publishing division of Sony that is best known for creating massively multiplayer online games, including EverQuest, EverQuest II, The Matrix Online, PlanetSide, Star Wars Galaxies, Free Realms, and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, DC Universe...
, Sigil Games, Mythic Entertainment
Mythic Entertainment
BioWare Mythic is a computer game developer in Fairfax, Virginia which is most widely recognized for developing the 2001 massively multiplayer online role-playing game Dark Age of Camelot...
, and NetDevil
NetDevil
NetDevil, owned by Gazillion Entertainment, was an American developer of massively multiplayer online role-playing games in Louisville, Colorado.- Beginnings :...
, was a yearly press attendee at E3, was invited as a guest of honor to Blizzard Entertainment
Blizzard Entertainment
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher founded on February 8, 1991 under the name Silicon & Synapse by three graduates of UCLA, Michael Morhaime, Allen Adham and Frank Pearce and currently owned by French company Activision Blizzard...
's BlizzCon
BlizzCon
"BlizzCon" is an annual convention held by Blizzard Entertainment to celebrate their major franchises: Warcraft, StarCraft and Diablo...
to serve on a panel with the creators of 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 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 is a yearly participant/guest of honor ConnectiCon
ConnectiCon
ConnectiCon is an annual massively multi-genre convention dedicated to "a celebration of pop culture - everything from anime, to science fiction, comic books and card games." Past guests of honor have included popular North American voice actors for anime and video games such as Carlos Ferro and...
.
Interviews
- Planet EQ: "Kwill's Interview with Woody Hearn of GU Comics"
- The SafeHouse: "Woody Hearn Interview"
- TenTonHammer: The Vanguardian #3 - "Woody of GU Comics, A Man of Many Loves"
- Tux and Bunny: "A little bit of Insanity five days a week:"
- Avatar's Offline: "MMOG Documentary (2002)"