Penny Arcade: Pulling ‘Dickwolves’ Merchandise a Mistake

Even after a successful weekend in Seattle, Penny Arcade, the organization behind popular gaming webcomics, journalism, and conventions, has run into further controversy. A comic titled “the Sixth Slave,” which debuted back in 2010 with a rape joke that rubbed more than a few people the wrong way, has once again reared its ugly head in the media. The phrase "raped to sleep by the dickwolves” appeared in the strip, and instead of simply apologizing for the bizarre messaging after the community protested the remark, members of Penny Arcade argued that no one rapes another person because of a joke.

Unfortunately, it didn’t stop there. Perpetuated arguments led to the release of “Team Dickwovles” t-shirts by Penny Arcade, with the argument that the comic includes "an imaginary person… raped imaginarily by a mythological creature whose every limb was an erect phallus." The merchandise was soon pulled, but the arguing continued to take place on message boards.

Fast forward to 2013, and the issue has again appeared in the spotlight. During the last day of PAX Prime, Penny Arcade artist Mike Krahulik said at a panel that he thought "pulling the dickwolves merchandise was a mistake," while Robert Khoo, the company's President of Business Development, agreed. Khoo simply called it "a way of engaging," but now they steer clear of “these types of things.”

It’s a topic few people want to continue discussing, but with this happening just yesterday, don’t expect the “Dickwolves” debate to leave without at least a few more spirited defenses. 

Source: NewStatesman