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| Jerry Holkins | |
|---|---|
| Name | Jerry Holkins |
| Birth date | 1973 |
| Birth place | Mesa, Arizona, United States |
| Occupation | Writer, playwright, podcaster, webcomic creator |
| Notable works | Penny Arcade, Acquisitions Incorporated, The Touching of the Sphinx |
| Years active | 1998–present |
Jerry Holkins
Jerry Holkins is an American writer, playwright, podcaster, and co-creator of the webcomic known for blending video game culture, tabletop role-playing, and satirical commentary. He rose to prominence alongside a longtime collaborator through an influential online comic strip, expanded into live performance, tabletop actual-play productions, and philanthropy within the gaming community. Holkins's work connects communities across digital platforms, conventions, and theatrical stages.
Holkins was born in Mesa, Arizona, and grew up in the American Southwest amid communities tied to Phoenix, Arizona and Tempe, Arizona. He attended local schools before enrolling at the University of Houston, where he studied English and became involved with campus publications and theater groups linked to the Houston Chronicle-era cultural scene. During his university years he formed creative partnerships with peers who would later collaborate on projects at venues including PAX (event) and Gen Con. His formative experiences included exposure to early internet culture, bulletin board systems, and regional conventions such as E3 (video game conference) precursors.
Holkins's career began in journalism and editorial roles, writing about games, culture, and performance for outlets and publications intersecting with the Independent Games Festival circuit and regional magazines. He transitioned from print to web-based content as broadband expansion and platforms like LiveJournal and early webcomics hosts enabled serialized storytelling. Over time he moved into theatrical production, writing scripts for stage adaptations and collaborating with professional gaming studios, theatrical troupes, and convention organizers associated with Dragon Con and SXSW. His professional network expanded to include figures from the Wizards of the Coast community, the Make-A-Wish Foundation philanthropic circles, and members of the indie game development community.
Holkins co-created the long-running webcomic that became a focal point for gaming culture, technology discourse, and convention organizing alongside an artist partner who handled illustration duties. The comic launched in the late 1990s and rapidly gained readership across forums tied to Game Developers Conference, BlizzCon, and the emergent esports scene exemplified by organizations such as Team Liquid and Major League Gaming. Holkins used the platform to comment on titles and studios including Valve Corporation, Blizzard Entertainment, Nintendo, Sony Interactive Entertainment, and Microsoft; to critique industry events like E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo); and to champion independent creators from the Independent Games Festival roster. The brand expanded into podcasting and livestreams on services like Twitch (service) and YouTube, while maintaining an archive that intersected with archives of The New York Times tech columns and genre journalism outlets such as Kotaku and Polygon.
Beyond the webcomic, Holkins authored stage plays and comic scripts that bridged theatrical conventions and interactive role-playing tropes. His work has been staged at conventions including Gen Con and festivals such as Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and featured collaborations with theater companies and improvisational groups from Chicago, Illinois and New York City. Holkins wrote narrative content that referenced properties and cultural touchstones like Dungeons & Dragons, World of Warcraft, and Magic: The Gathering, and he partnered with playwrights and directors with ties to Second City alumni and Broadway-adjacent producers. Several scripts evolved into live actual-play performances that toured convention circuits alongside celebrity guests from the tabletop and video game industries.
Holkins contributed to game design discourse and narrative development for independent and studio-backed projects, consulting with developers at studios such as Obsidian Entertainment, Troika Games alumni, and indie teams associated with the Independent Games Festival. He participated in promotional campaigns, voice acting, and narrative consultancy for titles discussed at PAX (event) panels and published coverage in outlets like IGN and GameSpot. Holkins also collaborated with tabletop publishers linked to Wizards of the Coast and Paizo Publishing on modules and special events, and worked with crowdfunding platforms that propelled projects related to the webcomic's IP into limited-edition releases and expansions. His partnerships extended to musicians, illustrators, and designers from the Role-Playing Game Association network.
Holkins resides in the Pacific Northwest region and has been active in philanthropic initiatives, most notably co-founding and supporting charitable efforts that raised funds for healthcare and pediatric causes through gaming and convention-driven campaigns. He has championed causes connected to Child's Play (charity), disaster relief efforts tied to events such as the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami responses within the gaming community, and public-awareness campaigns around creator rights and internet freedom discussed alongside organizations like Electronic Frontier Foundation. Holkins has been a frequent panelist and speaker at conventions including PAX (event), Gen Con, and Dragon Con, advocating for creator communities, accessibility in gaming events, and support structures for independent creators.
Category:American writers Category:Webcomic creators Category:Living people