'Penny Arcade' duo crack TIME 100 influential list

"PENNY ARCADE": TIME 100 LIST for 2010

Mike Krahulik (left) and Jerry Holkins.

Even Time magazine recognizes the power of the "Penny."

Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins, the creators and shepherds of the "PENNY ARCADE" webcomic empire, crack the "Artists" lineup in the magazine's just-announced list of TIME 100 influential people who "most affect our world."

Time writes of the Washington state natives: "They probably would have gone pretty far in whatever field they went into, but the field they went into was drawing an online comic strip about video games."

Comic Riffs noted two weeks ago that Krahulik (the artist) and Holkins (the writer) were among the leaders in Time's fan voting for the list.

According to Time, the thrice-a-week webcomic about gamers Gabe and Tycho has about 3.5-million readers. Earlier this year, "Penny Arcade" won the Comic Riffs reader poll as "Best Webcomic of the Decade."

Time notes not only the creative accomplishment of the webcomic, but also "Penny Arcade's" cultural influence, noting its massive multi-day PAX conventions and its charity Child's Play.

"Avatar" filmmaker James Cameron and his Oscar-winning ex-wife Kathyrn Bigelow ("The Hurt Locker") also made the list of 25 artists, which included such staples as Oprah Winfrey and newcomer Lady Gaga. Among the candidates who fell short in the reader voting were Neil Gaiman, Seth MacFarlane and the creators of "Lost."

Time's "Penny Arcade" piece is written by Lev Grossman, the journalist/novelist noted partly for his coverage of gaming culture.

COMING SOON: The Comic Riffs interview with "Penny Arcade" artist Mike Krahulik.