The Wii, in comic form

by Conrad Quilty-Harper { Apr 27th 2006 at 5:55PM }

We couldn't resist throwing together this little comic using Plasq's Comic Life application: Nintendo's recent announcement is great material for a casual gaming related webcomic. We can't wait to see what the rest of the web can chuck at us in this week's Weekly Webcomic Wrap-up.

You may be interested to know that wii bloggers at Joystiq are considering running an official Joystiq weekly webcomic. None of the Joystiq team have experience with comics (although we all claim to be creative types), so any advice you can give us regarding any aspect of comic creation would be very welcome! We've got the basic tools: Wacom tablet, a copy of Photoshop CS, a ton of free Blambot fonts and a desire to entertain -- but what "inside info" are we missing?

We'll make sure to list any advice we receive in this post as a guide for budding comic writers and artists in the same situation as us.

Tags: Comic, Joystiq comic, JoystiqComic, Nintendo Wii, NintendoWii, Webcomic, Wii

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Seer S @ Apr 27th 2006 5:58PM

Hi-res version?

RocketSeason @ Apr 27th 2006 5:58PM

Now THIS is entertainment. Wii Thank you Nintendo

fawazr @ Apr 27th 2006 5:59PM

So am I the only one that loves the flavor of the new name? It makes me think of a Zen-like relationship with games. With my Nintendo Wii, I will be like water: formless yet powerful and constantly flowing.

Tarzan @ Apr 27th 2006 6:01PM

No one cares. Late breaking news from Nintendo:

Introducing... pOOp.

As in "poop"

While the code-name "Revolution" expressed our direction, pOOp represents the answer.

pOOp will break down that wall that separates video game players from everybody else.

pOOp will put people more in touch with their games ... and each other. But you're probably asking: What does the name mean?

pOOp sounds like "troop" which emphasizes this console is for everyone.

pOOp can easily be remembered by people around the world, no matter what language they speak. No confusion. No need to abbreviate. Everybody poops.

pOOp has a distinctive "OO" spelling that symbolizes the shape left in the chairs after playing.

And pOOp, as a name and a console, brings something revolutionary to the world of video games that sets it apart from the crowd...a bad smell.

So that's pOOp, But now Nintendo needs to pEE.

Because, it's really not about pOOp or pEE.

Only pOOp.

And pOOp will change everything.

Breanna Styers @ Apr 27th 2006 6:01PM

hey that is grat than what i have at my house i have nothing to say.

jon again @ Apr 27th 2006 6:06PM

lol you changed wii to poop. Rofl! Lol! Poop!? How do you come up with this stuff?

gman @ Apr 27th 2006 6:15PM

that was amazing Tarzan...and i'm actually being serious...this whole ordeal is such a joke!!i honestly want what they(NOJ execs)are on!!

Babu @ Apr 27th 2006 6:16PM

for all you wii lads out there. My initial reaction on the official name is a mixture of pleasant thoughts based on subtle puns, and several life-threatening angry outbursts. After a few hours, this once-balanced mixture seems to cosist mainly of the latter.

Wii...

SALLY, PLEASE DONT BE SO ROUGH WITH MY WII!
hEY REBECCA, cAN YOU SLIP THE COVER OVER MY WEE? WOULDNT WANT IT TO GET DIRTY NOW!

MOM!!!! THERES SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY WII.

GREG, WHAT DID YOU DO LAST NIGHT? I PLAYED WITH MY WII ALL NIGHT!

OMG MOM, THE CAT IS CHEWING ON MY WII HALLLLLP!

OMG, LAST NIGHT LISA SAT ON MY WII! IT HASNT BEEN FUNCTIONING PROPERLY SINCE. OMG OMG

Babu @ Apr 27th 2006 6:19PM

OMG, TEH SKIN ON MY WEE IS RED! I HAVE TO PEEL IT BACK BEFORE I USE TEH HARD DRIVE LOL.

jeremy @ Apr 27th 2006 6:19PM

Everyone Poops by Taro Gomi

LK @ Apr 27th 2006 6:23PM

Personally, I didn't like the comic.

The joke was weak, and I really couldn't read the third panel or the document.

Jouten Za @ Apr 27th 2006 6:25PM

Being 'disruptive' is one thing for Nintendo, but then there's a limit. This is extreme. Too extreme. I hope they change it back. It's almost as flagrantly obnoxious as the Chuck Norris jokes that are going around... Anyone know if he's making millions off the publicity due to that?

spencer @ Apr 27th 2006 6:26PM

I wiip for Nintendo.

Fandel @ Apr 27th 2006 6:31PM

Okay, I asked some non gamer friends about the new name, they spent the last 10 minutes coming up with piss jokes. Now this is Nintendo's supposed demographic, and they are making fun Nintendo's new name. I never heard of the average person make fun of the "DS", or the "xbox 360", but everyone I talk to immediately connects the name wii with piss jokes.

Sorry guys, but Nintendo really messed up with this one. When you disclose the final name of your next generation console, and a large group of your supposed target demographic responds by making piss jokes, then Nintendo has bigger issues than whether their system is powerful enough, or whether that controller will fly.

Remember, the people saying that the DS stood for Deep S*** were just Sony fan boys. The average person never put those two words together. Neither did the average person ever make fun of the Xbox/Xbox360 name. My friends(who are not hard core gamers) immediately started to make piss jokes as soon as I told them of the new Nintendo system name. When you have people who don't give a shit who wins the next generation console war start to make fun of your system name, well then you got major branding issues.

It would be financially wise for Nintendo to change that name, fast!. If Nintendo is too stubborn to take that advice, then they will experience the same disaster that Sega experienced when they were too stubborn to listen too all the sound advice that they foolishly ignored back in 1995.

jon @ Apr 27th 2006 6:33PM

I've commented on this several times already...but this is just that bad. What the hell where they thinking. Why did folks at Nintendo North America not tell the folks in Japan that this is utterly rediculous??? Maybe they just didn't listen. Theres already a handfull of nails in Nintendos coffin.

Josh @ Apr 27th 2006 6:38PM

Everyone, stop with these Wii puns! It's already so old and bland! I'm tired of it, as must be so many others!

And about Chuck Norris, no, he didn't even know about any of this until a few months ago...

vdig @ Apr 27th 2006 6:49PM

We all knew Revolution would not stick with Nintendo Japan. I heard everyone lament about the name "Nintendo GO" when that name first popped up. Well, this is what we get - a name that makes GO look good. Let's face it, WII ... oh great. They are still sore about that thing in the 1940's. For those who can't see it, add a W.

Seriously though, I would expect this from the Japanese guys. They get all the weird TV anyways. Well, that and MTV. I wonder if they thought of the slang implications of that moniker. Oh well, perhaps it will have a different moniker here. After all, I do not have a Famicom; I have an NES, and I am still playing with power! Wwii!

jay @ Apr 27th 2006 6:52PM

I laugh and worry about the amount of people who still laugh at this level of toilet joke. Come to England, or better still, Scotland. Where pronouncing "Wii" makes something sound very small.

Kusanagi @ Apr 27th 2006 6:55PM

All I can say is call up narcotics, because I can guess they've been smoking some doobies.

"Hey, d00ds, you want some schmokes?"

"Yeah, this is some gewd stuff!"

"Hey, we need a new name for the Revolution!"

"How about d00bie?"

"No, even better...Wii..."

"HA HA HA...he said Wii..."

8'P

Sean @ Apr 27th 2006 7:00PM

You are all really funny! No, I mean it. Quit your day jobs and start touring right now.

Brian @ Apr 27th 2006 7:22PM

i think that if Wii is going to be the official name i still wouldnt call it that. I'd problably call it something cooler like "dubya deuce" or "double yu double ay".

doom3 @ Apr 27th 2006 7:22PM

Even if they change it I'll still call it a Wii...LOL
It's so freaking hillarious...LOL!
Yo thousands of gamers await the big night of Wii Wii's release. Long Wii lines have formed of disheartened shortage fearing gamers. Oh look the first hardcore gamer rushes home with his Wii clutched in hand. Ready for hour hours of fantastic tireing Wii fun.

Come play with nintendo's Wii
the most powerful wii we could muster! Two times better than Our hot box!
Wii now your playing with ummm excuss me-ziiiip! power

This is better than all your bases belong to us. Man this is a work of art man...LOL

And man the names for the japan released sounded so cool before this... Famicom.. super famicom... Super grafx.... Pc engine...

I mean I love the revolution but I own no stock in nintendo and if they really choose to play this name out then I'm sure they wanted us to make fun of it... other wise they wouldn't have release this info before e3. I mean it's going to be so hardcore that it's going to be simply hillarious...

EB sign with "We got your Wii right here"
!Hail the Wii!
Every one hold hands and sign about the Wii of all Wiis.

Well I don't care what nintendo calls it I will call it the very cool... Some one pay me dayum it!

Dub duce I
Dub UI Twi
DUB UI
DUB Prime
nintendo DUB- get it a copy of all of your favorites... D/Led
Nintendo Prime

Dubba duice I... Sounds alot more fly... Offically renamed if you don't want to sound so innocent and silly... Other wise expect the jokes... Every one wants to be a comedian.

Doom3 @ Apr 27th 2006 7:34PM

Downloadable universaly-interactive boardscating system...LOL DUB nintendo's Prime and Wii are all invited!

Ha Brian get out of my mind! Thats not cool... My firewall is up now! :P

I think all the cool people will cool it some thing cool... The name is quite transparent after you like or dislike it yet still like the idea that the rev brings to the table. I guess it's your choice to sound cool or silly now? It could have been worst though. Although a rename should be considered for those who buy video games to reestablish their coolness with their friends.
Dubii U-

Ed Andersen @ Apr 27th 2006 7:40PM

http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/2439/regiie1km.jpg

J.Aunty @ Apr 27th 2006 7:40PM

Nintendowy (adj) - To be Like Nintendo or acting in a similar manner. "That game is nintendowy," "after we had some shrooms we were Nintendowy" Origins: Nintendo's fifth console subtitles Wii, once combined with the main title the word is formed: Nintendowy.

MetaHuman @ Apr 27th 2006 7:44PM

The Sega-Nintendo comparison is awful. I won't go any further on it because your comparing a decade of debt, bankruptcy and financial failures in several markets (Console, Online, Arcade, portable) to the POSSIBILITY of a loss of popularity due to a name of a console that a company otherwise makes hundreds of millions every year.

As for advice, I've always been trying to do one but I'm too lazy to keep up with my current schedule. My main criticism would be to either make an aspect ratio that is actually readable on Joystiq (based on the width of the available space, it would have to be single panel or a really tall format) or redesign Joystiq so that it can actually fit, or it's probably easier to star clean on a non-pre-scripted site so you can do whatever you want.

Decide when you start:
--if you want it black&white or color (color is sharper and more vivid, but black&white can save a lot of time for more content)
--determine what kind of tone you want to approach your audience with (so the character design and written content mesh with normal Joystiq news/blogging and your audience's ability to recognize joke punchlines and other references)

It may sound simple but it can be very hard to single out a definite format and tone so it may take a few tries. Scott McCloud's UNDERSTANDING COMICS gives hints and points out advantages on a ton of decisions that are made when making a comic. All I can really say is good luck and I hope that it's funny.

ChrisDam @ Apr 27th 2006 8:01PM

Hey guys, time to grow up. Nintendo Fanboy mode on. Bunch of immature geeks calling it Piss and Pee. Who cares? Its their decision, if you dont like it then won't buy it because your nintendo has a "pee-pee" name, grow up. They have a great story behind it and yes it is different, its getting alot of talk, sure abour PISS and stuff but hell, you are all talking about it, mission complete.

Michael @ Apr 27th 2006 8:10PM

Remeber how the newscasters always used to refer to what's his name as "The entertainer formerly called Prince"?

How about:
"The game machine formerly called Revolution"

AoE @ Apr 27th 2006 8:11PM

MetaHuman, what are you talking about? Sega was at the top of their game in 1995, it was the Saturn, or rather thier poor business decisions surrounding it that put them into the financial ruin you're talking about. But you're right, it's not a fair comparison, Sega was doing comparatively much better finacially and in the game market at that period in thier history than Nintendo is now...

Either way, Nintendo MUST hate thier fanboys. How could one not hang one's head in shame? After all, who wants to talk about a long intense session sitting on thier couch, playing with thier wii? Just think, with the controler as it is, after particularly intense gaming sessions you'll probably work up a sweat from playing with your wii...

Nushio @ Apr 27th 2006 8:17PM

If they are Wiikly comics, count me in!

gameclu @ Apr 27th 2006 8:26PM

I'm just going to recycle what I wrote elsewhere...

Brilliant. Absolutely Brilliant.

The name is so ludicrous, people can't help themselves from talking about it. For the short term, everyone will make fun of the name. And by the time the jokes get old, everyone will have heard of the Wii, or the Wii Wii, or the Wiid Nintendo was smoking when they thought up that name. Brilliant.

Rare Hare @ Apr 27th 2006 8:28PM

jon again(#6) said: "lol you changed wii to poop. Rofl! Lol! Poop!? How do you come up with this stuff?"

well, if you had actually READ tarzan's post rather than just taking note of it and making the assumptions necessary to be an ass, you might have noticed that he did more than just change the name. he put at least some creativity and thought into the parody, which is more than i think you can say for your own comments..

I aint not god d@mn son of a B!tch @ Apr 27th 2006 8:29PM

Lets mix both....
Chuck Norris as written in the Bible is the only man to never have to Wii.

MetaHuman @ Apr 27th 2006 8:31PM

@ AoE

Stuff like having too much hardware and dropping support too quickly like CD, the Nomad, and 32X, the failure of American arcades in the late 90s, and that Online was hard to manage when Dreamcast was doing fine which caused them to throw a ton of money away. They were practically giving Sega.net subscribtions and Dreamcasts away FREE at a last-ditch attempt for attention. All failure is derived from bad business decisions.

NoA is AWARE that people are peeved but they are still holding out to a 'very special' E3 to fully elaborate on their approach. Success or not, Wii's time will come.

Heh, these jokes are probably funny. It would be great to see if they can emphasize substance over sheer sex appeal though. =p

Matthew @ Apr 27th 2006 8:35PM

You know what, whether people like the name Wii or not, it's got your attention. And ultimately, I'm guessing that's what Nintendo wants. This is actually, whether people realize it or not, really good for Nintendo.

Darkblade @ Apr 27th 2006 8:44PM

I found a comic to compete with Joystiq's. It's downright hilarious! The link is below.

http://revo-news.frih.net/?p=160

Josh @ Apr 27th 2006 8:58PM

Rare Hare, I wonder how serious you are... O.O;;

Oh, and about Wii...

Everyone keeps making "jokes" that involve a phrase like "play with my Wii". When have you EVER heard anyone say "play with my PS2" or "play with my GameCube". It just doesn't happen. We say "play PS2 games" and "play GameCube games", so why would we not say "play Wii games"?

Usually, we don't even mention the system, but only the game, and even then, we don't use "with".

"I'm gonna go play PS2..."
"I'm gonna go play Wii..."

See?

DCSimian @ Apr 27th 2006 9:10PM

Sigh...I just showed my cousin the news...he immediately burst out laughing and started with the "Wii" jokes...

*Sniff* I wanna believe but they make it sooo damn hard...

Myles @ Apr 27th 2006 9:11PM

Umm...howabout. "I'm looking for the Nintendo Wii. Do you have it in stock?" "Mom {name of younger brother} just broke my Nintendo Wii controller!" "Greg what did you do last night?" "I played my Nintendo Wii the whole night."

Yikes..

AoE @ Apr 27th 2006 9:17PM

Metahuman - You're correct, and with the exception of the decline of the american arcade market, everything that you mentioned can be viewed as poor decisions by an overconfident executive team. The dreamcast and it's associated products are a different case though, Sega was in dire straights already, the dreamcast was a last attempt at saving the company's console hardware business.

Now I wouldn't say that Nintendo's getting out of the hardware business anytime soon, but they're taking a lot of chances on the wii; there's a high chance it'll backfire on them, and if it does, well, then I think we'll see Nintendo's Dreamcast, as it were ;)

J B Cougar @ Apr 27th 2006 9:20PM

What's that sound? Oh right, that's me and most people getting used to the name, moving on, and leaving the little toilet joke people behind. But I can understand why it's so funny, I mean come on... it's almost like trying to name a digital music device after some kind of pod. That would never work either.

Saint Vegas @ Apr 27th 2006 9:55PM

Pee jokes have never made me laugh. Ever.

Strange name, but I'm not playing the system because the name is cool, I'm playing it because it won't explode like the Xbox 360.

X @ Apr 27th 2006 10:11PM

How does the iPod naming scheme comparable to Wii? How is "iPod" comparable to urine, and the expulsion of urine, in the way that "Wii" It's not! There's nothing rhyming with "iPod" coming out of my orifices!

The iPod name, while not everyone's favorite, is catchy and has no real detrimental other-word comparisons. As for Wii, despite the fact that the piss jokes are already old (3 mins after the announcement), is still an insanely ridiculous name, possibly the worst name in the entire history of product naming ever, in the whole entire universe, times infinity.

I just feel sorry for anyone buying a Wii - I hope you're prepared for a slew of piss jokes over this console's lifetime because, like it or not, you're gonna get them.

J. Leck @ Apr 27th 2006 10:12PM

Or, instead of the stale, overused "Wii = Wee" jokes, why don't you read this Game|Life blog entry over at Wired:

http://wiredblogs.tripod.com/games/index.blog?entry_id=1467976

Amazing! Who would have ever thought that Nintendo put some thought into coming up with this name? I mean, it's not like they're trying to appeal to more than one market or anything. Seriously, can you imagine how much difficulty the Japanese must have had with the Revolution?

(Warning: Japanese stereotype alert.)

What did Iwata-san call that? The Levorution?

(End of sterotype.)

Seriously, guys, wait more than 20 minutes before forming opinions. Then again, we're all gamers here, so that may be a little too much to ask.

Pikachelsea @ Apr 27th 2006 10:15PM

"The name is so ludicrous, people can't help themselves from talking about it."

Yeah, because that really worked for the Gizmondo and its utterly retarded name... O WAIT.

By that logic, they should really name it the Kool Krazy Klash (KKK), or maybe the Nintendo Buttmonkey Fartmachine. Oh man, so creative! So OUTRAGEOUS, you can't NOT buy one!

Pal @ Apr 27th 2006 10:19PM

Advice on webcomics (from an art student):

1. Work in 300dpi, save in 72dpi for upload. This way you can release a low and high-res version and not have pixelation issues (or if you ever want to print it).

2. Don't make the text too small. Keep in mind that some users have high-res displays while some still use 800x600. It's better to have a bigger font size than a smaller one: one size fits all mentality applies here.

3. Don't go crazy with gradients or filters.

4. Work in many, many layers and always keep the PSD (a given, right?).

5. Use simple colors. Too many clashing colors can repulse the reader. The comic above looks a bit radioactive -- it doesn't read so well.

6. Don't use more than two fonts in one comic. Three if it makes sense to have another.

7. Bold and Italics can be used in clever ways but don't over use it -- it will lose its effect.

Most of this stuff is understood but it's good stuff.

Jubei @ Apr 27th 2006 10:39PM

The name is so dumb, that you can't wait to see how stupid the machine will be. It's like my god, what the hell is the wii, I gotta see how much this sucks. Than you play it, and your like I love the will man, I gotta buy one. the name just makes you laugh, and its the biggest bait to hook in all people, especially those who want to have jokes about the system. It's brilliant marketing, for it has generated the biggest buzz since.... since wii.

N @ Apr 27th 2006 10:52PM

Someone from Japan would have no problem saying the Revolution. They would just say it as "Revorushan". The GameCube was "Gemu Kyubu" and Game Boy Advance is "Gemu Boi Adovansu". Wii is just shorter.

Madster @ Apr 27th 2006 10:57PM

I wish they had announced it at E3 to a big crowd and get roaring laughter back from them.

At least they'd realise how stupid this name is.

Remember Dolphin? N64. ugh.
Now Revolution -> Wii?
Somebody switch the branding guys with the codename guys please. They're backwards.