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{{short description|Video game webcomic}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2013}}
{{Infobox comic strip
| title = [[File:Pvplogo.png|PvP]]
| image =
| caption = Player vs Player
| author = [[Scott Kurtz]], Dylan Meconis
| url = {{URL|www.toonhoundstudios.com/pvp/}}
| atom =
| status = Unscheduled<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pvponline.com/news/proof-of-life|title=PVP - News}}</ref>
| syndicate =
| publisher =
| first = {{Start date|1998|05|04}}<ref name="mon-may-04" group="#"/>
| last =
| genre = [[Video game webcomic|Video games]], fantasy, [[geek culture]]
| rating =
| preceded by =
| followed by =
}}
'''''PvP''''', also known as '''''Player vs Player''''', is an American [[video game webcomic]], written and drawn by [[Scott Kurtz]]. It was launched on May 4, 1998. The webcomic follows the events at a fictional [[video game magazine]] company, featuring many [[running gags]] and references with a focus on [[nerd culture]]. Dylan Meconis was added as a co-writer in 2013.<ref>{{cite web | url =http://comicsworthreading.com/2013/05/13/pvp-brings-on-co-writer-dylan-meconis/ | work =Comics Worth Reading | title =PvP Brings on Co-Writer | url-status =dead | archive-url =https://archive.today/20130905161050/http://comicsworthreading.com/2013/05/13/pvp-brings-on-co-writer-dylan-meconis/ | archive-date =September 5, 2013 | df =mdy-all }}</ref>
By 2005, ''PvP'' was receiving around 100,000 unique visitors per day,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://extremetracking.com/open;sum?tag=pvptoon | work = eXTReMe Tracking | title = PvP}}</ref> and the webcomic has seen various print releases. On February 1, 2007, it became the subject of its own [[animated series]].
In 2020, the strip was rebooted, jumping forward in time 15 years,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-05-19|title=After 22 Years, Scott Kurtz Just Rebooted Seminal Gaming Webcomic PvP|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/games/comics/pvp-comic-reboot-scott-kurtz/|access-date=2020-09-21|website=pastemagazine.com|language=en}}</ref> though it later reverted to the original time period.<ref>{{Cite web|title=PVP - 2021-12-13|url=http://pvponline.com/comic/2021-12-13|access-date=2022-01-18|website=pvponline.com}}</ref>
On 2022-02-22, Kurtz announced on his blog that he was temporarily dialing back his daily work on ''PvP'' to concentrate on an upcoming book series based on ''Table |Titans''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pvponline.com/news/proof-of-life|title=PVP - News}}</ref>
There have been no new comics since 2022-09-16, when Kurtz locked all comics predating 2021 to Patreon subscribers only.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.toonhoundstudios.com/category/blog/page/3/|title=Welcome to Toonhoundstudios.com}}</ref> On 2024-10-24, Kurtz removed the Patreon login requirements for reading the PvP and Table Titans archives.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.toonhoundstudios.com/the-archives-are-once-again-open|title=The Archives are once again open!}}</ref>
==Themes==
The comic chronicles the adventures of a fictional video game magazine company (later to become a video game publisher) and its employees. It features many running gags that are actually references to running gags from other media (television programs, films, games, cartoons, etc.). A popular but often controversial figure in the field of online comics, Kurtz is usually willing to share his opinions about comics and gaming culture in his blog, which is hosted on the same website as his comic strips.
Originally, ''PvP'' focused on video gaming and the larger "[[nerd]] culture" including comics and [[Role-playing game|RPGs]]. [[1UP.com]] described it as one of the first game-based comics, but not the original, saying, "neither Scott Kurtz's PvP nor Jerry Holkins and Michael Krahulik's [[Penny Arcade]] were the first gaming-themed webcomic on the Internet."<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3145208&did=1 | title = Will Strip for Games | work = [[1UP.com]] | first = Nich | last = Maragos | date = July 11, 2005 | access-date = March 11, 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927203151/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3145208&did=1 | archive-date = September 27, 2007 | url-status = dead | df = mdy-all }}</ref> Over the years, the humor has broadened to include technology jokes, relationship humor, in-jokes about and mocking of the [[generation gap]]s between the different characters, with gaming increasingly taking a back seat. Kurtz occasionally comes under fire for his satire. Sometimes Kurtz will speak of his father's open disdain for the strip.<ref group="p">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/2008/05/13/state-of-the-union-post-seattle/ | title = State of the union: post Seattle | date = May 13, 2008 | work = PvP Blog | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 11, 2009 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090305041148/http://www.pvponline.com/2008/05/13/state-of-the-union-post-seattle/ | archive-date = March 5, 2009 | df = mdy-all }}</ref>
In 2013, Kurtz created a spin-off comic ''[[Table Titans]]''. It features the characters Andrew, Alan, and Valerie (who have appeared in PvP comics), and chronicles their adventures while playing [[Dungeons & Dragons]]. Kurtz wanted to write fantasy comic that "captured the spirit and joy of tabletop roleplaying." Kurtz collaborated with [[Wizards of the Coast]] as a marketing partnership to run ''Table Titans'', and Steve Hamaker was brought on to color some of the comics. Season 4 of ''Table Titans'' was drawn by Brian Hurtt, and Tavis Maiden also worked on a project in the ''Table Titans'' universe.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/matt-chats-scott-kurtz-on-commanding-his-table-titans/|work=[[Comics Beat]]|title=MATT CHATS: Webcomics Wizard Scott Kurtz on Commanding His "Table Titans"|last=O'Keefe|first=Matt|date=2015-04-28}}</ref>
==Characters==
{{Multiple issues|section=yes|
{{update|section|date=November 2012}}
{{Overly detailed|date=December 2015|section=yes}}
{{Primary sources|section|date=December 2015}}
}}
[[File:PVPdukes.png|frame|Cole and Brent in one of several ''[[Dukes of Hazzard]]'' scenes]]
===Cole Richards===
The boss. Friends with Brent since high school, Cole started ''PVP'' magazine as the business manager with Brent responsible for the creative and graphical content. A committed family man, he has a rather loose grasp of new technology<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2004/01/22/thu-jan-22/ | title = Thu Jan 22 | date = January 22, 2004 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 12, 2009}}</ref> and is often nostalgic for 1980s pop culture.<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2005/05/11/wed-may-11/ | title = Wed May 11 | date = May 11, 2005 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 12, 2009}}</ref> Cole is (relatively speaking) the [[wiktionary:Straight man|straight man]] of the group and the one most likely to insist on actually making the magazine, though is not above joining the others' schemes. He is also insecure about his position in the magazine, he has expressed fear of becoming unnecessary.
Cole had a longstanding "rivalry" with Max Powers who ran ''Powerplay Games'' (formerly ''Powerplay Magazine''); in reality Max has never done anything to Cole, but Cole was extremely jealous of Max's success. Cole for a brief time was forced to merge the two companies when he could no longer afford to run the magazine on his own.<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2005/04/01/fri-apr-01/ | title = Fri Apr 01 | date = April 1, 2005 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 12, 2009}}</ref> However, when Cole came into a large sum of money from the World Wildlife Fund to house the [[giant panda]] that lives in the PvP offices (which attacks Brent throughout the series), he bought out Max's side of the partnership.<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2007/12/01/pandamonium-part-18/ | title = Pandamonium – Part 18 | date = December 1, 2007 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 12, 2009}}</ref>
Cole spent much of the series run married to Donna, though mentions having problems with his marriage in 2008.<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2008/01/24/fire-away/ | title = Fire away | date = January 24, 2008 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 12, 2009}}</ref> This ended some time later with a divorce which he refers to in 2011, although it is not covered by the strip.<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2011/01/10/breaking-up-is-hard-to-prove/ | title = Breaking Up Is Hard To Prove | date = January 10, 2011 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = January 10, 2011}}</ref>
===Brent Sienna===
Creative director of the magazine, Brent's name was originally inspired by the [[Crayola]] [[crayon]] color "[[Burnt sienna|Burnt Sienna]]." His full name is Brently Irving Sienna. Brent is a pompous, sarcastic, cynical intellectual snob, with a fanatical devotion to [[Apple Inc.|Apple Computer]] products. He drives a [[Mini (BMW)|Mini Cooper]] as a "statement" and drinks Starbucks coffee, which he admits he drinks because it makes him cool. Brent tried unsuccessfully to give up coffee in a story arc during early 2005.<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2005/02/19/feb-19-2005/ | title = Feb 19, 2005 | date = February 19, 2005 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 13, 2009}}</ref>
A running gag in the strip is that whenever the words "Panda," "Panda Attack," or "Giant Panda" or any variation thereof are spoken, Brent is immediately mauled by the Giant Panda that lives in the walls of the PvP offices.<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2004/03/21/sun-mar-21/ | title = Sun Mar 21 | date = March 21, 2004 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 13, 2009}}</ref> Brent got revenge in the August 6, 2005 strip when he mauled the panda in a parallel universe.<ref name="sat-aug-06" group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2005/08/06/sat-aug-06/ | title = Sat Aug 06 | date = August 6, 2005 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 13, 2009}}</ref>
Brent virtually always wore sunglasses in the strip—going so far as to pick up a loaner set of sunglasses while his were "in the shop"<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2006/09/19/september-19-2006/ | title = September 19, 2006 | date = September 19, 2006 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 13, 2009}}</ref>—although later strips show Brent's eyes over the tops of his sunglasses. Brent claims he wore the shades because any woman that looks in his eyes falls in love with him.<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2006/05/17/may-17-2006/ | title = May 17, 2006 | date = May 17, 2006 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 13, 2009}}</ref> Constantly wearing sunglasses made Brent's eyes extremely sensitive to sunlight – after removing his sunglasses at his wedding, he was (temporarily) blinded.<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2008/05/06/loveblind/ | title = Loveblind | date = May 6, 2008 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 13, 2009}}</ref> Eventually Brent stopped wearing his sunglasses altogether, after years of wearing them began to negatively affect his eyesight. Instead he exchanged his shades for regular prescription glasses. However, after realizing that he was losing his cool factor, Jade has allowed him to occasionally wear his sunglasses again.
Brent is an avid consumer of Apple computers and products. He refuses to use PCs and considers [[Microsoft]] to be evil, even forbidding the use of PCs in his house.<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2004/01/14/wed-jan-14/ | title = Wed Jan 14 | date = January 14, 2004 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 13, 2009}}</ref> He is a founding member of an Apple fanatics group called The Honorable Order of Macintosh Operators (or H.O.M.O. – the name is a running gag in the strip).
Although Brent is not a gamer, unlike the rest of the staff, he does occasionally play ''[[World of Warcraft]]'' with H.O.M.O. (as well as with Jade), and played ''[[City of Heroes]]'' with Cole, Francis, and Skull as part of the ''City of Heroes'' special edition comic packed with the game, as well as its counterpart, ''[[City of Villains]]'' in a later strip seen on the site, but neither game has been referenced beyond those strips. Before he discovered Apple, Brent was a closet [[Amiga]] fanatic.<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/1998/08/24/mon-aug-24/ | title = Mon Aug 24 | date = August 24, 1998 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 13, 2009}}</ref>
Brent married his longtime girlfriend and co-worker Jade in a lavish ceremony marking the strip's ten-year anniversary.<ref name="the-vows" group="#"/> The two began dating after Jade found out that Francis was pretending to be a woman named "Sasha" while chatting online with Brent.<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/1998/06/22/mon-jun-22/ | title = Mon Jun 22 | date = June 22, 1998 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 13, 2009}}</ref> Jade found out about it and decided to take over as "Sasha" to let Brent down easy,<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/1998/06/24/wed-jun-24/ | title = Wed Jun 24 | date = June 24, 1998 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 13, 2009}}</ref> but eventually fell in love with him. Brent proposed at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] after a convoluted scheme whereby some [[Imperial stormtrooper|stormtroopers]] "kidnapped" Jade and had her dress up as [[Princess Leia]]. Brent "rescued" her, dressed as [[Han Solo]].<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2007/08/21/aug-21-2007/ | title = Aug 21, 2007 | date = August 21, 2007 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 13, 2009}}</ref>
===Jade Sienna===
A columnist, and Brent's wife. She plays [[Massively multiplayer online role-playing game|MMORPG]]-style games such as ''[[EverQuest]]'' and ''[[World of Warcraft]]'', and also chats online with friends she's made in the series.
Along with Cole, Jade often plays the straight-man of the group and is often the voice of reason compared to the rest of the cast. However, she was not always the good and moral figure that she appears to be. In high school, she and her friend Sam were caught stealing the answers to their chemistry final. Jade also took her stepfather's car without permission, and was subsequently charged with robbery by her stepfather in order to teach her a lesson.<ref name="fri-oct-20" group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2006/10/20/oct-20-2006/ | title = Fri Oct 20 | date = October 20, 2006 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 13, 2009}}</ref> Brent and Francis were delighted to learn this, since they tend to be the ones whose antics cause Jade to roll her eyes in contempt. Jade attempted to return to her old deviant ways after this revelation, but realized she didn't enjoy it as much as she once did.
Although considered a feminist, Jade's desire to be treated as an equal often comes into conflict with her natural maternal caregiver personality. She temporarily left PvP after Francis grabbed her breast, opening her own pro-woman gaming magazine called "Valkyrie". Later Valkyrie merged to PvP because Jade missed her PvP-family and had problems with her workers.<ref group="#">{{Cite web|url=http://www.pvponline.com/comic/1999/12/10/fri-dec-10|title = PVP - Fri Dec 10}}</ref>
Jade is often criticized for being "unrealistic", although Kurtz states that she is somewhat modeled after his wife.<ref group="p">{{cite web |url=http://www.pvponline.com/newspro/archives/arc7-2006.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=2006-08-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070125010558/http://www.pvponline.com/newspro/archives/arc7-2006.html |archive-date=January 25, 2007 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> In her first posting to the PvP blog, Angela Kurtz stated, ''"90% of the time, when you’re reading Jade, you’re reading about Scott’s feminine side, not about me."''<ref group="p">{{cite web |url=http://www.pvponline.com/blog/2877/she-said |title=Archived copy |access-date=2006-09-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061104023726/http://www.pvponline.com/blog/2877/she-said |archive-date=November 4, 2006 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
Although Jade and Brent dated since nearly the start of the series, they broke up for nearly a year, due to a combination of Jade's obsession with Dark age of Camelot, and her catching Brent dancing with the wife of another Dark age of Camelot player in [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]]. Although they both continued to work at PVP, they were often seen bickering and attempting to one-up each other. Jade ended up falling in love soon after with another gamer she met on another MMORPG, named Xavier. She flew out to Las Vegas to meet Xavier in person, but began to feel reluctance and guilt returning to the place where she and Brent broke up. It was then revealed that Xavier had been Brent all along, and the two rekindled their relationship, eventually marrying in 2008. In 2014, she gave birth to her and Brent's daughter, Katherine Miranda Fontaine Sienna.<ref group="#">{{Cite web|url=http://pvponline.com/comic/2014/03/17/newest-edition|title = PVP - newest edition}}</ref>
===Francis Ottoman===
The youngest member of the staff. Technical support for the office (and also known to write the occasional review), Francis is immature, easily excitable and always eager to be on the cutting edge of fads and technology. He loves his PC and routinely argues with Brent over Macs. He rarely shows interest in anything besides computers or video games, though it has been stated that he owns a prominent collection of pony figurines.<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2006/08/13/aug-13-2006/ | title = Aug 13, 2006 | date = August 13, 2006 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 13, 2009}}</ref>
Francis is a skilled programmer, he has on different occasions made both a robot girlfriend and a robot of himself. The girlfriend-bot eventually malfunctions when he tells it that he grabbed Jade's boob, and eventually tries to destroy her. Using the leftover parts, he makes a robot of himself, nicknamed the Francis-bot. He uses this to wait in line for tickets for Star Wars Episode 3, which comes out three years from the beginning of the story. However, when Francis returns to get his tickets, he discovers that the robot has been waiting outside of an antique mall for a year. The robot kidnaps Francis and chains him to the mall while taking his position as the real person back at PvP. The others discover him after the robot dies from a saliva overdose after kissing Marcy. Both of these times, Francis has thought the thing it was doing was more impressive building and coding, which allowed both robots to have some semblance of artificial intelligence.
Francis' appearance in the comic has gone through more changes than the other characters. His first artwork was choppy and caused reader confusion due to readers mistaking a spot for his mouth and his mouth for a "jagged chin" or part of his hair,<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/1998/05/30/sat-may-30/ | title = Sat May 30 | date = May 30, 1998 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 13, 2009}}</ref> so his design was drastically changed later. For a long time he sported a [[T-shirt]] depicting a [[human skull]], and messed-up moussed hair (the mousse was originally, and may still be, Skull's [[phlegm]]).<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2006/02/17/fri-feb-17/ | title = Fri Feb 17 | date = February 17, 2006 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 13, 2009}}</ref>
Due to his consummation of his relationship with Marcy as "predicted" in a previous comic<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2000/01/24/mon-jan-24/ | title = Mon Jan 24 | date = January 24, 2000 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 13, 2009}}</ref> strip, in 2008, he "leveled up", aging three years and developing chin scruff.<ref name="ding" group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2008/05/28/ding/ | title = Ding! | date = May 28, 2008 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 13, 2009}}</ref> In 2011, Francis "leveled up" again due to the company leaving [[Dallas]] for [[Seattle]] (mirroring the real life move of Scott Kurtz) and Francis being pushed into living on his own as an adult.<ref group="#">[http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2011/01/13/all-grown-1up PvP - All Grown 1UP] January 13, 2011</ref> Later that year, Francis said that Marcy broke up with him via text message after she had left for [[Savannah College of Art and Design]].<ref group="#">[http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2011/02/02/bring-a-pencil PVP - Bring a Pencil] February 2, 2011</ref> They reconciled after Marcy rejoins the PvP staff. After a gaming tournament in Las Vegas the two went out on a drinking spree and, while very drunk, got married. Despite initial misgivings about the relationship, Francis and Marcy have stayed together and are apparently happy.
Francis has a running gag with Cole in which they high five each other using whatever they are holding. This usually ends up in a mess with coffee, fries or blood all over the place.
===Skull the Troll===
A lovable [[troll]] who is assigned to be a mythological animal friend to Brent. Nervous and childlike, he had an occasional girlfriend named Sonya, although Skull was exposed to be female in an early comic.<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/1998/06/11/thu-jun-11/ | title = Thu Jun 11 | date = June 11, 1998 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 13, 2009}}</ref> This was later revealed to be a joke,<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/1998/07/24/fri-jul-24/ | title = Fri Jul 24 | date = July 24, 1998 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 13, 2009}}</ref> and Skull is typically portrayed as genderless. Brent and Francis do their best to figure out which gender he really is (on one occasion watching his reaction to a lingerie magazine they had left for him to find. Skull first acts like a typical male, whistling at the pictures, then wondered to himself if they had a piece in his size and color), though Skull has implied on many occasions that he is definitely male.<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2009/04/29/friendship-is-rare-part-three/ | title = Thu Apr 29 | date = April 29, 2009 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = May 29, 2009}}</ref>
Skull debuted in another of Kurtz's web cartoons called [[Comixpedia:Samwise|Tales by Tavernlight]], which focused on the world of ''[[Ultima Online]]''. Though he seems to be an utterly harmless, rather clueless and childish creature who doesn't even seem to understand the nature of violence, Skull has a dark underside<ref name="pvp-20080930" group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2008/09/30/working-with-kids/ | title = working with kids | date = September 30, 2008 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = January 5, 2010}}</ref> that the other characters sometimes see but blame on outside forces. He has actually threatened to eat Francis,<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/1998/05/09/sat-may-09/ | title = Sat May 09 | date = May 9, 1998 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 13, 2009}}</ref> and doesn't always take Brent's abuse<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2000/04/26/wed-apr-26/ | title = Wed Apr 26 | date = April 26, 2000 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 13, 2009}}</ref>—not to mention his epic battle with the crazed Emperor Blue.<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/1999/10/14/thu-oct-14/ | title = Thu Oct 14 | date = October 14, 1999 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 14, 2009}}</ref>
The comic's cast page states that, as a mythological creature, Skull's only real need is attention. The middle name "Theodore" was recently revealed to be the long form for "the" (as "Skull The Troll"). Skull was reassigned when Brent finally got married, much to Brent's dissatisfaction. His first assignment was a boy named Kevin with a somewhat sadistic streak, who lived near [[U.S. Route 422]] in western [[Pennsylvania]],<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2008/06/25/busy-day/ | title = Busy Day | date = June 25, 2008 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 13, 2009}}</ref> at least until his death due to a reckless wagon ride after four days (reader time) with Skull.<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2008/06/27/lets-go-exploring/ | title = Let's Go Exploring | date = June 27, 2008 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 13, 2009}}</ref> Since then, Skull has attempted to befriend parodies of the children in [[The Family Circus]], who believed him to be a demon and tried to kill him. This escapade ended when Skull was rescued by [[FoxTrot|Jason Fox]]. Thanks to Scratch and Shecky he returned to ''PvP'' and has apparently "retired" from his "mentoring" duties. He does have a new girlfriend named Val, or Valerie. She was introduced during a Magic: The Gathering session, where she almost immediately tried to kill Skull. After the fight stopped, they became a couple. Even though she sees herself as a dwarven hammermaid who is supposed to hate trolls, she still feels deep affection for him.
===Max Powers===
Arch-enemy and rival publisher of Cole, Max Powers ran ''Powerplay'' magazine. While seemingly jovial and outgoing, for some reason Max was generally despised by the PvP crew. While perhaps not as truly evil as Brent and Cole claim, he could doubtlessly be quite annoying. Eric Burns of the webcomic review site Websnark wrote an analysis of Max suggesting that he is actually "the good guy" of PVP. Burns points out that nothing Max does can be nailed down as overtly malicious.<ref>{{cite web | url =http://www.websnark.com/archives/2004/10/because_i_keep.html | title = Because I keep my promises… the Max Powers Snark | first = Eric | last = Burns-White | date = October 11, 2004 | work = Websnark| access-date = March 14, 2009}}</ref> (For example, he threatens to post a naked picture of Jade on the Internet unless she goes out with him, but it turns out to be a baby picture. He tells Cole about upcoming software audits, but doesn't actually report Cole to the authorities.) In the December 2, 2008 comic, four years after Burns's article, Cole admits to Max that part of the reason he finds him so irritating is that Max is a better person than he is. ''Powerplay'' merged with ''PvP'' to prevent ''PvP's'' certain financial ruin. Because of his narcissistic attitude, Max was unable to see Skull, and was unaware of the troll's existence. However, Shecky punched Max as an 'incentive to see the world beyond [his] nose', changing Max's perceptions. Unfortunately, Max thought Cole was letting the staff keep a pair of 'dogs' on the premises and said the 'yappy one' (Shecky) snapped at his face. (See March 13, 2006 blog entry.) As of December second in the strip, ''PvP'' and ''Powerplay'' have gone their separate ways, as Cole has come into a large sum of money which he will receive annually from the World Wildlife Fund, thanks to the near-constant attacks on Brent by a giant panda, and the fact that it appears the panda is now more or less living somewhere in the PvP offices. During a 2008 Thanksgiving Plot, it has been revealed that Cole believes that Max stole a "girlfriend" from him (they were not actually dating, but Cole believed Max made his move on her before ''he'' could). Max however adamantly denied it saying he only grew close with the girl so as to get closer to Cole and Brent. This led Cole and Brent to the assumption that Max is gay, and was attracted to one of them. The former has been confirmed in a 2011 strip in which Max admits to Jade that he is in fact gay; he begs her not to tell anyone else, and she has so far complied with his request. During a conversation with his sister Sonya, it was revealed that Max had a partner named Chris.<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2011/05/27/setec-astronomy/ | title = Setec Astronomy | date = May 27, 2011 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = May 27, 2011}}</ref> Max later reveals that he is gay to the rest of the group when Lucille convinces him that it is doing him no good keeping it secret.
After a year's absence from the strip, during which he drove cross-country on a motorcycle doing good deeds, Max returned to the PvP offices to ask Cole for a job. He is now also able to see Skull, most likely because he is now "pure of heart" after a year of soul-searching. The new Max, after realizing the company was doomed in a few months, broke into Cole's office and went over the financial statements to confirm his fears. After a confrontation with Cole, after which Cole confessed the state of the company to Brent, Cole set Max off to find a new business plan and opportunities. After several weeks Max returned from Seattle, advising PVP to cease publication immediately, switch to a strictly online format (which was the only portion of the business generating a profit), and move the company from Dallas to Seattle. This reflects Scott Kurtz's real-life move of a year earlier in 2010.
===Scratch Fury, Destroyer of Worlds===
Skull's cat. Francis attempted to give it to Brent to make the latter feel some Christmas spirit, but the ploy failed and Skull decided to take the cat in. Skull accidentally zapped him with his "genius machine",<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2004/02/11/wed-feb-11/ | title = Wed Feb 11 | date = February 11, 2004 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 13, 2009}}</ref> granting him superhuman intelligence. Scratch is bent on global domination, but his evil plans for attaining it have so far been foiled by his feline foibles and proclivities.<ref group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2004/05/29/sat-may-29/ | title = Sat May 29 | date = May 29, 2004 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 13, 2009}}</ref> He is [[Pinky and the Brain]] in the same body, and they're fighting for dominance. It is worth noting that while Scratch is still a genius – after Skull's departure, he was seen in the basement, working on a machine of some sort with a welding torch – he appears to be unable to communicate to the other members of the magazine. It has been suggested that the ambient magic surrounding Skull was what made Scratch's ability to communicate with humans possible in the first place. However, Kurtz has admitted that the lack of understanding Scratch was just a mistake, and changed the strip to have Scratch deliberately talking in cat-speak. Also, he becomes "Kringus" a Christmas tree-themed villain in numerous stories set in yule times. Scratch has mostly given up on evil schemes, and has focused on killing Garfield and running his "Cool Cat Club".
=== Lolbat ===
Lolbat is Kurtz's version of [[Batman]] and [[Robin (comics)|Robin]]. He derives his powers from a material called memetic fabric, which allows him to talk like he is in an internet meme. He fights members of the Algonquin hate table, made up of internet supervillains like The Savage Critic, The Scrabbler, and the Mad Hater. He also serves as Robbie's manservant during the day. Lolbat has recently acquired a sidekick named Retweet (also known as Wade), who talks like a Twitter post. He is also assisted by Jade's sister Miranda, who discovered the lair of the Lolbat and decided to assist him by becoming the Instagirl, a phone based superhero.
==Publication==
===Online strip===
The first online strip was posted on Monday, May 4, 1998.<ref name="mon-may-04" group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/1998/05/04/mon-may-04/ | title = Mon May 04 | date = May 4, 1998 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 11, 2009}}</ref> Kurtz normally updates the strip every day but has occasionally missed updates since the comic's inception, less so after the PVP 2.0 revamp. In April 2005, Kurtz changed to a Monday through Friday schedule, with Friday's strip in color and sketches on Saturday and Sunday, in response to the mounting work he had taken on as a monthly comic at Image and associated side projects. On June 4, 2005, Scott Kurtz posted on his blog that he was returning to the daily schedule. On May 6, 2008, Kurtz reaffirmed the strip to a Monday through Friday schedule.<ref name="moving forward" group="p">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2008/05/06/moving-forward/ | title = Moving forward | date = May 6, 2008 | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | work = PvP Blog | access-date = March 11, 2009}}</ref> Although the strip was initially formatted 2×2 to fit on 800×600 resolution screens, it switched to "widescreen" (1×4) on February 3, 2003.<ref group="p">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/article/1525/Mon-Feb-03 | title = My God…it's full of STARS! | date = February 3, 2003 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 11, 2009 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070217062041/http://www.pvponline.com/article/1525/Mon-Feb-03 | archive-date = February 17, 2007 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> The strip celebrated its 10th anniversary on Sunday, May 4, 2008 with the wedding of two of PvP's main characters, Brent Sienna and Jade Fontaine.<ref name="the-vows" group="#">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2008/05/04/the-vows/ | title = The vows| date = May 4, 2008 | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | access-date = March 11, 2009}}</ref>
Occasionally single strips or short series have been presented drawn by guest cartoonists, such as [[KC Green]].<ref name="guest-strip-kc-green" group="p">{{cite web|url=http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2010/04/16/guest-strip-by-kc-green/|title=PvPOnline Guest Strip by KC Green|date=April 16, 2010|access-date=February 7, 2012}}</ref>
===Print versions===
Previously, [[Dork Tower|Dork Storm Press]] printed 6 issues of original content as well as a trade paperback of online strips. The Dork Storm issues were collected into a trade paperback entitled "The Dork Ages."
In March 2003, [[Image Comics]] began publishing a monthly print comic book collection of the strip that combined old strips with new material. Publication of single issues and the Image partnership ended in March 2010 after over 7 years and 45 issues. In addition to publishing single issues Image released a 16-page primer (numbered as #0), and seven trade paperbacks (each collecting 6 issues) – "''PvP: At Large''" (#1–6), "''PvP: Reloaded''" (#7–12), "''PvP Rides Again''" (#13–18), "''PVP Goes Bananas''" (#19–25), "''PvP Treks On''" (#25–30), "''PvP Silent But Deadly''" and "''PVP Levels Up''". A 10-year anniversary collection, Awesomology Deluxe, was also published by Image in 2009. After the ending of the Image partnership Kurtz switched to self publishing the print editions but only in collected form.
At the 2004 [[San Diego Comic-Con]], Kurtz announced that he would offer to newspapers the entire ''PvP'' series to reprint for free,<ref group="p">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/rants_panel.php3 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071024021033/http://www.pvponline.com/rants_panel.php3 | archive-date = October 24, 2007 | title = SDCC 2004 – Part Four | work = PvP | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | date = July 30, 2004 | access-date = March 12, 2009}}</ref> but only if the strips were reprinted without any changes made. Kurtz said he made this offer because of his dissatisfaction with the terms offered to cartoonists by [[Print syndication|syndicate]]s. {{As of|2011}} no major American newspaper has agreed to regularly pick up his strip, even though it is free. One newspaper, ''[[The Kansas City Star]]'', briefly ran one PvP strip per week in the fall of 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comicsbulletin.com/main/sites/default/files/rage/109985777882575.htm|work=[[Comics Bulletin]]|title=All Over But The Shouting|last=Marnell|first=Blair|year=2004}}</ref>
In 2018, Kurtz launched a Kickstarter campaign to publish digital and physical media of PVP Online as a 20th Anniversary Collection printing of the previous 20 years of the comic. The material is planned for printing in eight volumes, with a supplementary 20th anniversary volume. The campaign achieved its fundraising goal, raising over $120,000 towards publication.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pvponline.com/news/pvp-definitive-edition-kickstarter|title=PVP - News}}</ref> Despite reaching that goal, Kurtz has yet to produce the promised rewards under the campaign.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bleedingcool.com/comics/scott-kurtz-sells-table-titans-as-children-graphic-novel-series/|work=[[Bleeding Cool]]|title=Scott Kurtz Sells Table Titans As Children Graphic Novel Series|last=Johnston|first=Rich|year=2021}}</ref> He last updated the campaign site on May 1, 2022, noting that it had been two years since the previous update.
===''PvP: The Series''===
Kurtz announced on November 27, 2006 that from February 2007, a [[traditional animation|traditionally animated]] cartoon series would be available over the internet via a subscription service, produced in conjunction with [[Blind Ferret Entertainment#Blind Ferret Entertainment|Blind Ferret Entertainment]]. Episodes were 4–6 minutes in length and released on a monthly schedule, co-written and co-produced by webcartoonist [[Kris Straub]].<ref group ="p">{{cite web | url = http://www.pvponline.com/blog/2998/pvp-the-series | title = PvP The Series: DVD pre-order | date = December 5, 2008 | first = Scott | last = Kurtz | work = PvP Blog | access-date = March 12, 2009 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080820122028/http://www.pvponline.com/blog/2998/pvp-the-series | archive-date = August 20, 2008 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> A total of 12 episodes were produced, and have since been released on DVD as "PvP: The Series Season One DVD".
The announcement of the series was marked with some interest on video game forums due to Kurtz's previous criticism of Tim Buckley when he announced CAD Premium, an animated series based on his own web comic, particularly when both Buckley and Kurtz used the same animation studio for their respective ventures.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.gamepoliticsforums.com/showthread.php?t=728 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071023183611/http://www.gamepoliticsforums.com/showthread.php?t=728 | archive-date = October 23, 2007 | title = PvP The Animated Series | work = Game Politics Forums | date = November 28, 2006 | access-date = March 12, 2009}}</ref>
==Awards and nominations==
PvP has won multiple awards:
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Award
!Category
!Result
!Notes
|-
|'''2005'''
|[[Eisner Award|Eisner Awards]]
|Best Writer/Artist - Humor
|Nominated
|<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/eisner05.php|title=2005 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards|website=www.hahnlibrary.net|access-date=2020-01-12}}</ref>
|-
|'''2005'''
|[[Eagle Award (comics)|Eagle Awards]]
|Favourite Web-based Comic
|Won
|<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eagleawards.co.uk/category/previous-winners/2005/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023083637/http://www.eagleawards.co.uk/category/previous-winners/2005/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-10-23|title=2005 {{!}} the Eagle Awards|date=2013-10-23|access-date=2020-01-12}}</ref>
|-
|'''2006'''
|Eisner Awards
|[[Eisner Award for Best Digital Comic|Best Digital Comic]]
|Won
|<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/eisner06.php|title=2006 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards|website=www.hahnlibrary.net|access-date=2020-01-12}}</ref>
|-
|'''2010'''
|[[Harvey Award|Harvey Awards]]
|Best Online Comics Work
|Won
|<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.harveyawards.org/awards_2010win.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206120928/http://www.harveyawards.org/awards_2010win.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-02-06|title=The Harvey Awards|date=2012-02-06|access-date=2020-01-12}}</ref>
|}
A spinoff of PvP, ''Table Titans,'' was nominated for a [[Harvey Award]] in 2014 in the category of Best Online Comics Work.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://fleen.com/2014/08/18/awards-season/|title=Awards Season|last=Tyrrell|first=Gary|date=18 August 2014|website=Fleen|language=en|access-date=2020-01-12}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
===Story notes===
{{Reflist|30em|group="#"}}
===Other primary sources===
{{Reflist|30em|group="p"}}
==External links==
*{{IMDb title|qid=Q130302241|id=tt0989755|title=PvP: The Series}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927040841/http://www.evilavatarradio.com/audio/EAR.Episode16.ScottKurtz.mp3 Audio Interview with Kurtz: June 2006]
* [https://www.toonhoundstudios.com/pvp/ Official website]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pvp}}
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[[Category:Fantasy webcomics]]
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