From Better to More Better
While Tycho and Gabe's superlative strip has always been incredibly well-produced, it's amazing to see how far the art of Penny Arcade has come over the course of five years.

Within the last few months, there have been several strips that have demonstrated their newer stylings (both in terms of art and storytelling). One of the more recent examples of this brilliance is an American McGee-like re-envisioning of Strawberry Shortcake. Though not quite a traditional comic strip, the final product is funny, sexy, and disturbing all at the same time. Not to seem as if I'm reading too deeply into this, but I really think the apparent suffering of the monstrous strawberries is hysterical.

CTS
The other prime example that comes to mind is the six-part black and white Cardboard Tube Samurai series titled, "Cardboard and Steel." Gray never looked so damn beautiful! And again, you get a strangely potent mix of intense Akira Kurosawa Samurai action combined with joyful childhood ridiculousness of an unstoppable cardboard tube weapon. (For all six parts pseudo-artsy humor, click 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.)

For earlier non-anachronistic appearances of the Cardboard Tube Samurai check out "I Have No Comment" and "Geibu". Otherwise, stay tuned to Penny Arcade, as I'm certain the best has yet to come!