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'''A.''' This was pretty much the exact same process as getting them into Electronic Gaming Monthly, except that Slave Labor Graphics had actually (and wisely) rejected my work twice before. This goes to show that no matter how bad you are, if you're persistent and annoying enough, you can pester anybody into doing anything. Look at Rob Liefeld!
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'''A.''' This was pretty much the exact same process as getting them into Electronic Gaming Monthly, except that Slave Labor Graphics had actually (and wisely) rejected my work twice before. This goes to show that no matter how bad you are, if you're persistent and annoying annoying enough, you can pester anybody into doing anything. Look at Rob Liefeld!
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-->'''Palidan Guildmaster:''' No... because now I'm a chef.
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** On Norm's old (now defunct) website, this was in the FAQ section.
--->'''Q.''' How did you get Slave Labor Graphics to pick up "Hsu and Chan" as a comic book? \\
'''A.''' This was pretty much the exact same process as getting them into Electronic Gaming Monthly, except that Slave Labor Graphics had actually (and wisely) rejected my work twice before. This goes to show that no matter how bad you are, if you're persistent and annoying enough, you can pester anybody into doing anything. Look at Rob Liefeld!
--->'''Q.''' How did you get Slave Labor Graphics to pick up "Hsu and Chan" as a comic book? \\
'''A.''' This was pretty much the exact same process as getting them into Electronic Gaming Monthly, except that Slave Labor Graphics had actually (and wisely) rejected my work twice before. This goes to show that no matter how bad you are, if you're persistent and annoying enough, you can pester anybody into doing anything. Look at Rob Liefeld!
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* WhyDoYouKeepChangingJobs: Addressed in ''VideoGame/FantasyLife Fantasy Ethic'' as Hsu tries to imagine the structure of the labor unions in the 3DS title, Fantasy Life, to allow anyone to switch careers in a moment's notice. The short then jumps to the game's Paladin Guildmaster questioning why one of his workers seemingly vanished while on guard duty.
-->'''Carlson:''' Yup... been a woodcutter for about 4 hours now. Been going pretty well... You're not mad are you?\\
-->'''Palidan Guildmaster:''' No... because now I'm a chef.
-->'''Carlson:''' Yup... been a woodcutter for about 4 hours now. Been going pretty well... You're not mad are you?\\
-->'''Palidan Guildmaster:''' No... because now I'm a chef.
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* AllThereInTheManual: Norm explained in a Fan-Mail segment on his old website that the reason Chernobyl is no longer in his evolved form is that Mr. Stephenson devolves back to his base form when exposed to enough reality television.
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* BondVillainStupidity: Lampshaded in ''Thunderblarg''.
-->'''Chan (as a Dr. No expy):''' Um... you sure you don't have any questions? About my nefarious plan maybe? Some people like to ask, for the sake of stalling their execution... You know, we're at the mercy of tradition.
-->'''Chan (as a Dr. No expy):''' Um... you sure you don't have any questions? About my nefarious plan maybe? Some people like to ask, for the sake of stalling their execution... You know, we're at the mercy of tradition.
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* RealityEnsues: ''Thunderblarg'' has the brothers do research for a spy game by having them live out the roles of characters in a James Bond film. Hsu, who has the Bond role, gets so drunk on martinis that he can barely stand, and his "spur of the moment love interest" attacks him when he tries to ditch her. In the end, the main reason he succeeds is a) Chan (in the Dr. No role) didn't really plan far beyond killing the spy and was hesitant to rush ahead that far, and b) Hsu ended up vomiting on Chan during his gloating.
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* RealityEnsues: ''Thunderblarg'' has the brothers do research for a spy game by having them live out the roles of characters in a James Bond film. Hsu, who has the Bond role, gets so drunk on martinis that he can barely stand, and his "spur of the moment love interest" "high speed romantic conquest" attacks him when he tries to ditch her. In the end, the main reason he succeeds is a) Chan (in the Dr. No role) didn't really plan far beyond killing the spy and was hesitant to rush ahead that far, and b) Hsu ended up vomiting on Chan during his gloating.
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* RealityEnsues: ''Thunderblarg'' has the brothers do research for a spy game by having them live out the roles of characters in a James Bond film. Hsu, who has the Bond role, gets so drunk on martinis that he can barely stand, and his "spur of the moment love interest" attacks him when he tries to ditch her. In the end, the main reason he succeeds is a) Chan (in the Dr. No role) didn't really plan far beyond killing the spy and was hesitant to rush ahead that far, and b) Hsu ended up vomiting on Chan during his gloating.
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* {{Cameo}}: The first Halloween special features the cast of Norm's older comic, ''The Otters'' as trick or treaters. They return in the Patreon promotion comic claiming to be Batman and Spongebob in order to attract doners.
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After the EGM and 1UP series ended, Norm refocused the series on his website, Spookingtons Media. This included several new comics, a short lived series of newspaper comic style strips and, most recently, an animated series. New episodes of Hsu and Chan, older strips, and some of Norm's other works [[http://www.spookingtons.com can be found here.]] The animated shorts, as well as Norm's other animations, sketches, and "Let's Not Play's" [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC-PAg2xMROwP6xq_jkc7tQ/videos can be found here]].
to:
After the EGM and 1UP series ended, Norm refocused the series on his website, Spookingtons Media. This included several new comics, a short lived series of newspaper comic style strips and, most recently, an animated series. In 2016, the series went on a long unannounced hiatus. However on December 8th, 2016, Norm launched a patreon. In less than a day, it's first two goals were met, promising a return to the monthly page long strips like the EGM run.
New episodes of Hsu and Chan, older strips, and some of Norm's other works [[http://www.spookingtons.com can be found here.]] The animated shorts, as well as Norm's other animations, sketches, and "Let's Not Play's" [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC-PAg2xMROwP6xq_jkc7tQ/videos can be found here]].
New episodes of Hsu and Chan, older strips, and some of Norm's other works [[http://www.spookingtons.com can be found here.]] The animated shorts, as well as Norm's other animations, sketches, and "Let's Not Play's" [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC-PAg2xMROwP6xq_jkc7tQ/videos can be found here]].
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** Spoofed in another issue where the brothers do test to see if video games really make people violent where Hsu begins begins asking the reader to consider the possibility that the cute little child standing next to him simply had a hidden dark side, long awaiting the chance to rear its ugly head. When he looked back at the child, he still appeared to be an adorable, innocent little boy. Irritated, Hsu orders security to drag the kid out and begins a regular test with a clearly unstable teenager.
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** Spoofed in another issue where the brothers do test to see if video games really make people violent where Hsu begins begins asking the reader to consider the possibility that the cute little child standing next to him simply had a hidden dark side, long awaiting the chance to rear its ugly head. When he looked back at the child, he still appeared to be an adorable, innocent little boy. Irritated, Hsu orders security to drag the kid out and begins a regular test with a clearly unstable teenager.
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* BitingTheHandHumor / TakeThatMe: As the brothers decide to review official game review websites and magazines who review their games, one particular offender really stands out to Hsu.
-->'''Hsu:''' GOOD LORD! [[Magazine/ElectronicGamingMonthly This is the worst of the whole lot]]. A magazine so pathetically desperate for readers that they've stooped to the lowest common denominator imaginable -- [[ComicStrip/HsuAndChan A cartoon!]]
-->'''Hsu:''' GOOD LORD! [[Magazine/ElectronicGamingMonthly This is the worst of the whole lot]]. A magazine so pathetically desperate for readers that they've stooped to the lowest common denominator imaginable -- [[ComicStrip/HsuAndChan A cartoon!]]
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* GenreSavvy: A majority of the main cast.
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* DeliciousFruitPies: Employed in First Person, only the target was already giving up before the Tanakas made the offer. Also they were lying about having any Hostess products on hand.
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* HeroicBSOD: Hsu seemingly shuts down when he realizes that the year 2000 was over 13 years ago.
-->'''Chan:''' I think that's all you'll get out of him today.
-->'''Chan:''' I think that's all you'll get out of him today.
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** Chuck, a fanboy who appears in the second EGM strip and the final EGM strip. In the second strip, after telling the brothers that their games inspired him to pursue a career in game development, both responded by laughing in his face. In the final strip, he tells them that he got a job at Microsoft's game department and that the brothers were still what inspired him. Chan punches him in the face in response.
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In October 1999, a two-page comic appeared on the pages of ''Magazine/ElectronicGamingMonthly''. That comic, by [[Creator/NormanVonScott Jeremy "Norm" Scott]], continued to appear in the magazine for nine years, continued on a blog on 1Up.com, and even got eight issues and a compilation published by Slave Labor Graphics with a ninth issue announced. The comic follows the misadventures of the brothers Hsu and Chan Tanaka, two American video game designers of Japanese descent. They created a company called "Tanaka Bros. Game Development" that releases "top quality games with the occasional rip-off." Their misadventures usually show them trying to market their new game with humorous results, putting up with the antics of their non-human employees, and competing with their rivals at Yamomoto Games, known as the "[[OverlyNarrowSuperlative Most Evil Video Game Company in the world]]" (though there wasn't a lot of competition for that title). The comics are known for their style of humor and the wordiness of some issues, especially the Slave Labor comics.
to:
In October 1999, a two-page comic appeared on the pages of ''Magazine/ElectronicGamingMonthly''. That comic, by [[Creator/NormanVonScott Jeremy "Norm" Scott]], continued to appear in the magazine for nine years, continued on a blog on 1Up.com, and even got eight issues and a compilation published by Slave Labor Graphics with a ninth issue announced. The comic follows the misadventures of the brothers Hsu and Chan Tanaka, two American video game designers of Japanese descent. They created a company called "Tanaka Bros. Game Development" that releases "top quality games with the occasional rip-off." Together, the titular brothers have released such mildly enjoyable titles as ''Roller Death Derby'', ''Fist of the Mad Elf'', ''Lord of the Trousers: a Japanese dating sim'', and ''The Incredible Simulated Box Turtle'' (he poops!). Their misadventures usually show them trying to market their new game with humorous results, putting up with the antics of their non-human employees, and competing with their rivals at Yamomoto Games, known as the "[[OverlyNarrowSuperlative Most Evil Video Game Company in the world]]" (though there wasn't a lot of competition for that title). The comics are known for their style of humor and the wordiness of some issues, especially the Slave Labor comics.
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* AcceptableTargets: The second ''Tomb Raider'' trilogy, and the magazine ''Game Pro''.
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* AccecptableTargets: The second ''Tomb Raider'' trilogy, and the magazine ''Game Pro''.
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* AccecptableTargets: AcceptableTargets: The second ''Tomb Raider'' trilogy, and the magazine ''Game Pro''.
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* AccecptableTargets: The second ''Tomb Raider'' trilogy, and the magazine ''Game Pro''.
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** In ''Hsu & Chan's Fall Preview-O-Rama!'' one of the desks in the EGM offices has a copy of ''Game Pro'' on it with the heading "Game news for infants!"
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* [[ViewersAreMorons Video Gamers Are Morons]]: The brothers believe this especially when it comes to RPG gamers who they consider too stubborn to admit they can't beat a broken game the Tanaka's market to them. This trope is also employed when the brother's explore creating an illusion of depth and consequence in a video game.
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* [[ViewersAreMorons Video Gamers Are Morons]]: ViewersAreMorons: The brothers believe this especially when it comes to RPG gamers who they consider too stubborn to admit they can't beat a broken game the Tanaka's market to them. This trope is also employed when the brother's explore creating an illusion of depth and consequence in a video game.
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* BrickJoke: In the second EGM comic ''Meet Hsu and Chan'', Hsu and Chan laugh at a convenience-store clerk when he says that he dreams of becoming a video game designer just like them. Many years and many strips later, the clerk comes back in the final EGM strip ''The Great Giant'' as a successful game developer who's now working for Microsoft. He is predictably punched in the face.
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** Later revisited in the animated short ''GTALERT!'', in which Hsu and Chan study the ''GrandTheftAuto'' series and its potential effects on the human psyche via Arnie (with restraints and regular cattle-prodding on him for safety). They learn that 1) Tennis is what triggers homicidal rage in gamers, and 2) They shouldn't go cheap on the restraints when Arnie escapes and holds them at gunpoint.
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* HookHand: Hsu's right hand was replaced with a prosthetic claw after losing the hand in a sword fight.
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* HookHand: In the comic book series, Hsu's right hand was replaced with a prosthetic claw after losing the hand in a sword fight.fight with their rivals at Yamamoto Games. [[ContinuityNod This carries over to the EGM comics and all of Hsu's appearances since]].
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** But completely averted when he evolves into [[spoiler:a fat, naked, flying IRS agent named Mr. Stevenson]].
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** But completely averted when he evolves into [[spoiler:a fat, naked, flying IRS agent named Mr. Stevenson]].Stephenson]].
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* AnticlimaxBoss: Subverted in ''The Mummy's Tooth''. After dumping an entire shelf full of cursed items on a rampaging mummy everyone in the room is mutated in some way, for example, Hsu grows rabbit ears and Arnie grows a third eye. After looking for the mummy Hsu apparently locates the mummy who had been transformed into a cute mummy kitten. However, [[spoiler: after looking up, Hsu sees that the mummy actually transformed into a giant monstrosity that spits up tiny mummy kittens.]]
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* ComicallyMissingThePoint: From the animated short, Spacy.
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* ComicallyMissingThePoint: From the animated short, Spacy.''Spacey''.
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* SortingAlgorithmOfMortality: Lampshaded in ''Cave of the Tyrant Lizard'' by Hsu, who argues that by using a group of clueless teens on spring break to test the safety of a dinosaur infested park, the brothers are actually increasing the teens' chances of surviving.
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* SortingAlgorithmOfMortality: Lampshaded in ''Cave of the Tyrant Lizard'' by Hsu, who argues that by using a group of clueless teens on spring break to test the safety of a dinosaur infested park, the brothers are actually increasing ''increasing'' the teens' chances of surviving.
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** Norm himself has stated that Hsu and Chan #9 will most likely suffer from some sort of DevelopmentHell.
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* ComicallyMissingThePoint: From the animated short, Spacy.
-->'''Hsu:''' In the past, Call of Duty single player storylines have been criticized for being cliched, or shallow or dumb as all get out. Well Activision has heard your feedback and this time around they sincerely want you to know... that they can afford Kevin Spacey.
-->'''Hsu:''' In the past, Call of Duty single player storylines have been criticized for being cliched, or shallow or dumb as all get out. Well Activision has heard your feedback and this time around they sincerely want you to know... that they can afford Kevin Spacey.
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After the EGM and 1UP series ended, Norm refocused the series on his website, Spookingtons Media. This included several new comics, a short lived series of newspaper comic style strips and, most recently, an animated series. New episodes of Hsu and Chan, older strips, and some of Norm's other works [[http://www.spookingtons.com can be found here.]] The animated shorts as well as Norm's "Let's Not Play's" [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC-PAg2xMROwP6xq_jkc7tQ/videos can be found here]].
to:
After the EGM and 1UP series ended, Norm refocused the series on his website, Spookingtons Media. This included several new comics, a short lived series of newspaper comic style strips and, most recently, an animated series. New episodes of Hsu and Chan, older strips, and some of Norm's other works [[http://www.spookingtons.com can be found here.]] The animated shorts shorts, as well as Norm's other animations, sketches, and "Let's Not Play's" [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC-PAg2xMROwP6xq_jkc7tQ/videos can be found here]].
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New episodes of Hsu and Chan, older strips, and some of Norm's other works [[http://www.spookingtons.com can be found here.]]
to:
After the EGM and 1UP series ended, Norm refocused the series on his website, Spookingtons Media. This included several new comics, a short lived series of newspaper comic style strips and, most recently, an animated series. New episodes of Hsu and Chan, older strips, and some of Norm's other works [[http://www.spookingtons.com can be found here.]]
]] The animated shorts as well as Norm's "Let's Not Play's" [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC-PAg2xMROwP6xq_jkc7tQ/videos can be found here]].
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Changed line(s) 10,11 (click to see context) from:
In October 1999, a two-page comic appeared on the pages of ''Magazine/ElectronicGamingMonthly''. That comic, by [[Creator/NormanVonScott Jeremy "Norm" Scott]], continued to appear in the magazine for nine years, continued on a blog on 1Up.com, and even got eight issues and a compilation published by Slave Labor Graphics with a ninth issue announced. The comic follows the misadventures of the brothers Hsu and Chan Tanaka, two American video game designers of Japanese descent. They created a company called "Tanaka Bros. Game Development" that releases "top quality games with the occasional rip-off." Their misadventures usually show them trying to market their new game with humorous results, putting up with the antics of their non-human employees, and competing with their rivals at Yamomoto Games, known as the "Most Evil Video Game Company in the world" (though there wasn't a lot of competition for that title). The comics are known for their style of humor and the wordiness of some issues, especially the Slave Labor comics.
to:
In October 1999, a two-page comic appeared on the pages of ''Magazine/ElectronicGamingMonthly''. That comic, by [[Creator/NormanVonScott Jeremy "Norm" Scott]], continued to appear in the magazine for nine years, continued on a blog on 1Up.com, and even got eight issues and a compilation published by Slave Labor Graphics with a ninth issue announced. The comic follows the misadventures of the brothers Hsu and Chan Tanaka, two American video game designers of Japanese descent. They created a company called "Tanaka Bros. Game Development" that releases "top quality games with the occasional rip-off." Their misadventures usually show them trying to market their new game with humorous results, putting up with the antics of their non-human employees, and competing with their rivals at Yamomoto Games, known as the "Most "[[OverlyNarrowSuperlative Most Evil Video Game Company in the world" world]]" (though there wasn't a lot of competition for that title). The comics are known for their style of humor and the wordiness of some issues, especially the Slave Labor comics.
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Link
Changed line(s) 10,11 (click to see context) from:
In October 1999, a two-page comic appeared on the pages of ''Electronic Gaming Monthly''. That comic, by [[Creator/NormanVonScott Jeremy "Norm" Scott]], continued to appear in the magazine for nine years, continued on a blog on 1Up.com, and even got eight issues and a compilation published by Slave Labor Graphics with a ninth issue announced. The comic follows the misadventures of the brothers Hsu and Chan Tanaka, two American video game designers of Japanese descent. They created a company called "Tanaka Bros. Game Development" that releases "top quality games with the occasional rip-off." Their misadventures usually show them trying to market their new game with humorous results, putting up with the antics of their non-human employees, and competing with their rivals at Yamomoto Games, known as the "Most Evil Video Game Company in the world" (though there wasn't a lot of competition for that title). The comics are known for their style of humor and the wordiness of some issues, especially the Slave Labor comics.
to:
In October 1999, a two-page comic appeared on the pages of ''Electronic Gaming Monthly''.''Magazine/ElectronicGamingMonthly''. That comic, by [[Creator/NormanVonScott Jeremy "Norm" Scott]], continued to appear in the magazine for nine years, continued on a blog on 1Up.com, and even got eight issues and a compilation published by Slave Labor Graphics with a ninth issue announced. The comic follows the misadventures of the brothers Hsu and Chan Tanaka, two American video game designers of Japanese descent. They created a company called "Tanaka Bros. Game Development" that releases "top quality games with the occasional rip-off." Their misadventures usually show them trying to market their new game with humorous results, putting up with the antics of their non-human employees, and competing with their rivals at Yamomoto Games, known as the "Most Evil Video Game Company in the world" (though there wasn't a lot of competition for that title). The comics are known for their style of humor and the wordiness of some issues, especially the Slave Labor comics.
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Changed line(s) 10,11 (click to see context) from:
In October 1999, A two-page comic appeared on the pages of ''Electronic Gaming Monthly''. That comic, by [[Creator/NormanVonScott Jeremy "Norm" Scott]], continued to appear in the magazine for nine years, continued on a blog on 1Up.com, and even got eight issues and a compilation published by Slave Labor Graphics with a ninth issue announced. The comic follows the misadventures of the brothers Hsu and Chan Tanaka, two American video game designers of Japanese descent. They created a company called "Tanaka Bros. Game Development" that releases "top quality games with the occasional rip-off." Their misadventures usually show them trying to market their new game with humorous results, putting up with the antics of their non-human employees, and competing with their rivals at Yamomoto Games, known as the "Most Evil Video Game Company in the world" (though there wasn't a lot of competition for that title). The comics are known for their style of humor and the wordiness of some issues, especially the Slave Labor comics.
to:
In October 1999, A a two-page comic appeared on the pages of ''Electronic Gaming Monthly''. That comic, by [[Creator/NormanVonScott Jeremy "Norm" Scott]], continued to appear in the magazine for nine years, continued on a blog on 1Up.com, and even got eight issues and a compilation published by Slave Labor Graphics with a ninth issue announced. The comic follows the misadventures of the brothers Hsu and Chan Tanaka, two American video game designers of Japanese descent. They created a company called "Tanaka Bros. Game Development" that releases "top quality games with the occasional rip-off." Their misadventures usually show them trying to market their new game with humorous results, putting up with the antics of their non-human employees, and competing with their rivals at Yamomoto Games, known as the "Most Evil Video Game Company in the world" (though there wasn't a lot of competition for that title). The comics are known for their style of humor and the wordiness of some issues, especially the Slave Labor comics.
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moved from Main, plus image, and cleaning
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->''"Hello, video gamers!"''
-->-- ''Either of the eponymous brothers [[NoFourthWall greeting the reader]] at the beginning of almost every episode''
->''"Brother Chan, you can't sit around counting all the things that '''could''' go wrong. The Tanaka way is to barrel ahead, eyes closed. That way, should disaster strike, we can look legitimately surprised for the news cameras."''
-->-- ''Hsu, more or less summing up their business practices''
In October 1999, A two-page comic appeared on the pages of ''Electronic Gaming Monthly''. That comic, by [[Creator/NormanVonScott Jeremy "Norm" Scott]], continued to appear in the magazine for nine years, continued on a blog on 1Up.com, and even got eight issues and a compilation published by Slave Labor Graphics with a ninth issue announced. The comic follows the misadventures of the brothers Hsu and Chan Tanaka, two American video game designers of Japanese descent. They created a company called "Tanaka Bros. Game Development" that releases "top quality games with the occasional rip-off." Their misadventures usually show them trying to market their new game with humorous results, putting up with the antics of their non-human employees, and competing with their rivals at Yamomoto Games, known as the "Most Evil Video Game Company in the world" (though there wasn't a lot of competition for that title). The comics are known for their style of humor and the wordiness of some issues, especially the Slave Labor comics.
Sadly, since there has been no print collection and the author refuses to archive the comics, it is nearly impossible to find a great deal of them outside of buying old issues of the now-defunct ''Electronic Gaming Monthly''. Though it was rumored that the comic would continue in ''EGM's'' revival, the magazine has only mentioned the comic once since its revival (though blog posts suggest that the editors and reviewers stay in contact with Norm). Most of the ''Slave Labor Graphics'' comics are available in a TPB, however.
New episodes of Hsu and Chan, older strips, and some of Norm's other works [[http://www.spookingtons.com can be found here.]]
----
!!This comic provides examples of:
* AllJustADream: The final comic in the Hsu and Chan 1up.com blog revealed that all the characters in the blog's comics were [[spoiler: robot duplicates.]]
* AnticlimaxBoss: Subverted in ''The Mummy's Tooth''. After dumping an entire shelf full of cursed items on a rampaging mummy everyone in the room is mutated in some way, for example, Hsu grows rabbit ears and Arnie grows a third eye. After looking for the mummy Hsu apparently locates the mummy who had been transformed into a cute mummy kitten. However, [[spoiler: after looking up, Hsu sees that the mummy actually transformed into a giant monstrosity that spits up tiny mummy kittens.]]
* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Akira Yamamoto
* AttentionDeficitOohShiny: In ''Deep'', Hsu tries to think of distractions to throw in a game he was working on to keep the player's interest. However, rather than add sidequests or extra missions or pointless collectibles like the most real life companies do when trying to employ this trope, Hsu just included a roll of bubble wrap with the game.
* BearsAreBadNews: The killer bears from ''Brand Loyalty''.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: After hiring a peace loving hippie to reenact a scenario from a first person stealth based game they were designing, the brothers watch in horror as multiple guards are murdered after the hippie is driven mad from being beaten within an inch of his life.
** Spoofed in another issue where the brothers do test to see if video games really make people violent where Hsu begins begins asking the reader to consider the possibility that the cute little child standing next to him simply had a hidden dark side, long awaiting the chance to rear its ugly head. When he looked back at the child, he still appeared to be an adorable, innocent little boy. Irritated, Hsu orders security to drag the kid out and begins a regular test with a clearly unstable teenager.
* BlatantLies
* BreathWeapon: Parodied with Gila Mobster (initially created as a Charmander rip-off) when ordered to use flamethrower. His version of the attack involves drinking alcohol and blowing into a lighter.
* ButtMonkey: Arnie the Ground Squirrel
* CallingYourAttacks: Played with in one scene:
-->'''Hsu:''' JUDO CHOP * judo chops a man in the face*
-->'''Chan:''' SWEEP KICK! * sweep kick's a thug*
-->'''Gila Mobster:''' * Stabs a thug with a knife*
-->'''Thug:''' YOW!
-->'''Gila Mobster:''' Unannounced Seat-of-the-Pants Jab!
* DeadpanSnarker: Many many characters fit this trope as a result of the fact that Norm himself is a SnarkKnight.
* {{Egopolis}}: The setting of the brother's MMORPG, ''Tanakapolis'', where all fees must be paid in the form of large sacks of money placed at the feet of two giant statues of Hsu and Chan under penalty of being tarred, feathered and placed in stocks.
-->'''Random Player''': Oh mighty brothers Tanaka, we offer this tribute that you may not smite us for another thirty days.
-->'''Hsu's statue''': ''Louder!''
* ExplodingBarrels: Subverted in ''Hsu and Chan #8''. See the quote next to You Fail Physics Forever below.
* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs: The newest episode on Norm's website, ''Cave of the Tyrant Lizard''.
* FiveManBand
** TheHero: Either Hsu or Chan (this is interchangeable with TheSmartGuy).
** TheLancer: Gila Mobster
** TheSmartGuy: Whichever Tanaka brother isn't assigned to the hero role.
** TheBigGuy: Chernobyl, who, despite being a RidiculouslyCuteCritter, can cause a nuclear meltdown at will.
** TheChick: Arnie
* FluffyTheTerrible: Most the killer bear minions from ''Brand Loyalty'' whose names are mentioned have cutesy names like Hickory P. Cuddlesworth and Angus the Pooh. The other named bears had average, non-threatening human names like Kyle.
* FollowTheLeader: A common part of their business strategy.
* HookHand: Hsu's right hand was replaced with a prosthetic claw after losing the hand in a sword fight.
* IdiotBall: In ''Horrors from Beyond the Rec Room'', Hsu, after preparing for disaster thanks to MediumAwareness (the text box guy was being smug again), immediately forgets the ominous foreshadowing when he learns that their living room sofa may be a gateway to Hell, sealed only by the cushions. Curiosity overcomes him and the gateway is opened. He did, however, prepare for the potential wrath of the demons for disturbing the gateway... [[AntiHero by offering the neighbor kid $5 to move the cushion for him and serve as a scapegoat.]]
* JustBetweenYouAndMe: Played with in ''Brand Loyalty'' where the Tanakas hide in a tent plotting how to escape an army of killer bears while two of said bears stand just outside listening in. After a minute, one of the brothers admits that the whole thing was a ruse to buy more time since they could see the bears' shadows through the tent.
* LampshadeHanging: Many tropes and cliches are called out or questioned when they occur, for example:
-->'''Chan:''' Hsu, our problems have just intensified. He's found the secret munitions cache on the second floor!
-->'''Hsu:''' ... Since when do we have a secret munitions cache in the office?
-->'''Chan:''' Since '95. Door-to-door munitions dealer dropped by and you know how I am with salespeople.
* {{Mons}}: Since the initial purpose of their creation was to rip off Pokemon, the recurring characters Chernobyl and Gila Mobster, as well as the one time characters Chiasaur, Uselessbug, Rock Lobster, Scangar, and Decatops all qualify as mons.
* NewMediaAreEvil: Parodied hilariously when Hsu does a test to see if video games really do make people violent. His test subjects include a stereotypical 90's teenager and another teen who is clearly mentally unstable. For the test, the 90's stereotype plays MDK 2 (a Dreamcast third person shooter) and the other plays an educational game for the UsefulNotes/ColecoVision. Guess which one goes on a murderous rampage.
* NintendoHard: Apparently, a lot of the Tanaka's original games are very difficult. Chan claims they make the games difficult, not to challenge the players, but so that they will give up faster and go buy another one of their games.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Most notably, Jerk Sempkins, a very obvious parody of Jack Thompson.
* NoFourthWall: The brothers sometimes spend whole episodes addressing the reader.
* NonHumanSidekick: The Tanakas seem to have a habit of hiring these. Their sidekicks include a chipmunk, a gila monster and a ground squirrel.
* OneWingedAngel: The Mummy from ''The Mummy's Tooth''. The Tanakas themselves in ''Curse of the Ancients''.
** Subverted in ''Wrestlemania Yarrg!'' by Satan, who transforms from an ominous looking man in a white suit into his true demonic form... a harmless looking, skinny, red-skinned guy with horns and pantaloons.
* QuoteMine: Done by the Tanakas in ''Review Back'' where they took a particularly wordy negative review for one of their games and cut and pasted to create this.
-->'''Quote on the game's box:''' "Not... That... Bad!"
* RealIsBrown: Parodied in ''Monochrome Your Wagon'' where the brothers perform a play based on First-Person Shooters like Killzone 2 or Gears of War.
-->'''Chan:''' What's this foolishness? You know the dirt harvest is about to come in! Without our constant efforts the planet would be consumed with rampant greenery. Flowers! Trees! '''ANARCHY!'''
* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: Chernobyl the radioactive chipmunk
** "Isn't he a marketable little dickens."
** But completely averted when he evolves into [[spoiler:a fat, naked, flying IRS agent named Mr. Stevenson]].
* RidingIntoTheSunset: Parodied.
-->'''Hsu''': Come, Chan, into the sunset! We ride!
-->'''Chan''': It's 3:15.
-->'''Hsu''': We'll ride slowly!
* [[SealedEvilInACan Sealed Evil In A Sofa]]: Apparently the previous owners of the Tanaka's house tested occult magic on the living room sofa. Because of this, the sofa acts as a gateway to Hell which is only kept sealed by the cushions (specifically the right one). When Hsu releases the demons out of curiosity, the brothers begin to seal all the demons in various trinkets that they were planning on selling in a yard sale and lock the objects in a closet [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin labeled "Evil".]]
* ShoutOut: Many. Norm has included shout outs to many movies, cartoons and video games including ''Franchise/EvilDead'', ''WesternAnimation/RockyAndBullwinkle'', ''Film/TheSixthSense'', ''Film/TheBoondockSaints'' and even some of his other comics, including one scene where the Hsu passes a car with "OTTERS" on the license plate (one of Norm's other comics is called "The Otters").
* SkywardScream: In ''Ledger of Zelda''
-->'''Dirk Linkstrom:''' GANONDORRRF!
* SortingAlgorithmOfMortality: Lampshaded in ''Cave of the Tyrant Lizard'' by Hsu, who argues that by using a group of clueless teens on spring break to test the safety of a dinosaur infested park, the brothers are actually increasing the teens' chances of surviving.
* SpinOff: ''The Game Critter Super Squad''.
* SpoofAesop: The Slave Labor Graphics comics especially enjoy the use of this trope.
-->'''Chan:''' You suppose there's a moral in all of this?
-->'''Hsu:''' Oh... probably.
* TakeThat: A lot due to Norm's snarky humor.
** In the end commentary to the ''Too Much Adventure'' collection, Norm points out how he submitted the comic to ''EGM'', ''Game Pro'', and ''Tips and Tricks''. Apparently ''Gamepro'' was the only one of the three not to respond to Norm.
--->'''Norm:''' ... although about six months after ''Hsu and Chan'' started running in ''EGM'', ''Game Pro'' [[FollowTheLeader debuted their own comic strip.]] Ho ho! It sucked. Ho ho, again!
* TravelingAtTheSpeedOfPlot: "One panel. That was quick."
* TokenEvilTeammate: Gila Mobster.
* VaporWare: Back in 2004 when Norm released the ''Too Much Adventure'' collection, he commented that he was considering releasing a comic that contained a collection of the strips that have run in Electronic Gaming Monthly. 5 years later he seems to have made no effort to create such a book.
** The first comic to be uploaded on the 1Up blog, ''House of Miyamoto'', has been left incomplete for half a year so that Norm could post many short comics rather than one large one. Despite its "ongoing" status, it will most likely remain incomplete for a long time as Norm is busy with his website and its VERY incomplete archive of the series.
*** Norm has stated on his website that the chances of him continuing that comic are extremely slim.
--->'''Norm:''' (on whether or not he'll complete the comic) Ha, I would say, conservatively... probably not. It ends happy, if you're wondering. Miyamoto gets his groove back.
*** This is apparently due to 1up.com holding the rights to the comics which he made exclusively for them; considering the legal nature of Norm's stumbling block, it's probably permanent.
** Epicdemic was seemingly cancelled after part 3.
** Norm himself has stated that Hsu and Chan #9 will most likely suffer from some sort of DevelopmentHell.
* YouFailPhysicsForever: Subverted and lampshaded in ''Hsu and Chan #8'' during a scene where Chan and Gila Mobster are attempting to elude a pack of werewolves. Gila Mobster tells Chan to drive by several barrels full of gasoline and begins to shoot at them while they were driving past them, causing Chan to panic due to their proximity. However, rather than explode, the bullets simply put holes in the barrels causing the gasoline to leak from them. After witnessing this, Chan remarks:
-->'''Chan:''' If you can't trust video game physics, what can you trust, you know?
* YouSuck: Norm's views of the Tomb Raider games and movies which is reflected in the comics quite frequently.
* VideoGameMoviesSuck: Parodied in-universe in ''Hsu and Chan Go Hollywood''.
* [[ViewersAreMorons Video Gamers Are Morons]]: The brothers believe this especially when it comes to RPG gamers who they consider too stubborn to admit they can't beat a broken game the Tanaka's market to them. This trope is also employed when the brother's explore creating an illusion of depth and consequence in a video game.
* WallOfText: There's a lot of em. Possibly the biggest complaint about the comics are their enormous walls of text. While the walls scare off new readers, fans of the series will usually claim that Norm's style of humor justifies the intense word count.
** Norm loves lampshading this on his website:
--->'''Norm:''' (commenting on the strip, ''Deep'') Oddly enough, nobody complained about the wordiness in THIS comic. It's possible nobody ever made it to the end.
** From a recent blog post:
--->'''Norm:''' For anyone who was afraid that my new comics could never be as densely wordy as my old ones, I submit part four of Epicdemic -- I think there's, maybe, one square inch of actual illustration in this one.
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: Happens to Hsu in ''Schooln' '' when he becomes the head of a graphic design school the brothers founded. As he rapidly goes mad with power, he makes chewing gum in class punishable by 30 lashes and demands that all students and faculty refer to him as "God-Emperor Hsu." At the peak of his madness, he holds a young child hostage because Chan is explaining his concern about Hsu's actions.
** Happens to both brothers in ''Curse of the Ancients'' when an artifact transforms them into a twin headed dragon beast and replaces most of their reason and self-control with bestial instincts. Eventually they managed to overcome the instincts and regain control over themselves... then celebrated this achievement by going on a destructive rampage.
* YouSquared: parodied when the titular Tanaka brothers encounter their lifelong rivals, Akira Yamamoto and his father, each of them says "YOU!" at least once, prompting a passerby to say, "...Me?". Chan slaps him upside the head and shoos him away so the confrontation can begin in earnest.
----
%%[[caption-width:195:some caption text]]
->''"Hello, video gamers!"''
-->-- ''Either of the eponymous brothers [[NoFourthWall greeting the reader]] at the beginning of almost every episode''
->''"Brother Chan, you can't sit around counting all the things that '''could''' go wrong. The Tanaka way is to barrel ahead, eyes closed. That way, should disaster strike, we can look legitimately surprised for the news cameras."''
-->-- ''Hsu, more or less summing up their business practices''
In October 1999, A two-page comic appeared on the pages of ''Electronic Gaming Monthly''. That comic, by [[Creator/NormanVonScott Jeremy "Norm" Scott]], continued to appear in the magazine for nine years, continued on a blog on 1Up.com, and even got eight issues and a compilation published by Slave Labor Graphics with a ninth issue announced. The comic follows the misadventures of the brothers Hsu and Chan Tanaka, two American video game designers of Japanese descent. They created a company called "Tanaka Bros. Game Development" that releases "top quality games with the occasional rip-off." Their misadventures usually show them trying to market their new game with humorous results, putting up with the antics of their non-human employees, and competing with their rivals at Yamomoto Games, known as the "Most Evil Video Game Company in the world" (though there wasn't a lot of competition for that title). The comics are known for their style of humor and the wordiness of some issues, especially the Slave Labor comics.
Sadly, since there has been no print collection and the author refuses to archive the comics, it is nearly impossible to find a great deal of them outside of buying old issues of the now-defunct ''Electronic Gaming Monthly''. Though it was rumored that the comic would continue in ''EGM's'' revival, the magazine has only mentioned the comic once since its revival (though blog posts suggest that the editors and reviewers stay in contact with Norm). Most of the ''Slave Labor Graphics'' comics are available in a TPB, however.
New episodes of Hsu and Chan, older strips, and some of Norm's other works [[http://www.spookingtons.com can be found here.]]
----
!!This comic provides examples of:
* AllJustADream: The final comic in the Hsu and Chan 1up.com blog revealed that all the characters in the blog's comics were [[spoiler: robot duplicates.]]
* AnticlimaxBoss: Subverted in ''The Mummy's Tooth''. After dumping an entire shelf full of cursed items on a rampaging mummy everyone in the room is mutated in some way, for example, Hsu grows rabbit ears and Arnie grows a third eye. After looking for the mummy Hsu apparently locates the mummy who had been transformed into a cute mummy kitten. However, [[spoiler: after looking up, Hsu sees that the mummy actually transformed into a giant monstrosity that spits up tiny mummy kittens.]]
* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Akira Yamamoto
* AttentionDeficitOohShiny: In ''Deep'', Hsu tries to think of distractions to throw in a game he was working on to keep the player's interest. However, rather than add sidequests or extra missions or pointless collectibles like the most real life companies do when trying to employ this trope, Hsu just included a roll of bubble wrap with the game.
* BearsAreBadNews: The killer bears from ''Brand Loyalty''.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: After hiring a peace loving hippie to reenact a scenario from a first person stealth based game they were designing, the brothers watch in horror as multiple guards are murdered after the hippie is driven mad from being beaten within an inch of his life.
** Spoofed in another issue where the brothers do test to see if video games really make people violent where Hsu begins begins asking the reader to consider the possibility that the cute little child standing next to him simply had a hidden dark side, long awaiting the chance to rear its ugly head. When he looked back at the child, he still appeared to be an adorable, innocent little boy. Irritated, Hsu orders security to drag the kid out and begins a regular test with a clearly unstable teenager.
* BlatantLies
* BreathWeapon: Parodied with Gila Mobster (initially created as a Charmander rip-off) when ordered to use flamethrower. His version of the attack involves drinking alcohol and blowing into a lighter.
* ButtMonkey: Arnie the Ground Squirrel
* CallingYourAttacks: Played with in one scene:
-->'''Hsu:''' JUDO CHOP * judo chops a man in the face*
-->'''Chan:''' SWEEP KICK! * sweep kick's a thug*
-->'''Gila Mobster:''' * Stabs a thug with a knife*
-->'''Thug:''' YOW!
-->'''Gila Mobster:''' Unannounced Seat-of-the-Pants Jab!
* DeadpanSnarker: Many many characters fit this trope as a result of the fact that Norm himself is a SnarkKnight.
* {{Egopolis}}: The setting of the brother's MMORPG, ''Tanakapolis'', where all fees must be paid in the form of large sacks of money placed at the feet of two giant statues of Hsu and Chan under penalty of being tarred, feathered and placed in stocks.
-->'''Random Player''': Oh mighty brothers Tanaka, we offer this tribute that you may not smite us for another thirty days.
-->'''Hsu's statue''': ''Louder!''
* ExplodingBarrels: Subverted in ''Hsu and Chan #8''. See the quote next to You Fail Physics Forever below.
* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs: The newest episode on Norm's website, ''Cave of the Tyrant Lizard''.
* FiveManBand
** TheHero: Either Hsu or Chan (this is interchangeable with TheSmartGuy).
** TheLancer: Gila Mobster
** TheSmartGuy: Whichever Tanaka brother isn't assigned to the hero role.
** TheBigGuy: Chernobyl, who, despite being a RidiculouslyCuteCritter, can cause a nuclear meltdown at will.
** TheChick: Arnie
* FluffyTheTerrible: Most the killer bear minions from ''Brand Loyalty'' whose names are mentioned have cutesy names like Hickory P. Cuddlesworth and Angus the Pooh. The other named bears had average, non-threatening human names like Kyle.
* FollowTheLeader: A common part of their business strategy.
* HookHand: Hsu's right hand was replaced with a prosthetic claw after losing the hand in a sword fight.
* IdiotBall: In ''Horrors from Beyond the Rec Room'', Hsu, after preparing for disaster thanks to MediumAwareness (the text box guy was being smug again), immediately forgets the ominous foreshadowing when he learns that their living room sofa may be a gateway to Hell, sealed only by the cushions. Curiosity overcomes him and the gateway is opened. He did, however, prepare for the potential wrath of the demons for disturbing the gateway... [[AntiHero by offering the neighbor kid $5 to move the cushion for him and serve as a scapegoat.]]
* JustBetweenYouAndMe: Played with in ''Brand Loyalty'' where the Tanakas hide in a tent plotting how to escape an army of killer bears while two of said bears stand just outside listening in. After a minute, one of the brothers admits that the whole thing was a ruse to buy more time since they could see the bears' shadows through the tent.
* LampshadeHanging: Many tropes and cliches are called out or questioned when they occur, for example:
-->'''Chan:''' Hsu, our problems have just intensified. He's found the secret munitions cache on the second floor!
-->'''Hsu:''' ... Since when do we have a secret munitions cache in the office?
-->'''Chan:''' Since '95. Door-to-door munitions dealer dropped by and you know how I am with salespeople.
* {{Mons}}: Since the initial purpose of their creation was to rip off Pokemon, the recurring characters Chernobyl and Gila Mobster, as well as the one time characters Chiasaur, Uselessbug, Rock Lobster, Scangar, and Decatops all qualify as mons.
* NewMediaAreEvil: Parodied hilariously when Hsu does a test to see if video games really do make people violent. His test subjects include a stereotypical 90's teenager and another teen who is clearly mentally unstable. For the test, the 90's stereotype plays MDK 2 (a Dreamcast third person shooter) and the other plays an educational game for the UsefulNotes/ColecoVision. Guess which one goes on a murderous rampage.
* NintendoHard: Apparently, a lot of the Tanaka's original games are very difficult. Chan claims they make the games difficult, not to challenge the players, but so that they will give up faster and go buy another one of their games.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Most notably, Jerk Sempkins, a very obvious parody of Jack Thompson.
* NoFourthWall: The brothers sometimes spend whole episodes addressing the reader.
* NonHumanSidekick: The Tanakas seem to have a habit of hiring these. Their sidekicks include a chipmunk, a gila monster and a ground squirrel.
* OneWingedAngel: The Mummy from ''The Mummy's Tooth''. The Tanakas themselves in ''Curse of the Ancients''.
** Subverted in ''Wrestlemania Yarrg!'' by Satan, who transforms from an ominous looking man in a white suit into his true demonic form... a harmless looking, skinny, red-skinned guy with horns and pantaloons.
* QuoteMine: Done by the Tanakas in ''Review Back'' where they took a particularly wordy negative review for one of their games and cut and pasted to create this.
-->'''Quote on the game's box:''' "Not... That... Bad!"
* RealIsBrown: Parodied in ''Monochrome Your Wagon'' where the brothers perform a play based on First-Person Shooters like Killzone 2 or Gears of War.
-->'''Chan:''' What's this foolishness? You know the dirt harvest is about to come in! Without our constant efforts the planet would be consumed with rampant greenery. Flowers! Trees! '''ANARCHY!'''
* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: Chernobyl the radioactive chipmunk
** "Isn't he a marketable little dickens."
** But completely averted when he evolves into [[spoiler:a fat, naked, flying IRS agent named Mr. Stevenson]].
* RidingIntoTheSunset: Parodied.
-->'''Hsu''': Come, Chan, into the sunset! We ride!
-->'''Chan''': It's 3:15.
-->'''Hsu''': We'll ride slowly!
* [[SealedEvilInACan Sealed Evil In A Sofa]]: Apparently the previous owners of the Tanaka's house tested occult magic on the living room sofa. Because of this, the sofa acts as a gateway to Hell which is only kept sealed by the cushions (specifically the right one). When Hsu releases the demons out of curiosity, the brothers begin to seal all the demons in various trinkets that they were planning on selling in a yard sale and lock the objects in a closet [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin labeled "Evil".]]
* ShoutOut: Many. Norm has included shout outs to many movies, cartoons and video games including ''Franchise/EvilDead'', ''WesternAnimation/RockyAndBullwinkle'', ''Film/TheSixthSense'', ''Film/TheBoondockSaints'' and even some of his other comics, including one scene where the Hsu passes a car with "OTTERS" on the license plate (one of Norm's other comics is called "The Otters").
* SkywardScream: In ''Ledger of Zelda''
-->'''Dirk Linkstrom:''' GANONDORRRF!
* SortingAlgorithmOfMortality: Lampshaded in ''Cave of the Tyrant Lizard'' by Hsu, who argues that by using a group of clueless teens on spring break to test the safety of a dinosaur infested park, the brothers are actually increasing the teens' chances of surviving.
* SpinOff: ''The Game Critter Super Squad''.
* SpoofAesop: The Slave Labor Graphics comics especially enjoy the use of this trope.
-->'''Chan:''' You suppose there's a moral in all of this?
-->'''Hsu:''' Oh... probably.
* TakeThat: A lot due to Norm's snarky humor.
** In the end commentary to the ''Too Much Adventure'' collection, Norm points out how he submitted the comic to ''EGM'', ''Game Pro'', and ''Tips and Tricks''. Apparently ''Gamepro'' was the only one of the three not to respond to Norm.
--->'''Norm:''' ... although about six months after ''Hsu and Chan'' started running in ''EGM'', ''Game Pro'' [[FollowTheLeader debuted their own comic strip.]] Ho ho! It sucked. Ho ho, again!
* TravelingAtTheSpeedOfPlot: "One panel. That was quick."
* TokenEvilTeammate: Gila Mobster.
* VaporWare: Back in 2004 when Norm released the ''Too Much Adventure'' collection, he commented that he was considering releasing a comic that contained a collection of the strips that have run in Electronic Gaming Monthly. 5 years later he seems to have made no effort to create such a book.
** The first comic to be uploaded on the 1Up blog, ''House of Miyamoto'', has been left incomplete for half a year so that Norm could post many short comics rather than one large one. Despite its "ongoing" status, it will most likely remain incomplete for a long time as Norm is busy with his website and its VERY incomplete archive of the series.
*** Norm has stated on his website that the chances of him continuing that comic are extremely slim.
--->'''Norm:''' (on whether or not he'll complete the comic) Ha, I would say, conservatively... probably not. It ends happy, if you're wondering. Miyamoto gets his groove back.
*** This is apparently due to 1up.com holding the rights to the comics which he made exclusively for them; considering the legal nature of Norm's stumbling block, it's probably permanent.
** Epicdemic was seemingly cancelled after part 3.
** Norm himself has stated that Hsu and Chan #9 will most likely suffer from some sort of DevelopmentHell.
* YouFailPhysicsForever: Subverted and lampshaded in ''Hsu and Chan #8'' during a scene where Chan and Gila Mobster are attempting to elude a pack of werewolves. Gila Mobster tells Chan to drive by several barrels full of gasoline and begins to shoot at them while they were driving past them, causing Chan to panic due to their proximity. However, rather than explode, the bullets simply put holes in the barrels causing the gasoline to leak from them. After witnessing this, Chan remarks:
-->'''Chan:''' If you can't trust video game physics, what can you trust, you know?
* YouSuck: Norm's views of the Tomb Raider games and movies which is reflected in the comics quite frequently.
* VideoGameMoviesSuck: Parodied in-universe in ''Hsu and Chan Go Hollywood''.
* [[ViewersAreMorons Video Gamers Are Morons]]: The brothers believe this especially when it comes to RPG gamers who they consider too stubborn to admit they can't beat a broken game the Tanaka's market to them. This trope is also employed when the brother's explore creating an illusion of depth and consequence in a video game.
* WallOfText: There's a lot of em. Possibly the biggest complaint about the comics are their enormous walls of text. While the walls scare off new readers, fans of the series will usually claim that Norm's style of humor justifies the intense word count.
** Norm loves lampshading this on his website:
--->'''Norm:''' (commenting on the strip, ''Deep'') Oddly enough, nobody complained about the wordiness in THIS comic. It's possible nobody ever made it to the end.
** From a recent blog post:
--->'''Norm:''' For anyone who was afraid that my new comics could never be as densely wordy as my old ones, I submit part four of Epicdemic -- I think there's, maybe, one square inch of actual illustration in this one.
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: Happens to Hsu in ''Schooln' '' when he becomes the head of a graphic design school the brothers founded. As he rapidly goes mad with power, he makes chewing gum in class punishable by 30 lashes and demands that all students and faculty refer to him as "God-Emperor Hsu." At the peak of his madness, he holds a young child hostage because Chan is explaining his concern about Hsu's actions.
** Happens to both brothers in ''Curse of the Ancients'' when an artifact transforms them into a twin headed dragon beast and replaces most of their reason and self-control with bestial instincts. Eventually they managed to overcome the instincts and regain control over themselves... then celebrated this achievement by going on a destructive rampage.
* YouSquared: parodied when the titular Tanaka brothers encounter their lifelong rivals, Akira Yamamoto and his father, each of them says "YOU!" at least once, prompting a passerby to say, "...Me?". Chan slaps him upside the head and shoos him away so the confrontation can begin in earnest.
----
