History WebVideo / StripSearch

''Strip Search'' was a reality/talent search web show created by PennyArcade and Bionic Trousers Media (the same folks behind ''WebVideo/LoadingReadyRun''), set to find a new great webcomic creator. Twelve artists competed for the grand prize: $15,000, and a year integrated into the ''Penny Arcade'' machine. It was described by the creators in the first episode as being "for all intents and purposes, [[Series/AmericasNextTopModel America's Next Top Web Cartoonist]]".

* XMeetsY: The elimination challenges are literally this; one artist chooses subject X at random out of the "Wastebasket of Broken Dreams", the other does the same to get subject Y, and the challenge is to write a strip involving both.

''Strip Search'' was a reality/talent search web show created by PennyArcade and Bionic Trousers Media (the same folks behind ''LoadingReadyRun''), set to find a new great webcomic creator. Twelve artists competed for the grand prize: $15,000, and a year integrated into the ''Penny Arcade'' machine. It was described by the creators in the first episode as being "for all intents and purposes, [[Series/AmericasNextTopModel America's Next Top Web Cartoonist]]".

* TheHost: Graham Stark, of LoadingReadyRun fame.

''Strip Search'' is a reality/talent search web show created by PennyArcade and Bionic Trousers Media (the same folks behind ''LoadingReadyRun''), set to find a new great webcomic creator. Twelve artists compete for the grand prize: $15,000, and a year integrated into the ''Penny Arcade'' machine. It was described by the creators in the first episode as being "for all intents and purposes, [[Series/AmericasNextTopModel America's Next Top Web Cartoonist]]".

The show follows a fairly conventional reality show format, with contestants engaging in a group-based 'social' challenge for a prize, then an individual challenge that determines which contestants will have to face an elimination challenge. As a WebOriginal series instead of a LiveActionTV show, this unfolds in a stretch of three roughly 20-minute episodes per cycle, rather than in a single hour-long episode.

** Followed some time later by [[spoiler:Lexxy]].

* PortmanteauCoupleName: Amy and Erika formed a particularly strong bond even by ''this'' house's standards. Result: [[http://24.media.tumblr.com/36ade85793ca6b53c44efffcdfbca034/tumblr_mld31dxZ8P1rcqyvgo1_500.png AmErika.]]

* RoleAssociation: Erika was immediately recognized by a few of the other artists from her [[Webcomic/DarASuperGirlyTopSecretComicDiary previous work,]] not to mention by some viewers from her [[http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2010/04/02 guest comic]] from one of the few times Penny Arcade has ever needed to use them.

* WeHardlyKnewYe: Averted. It took until Episode 4 to get rid of anybody, and fans have made sure to try and keep tabs on the entire roster even after their elimination. Although the first knocked out, [[spoiler:Alex]], has been the subject- and perpetrator- of many a 'first player eliminated' joke.

* GrassIsGreener: Part of the prize for the winner -- a year embedded in the Penny Arcade offices -- requires relocating to Seattle. Losing did not stop [[spoiler:Amy, Monica and Alex]] from moving to Seattle anyway before the season had even finished airing. And now, [[spoiler:Abby will be moving there after hitting the stretch goal for it on her Kickstarter for The Last Halloween.]]

* {{Squick}}: Some time after the show had ended, Mike found out that prior to the show, the Strip Search house had been used to make a porn video. Much fun was had by all. More was had when Tavis managed to hunt down the same video.
--->'''Mike:''' haha how did you find it? Someone gave it to me. Your porn finding powers are impressive!\\
'''Nick:''' he spent allllllllll day looking for it\\
'''Tavis:''' Just think about it for a minute Nick, the search phrase will come to you. There's more than one.\\
'''Amy:''' PLEASE TELL ME IT ISN'T "RECTAL WRECKERS OF RENTON"

** All in all, so far six losing contestants [[spoiler:(Monica, Lexxy, Abby, Maki, Amy and Tavis)]] have run Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaigns, and all six have succeeded. All but one of the "losers'" Kickstarters wound up raising more than the $15,000 that the winner received. The largest as of now is [[spoiler:Abby's]], having raised '''over $125,000'''. So many contestants cashed in so fast and in such large amounts that when the actual winner, [[spoiler:Katie]], was taking a little too long in relocating to Seattle, viewers began to worry that [[spoiler:''she'']] might be the one missing out.

** All in all, so far six losing contestants [[spoiler:(Monica, Lexxy, Abby, Maki, Amy and Tavis)]] have run Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaigns, and all six have succeeded. All but one of the "losers'" Kickstarters wound up raising more than the $15,000 that the winner received. While some are still ongoing, the largest so far is [[spoiler:Abby's]], having raised '''over $125,000'''. So many contestants cashed in so fast and in such large amounts that when the actual winner, [[spoiler:Katie]], was taking a little too long in relocating to Seattle, viewers began to worry that [[spoiler:''she'']] might be the one missing out.

* NotableReferencesToTVTropes: When [[spoiler:Tavis]] gets sent home, he comments that he knows "I pulled the TV Trope of [[spoiler:[[FatalFamilyPhoto the guy who talks about his wife and kids]] and now he's going home."]]

--> [[spoiler:'''Mike:''']] Seriously, why do you want to be a cartoonist?\\
'''Monica:''' ''(whispered)'' 'Cause I want to fuck your mom.

* SecretTestOfCharacter: In episode six, the group were all interviewed by AJ, a journalist. She asked inappropriately personal, probing and at times even silly questions. The contestants all struggled to find good answers for them. [[spoiler:Only Monica met the hidden test: She refused to answer a question that she thought was too personal. It was explained that having the courage to say no to a journalist is a crucial PR skill to have.]]

* TheRunnerUpTakesItAll:
** Explicitly invoked by Mike and Jerry during the post-elimination pep talk given to fifth-place finisher [[spoiler:Tavis]], citing how often runner-ups on other talent-search shows succeed despite losing.

*** A successful Kickstarter proved Mike and Jerry right.
** The fourth placer, [[spoiler: Lexxy]] ran a VERY successful Kickstarter to launch her projected comic. She also said that she would have been unable to [[spoiler:develop it on two months for the final challenge]].

*** Don't forget that both [[spoiler:Amy]] and [[spoiler:Erika]] were part of a Kickstarter project (with contributions from several other artists) which was also advertised on the Strip Search site and which successfully funded at double the amount of the Strip Search prize.

*** Don't forget that both [[spoiler:Amy]] and [[spoiler:Erika]] were part of a Kickstarter project (with contributions from several other artists) which was also advertised on the StripSearch site and which successfully funded at double the amount of the StripSearch prize.

** At PAX Prime 2013, it was announced that Monica and Ty were handed the keys to [[Webcomic/TheTrenches TheTrenches.]] Mike, Jerry and Scott Kurtz handed ''their secondary comic'' to the contestants who finished [[spoiler:''sixth and eleventh.'']]

** At PAX Prime 2013, it was announced that Monica and Ty were handed the keys to [[Webcomic/TheTrenches ''The Trenches.'']] Mike, Jerry and Scott Kurtz handed ''their secondary comic'' to the contestants who finished [[spoiler:''sixth and eleventh.'']]

** All in all, so far six losing contestants [[spoiler:(Monica, Lexxy, Abby, Maki, Amy and Tavis)]] have run Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaigns, and all six have succeeded. Many of the "loser's" Kickstarters wound up raising much more than the $15,000 that the winner received. While some are still ongoing, the largest so far is [[spoiler:Abby's]], having raised '''over $125,000'''. So many contestants cashed in so fast and in such large amounts that when the actual winner, [[spoiler:Katie]], was taking a little too long in relocating to Seattle, viewers began to worry that [[spoiler:''she'']] might be the one missing out.