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* StrawmanPolitical: Occasionally used as a TakeThat against self-proclaimed MoralGuardians and other bureaucrats, as demonstrated [[http://www.dorktower.com/2001/03/13/comics-archive-119/ here]].
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* StrawmanPolitical: StrawmanPolitical:
** Occasionally usedas in a TakeThat against self-proclaimed MoralGuardians and other bureaucrats, as demonstrated [[http://www.dorktower.com/2001/03/13/comics-archive-119/ here]].
** Occasionally used
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* TakeThatAudience: Always done good-naturedly, but Kovalic has an insider's knowledge of his geeky audience's foibles.
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* ThisLoserIsYou: While Kovalic's characters are rarely ''complete'' losers, the likes of the semi-competent munchkin Igor, neurotic geek Matt, and ill-fated small furry animal Carson may be subjects for rather wry audience identification.
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''Dork Tower'' is the name of a comic series by famed game creator, illustrator, and writer [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Kovalic John Kovalic]]. Set in the fictional town of Mud Bay, Wisconsin, it focuses on the gaming adventures and personal lives of the four main characters, a group of {{geek}}s whose hobbies and interests include tabletop roleplaying games, video games, miniature games, collectible card games, science fiction and fantasy, comic books, computers, anime and manga -- in short, anything and everything dorks (and {{Geek}}s, and {{Nerd}}s, and {{Otaku}}) would enjoy.
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''Dork Tower'' is the name of a comic series by famed game creator, illustrator, and writer [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Kovalic John Kovalic]].Creator/JohnKovalic. Set in the fictional town of Mud Bay, Wisconsin, it focuses on the gaming adventures and personal lives of the four main characters, a group of {{geek}}s whose hobbies and interests include tabletop roleplaying games, video games, miniature games, collectible card games, science fiction and fantasy, comic books, computers, anime and manga -- in short, anything and everything dorks (and {{Geek}}s, and {{Nerd}}s, and {{Otaku}}) would enjoy.
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** They once had a game based on ''Film/LordOfTheRings''. The campaign opened with Merry killing and gutting Gandalf, Pippin beating Frodo to death... they were planning to institute a military draft in the Shire when Matt went catatonic.
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** They once had a game based on ''Film/LordOfTheRings''.''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''. The campaign opened with Merry killing and gutting Gandalf, Pippin beating Frodo to death... they were planning to institute a military draft in the Shire when Matt went catatonic.
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** They once had a game based on ''Film/LordOfTheRings''. The campaign opened with Merry killing and gutting Gandalf, Pippin beating Frodo to death... they were planning to institute a military draft in the Shire when Matt went catatonic.
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** They once had a game based on ''Film/LordOfTheRings''.''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''. The campaign opened with Merry killing and gutting Gandalf, Pippin beating Frodo to death... they were planning to institute a military draft in the Shire when Matt went catatonic.
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** They once had a game based on ''LordOfTheRings''. The campaign opened with Merry killing and gutting Gandalf, Pippin beating Frodo to death... they were planning to institute a military draft in the Shire when Matt went catatonic.
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** They once had a game based on ''LordOfTheRings''.''Film/LordOfTheRings''. The campaign opened with Merry killing and gutting Gandalf, Pippin beating Frodo to death... they were planning to institute a military draft in the Shire when Matt went catatonic.
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* OneOfUs: A series of strips ([[http://www.dorktower.com/2003/04/02/comics-archive-407/ starting here]]) reveals Creator/WilWheaton, RobinWilliams, Curt Schilling, and VinDiesel as The League of Extraordinary [=GentleGamers=].
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* OneOfUs: A series of strips ([[http://www.dorktower.com/2003/04/02/comics-archive-407/ starting here]]) reveals Creator/WilWheaton, RobinWilliams, Creator/RobinWilliams, Curt Schilling, and VinDiesel as The League of Extraordinary [=GentleGamers=].
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* PerverseSexualLust: Igor's in love with three women -- [[{{Anime}} Apollo Smile]], [[Franchise/TombRaider Lara Croft]], and Daphne from ''ScoobyDoo''.
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* PerverseSexualLust: Igor's in love with three women -- [[{{Anime}} Apollo Smile]], [[Franchise/TombRaider Lara Croft]], and Daphne from ''ScoobyDoo''.''Franchise/ScoobyDoo''.
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''Dork Tower'' began as a four-panel comic in print format, published in various gaming-oriented periodicals such as ''{{Dragon}} Magazine'' and ''Pyramid''. In 2000, it became a four-panel webcomic published approximately three times a week. Later, a monthly comic book was published by Dork Storm Press, and featured a mix of single-page strips, multi-page stories, and ongoing character development story arcs. The comic book had been on hiatus as of issue #36 due to personal affairs, but will resume publication in 2011 in annual mini-series releases. A series of TPB collections reprint the web and print strips. The strip has won several Origin Awards, and the comic has sold over 500,000 copies worldwide.
to:
''Dork Tower'' began as a four-panel comic in print format, published in various gaming-oriented periodicals such as ''{{Dragon}} ''Magazine/{{Dragon}} Magazine'' and ''Pyramid''. In 2000, it became a four-panel webcomic published approximately three times a week. Later, a monthly comic book was published by Dork Storm Press, and featured a mix of single-page strips, multi-page stories, and ongoing character development story arcs. The comic book had been on hiatus as of issue #36 due to personal affairs, but will resume publication in 2011 in annual mini-series releases. A series of TPB collections reprint the web and print strips. The strip has won several Origin Awards, and the comic has sold over 500,000 copies worldwide.
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* CannotTellFictionFromReality: Igor has reached a point where his memory can no longer distinguish between events that happened in real life and those that happened in games.
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* {{Parody}}: The comic regularly features covers (and sometimes entire issues) that parody some aspect of geek or pop culture, often with some relationship to the story inside. Subjects have included ''ComicBook/UnderstandingComics'', Rice Krispies cereal, ''A Brief History of Time'', HarveyComics, Music/PinkFloyd...
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* {{Parody}}: The comic regularly features covers (and sometimes entire issues) that parody some aspect of geek or pop culture, often with some relationship to the story inside. Subjects have included ''ComicBook/UnderstandingComics'', Rice Krispies cereal, ''A Brief History of Time'', HarveyComics, Creator/HarveyComics, Music/PinkFloyd...
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** Matt was beaten up by the Geeks in high school because he didn't know anything about video games past Frogger.
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* {{Parody}}: The comic regularly features covers (and sometimes entire issues) that parody some aspect of geek or pop culture, often with some relationship to the story inside. Subjects have included ''UnderstandingComics'', Rice Krispies cereal, ''A Brief History of Time'', HarveyComics, Pink Floyd...
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* {{Parody}}: The comic regularly features covers (and sometimes entire issues) that parody some aspect of geek or pop culture, often with some relationship to the story inside. Subjects have included ''UnderstandingComics'', ''ComicBook/UnderstandingComics'', Rice Krispies cereal, ''A Brief History of Time'', HarveyComics, Pink Floyd...Music/PinkFloyd...
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* TheMasochismTango: Matt and Kayleigh, very much.
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* PerverseSexualLust: Igor's in love with three women -- [[{{Anime}} Apollo Smile]], [[TombRaider Lara Croft]], and Daphne from ''ScoobyDoo''.
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* PerverseSexualLust: Igor's in love with three women -- [[{{Anime}} Apollo Smile]], [[TombRaider [[Franchise/TombRaider Lara Croft]], and Daphne from ''ScoobyDoo''.
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* IncrediblyLamePun: [[http://www.dorktower.com/2012/12/13/dark-night-rises-dork-tower-13-12-12/ Just look at Ken's expression.]]
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* CompassionateCritic: Kayleigh is often this to Matt; she harshly insults his hobbies and interests (except for ''[[BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy]]'') out of an ongoing effort to "improve" him.
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* CompassionateCritic: Kayleigh is often this to Matt; she harshly insults his hobbies and interests (except for ''[[BuffyTheVampireSlayer ''[[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy]]'') out of an ongoing effort to "improve" him.
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* {{Wide-Eyed Idealist}}: Gilly the PerkyGoth.
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* {{Wide-Eyed Idealist}}: WideEyedIdealist: Gilly the PerkyGoth.
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** Another strip at a con had Matt [[http://www.dorktower.com/1999/09/01/shadis-magazine-strip-19/ running a game for]] the Comicstrip/KnightsOfTheDinnerTable.
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* WingedSoulFliesOffAtDeath: Red Bull gives you wings!
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* WrongGenreSavvy: After playing a ''CallOfCthulhu'' campaign, Matt's players were unable to adjust to the setting of ''Pendragon'' and their characters kept behaving as though they were about to face Lovecraftian horrors.
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* WrongGenreSavvy: After playing a ''CallOfCthulhu'' ''TabletopGame/CallOfCthulhu'' campaign, Matt's players were unable to adjust to the setting of ''Pendragon'' and their characters kept behaving as though they were about to face Lovecraftian horrors.
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-->'''Igor:''' "Told ya! Everything is better with Cthulhu!"
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Supporting characters that frequently appear in ''Dork Tower'' include:
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Supporting characters that who frequently appear in ''Dork Tower'' include:
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** Not to mention [[http://www.dorktower.com/2010/05/05/dork-tower-wednesday-may-5-2010/ "Cthulhu Alphabet For Kids"]] and [[http://www.dorktower.com/2006/06/23/comics-archive-799/ "Lovecraft Is..."]].
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** Not to mention [[http://www.dorktower.com/2010/05/05/dork-tower-wednesday-may-5-2010/ "Cthulhu Alphabet For Kids"]] and Kids"]], [[http://www.dorktower.com/2006/06/23/comics-archive-799/ "Lovecraft Is..."]]."]], and [[http://www.dorktower.com/2012/09/11/cthulwho-dork-tower-11-09-12/ "Cthul Who"]].
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* OneOfUs: A series of strips ([[http://www.dorktower.com/2003/04/02/comics-archive-407/ starting here]]) reveals WilWheaton, RobinWilliams, Curt Schilling, and VinDiesel as The League of Extraordinary [=GentleGamers=].
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* OneOfUs: A series of strips ([[http://www.dorktower.com/2003/04/02/comics-archive-407/ starting here]]) reveals WilWheaton, Creator/WilWheaton, RobinWilliams, Curt Schilling, and VinDiesel as The League of Extraordinary [=GentleGamers=].
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* ThickerThanWater: Igor recommends ignoring it and allowing yourself to unfollow and unfriend relatives.
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* SmallNameBigEgo: Igor, whenever he boasts of using his gaming skills to overcome a problem or obstacle.
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* TedBaxter: Igor, whenever he boasts of using his gaming skills to overcome a problem or obstacle.
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The four main characters are:
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The four main characters are:
are:
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** The gang's favorite game is "[[{{Warhammer}} Warhamster]]".
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** The gang's favorite game is "[[{{Warhammer}} "[[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}} Warhamster]]".
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* CrossOver: One story arc featured a crossover with ''{{PvP}}'', where the two casts attended a convention and entered a gaming competition. Matt ran a game with the [=PvP=] players, while Cole ran a game with the ''Dork Tower'' group. [[spoiler:The winning team was an all-girl squad with Gilly, Jade, and Marcy]].
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* CrossOver: One story arc featured a crossover with ''{{PvP}}'', ''PvP'', where the two casts attended a convention and entered a gaming competition. Matt ran a game with the [=PvP=] players, while Cole ran a game with the ''Dork Tower'' group. [[spoiler:The winning team was an all-girl squad with Gilly, Jade, and Marcy]].
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* ExplainingTheSoap: Played with when Carson asks Igor about ''{{Babylon 5}}'' and gets an eight-panel wall of text about the conspiracies, universal issues, and civil wars and ancient chessmasters. When Carson comments that it's a lot for a single season, Igor corrects him -- it all happened in the previous ''episode.''
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* ExplainingTheSoap: Played with when Carson asks Igor about ''{{Babylon 5}}'' ''Series/BabylonFive'' and gets an eight-panel wall of text about the conspiracies, universal issues, and civil wars and ancient chessmasters. When Carson comments that it's a lot for a single season, Igor corrects him -- it all happened in the previous ''episode.''
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* LovecraftLite: Used occasionally for gags, such as pop-culture mashups "[[SpongebobSquarepants Spongebob Thulhupants]]", "{{TabletopGame/Pokethulhu}}", and "Horton Hears Cthulhu". One slightly NSFW strip spoofing {{Evony}} even had Happy Thulhu saying "I threw up on your sanity a little."
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* LovecraftLite: Used occasionally for gags, such as pop-culture mashups "[[SpongebobSquarepants "[[WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants Spongebob Thulhupants]]", "{{TabletopGame/Pokethulhu}}", "TabletopGame/{{Pokethulhu}}", and "Horton Hears Cthulhu". One slightly NSFW strip spoofing {{Evony}} even had Happy Thulhu saying "I threw up on your sanity a little."
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* SocialSemiCircle: Sometimes occurs, typically with games involving miniatures. Intentionally invoked in issue #17 of the comic as a parody/ShoutOut to ''KnightsOfTheDinnerTable''; the odd arrangement is justified because the table on the reader's side is unpleasantly sticky from a spilled soda.
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* SocialSemiCircle: Sometimes occurs, typically with games involving miniatures. Intentionally invoked in issue #17 of the comic as a parody/ShoutOut to ''KnightsOfTheDinnerTable''; ''ComicStrip/KnightsOfTheDinnerTable''; the odd arrangement is justified because the table on the reader's side is unpleasantly sticky from a spilled soda.
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* TVTropesWillRuinYourLife: [[http://www.dorktower.com/images/comics/DorkTower911.gif Demonstrated here.]]
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* TVTropesWillRuinYourLife: [[http://www.dorktower.com/images/comics/DorkTower911.gif com/2011/01/18/dork-tower-tuesday-january-18-2011/ Demonstrated here.]]
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* BitingTheHandHumor: Done occasionally with lighthearted fun, such as the strip for the 40th Anniversary issue of ''Dragon'' magazine depicting its rise from humble beginnings into a world-crushing megacorp...
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[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Dork_Tower_characters_8661.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[-Your dorks, clockwise from the beehive hairdo: Kayleigh, Ken, Matt, Gilly, Igor, and Carson.-] ]]
->"Hey, Marcia! Come and see the satanist!"
-->--Bookstore clerk, after Matt asks if they have RPG books
''Dork Tower'' is the name of a comic series by famed game creator, illustrator, and writer [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Kovalic John Kovalic]]. Set in the fictional town of Mud Bay, Wisconsin, it focuses on the gaming adventures and personal lives of the four main characters, a group of {{geek}}s whose hobbies and interests include tabletop roleplaying games, video games, miniature games, collectible card games, science fiction and fantasy, comic books, computers, anime and manga -- in short, anything and everything dorks (and {{Geek}}s, and {{Nerd}}s, and {{Otaku}}) would enjoy.
The four main characters are:
* Matt [=McLimore=], the group's gamemaster. His RPG campaigns are frequently derailed by the players, but he persists in trying to deliver a rich and rewarding experience every time they play. He works as a graphic designer, but also draws his own comic book, "That Grrl," in his spare time.
* Ken Mills, a miniatures collector, historical wargamer, and medieval recreationist. He is a stickler for accuracy to the point of obsession. He works as a programmer at a technology company, Mon-E-Pit.com
* Igor Olman, an ''extremely'' enthusiastic fan of everything gaming-related, who obsessively commits himself to all of his hobbies and interests. The most rash and impulsive member of the group, by far.
* Carson the muskrat. He is arguably the most "normal" character of the group, though he does act impulsively when gaming. He supports himself through various demeaning service-sector jobs.
Supporting characters that frequently appear in ''Dork Tower'' include:
* Bill Blyden, the owner and manager of Pegasaurus Games, the gang's regular game store. He struggles daily with both the efforts to keep the store running and the numerous annoyances of ungrateful customers. He is married to his wife Stacy, and his sole employee is Leslie.
* Gilly Woods, a perpetually [[PerkyGoth perky goth girl]]. Confounding goth stereotypes, she likes cute and cheerful things, to the disgust of her brother Walden. Matt has a deep crush on her, but she has been hesitant to reciprocate due to his relationship with Kayleigh. She recently moved to London to attend graduate school.
* Walden Woods is Gilly's older brother and the leader of the Mud Bay goth gamers. He runs their recurring {{LARP}} sessions, and suffers the indignity of getting kicked out of everywhere they want to play.
* Kayleigh Hardcastle is Matt's on-again, off-again girlfriend. They went steady in college, but broke up due to clashes in personalities and interests. Kayleigh is a journalist for a local newspaper.
* Sujata is Kayleigh's roommate. After dating Ken, she got into gaming -- to his dismay, as [[IWasBeatenByAGirl she tends to be better at it than he is]]...
''Dork Tower'' began as a four-panel comic in print format, published in various gaming-oriented periodicals such as ''{{Dragon}} Magazine'' and ''Pyramid''. In 2000, it became a four-panel webcomic published approximately three times a week. Later, a monthly comic book was published by Dork Storm Press, and featured a mix of single-page strips, multi-page stories, and ongoing character development story arcs. The comic book had been on hiatus as of issue #36 due to personal affairs, but will resume publication in 2011 in annual mini-series releases. A series of TPB collections reprint the web and print strips. The strip has won several Origin Awards, and the comic has sold over 500,000 copies worldwide.
[[http://www.dorktower.com/ The official site is here.]]
-----
!!The various ''Dork Tower'' comics contain examples of:
* {{Angrish}}: [[http://www.dorktower.com/2010/02/26/dork-tower-friday-february-26-2010/ Demonstrated by Matt here.]]
* AnxietyDreams
* BigNo: [[http://www.dorktower.com/2001/01/18/comics-archive-45/ Audible five miles away.]]
* BlackAndNerdy: Ken.
* BlackSheep: Parodied; Walden's parents are fine that he's gay, but are distressed by his {{LARP}} gaming hobby.
* BlandNameProduct: Countless examples abound, almost always as references to RealLife games and gadgets.
** The gang's favorite game is "[[{{Warhammer}} Warhamster]]".
** Also "[[DungeonsAndDragons Dungeons & Dragoons]]".
** Matt's first RPG was "[[{{Traveller}} Travailler]]".
** "Pegasaurus Games" is a spoof of the real-life [[http://www.pegasusgames.com/ Pegasus Games]] store.
** Walden's goths usually play "[[TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade Vampire: The Groveling]]"
*** Later supplanted by ''[[Literature/{{Twilight}} Vampire: The Sparkling]]"
* BoyMeetsGirl: Subverted by Matt and Gilly. They're achingly perfect for each other -- both gamers, both comic book fans, both cosplayers, both from the ''same town'' in Wisconsin. Too bad Matt keeps salvaging his relationship with his gamer-hating girlfriend and Gilly doesn't know he exists.
* BreakingTheFourthWall
* {{Calvinball}}: Igor's "house rules" for baseball, ''Candyland'', license plate bingo...
-->"Okay, now the lollipops represent anti-personnel mines..."
* CatchPhrase:
-->'''Igor''': "''IT MUST BE MINE!'' HUZZAH!"
* CelebCrush: Several over the years, most notably Matt with Sarah Michelle Geller and Carson with Megan Morrone.
** Megan's response was that she's flattered by the crush, notes that she's already married, and refuses to comment whether [[InterspeciesRomance the baby she's carrying is actually Carson's...]]
* CelebrityLie: Inverted in [[http://www.dorktower.com/2007/12/28/comics-archive-975/ this]] comic strip with StanLee.
* CharacterOverlap: Carson the Muskrat originally appeared in ''Wild Life,'' a FunnyAnimal college newspaper comic drawn by Kovalic. Some characters from ''Wild Life'' occasionally make cameos in ''Dork Tower''.
** Bill Blyden and Pegasaurus Games also count, as Kovalic also briefly drew "Shop Keep", a parallel/spinoff strip focused on Bill.
* ClingyJealousGirl: Kayleigh, to the point where she becomes enraged simply by thinking that Matt might prefer Gilly over her.
* CompassionateCritic: Kayleigh is often this to Matt; she harshly insults his hobbies and interests (except for ''[[BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy]]'') out of an ongoing effort to "improve" him.
-->'''Kayleigh:''' "Why can't he just be more like other guys?"
-->'''Sujata:''' "Sitting at a bar with a six-pack of Bud waiting for 'America's Wackiest High-Speed Chases' to come on?"
* CrossOver: One story arc featured a crossover with ''{{PvP}}'', where the two casts attended a convention and entered a gaming competition. Matt ran a game with the [=PvP=] players, while Cole ran a game with the ''Dork Tower'' group. [[spoiler:The winning team was an all-girl squad with Gilly, Jade, and Marcy]].
** Subverted with ''Dork Tower vs. Lethargic Lad'':
--->'''Igor:''' "You know, it's funny, but for all the years we've lived in Mud Bay, we've never met up with LETHARGIC LAD."
---->''(beat)''
--->'''Matt:''' "That's because he's a comic book character, you blithering idiot."
--->'''Igor:''' "Oh. Yeah. Right. Of course."
* CutAndPasteComic: Done occasionally, almost always with a [[SelfDeprecation self-deprecating joke]] about how Kovalic is being lazy.
* DeadArtistsAreBetter: In one strip describing comic book convention tips, an artist has just drawn a sketch for a fan, who remarks "Wow, if you die on the way home, this'll be worth LOTS!"
* DeepImmersionGaming
* DiscriminateAndSwitch: Happens to Gilly when she visits London, [[http://www.dorktower.com/2006/10/06/comics-archive-841/ here]].
* DontYouLikeIt: To show how much he likes her, Ken gives Sujata a 1,000-point Korn Demon of Kaos High Priest of Pain Blood Champion miniature figure. Needless to say, [[ScreamingWoman she didn't take it well]].
-->"Perhaps she didn't realize you painted the brains, skulls and mutilated victim details yourself...?"
** Then there was the time Igor gave Carson a muskrat pie for Christmas...
* DungeonmastersGirlfriend: Subverted with Kayleigh, who joined a session run by Igor to try to understand Matt's hobby. After some initial confusion, she became a rule-mastering [[TheStrategist power gamer]], stomped all over the game's enemies, and reduced Igor to curling in wimpered submission.
-->"Turbonium dragon? More like Turbonium [[ThisIsForEmphasisBitch BEE-YACH!]]"
* EvenNerdsHaveStandards: After complaining to a girl that gamers are perceived as weirdos, [[http://www.dorktower.com/2010/05/26/dork-tower-wednesday-may-26/ Matt backs away in disgust when she admits she's a furry.]]
* ExplainingTheSoap: Played with when Carson asks Igor about ''{{Babylon 5}}'' and gets an eight-panel wall of text about the conspiracies, universal issues, and civil wars and ancient chessmasters. When Carson comments that it's a lot for a single season, Igor corrects him -- it all happened in the previous ''episode.''
* TheFaceless: Bill's employee, Leslie, is always shown with her face half-hidden behind the store counter.
* FakeHigh: Matt's stoner brother thinks he is high after mistaking Matt's basing floc for pot and smoking it.
* FanService: Not in the strip itself (thank goodness!), but a regular subject of [[TakeThat Take Thats]].
-->'''Matt:''' "We've forgotten what made gaming GREAT in the old days!"
-->'''Carson:''' "Incredibly badly-drawn women in gratuitous cheesecake chainmail bikini shots?"
** Well, there ''was'' the ''Dork Tower Swimsuit Special'', with a Gilly pinup by PhilFoglio...
* FearlessFool: [[http://www.dorktower.com/2006/06/12/comics-archive-794/ With motivational poster!]]
* FunnyAnimal: Carson.
* FunWithAcronyms: Played with when Igor starts '''G'''amers '''F'''or '''P'''ersonal '''H'''ygiene -- [[http://www.dorktower.com/2006/07/12/comics-archive-807/ acronym explained here.]]
* {{Goth}}: Gilly's brother Walden.
* {{Headdesk}}: This is a recurring gag, where a sufficiently annoying situation will prompt any of the main characters to {{headdesk}} against the nearest table, wall, or fire hydrant. [[http://www.dorktower.com/2007/11/28/comics-archive-962/ Demonstrated here]].
* HomeSweetHome: Invoked by [[http://www.dorktower.com/2001/03/14/comics-archive-120/ the corrupting influence of Sims.]]
* HumanSacrifice: [[http://www.dorktower.com/2006/06/21/comics-archive-798/ Shown here]] with the "Love Is..." couple, of all things.
* HustlingTheMark: After hearing that Igor has never played poker, Ken eagerly invites him to join his poker game. At first, Igor frustrates the other players with his naive questions and obvious tells, but by the end of the evening he makes off with all of the winnings. The final strip shows Igor talking to someone on a cell phone about how he fooled everyone... while being pursued by a ''very'' angry Ken.
* HypocriticalHumor: Occurs fairly often, either as a TakeThat against the characters' behaviors, or when they are LeaningOnTheFourthWall about Kovalic's writing or art.
* IHaveNoSon: Invoked [[http://www.dorktower.com/2004/08/27/comics-archive-562/ here]], word-for-word.
* IJustWantToBeLoved: Despite Keyleigh's often abusive behavior, this is the main reason why Matt continues to date her.
* IllTakeTwoBeersToo: Happens several times, usually after Matt has suffered yet another indignity with his gaming group or his personal life. One trip to a Ren Fair had him depressing a nearby bard into the same funk.
-->"Good idea, three meads for me too".
* INeedAFreakingDrink: Ken...didn't take the warped retelling of ''Gifts of the Magi'' at all well.
-->"If anyone needs me, I'll be seeking the Spirit of Christmas ''Spirits.'' 98 proof."
* IntoxicationEnsues: Happens to Ken after he tries one of Igor's sugar-overloaded "[[http://www.dorkstock.com/IgorBars.html Igor bars]]". He passes out four seconds later...
* IronicEchoCut: Used far, ''far'' too often to list here.
* ITakeOffenceToThatLastOne: See SlapSlapKiss below.
* IveGotAnXAndImNotAfraidToUseIt: Ken has a bar of soap and he's not afraid to use it! (At a con! The fiend!)
* IWantMyJetPack: Referenced in [[http://www.dorktower.com/2001/01/01/comics-archive-2/ this strip]].
* IWasBeatenByAGirl: Ken's girlfriend Sujata regularly trounces him in whatever games they play.
-->'''Sujata:''' "Hey, dog-chow! It's ''Halo'' time, and I believe your butt is ''MINE!'' Woof! Woof!"
* LeeroyJenkins: Igor.
* LethalChef: [[http://www.dorktower.com/2006/11/06/comics-archive-854/ One story]] featured an "IronChef Ramen Noodle" cook-off between Igor and Carson. Igor carefully crafts a concoction with tom-yum paste, rice wine, and fish sauce, while Carson's entry consisted of generic turkey dogs. Igor's dish is unbelievably aromatic, while Carson's prompted the question "This used to be organic?" from the judges. [[spoiler:Carson wins anyway, despite Igor's entry being "like tasting clouds", because his entry reminds the judges of college dorm food -- "The best years of our lives!"]]
** Igor also counts for his "Igor bars" (see Intoxication Ensues), [[http://www.dorktower.com/2005/01/05/comics-archive-634/ as shown here]], though that was probably on purpose.
* LocalHangout: Pegasarus Games, the local TabletopGames store.
* TheLoonie: Igor, hands down.
* LovableNerd: Matt.
* LoveAtFirstSight: Ken and Sujata.
* LovecraftLite: Used occasionally for gags, such as pop-culture mashups "[[SpongebobSquarepants Spongebob Thulhupants]]", "{{TabletopGame/Pokethulhu}}", and "Horton Hears Cthulhu". One slightly NSFW strip spoofing {{Evony}} even had Happy Thulhu saying "I threw up on your sanity a little."
** Not to mention [[http://www.dorktower.com/2010/05/05/dork-tower-wednesday-may-5-2010/ "Cthulhu Alphabet For Kids"]] and [[http://www.dorktower.com/2006/06/23/comics-archive-799/ "Lovecraft Is..."]].
* LoveTriangle: Matt, Gilly, and Kayleigh.
* ManChild: Arguably, ''all'' of the main characters could be counted as such.
* MirrorUniverse: A story arc once sent Carson into a mirror universe in which [[ForWantOfANail roleplaying games had never been invented]] [[spoiler:and GeorgeLucas had gone into porn rather than directing ''StarWars'']]. In that alternate reality, Matt was a pretentious male model, Igor a sports celebrity and Ken a gangsta rapper.
* MistakenForTerrorist: Occurs in one strip with a "radical" "extremist" "black panther" named Huey. [[spoiler:He's a white guy wearing a black panther furry costume.]]
* {{Mondegreen}}: Carson thinks the lyrics of his favourite U2 song are "I still haven't found Walter's cookie jar".
* {{Munchkin}}: Igor, and how!
* NonHumanSidekick: Carson the muskrat.
* NotThisOneThatOne: [[http://www.dorktower.com/2009/01/21/?catid=6 Seen here.]]
* NotWearingPantsDream: Occurs in [[http://www.dorktower.com/2006/01/09/comics-archive-746/ this strip.]]
* OddShapedPanel: Examples [[http://www.dorktower.com/2001/01/28/comics-archive-65/ here]] and [[http://www.dorktower.com/2002/01/26/comics-archive-234/ here.]]
* OffTheRails: Happens '''far''' too many times to count, usually due to the gang's overzealous gaming strategies.
** They once had a game based on ''LordOfTheRings''. The campaign opened with Merry killing and gutting Gandalf, Pippin beating Frodo to death... they were planning to institute a military draft in the Shire when Matt went catatonic.
--->'''Igor''': "I kill Gandalf."
*** In the second attempt, Carson is assigned to play Gandalf... but with his abilities [[{{Nerf}} limited to talking to birds and casting fireworks]]. Igor and Ken ended up using him as a BulletproofHumanShield and battering ram.
** Another session ended with the players having taken over the kingdom, forged an empire, and conquered all of the known lands... when their goal was to just [[YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle rescue the princess.]]
** One strip had Matt crying to a friend about how his characters had not only derailed his adventure by killing everyone, they had also summoned Elder Gods to destroy the game universe. They had been playing ''BunniesAndBurrows'' -- a game where all the characters are ''normal, mundane rabbits''. [[http://www.dorktower.com/2005/03/09/comics-archive-657/ Here.]]
* OneOfUs: A series of strips ([[http://www.dorktower.com/2003/04/02/comics-archive-407/ starting here]]) reveals WilWheaton, RobinWilliams, Curt Schilling, and VinDiesel as The League of Extraordinary [=GentleGamers=].
** A [[http://www.dorktower.com/2008/03/28/comics-archive-1014/ later strip]] had Jessica Alba join the group, after [[http://entertainment.oneindia.in/hollywood/top-stories/scoop/2008/jessica-alba-board-games-250308.html she admitted to being hooked on board games.]]
* {{Otaku}}: Ken is a cosplay otaku at Renaissance Faires, while Matt, Igor and Bill have shown military otaku tendencies with medieval weapons.
* PantslessMalesFullyDressedFemales: Invoked in [[http://www.dorktower.com/2011/11/16/ this comic.]]
* {{Parody}}: The comic regularly features covers (and sometimes entire issues) that parody some aspect of geek or pop culture, often with some relationship to the story inside. Subjects have included ''UnderstandingComics'', Rice Krispies cereal, ''A Brief History of Time'', HarveyComics, Pink Floyd...
* PerkyGoth: Gilly the Perky Goth is the TropeNamer.
* PerpetualPoverty: Matt and his friends are always short on funds for their hobbies and toys (not to mention the rent), yet they somehow manage to stay in the same apartment and drive a car for years.
* PersonaNonGrata: Happens too often for Walden and his LARP goths; ''[[NoodleIncident something]]'' inevitably gets them banned from their latest gathering spot.
-->'''Walden:''' "Great Clans of Mud Bay, I have called this gathering in the Poochy's Last Stand pet cemetery for one reason!"
-->'''Goth:''' "Because Beef-A-Roo won't let us gather there anymore?"
-->'''Walden:''' "APART FROM THAT!"
* PerverseSexualLust: Igor's in love with three women -- [[{{Anime}} Apollo Smile]], [[TombRaider Lara Croft]], and Daphne from ''ScoobyDoo''.
* PrintLongRunners: First appeared in January 1997, and still going.
* SelfDeprecation: Kovalic sometimes couples this with BreakingTheFourthWall to poke fun at himself.
-->'''Ken:''' "Let's admit it, Kovalic's about as organized as a wet mound of marmots."
* SeriousBusiness: Going to a movie with Bill and Ken can be very difficult, as they take historical accuracy ''very'' seriously.
-->"Oh gawd! They just called the glaive-guisarme a bill-guisarme! I'm writing to RogerEbert!"
** One strip had Ken freaking out whenever his character acquired or lost any gear, as he ''insisted'' on having his miniatures figure match it exactly.
--->'''Matt:''' "...and so that rarest of artifacts, 'Bigby's Grasping Rodent of Eternal Wealth' is yours..."
--->'''Ken:''' "AIEEEEEEEEE! ...shut up and pass me some superglue, an X-Acto knife, and a 25mm marmot..."
* SlapSlapKiss: Happens periodically between Matt and Kayleigh.
-->'''Matt:''' "You think my friends are annoying!"
-->'''Kayleigh:''' "You think my friends are pretentious!"
-->'''Matt:''' "You hate my hobbies!"
-->'''Kayleigh:''' "You think I'm a snob!"
-->'''Matt:''' "You ARE a snob!"
-->'''Kayleigh:''' "It's better than being a looser dweeb with no initiative, no fashion sense, no job, no prospects and a 'Buffy'-hater to boot!"
-->'''Matt:''' "THAT was a LOW blow! ... I '''love''' 'Buffy'."
--->''(beat) **KISS**''
* SocialSemiCircle: Sometimes occurs, typically with games involving miniatures. Intentionally invoked in issue #17 of the comic as a parody/ShoutOut to ''KnightsOfTheDinnerTable''; the odd arrangement is justified because the table on the reader's side is unpleasantly sticky from a spilled soda.
* SpotOfTea [=/=]StiffUpperLip: Lampshaded in [[http://www.dorktower.com/2005/07/12/comics-archive-697/ this]] comic.
* StopBeingStereotypical: Several strips call on gamers to improve their public behavior, especially regarding personal hygiene.
-->'''Ken:''' "I've got a bar of SOAP here, and I'm not afraid to USE IT!"
* StraightGay: Walden.
* StrawmanPolitical: Occasionally used as a TakeThat against self-proclaimed MoralGuardians and other bureaucrats, as demonstrated [[http://www.dorktower.com/2001/03/13/comics-archive-119/ here]].
** A related gag is for Bill to deal with clueless MoralGuardians protesting role-playing games... while Matt's mad because they're protesting Pokemon, not [=RPGs=].
--->"We're still relevant, dammit!"
* SuckOutThePoison: Nobody volunteers to do this for Igor.
* SuperStoicShopkeeper: Bill tries to be like this,with varying degrees of success.
* TakeThatCritics: Invoked for a gag when GeorgeLucas pummels Ken for criticizing the changes to the original ''StarWars'' trilogy.
-->'''George Lucas:''' "Well, pardon the FREAK out of me for providing you with ''so many years'' of GREAT MEMORIES and ENTERTAINMENT!" ''*Bam!*Crash*Pow!*'' "I mean, of ''course'' that's all RUINED for you now because GREEDO freaking ''shoots first!''" ''*Biff*Paf*Oof!*''
* TedBaxter: Igor, whenever he boasts of using his gaming skills to overcome a problem or obstacle.
* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: Igor's in-game solution to every problem.
* ThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow
* TokenNonhuman: Carson the muskrat, naturally.
* TombOfHorrors: One strip concerns an offscreen run through this "classic" at Pegasaurus Games.
-->'''DM:''' Joe, you're dead. Bill, you're dead, and so's your dog. Ok, everyone rolled up a new character? Ok, they're all dead.
* TomeOfEldritchLore
* TooDumbToLive: Many of Matt's gaming sessions end with all the (game) characters dying due to this trope.
** One adventure ended with their characters chasing a [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Demon Lord]] to ''Hell'' and getting instantly destroyed... which they insisted must be an illusion.
* TooSpicyForYogSothoth / YourBrainWontBeMuchOfAMeal: In [[http://www.dorktower.com/2006/05/05/comics-archive-781/ this strip,]] Igor engages a mind flayer with purple nurples and "the dreaded doom wedgie". Since this effectively proved his character didn't ''have'' a brain to flay, he actually won.
* TrickDialogue: A frequent source of comedy. One story begins with Gilly and Matt preparing for a blind date. We then see them at a table talking, and seeing how they share lots of common interests and hobbies. The final panel shows that they are actually sitting at two different tables, each talking to someone else who think their hobbies are weird.
** Inverted in another story, where Matt starts off talking to Ken about how Gilly is his ideal girl, while Walden is talking to a stranger about finding a NiceGuy for Gilly. After a page and a half, it's revealed that Matt and Walden ended up talking to ''each other,'' not realizing that they're both referring to the same PerkyGoth... or how Matt would be perfect for her.
* {{Tsundere}}: Kayleigh, much to Matt's dismay.
* TVTropesWillRuinYourLife: [[http://www.dorktower.com/images/comics/DorkTower911.gif Demonstrated here.]]
* {{Unicorn}}: One appears in [[http://www.dorktower.com/2006/04/21/comics-archive-775/ this comic]] teamed up with [[ItMakesSenseInContext a penumbral hulk, a kobold, a paladin, and a kuo-toa...]]
* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: No-one seems in the least bothered that Carson is an intelligent bipedal muskrat. This was played with in a strip (later adapted as an animated short)-
--->'''Narrator:''' "And now...the secret origins of Carson the Muskrat!"
--->'''Carson:''' "Father was a muskrat...mother was a muskrat." ''(shrugs)''
** Given how most people react to Carson (see YourCostumeNeedsWork, below), they probably just figure [[http://www.dorktower.com/2006/07/26/comics-archive-813/ he's a guy in a (horribly bad) costume.]]
* UpToEleven: Just about anything Igor does will eventually invoke this.
* UselessSpleen: "Has anyone seen my spleen?" is a common phrase in the aftermath of combat.
* VideoGamePerversityPotential: [[http://www.dorktower.com/2001/03/17/comics-archive-123/ Demonstrated here.]]
* WallOfBlather
* WhatTheHellHero: Invoked in epic fashion by Igor against New Line Cinema [[http://www.dorktower.com/2006/11/17/comics-archive-858/ here.]]
* WhenThePlanetsAlign
* WhyCouldntYouBeDifferent: Kayleigh occasionally angsts about being overshadowed by her siblings and their numerous accomplishments, while she's reduced to being a journalist for a local newspaper.
* {{Wide-Eyed Idealist}}: Gilly the PerkyGoth.
* WillTheyOrWontThey: Matt and Gilly.
* WrongGenreSavvy: After playing a ''CallOfCthulhu'' campaign, Matt's players were unable to adjust to the setting of ''Pendragon'' and their characters kept behaving as though they were about to face Lovecraftian horrors.
* YourCostumeNeedsWork: Carson gets this from a bunch of costumed furries at a convention.
-->"[[WorstWhateverEver Worst muskrat costume EVER!]]"
-->"HEY!"
----
[[caption-width-right:350:[-Your dorks, clockwise from the beehive hairdo: Kayleigh, Ken, Matt, Gilly, Igor, and Carson.-] ]]
->"Hey, Marcia! Come and see the satanist!"
-->--Bookstore clerk, after Matt asks if they have RPG books
''Dork Tower'' is the name of a comic series by famed game creator, illustrator, and writer [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Kovalic John Kovalic]]. Set in the fictional town of Mud Bay, Wisconsin, it focuses on the gaming adventures and personal lives of the four main characters, a group of {{geek}}s whose hobbies and interests include tabletop roleplaying games, video games, miniature games, collectible card games, science fiction and fantasy, comic books, computers, anime and manga -- in short, anything and everything dorks (and {{Geek}}s, and {{Nerd}}s, and {{Otaku}}) would enjoy.
The four main characters are:
* Matt [=McLimore=], the group's gamemaster. His RPG campaigns are frequently derailed by the players, but he persists in trying to deliver a rich and rewarding experience every time they play. He works as a graphic designer, but also draws his own comic book, "That Grrl," in his spare time.
* Ken Mills, a miniatures collector, historical wargamer, and medieval recreationist. He is a stickler for accuracy to the point of obsession. He works as a programmer at a technology company, Mon-E-Pit.com
* Igor Olman, an ''extremely'' enthusiastic fan of everything gaming-related, who obsessively commits himself to all of his hobbies and interests. The most rash and impulsive member of the group, by far.
* Carson the muskrat. He is arguably the most "normal" character of the group, though he does act impulsively when gaming. He supports himself through various demeaning service-sector jobs.
Supporting characters that frequently appear in ''Dork Tower'' include:
* Bill Blyden, the owner and manager of Pegasaurus Games, the gang's regular game store. He struggles daily with both the efforts to keep the store running and the numerous annoyances of ungrateful customers. He is married to his wife Stacy, and his sole employee is Leslie.
* Gilly Woods, a perpetually [[PerkyGoth perky goth girl]]. Confounding goth stereotypes, she likes cute and cheerful things, to the disgust of her brother Walden. Matt has a deep crush on her, but she has been hesitant to reciprocate due to his relationship with Kayleigh. She recently moved to London to attend graduate school.
* Walden Woods is Gilly's older brother and the leader of the Mud Bay goth gamers. He runs their recurring {{LARP}} sessions, and suffers the indignity of getting kicked out of everywhere they want to play.
* Kayleigh Hardcastle is Matt's on-again, off-again girlfriend. They went steady in college, but broke up due to clashes in personalities and interests. Kayleigh is a journalist for a local newspaper.
* Sujata is Kayleigh's roommate. After dating Ken, she got into gaming -- to his dismay, as [[IWasBeatenByAGirl she tends to be better at it than he is]]...
''Dork Tower'' began as a four-panel comic in print format, published in various gaming-oriented periodicals such as ''{{Dragon}} Magazine'' and ''Pyramid''. In 2000, it became a four-panel webcomic published approximately three times a week. Later, a monthly comic book was published by Dork Storm Press, and featured a mix of single-page strips, multi-page stories, and ongoing character development story arcs. The comic book had been on hiatus as of issue #36 due to personal affairs, but will resume publication in 2011 in annual mini-series releases. A series of TPB collections reprint the web and print strips. The strip has won several Origin Awards, and the comic has sold over 500,000 copies worldwide.
[[http://www.dorktower.com/ The official site is here.]]
-----
!!The various ''Dork Tower'' comics contain examples of:
* {{Angrish}}: [[http://www.dorktower.com/2010/02/26/dork-tower-friday-february-26-2010/ Demonstrated by Matt here.]]
* AnxietyDreams
* BigNo: [[http://www.dorktower.com/2001/01/18/comics-archive-45/ Audible five miles away.]]
* BlackAndNerdy: Ken.
* BlackSheep: Parodied; Walden's parents are fine that he's gay, but are distressed by his {{LARP}} gaming hobby.
* BlandNameProduct: Countless examples abound, almost always as references to RealLife games and gadgets.
** The gang's favorite game is "[[{{Warhammer}} Warhamster]]".
** Also "[[DungeonsAndDragons Dungeons & Dragoons]]".
** Matt's first RPG was "[[{{Traveller}} Travailler]]".
** "Pegasaurus Games" is a spoof of the real-life [[http://www.pegasusgames.com/ Pegasus Games]] store.
** Walden's goths usually play "[[TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade Vampire: The Groveling]]"
*** Later supplanted by ''[[Literature/{{Twilight}} Vampire: The Sparkling]]"
* BoyMeetsGirl: Subverted by Matt and Gilly. They're achingly perfect for each other -- both gamers, both comic book fans, both cosplayers, both from the ''same town'' in Wisconsin. Too bad Matt keeps salvaging his relationship with his gamer-hating girlfriend and Gilly doesn't know he exists.
* BreakingTheFourthWall
* {{Calvinball}}: Igor's "house rules" for baseball, ''Candyland'', license plate bingo...
-->"Okay, now the lollipops represent anti-personnel mines..."
* CatchPhrase:
-->'''Igor''': "''IT MUST BE MINE!'' HUZZAH!"
* CelebCrush: Several over the years, most notably Matt with Sarah Michelle Geller and Carson with Megan Morrone.
** Megan's response was that she's flattered by the crush, notes that she's already married, and refuses to comment whether [[InterspeciesRomance the baby she's carrying is actually Carson's...]]
* CelebrityLie: Inverted in [[http://www.dorktower.com/2007/12/28/comics-archive-975/ this]] comic strip with StanLee.
* CharacterOverlap: Carson the Muskrat originally appeared in ''Wild Life,'' a FunnyAnimal college newspaper comic drawn by Kovalic. Some characters from ''Wild Life'' occasionally make cameos in ''Dork Tower''.
** Bill Blyden and Pegasaurus Games also count, as Kovalic also briefly drew "Shop Keep", a parallel/spinoff strip focused on Bill.
* ClingyJealousGirl: Kayleigh, to the point where she becomes enraged simply by thinking that Matt might prefer Gilly over her.
* CompassionateCritic: Kayleigh is often this to Matt; she harshly insults his hobbies and interests (except for ''[[BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy]]'') out of an ongoing effort to "improve" him.
-->'''Kayleigh:''' "Why can't he just be more like other guys?"
-->'''Sujata:''' "Sitting at a bar with a six-pack of Bud waiting for 'America's Wackiest High-Speed Chases' to come on?"
* CrossOver: One story arc featured a crossover with ''{{PvP}}'', where the two casts attended a convention and entered a gaming competition. Matt ran a game with the [=PvP=] players, while Cole ran a game with the ''Dork Tower'' group. [[spoiler:The winning team was an all-girl squad with Gilly, Jade, and Marcy]].
** Subverted with ''Dork Tower vs. Lethargic Lad'':
--->'''Igor:''' "You know, it's funny, but for all the years we've lived in Mud Bay, we've never met up with LETHARGIC LAD."
---->''(beat)''
--->'''Matt:''' "That's because he's a comic book character, you blithering idiot."
--->'''Igor:''' "Oh. Yeah. Right. Of course."
* CutAndPasteComic: Done occasionally, almost always with a [[SelfDeprecation self-deprecating joke]] about how Kovalic is being lazy.
* DeadArtistsAreBetter: In one strip describing comic book convention tips, an artist has just drawn a sketch for a fan, who remarks "Wow, if you die on the way home, this'll be worth LOTS!"
* DeepImmersionGaming
* DiscriminateAndSwitch: Happens to Gilly when she visits London, [[http://www.dorktower.com/2006/10/06/comics-archive-841/ here]].
* DontYouLikeIt: To show how much he likes her, Ken gives Sujata a 1,000-point Korn Demon of Kaos High Priest of Pain Blood Champion miniature figure. Needless to say, [[ScreamingWoman she didn't take it well]].
-->"Perhaps she didn't realize you painted the brains, skulls and mutilated victim details yourself...?"
** Then there was the time Igor gave Carson a muskrat pie for Christmas...
* DungeonmastersGirlfriend: Subverted with Kayleigh, who joined a session run by Igor to try to understand Matt's hobby. After some initial confusion, she became a rule-mastering [[TheStrategist power gamer]], stomped all over the game's enemies, and reduced Igor to curling in wimpered submission.
-->"Turbonium dragon? More like Turbonium [[ThisIsForEmphasisBitch BEE-YACH!]]"
* EvenNerdsHaveStandards: After complaining to a girl that gamers are perceived as weirdos, [[http://www.dorktower.com/2010/05/26/dork-tower-wednesday-may-26/ Matt backs away in disgust when she admits she's a furry.]]
* ExplainingTheSoap: Played with when Carson asks Igor about ''{{Babylon 5}}'' and gets an eight-panel wall of text about the conspiracies, universal issues, and civil wars and ancient chessmasters. When Carson comments that it's a lot for a single season, Igor corrects him -- it all happened in the previous ''episode.''
* TheFaceless: Bill's employee, Leslie, is always shown with her face half-hidden behind the store counter.
* FakeHigh: Matt's stoner brother thinks he is high after mistaking Matt's basing floc for pot and smoking it.
* FanService: Not in the strip itself (thank goodness!), but a regular subject of [[TakeThat Take Thats]].
-->'''Matt:''' "We've forgotten what made gaming GREAT in the old days!"
-->'''Carson:''' "Incredibly badly-drawn women in gratuitous cheesecake chainmail bikini shots?"
** Well, there ''was'' the ''Dork Tower Swimsuit Special'', with a Gilly pinup by PhilFoglio...
* FearlessFool: [[http://www.dorktower.com/2006/06/12/comics-archive-794/ With motivational poster!]]
* FunnyAnimal: Carson.
* FunWithAcronyms: Played with when Igor starts '''G'''amers '''F'''or '''P'''ersonal '''H'''ygiene -- [[http://www.dorktower.com/2006/07/12/comics-archive-807/ acronym explained here.]]
* {{Goth}}: Gilly's brother Walden.
* {{Headdesk}}: This is a recurring gag, where a sufficiently annoying situation will prompt any of the main characters to {{headdesk}} against the nearest table, wall, or fire hydrant. [[http://www.dorktower.com/2007/11/28/comics-archive-962/ Demonstrated here]].
* HomeSweetHome: Invoked by [[http://www.dorktower.com/2001/03/14/comics-archive-120/ the corrupting influence of Sims.]]
* HumanSacrifice: [[http://www.dorktower.com/2006/06/21/comics-archive-798/ Shown here]] with the "Love Is..." couple, of all things.
* HustlingTheMark: After hearing that Igor has never played poker, Ken eagerly invites him to join his poker game. At first, Igor frustrates the other players with his naive questions and obvious tells, but by the end of the evening he makes off with all of the winnings. The final strip shows Igor talking to someone on a cell phone about how he fooled everyone... while being pursued by a ''very'' angry Ken.
* HypocriticalHumor: Occurs fairly often, either as a TakeThat against the characters' behaviors, or when they are LeaningOnTheFourthWall about Kovalic's writing or art.
* IHaveNoSon: Invoked [[http://www.dorktower.com/2004/08/27/comics-archive-562/ here]], word-for-word.
* IJustWantToBeLoved: Despite Keyleigh's often abusive behavior, this is the main reason why Matt continues to date her.
* IllTakeTwoBeersToo: Happens several times, usually after Matt has suffered yet another indignity with his gaming group or his personal life. One trip to a Ren Fair had him depressing a nearby bard into the same funk.
-->"Good idea, three meads for me too".
* INeedAFreakingDrink: Ken...didn't take the warped retelling of ''Gifts of the Magi'' at all well.
-->"If anyone needs me, I'll be seeking the Spirit of Christmas ''Spirits.'' 98 proof."
* IntoxicationEnsues: Happens to Ken after he tries one of Igor's sugar-overloaded "[[http://www.dorkstock.com/IgorBars.html Igor bars]]". He passes out four seconds later...
* IronicEchoCut: Used far, ''far'' too often to list here.
* ITakeOffenceToThatLastOne: See SlapSlapKiss below.
* IveGotAnXAndImNotAfraidToUseIt: Ken has a bar of soap and he's not afraid to use it! (At a con! The fiend!)
* IWantMyJetPack: Referenced in [[http://www.dorktower.com/2001/01/01/comics-archive-2/ this strip]].
* IWasBeatenByAGirl: Ken's girlfriend Sujata regularly trounces him in whatever games they play.
-->'''Sujata:''' "Hey, dog-chow! It's ''Halo'' time, and I believe your butt is ''MINE!'' Woof! Woof!"
* LeeroyJenkins: Igor.
* LethalChef: [[http://www.dorktower.com/2006/11/06/comics-archive-854/ One story]] featured an "IronChef Ramen Noodle" cook-off between Igor and Carson. Igor carefully crafts a concoction with tom-yum paste, rice wine, and fish sauce, while Carson's entry consisted of generic turkey dogs. Igor's dish is unbelievably aromatic, while Carson's prompted the question "This used to be organic?" from the judges. [[spoiler:Carson wins anyway, despite Igor's entry being "like tasting clouds", because his entry reminds the judges of college dorm food -- "The best years of our lives!"]]
** Igor also counts for his "Igor bars" (see Intoxication Ensues), [[http://www.dorktower.com/2005/01/05/comics-archive-634/ as shown here]], though that was probably on purpose.
* LocalHangout: Pegasarus Games, the local TabletopGames store.
* TheLoonie: Igor, hands down.
* LovableNerd: Matt.
* LoveAtFirstSight: Ken and Sujata.
* LovecraftLite: Used occasionally for gags, such as pop-culture mashups "[[SpongebobSquarepants Spongebob Thulhupants]]", "{{TabletopGame/Pokethulhu}}", and "Horton Hears Cthulhu". One slightly NSFW strip spoofing {{Evony}} even had Happy Thulhu saying "I threw up on your sanity a little."
** Not to mention [[http://www.dorktower.com/2010/05/05/dork-tower-wednesday-may-5-2010/ "Cthulhu Alphabet For Kids"]] and [[http://www.dorktower.com/2006/06/23/comics-archive-799/ "Lovecraft Is..."]].
* LoveTriangle: Matt, Gilly, and Kayleigh.
* ManChild: Arguably, ''all'' of the main characters could be counted as such.
* MirrorUniverse: A story arc once sent Carson into a mirror universe in which [[ForWantOfANail roleplaying games had never been invented]] [[spoiler:and GeorgeLucas had gone into porn rather than directing ''StarWars'']]. In that alternate reality, Matt was a pretentious male model, Igor a sports celebrity and Ken a gangsta rapper.
* MistakenForTerrorist: Occurs in one strip with a "radical" "extremist" "black panther" named Huey. [[spoiler:He's a white guy wearing a black panther furry costume.]]
* {{Mondegreen}}: Carson thinks the lyrics of his favourite U2 song are "I still haven't found Walter's cookie jar".
* {{Munchkin}}: Igor, and how!
* NonHumanSidekick: Carson the muskrat.
* NotThisOneThatOne: [[http://www.dorktower.com/2009/01/21/?catid=6 Seen here.]]
* NotWearingPantsDream: Occurs in [[http://www.dorktower.com/2006/01/09/comics-archive-746/ this strip.]]
* OddShapedPanel: Examples [[http://www.dorktower.com/2001/01/28/comics-archive-65/ here]] and [[http://www.dorktower.com/2002/01/26/comics-archive-234/ here.]]
* OffTheRails: Happens '''far''' too many times to count, usually due to the gang's overzealous gaming strategies.
** They once had a game based on ''LordOfTheRings''. The campaign opened with Merry killing and gutting Gandalf, Pippin beating Frodo to death... they were planning to institute a military draft in the Shire when Matt went catatonic.
--->'''Igor''': "I kill Gandalf."
*** In the second attempt, Carson is assigned to play Gandalf... but with his abilities [[{{Nerf}} limited to talking to birds and casting fireworks]]. Igor and Ken ended up using him as a BulletproofHumanShield and battering ram.
** Another session ended with the players having taken over the kingdom, forged an empire, and conquered all of the known lands... when their goal was to just [[YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle rescue the princess.]]
** One strip had Matt crying to a friend about how his characters had not only derailed his adventure by killing everyone, they had also summoned Elder Gods to destroy the game universe. They had been playing ''BunniesAndBurrows'' -- a game where all the characters are ''normal, mundane rabbits''. [[http://www.dorktower.com/2005/03/09/comics-archive-657/ Here.]]
* OneOfUs: A series of strips ([[http://www.dorktower.com/2003/04/02/comics-archive-407/ starting here]]) reveals WilWheaton, RobinWilliams, Curt Schilling, and VinDiesel as The League of Extraordinary [=GentleGamers=].
** A [[http://www.dorktower.com/2008/03/28/comics-archive-1014/ later strip]] had Jessica Alba join the group, after [[http://entertainment.oneindia.in/hollywood/top-stories/scoop/2008/jessica-alba-board-games-250308.html she admitted to being hooked on board games.]]
* {{Otaku}}: Ken is a cosplay otaku at Renaissance Faires, while Matt, Igor and Bill have shown military otaku tendencies with medieval weapons.
* PantslessMalesFullyDressedFemales: Invoked in [[http://www.dorktower.com/2011/11/16/ this comic.]]
* {{Parody}}: The comic regularly features covers (and sometimes entire issues) that parody some aspect of geek or pop culture, often with some relationship to the story inside. Subjects have included ''UnderstandingComics'', Rice Krispies cereal, ''A Brief History of Time'', HarveyComics, Pink Floyd...
* PerkyGoth: Gilly the Perky Goth is the TropeNamer.
* PerpetualPoverty: Matt and his friends are always short on funds for their hobbies and toys (not to mention the rent), yet they somehow manage to stay in the same apartment and drive a car for years.
* PersonaNonGrata: Happens too often for Walden and his LARP goths; ''[[NoodleIncident something]]'' inevitably gets them banned from their latest gathering spot.
-->'''Walden:''' "Great Clans of Mud Bay, I have called this gathering in the Poochy's Last Stand pet cemetery for one reason!"
-->'''Goth:''' "Because Beef-A-Roo won't let us gather there anymore?"
-->'''Walden:''' "APART FROM THAT!"
* PerverseSexualLust: Igor's in love with three women -- [[{{Anime}} Apollo Smile]], [[TombRaider Lara Croft]], and Daphne from ''ScoobyDoo''.
* PrintLongRunners: First appeared in January 1997, and still going.
* SelfDeprecation: Kovalic sometimes couples this with BreakingTheFourthWall to poke fun at himself.
-->'''Ken:''' "Let's admit it, Kovalic's about as organized as a wet mound of marmots."
* SeriousBusiness: Going to a movie with Bill and Ken can be very difficult, as they take historical accuracy ''very'' seriously.
-->"Oh gawd! They just called the glaive-guisarme a bill-guisarme! I'm writing to RogerEbert!"
** One strip had Ken freaking out whenever his character acquired or lost any gear, as he ''insisted'' on having his miniatures figure match it exactly.
--->'''Matt:''' "...and so that rarest of artifacts, 'Bigby's Grasping Rodent of Eternal Wealth' is yours..."
--->'''Ken:''' "AIEEEEEEEEE! ...shut up and pass me some superglue, an X-Acto knife, and a 25mm marmot..."
* SlapSlapKiss: Happens periodically between Matt and Kayleigh.
-->'''Matt:''' "You think my friends are annoying!"
-->'''Kayleigh:''' "You think my friends are pretentious!"
-->'''Matt:''' "You hate my hobbies!"
-->'''Kayleigh:''' "You think I'm a snob!"
-->'''Matt:''' "You ARE a snob!"
-->'''Kayleigh:''' "It's better than being a looser dweeb with no initiative, no fashion sense, no job, no prospects and a 'Buffy'-hater to boot!"
-->'''Matt:''' "THAT was a LOW blow! ... I '''love''' 'Buffy'."
--->''(beat) **KISS**''
* SocialSemiCircle: Sometimes occurs, typically with games involving miniatures. Intentionally invoked in issue #17 of the comic as a parody/ShoutOut to ''KnightsOfTheDinnerTable''; the odd arrangement is justified because the table on the reader's side is unpleasantly sticky from a spilled soda.
* SpotOfTea [=/=]StiffUpperLip: Lampshaded in [[http://www.dorktower.com/2005/07/12/comics-archive-697/ this]] comic.
* StopBeingStereotypical: Several strips call on gamers to improve their public behavior, especially regarding personal hygiene.
-->'''Ken:''' "I've got a bar of SOAP here, and I'm not afraid to USE IT!"
* StraightGay: Walden.
* StrawmanPolitical: Occasionally used as a TakeThat against self-proclaimed MoralGuardians and other bureaucrats, as demonstrated [[http://www.dorktower.com/2001/03/13/comics-archive-119/ here]].
** A related gag is for Bill to deal with clueless MoralGuardians protesting role-playing games... while Matt's mad because they're protesting Pokemon, not [=RPGs=].
--->"We're still relevant, dammit!"
* SuckOutThePoison: Nobody volunteers to do this for Igor.
* SuperStoicShopkeeper: Bill tries to be like this,with varying degrees of success.
* TakeThatCritics: Invoked for a gag when GeorgeLucas pummels Ken for criticizing the changes to the original ''StarWars'' trilogy.
-->'''George Lucas:''' "Well, pardon the FREAK out of me for providing you with ''so many years'' of GREAT MEMORIES and ENTERTAINMENT!" ''*Bam!*Crash*Pow!*'' "I mean, of ''course'' that's all RUINED for you now because GREEDO freaking ''shoots first!''" ''*Biff*Paf*Oof!*''
* TedBaxter: Igor, whenever he boasts of using his gaming skills to overcome a problem or obstacle.
* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: Igor's in-game solution to every problem.
* ThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow
* TokenNonhuman: Carson the muskrat, naturally.
* TombOfHorrors: One strip concerns an offscreen run through this "classic" at Pegasaurus Games.
-->'''DM:''' Joe, you're dead. Bill, you're dead, and so's your dog. Ok, everyone rolled up a new character? Ok, they're all dead.
* TomeOfEldritchLore
* TooDumbToLive: Many of Matt's gaming sessions end with all the (game) characters dying due to this trope.
** One adventure ended with their characters chasing a [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Demon Lord]] to ''Hell'' and getting instantly destroyed... which they insisted must be an illusion.
* TooSpicyForYogSothoth / YourBrainWontBeMuchOfAMeal: In [[http://www.dorktower.com/2006/05/05/comics-archive-781/ this strip,]] Igor engages a mind flayer with purple nurples and "the dreaded doom wedgie". Since this effectively proved his character didn't ''have'' a brain to flay, he actually won.
* TrickDialogue: A frequent source of comedy. One story begins with Gilly and Matt preparing for a blind date. We then see them at a table talking, and seeing how they share lots of common interests and hobbies. The final panel shows that they are actually sitting at two different tables, each talking to someone else who think their hobbies are weird.
** Inverted in another story, where Matt starts off talking to Ken about how Gilly is his ideal girl, while Walden is talking to a stranger about finding a NiceGuy for Gilly. After a page and a half, it's revealed that Matt and Walden ended up talking to ''each other,'' not realizing that they're both referring to the same PerkyGoth... or how Matt would be perfect for her.
* {{Tsundere}}: Kayleigh, much to Matt's dismay.
* TVTropesWillRuinYourLife: [[http://www.dorktower.com/images/comics/DorkTower911.gif Demonstrated here.]]
* {{Unicorn}}: One appears in [[http://www.dorktower.com/2006/04/21/comics-archive-775/ this comic]] teamed up with [[ItMakesSenseInContext a penumbral hulk, a kobold, a paladin, and a kuo-toa...]]
* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: No-one seems in the least bothered that Carson is an intelligent bipedal muskrat. This was played with in a strip (later adapted as an animated short)-
--->'''Narrator:''' "And now...the secret origins of Carson the Muskrat!"
--->'''Carson:''' "Father was a muskrat...mother was a muskrat." ''(shrugs)''
** Given how most people react to Carson (see YourCostumeNeedsWork, below), they probably just figure [[http://www.dorktower.com/2006/07/26/comics-archive-813/ he's a guy in a (horribly bad) costume.]]
* UpToEleven: Just about anything Igor does will eventually invoke this.
* UselessSpleen: "Has anyone seen my spleen?" is a common phrase in the aftermath of combat.
* VideoGamePerversityPotential: [[http://www.dorktower.com/2001/03/17/comics-archive-123/ Demonstrated here.]]
* WallOfBlather
* WhatTheHellHero: Invoked in epic fashion by Igor against New Line Cinema [[http://www.dorktower.com/2006/11/17/comics-archive-858/ here.]]
* WhenThePlanetsAlign
* WhyCouldntYouBeDifferent: Kayleigh occasionally angsts about being overshadowed by her siblings and their numerous accomplishments, while she's reduced to being a journalist for a local newspaper.
* {{Wide-Eyed Idealist}}: Gilly the PerkyGoth.
* WillTheyOrWontThey: Matt and Gilly.
* WrongGenreSavvy: After playing a ''CallOfCthulhu'' campaign, Matt's players were unable to adjust to the setting of ''Pendragon'' and their characters kept behaving as though they were about to face Lovecraftian horrors.
* YourCostumeNeedsWork: Carson gets this from a bunch of costumed furries at a convention.
-->"[[WorstWhateverEver Worst muskrat costume EVER!]]"
-->"HEY!"
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