This has all been a little surreal and a whole lot nostalgic for me. I was watching swimsuit succubus play Flappy Bird on her stream the other day like everyone else in the world, and a comic idea popped into my head. Instead of shaking it off like I should have done, I fell back into comic mode and emailed Ray like it was the old days: “Hey, here’s an idea for this week’s comic!” For some reason, my message got through his spam filter and he read it. Even more surprisingly, he AGREED TO DO IT (though this was in part due to him being snowed in for the weekend). As I sent him a 10-panel script, I laughed histerically, imagining the regret and head-shaking he’d be doing as he read my script. Seriously, my friendship with Ray is a non-stop Tim & Ray comic series in my head. As he produced panel after panel, freezing in the Pacific Northwest, I was in the beautiful February SoCal sun, playing outside with my kids in shorts and flip-flops, and going to see The LEGO Movie with them. All along, I’m pity-laughing at poor comic-Ray who, in my comic strip mind, is freezing in his apartment, only working on the comic because the warm glow of the screen is the only source of heat in his place.
Making this comic was really a trip because it was like a big ‘what if’ scenario. What if 2P START! never died and we tried keeping things afloat as Tim’s family grew? In a lot of ways, it was really fun. I miss getting comic updates from Ray with a panel or two, getting excited seeing an idea in my head come together in real life by this uber-talented guy. It’s fun getting reactions from fans. I looked back at our 2P FINISH! storyline and was blown away by the responses again (as well as how powerful that comic still is to me). I almost forgot what a great following we had, and all the amazingly crazy things our fans would do. But the past is the past, my advice to Ray in our last comic rings so true to me. 2P START! existed for 1192 days, never missing a beat. Since it ended 1367 days have passed. I can’t believe it’s been dead now longer than it lived!
As for the comic itself, I think more than the other postmortem comics, this feels like a regular old 2P START! strip. Lots of panels, lots of scrolling, great artwork, and cute joke. The game being pulled from the App Store actually happened after the comic was scripted, but I like to think that Flappy Bird flying off into the sunset is a fitting end to the drama surrounding him. Why should I buy a game account? One of the top reasons players buy an account is that it saves them to time to level the account up naturally. I bought my LoL account at https://www.unrankedsmurfs.com/, so, you can show them that you are a PRO player in the game.
It’s nice to take a trip down memory lane. It’s amazing how much about our lives change with time (priorities, jobs, relationships, etc), and how much never seems to change (guess who’s excited for Super Smash Bros. Wii U?)
It was a bit shocking at first how out-of-practice it felt to draw a comic (What were my self-imposed art style rules, again? Wait… were there rules?), but eventually I felt right back at home.
In many ways, this comic feels less focused as a self-contained joke, and almost reads a bit more as a metaphor for life’s challenges. Either that, or it visually describes what it takes to successfully exit the webcomic world. Whatever the case, it’s been nice to pass through this old neighborhood once again. Brings back memories. Maybe we’ll discuss life a bit more in a podcast sometime.
Happy 7-year Anniversary, 2P START!
Woah, what a pleasant surprise.
You two still got it!
Woah!
This made my day ^_^
NCG!!
It is a trip down memory lane for all of your readers. 2P Start! is a feed I will never remove from my RSS feed no matter how many thousands of days it stays silent. Ray, your art style is still one of the most unique and beautiful in all of the webcomic universe. Tim, thanks for thinking this up. You guys are tremendous.
This is the greatest thing ever. Almost brought a tear to my eye. I had that feeling I haven’t felt in years, that moment when I see a new comic posted, and wonder what hilarity awaits me inside of it. You two never fail to make my day, and I can’t believe I started reading this comic when I was in middle school, and now I’m in college! Nice comic guys.
P.S. This comic USED to be good 😉
This was an awesome surprise guys. I was just mentioning 2PStart to my girlfriend yesterday, as I sometimes do, and then bam! New comic. I can’t believe it’s been 7 years. I was 16 when the comic started and now I have a job and my own place. Jeesh.
P.S. I’m sure my girlfriend would like to say thanks for the ‘This is How I Roll’ shirt. She steals it from me nearly daily.
P.S.S. NCG
I really like the art in the last panel. Though we have to ask ourselves, why haven’t other 2D platformer protagonists done the same thing? haha It all kind of reminds me of Super Paper Mario actually. XD SCG.
It’s really good to see another comic from you guys. Pretty sure I’ve been super lax and never got around to listening to some of the post-mortem podcasts even though I said I would. ;;^__^
It really doesn’t feel like it’s been that like (as I’ve said a few times now), 7 years seems like such a long time. I’m pretty sure I came in fairly late, but still…wow.
And you’re right, some things don’t change (Guess who else is excited for Smash? Especially the AC villager), but some things certainly do (Guess who just finished the entire Mass Effect trilogy for the 11th time?). Seriously, in the last maybe two years, two games have managed to beat out Paper Mario as my favorite game of all time…and it held that spot for probably 12 years.
I’m so excited for this year though…
-inFamous: Second Son
-Smash Bros.
-Mario Kart
-Tales from the Borderlands
-Dragon Age: Inquisition
-Hyrule Warriors
-Persona 5
-Persona 4 Arena Ultimate Suplex Hold
-Persona Q
-Persona 4: Dancing All Night
There’s probably way more I’m forgetting too.
It’s a shame I can’t experience all those games with you guys (and all your fans) anymore, but I’ll definitely always have fond memories of every component of this site.
Oh my word. This is the best Valentine’s present ever.
When I saw this come across on my Facebook feed I about cried. It’s gonna take a lot to bring me down for a good week. Until next week when there more than likely isn’t a new comic like the good old days…
Speaking of the good old days, I was 16 when I first found your comics and podcasts. Podcast 104 (the one with the talk of New Super Mario Bros. and the Black Doom Award for the Zone 40) was the first one I listened to and is to this day my favorite podcast episode. Now I’m a sophomore in college getting my degree in secondary education with a focus in math. I still listen to podcasts fairly regularly. It’s a nice thing to listen to while driving to get groceries or dozing off to sleep. It’s just my way of saying that you two have been a huge part of my life ever since that day I found the site.
You guys still got it.
NCG
When I saw this pop up on my feed, first I was like “no way, must be something old.” Second, I decided to click on it for nostalgia sake. I am glad I did. I enjoyed this and have me a chance to relive some old comics and podcasts in my head. Nice to see some comments from old friends. Hey DJ!
Hey blk! And of course ol Roadjcat! Are you into fighting games now? Or just P4A?
I like fighting games, but I still am terrible at them. haha. Persona 4 Arena is my favorite but the new Killer Instinct is a close second. The others I own are the 3DS Super Street Fighter IV (don’t have the 360 original anymore, got rid of it since I had the 3DS one and I never played with anyone locally anyway), the Vita Street Fighter x Tekken, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3…and I think that’s it minus Killer Instinct and P4A which I already mentioned. I tried Inustice, but I didn’t like it. haha
We should play Persona arena sometime! If you have 360 that is. I think I still have mine. If you like P4A you should check out BlazBlue, it’s made by the same guys and is my favorite fighting game. I didn’t like injustice either honestly. It’s fun to watch competitively played though.
I moved and because the 360 was technically my dad’s, I let him keep it. I have the Vita, 3DS, Wii U, XONE, and PS4 with me though but that doesn’t help much because not many people have those yet. haha
I rebought Dragon Age II and the Mass Effect trilogy for PC though because I knew I’d want to play those again. haha
Figures it would take 2PStart to find other people with Wii Us lol. Add me! Dj_Polaris
Okie doke. My username is, surprise, surprise, roadjcat.
Well look at this! All we need now is a new podcast!
You guys are making me so happy right now.
Well, you and Ray made this happen! Thank you and I know the happiness will only continue.
Now who’s gonna pluck the weeds? XD I could always use some more plant furniture for my house. haha
Did you expect to make a comic and for it to fall on deaf ears? I think not! It’s quite touching how after so long it’s like nothing ever stopped though
It is you who made us happy. Us regulars that had a great time, still are sticking around. We appreciate all you did, and look forward to future Tim and Ray productions. I know I speak for many when i say thank you for making us smile. And the best of luck until the next update.
WEEDS REMOVED!
Did you get a a lily record player!? (The plant, not your daughter. XD)
http://animalcrossing.wikia.com/wiki/Flower_Set
Oh, don’t worry, Tim. The followers are still here. I was just talking about 2P Start! and 2P Start! Live! on my podcast earlier this week. Nice to know people will find a brand new comic waiting for them. Nice work, guys. And thanks.
Woah! I just finished reading through the archive for the first time this morning, and hey! A new comic! xD
This was a great comic, and it’s sad that it pretty much no longer lives. :<
Woohoo, I remembered my password! I mean, woohoo a new comic! Always great to see an update on what is arguably the best little corner of the internet.
Hard to believe the time that’s passed since the comic started and since it ended. I’ve got a one year old running around now which seems normal and strange at the same time.
Recently got a Wii U in anticipation for Smash Bros and Mario Kart and while I hadn’t had much interest in the system last year, this could be its year. As a parent, the game pad has been a nice way to play games without taking over the TV. Something I never would have given much thought to before.
For anyone wanting to add me on Wii U I am GewurztraminerX
My skills have waned so when the time comes I’m sure you could outrace or outsmash me with minimal effort.
Anyway, be looking forward to the next update on the site Tim and Ray. Be it a comic, a podcast, a shout out to buy something, or the cold, harsh silence that indicates you, in fact, do not want to be my valentine.
Also, looking forward to Mega Man and Rosalina in Smash!
I’d completely forgotten that I was still on 2P START!’s e-mail list, so this was an unexpected treat! It’s great to see that the quality of art and humor hasn’t diminished in the slightest. All of the familiar faces in the comments bring back good memories as well.
As always, Nice Comic Guys!
What is this in my joystiq weekend webcomic wrap-up? a 2pstart comic? My eyes must be deceiving me, maybe its some ripoff 2pstart website. OMG it actually is 2pstart!!! great to see you guys again. I luckily never played flappy bird, but I still really like the comic. At most the artwork is great, I think that’s one of things I miss most about 2pstart was how great Ray’s artwork was. It’s such an unique art style that really stands out from all the other webcomics. I can barely wait the three years until postmortem #4 comes out.
Wow, I can’t believe it took me this long to find out there was a new comic. I’m out of the loop because school takes up nearly all of my time now, but regardless, it seems that everyone’s showed up! I have never tried Flappy Bird or any one of it’s clones, and I don’t intend to, but I have to say NCG, because it is what it is. Glad to see you guys are still willing to pop out a comic or podcast every once in a while, makes them feel special. #IAm2PStart
Hey guys! I’m the creator of The Legend of Maxx, and I just wanted to say that yours was one of the comics that inspired me to create my own. This might sound crazy, but I’m one of those fans who still regularly comes back to the site to listen to old podcasts. It was crazy to navigate to your homepage a few days ago and get the impression that something had changed, only to realize that a new comic was out! I enjoyed it, but even more enjoyable was reading your posts below the comic, and knowing that you two weren’t completely done working together.
I second the request for another podcast! Maybe someday once I’m big enough I’ll start bugging you to be on one!
Anyway, NCG, and while I realize that this doesn’t mean the revival of 2P START! it’s still pretty dang neat. Great work!
D’awww you guys! Tim! Ray! Gewurz! Roadjcat! MetaRidley! Redvinnie! Steve-ohs! What’s up?
-Tim, that comment! So sentimental, it’s unlike you, but in a refreshing awesome kind of way! How’s that swimming pool full of $$$ treating ya?
-Ray, you haven’t lost your artistic touch at all. Maybe it’s just the high-res, but the effects make it look like I’m looking at a 3DS game in gameplay!
Also, where is Flappy Bird headed? Personally, it looks like New Pork City to me.
Thanks for the comics, guys!
PS @Ray & everyone else, my NNID on Wii U is ultimatedk (nickname megadk.exe)…register me 🙂
It feels like the gang is back together, doesn’t it? 😛
Wonderful surprise… really brings me back to the good old days. Hard to believe it’s been 7 years, this comic, and just the site in general used to be such a large part of my life, and to be honest, it’s partly made me who I am today. So I have to thank you both, honestly, from the bottom of my heart, and it makes me happy to know that 2P START is just as important to you now as it is too me. Sorry for the sort of emotional post but I feel I should express my thanks where it is due, and I thank you both for all your hard work in making this site such a great pillar in my life, and I’m sure many others’, too. And of course, nice comic, guys 🙂
I look forward to the next update, but I think now it may be time to go back through both the comic and podcast archives…
Wow, didn’t expect this in my feed. I love the artwork.
Wow. SEVEN years this website has been up? Wow! I’m glad I got the sudden urge to go onto this website again, because this is great! Nice job Tim, and Ray! Also, the podcast was nice!
After all, you “predicted” that the Animal Crossing Villager, Wii Fit trainer, and Mega Man were all gonna be in Smash Bros without watching E3….. and I loved it. Kudos to you guys for making my day!
The last panel is really beautiful. NCG.
Awesome Comic. I keep checking monthly for stuff. As great as the comic is, I wish you guys still did frequent podcasts. I’d like to know what you two are up to now.
Me too. I enjoy your humor and miss the frequent updates. I hope all is going well for you, and look forward to your next update. (whenever that may be).
Wow I’m really late getting to this party, haha. I occasionally decide to check in on the site for potential updates a couple times a year or so (can’t help it, 2P START! will always hold an important place in my heart), and this certainly is a wonderful surprise to come to. A genuine 2P START! comic after all these years! Wonderful job here, plus it’s always nice to hear from you two every once in a while just to confirm that you’re not dead, haha. But your collaborations are magical, and sometimes I forget that unfortunately. Heck I had to of been 13 when I made this account on this site so I’m shocked that it even works anymore (yet alone that I could remember the password), but I’m glad it does so I could pop back in and say hi. Thanks for the comic, and you guys still rock!