It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s Man’s World

But it ain’t nothing without a postcard. This is quite the thing. It seems some people sent off the Spy vs Sniper coupon from a while back. They received Saxton Hale postcards in the mail. There appear to be five in existence, at least so far. A couple are in this thread. Three more are on this chap’s Flickr account. Also, for your convienience, here’s three smaller-resolution versions of the latter three below…



Also – that looks like Mike Oeming artwork to me. Since he mentions it on his own forum, you suspect so. Hurrah for Mike Oeming. As well as the splendid Powers, I especially liked his Ares mini series for Marvel. In fact, for those who are interested in Ares, there’s another mini-series out this week which (Snip! – Ed).

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63 Comments

  1. 29/10/2009 at 16:11 Chek says:

    So this could be teasing the TF2 comic they hinted at a while back?

  2. 29/10/2009 at 16:14 Tinker says:

    Hurray I’m famous!

  3. 29/10/2009 at 16:15 Kieron Gillen says:

    Hurrah for Tinker!

    KG

  4. 29/10/2009 at 16:16 h4plo says:

    AN APE WILL DIE ON EVERY PAGE.

    Also, kind of a .. strange choice to place Saxton as the lead of a girl’s action comic, even if it’s only a joke. Hm.

    • 29/10/2009 at 17:18 Don says:

      Mann Co obviously just covering all the demographics. Don’t forget that in the US of A little girls need automatic rifles and grenade launchers too.

    • 29/10/2009 at 21:03 Spacewalk says:

      It’s a crossover mates, I’m bloody well sure of it.

    • 29/10/2009 at 21:53 Bhazor says:

      Damn it. Haven’t these sick freaks heard multiple stab wounds can be detrimental to a monkeys health.

      link to youtube.com

      I am so boycotting Steam over this!

  5. 29/10/2009 at 16:18 A-Scale says:

    But I mailed in the coupon and got nothing! Wah!

  6. 29/10/2009 at 16:21 Tinker says:

    When did you mail it? I sent it all the way back in June, so who knows.

    • 29/10/2009 at 17:13 A-Scale says:

      The week the coupon was available. Maybe the day.

    • 29/10/2009 at 17:15 A-Scale says:

      Actually, wait, I mailed in the Force A’ Nature coupon. Perhaps that’s why I received nothing. But shouldn’t they have done something for that one too?

    • 29/10/2009 at 17:18 Tinker says:

      Yeah I’m quite sure the FAN people got a keychain?

    • 29/10/2009 at 17:35 A-Scale says:

      Bloody hell! I’m sincerely disappointed now.

  7. 29/10/2009 at 16:28 diebroken says:

    Sharks have feelings too!

  8. 29/10/2009 at 16:29 Sly Boots says:

    Those are absolutely brilliant, especially the second one. “An ape will die on every page” runs a close second…

  9. 29/10/2009 at 16:31 Tinker says:

    Also man RPS, you’re fast. I only posted them online (well, at least publicly) a few hours ago. Props to you for internet detective work.

  10. 29/10/2009 at 16:35 Amqz says:

    I’m so confused… what coupon are you talking about?

  11. 29/10/2009 at 16:39 Pace says:

    Just exactly how much time and effort goes in to coming up with these pun titles? I mean they’re genius, and I love ’em, not complaining. Wouldn’t be RPS without them. Are they agonized over for hours? Maybe you guys come up with the titles first, and then go looking for some topic to fit? Has there been news that wasn’t reported on because nobody could come up with a good title?

    • 29/10/2009 at 16:42 mujadaddy says:

      You’re obviously not the fella who runs the “Abysmal RPS Story Title Efforts” site.

    • 29/10/2009 at 17:12 Pags says:

      I always wondered if reviews for PCGUK were written in the same sort of way: come up with the ‘Big Word’ first and write the review to fit that.

    • 29/10/2009 at 17:35 Kieron Gillen says:

      Pace: Desperate improvisation with usually scant seconds thought. Normally more time is spent working out how to fit a version onto a line – especially now after there’s less room in the new design – than the gag. A decade of games journalism has just honed that sort of random association word-nonsense.

      KG

    • 29/10/2009 at 17:58 Pace says:

      It’s a talent man, a true talent.

  12. 29/10/2009 at 16:43 Schaulustiger says:

    This has “awesomeness” written all over it.

  13. 29/10/2009 at 16:51 Jad says:

    I clicked the link to the TF2 thread and didn’t see any images there. (Which may be a result of not being a member of the TF2 forum, which I don’t really want to be) And I can’t go to flickr while at work, so I can only see the three images posted here on RPS. Anyone have links to the two others?

  14. 29/10/2009 at 17:00 Theory says:

    I feel manlier already.

  15. 29/10/2009 at 17:00 Hermit says:

    The fabled tenth TF2 class will be Saxton Hale.

  16. 29/10/2009 at 17:02 Railick says:

    This is the funniest thing I've seen in a long time, the "an ape will die on every page" thing had me in tears :P

  17. 29/10/2009 at 17:04 Railick says:

    Thanks Tinker I couldn't see the pictures any where else but here. I like the letter ( I love their form letters with the check boxes) Personally I wouldn't mind if Saxton Hale smoked my money away to try and impress a woman :)

    • 29/10/2009 at 17:14 Tinker says:

      The cool part is that it’s not something automated. They actually filled in the boxes with pen and stamped the stamp, something which you might not see from the scans. Someone at Valve’s been busy :)

  18. 29/10/2009 at 17:25 Railick says:

    I wonder if maybe each person has a personal letter at that with diffrent boxes checked in to give a slightly diffrent answer?

    I really liked the one that had for the person who did the Attack Dog class a few weeks back that rejected his request for invention or what have you.

    • 29/10/2009 at 17:44 Tinker says:

      Actually, I saw some pictures earlier of a German guy who got the same package on the same day (except with the Shark and Barber comic fronts, not the three I had), and he had the same letter.

  19. 29/10/2009 at 17:42 reginald says:

    saxton hale is easily one of the best things that Valve has ever done. I assume a lot of it is Chet and Eric’s writing.

  20. 29/10/2009 at 17:45 Stense says:

    Oh Mr Hale! Such a man. *Swoon*

  21. 29/10/2009 at 17:56 Thranx says:

    I Love these guys! Valve is just quality… QUALITY.

    Grade A content.

  22. 29/10/2009 at 18:04 Railick says:

    I just relaized I can't see the other 2 (just the Apes, the Girl Scouts, and the Turtle one" I will have to wait till I get home to see the other two.

  23. 29/10/2009 at 18:15 Clummer says:

    Saxton Hale is an anagram for ‘hot anal sex’.
    Go ahead, figure it out for yourself.

  24. 29/10/2009 at 18:17 Tei says:

    * SPOILER *
    note: If you can read this you’re way too close to your monitor

    I am going to steal this pictures, and timetravel to the year Team Fortress was invented (1997?).. Imagine the face of the naive people of that era seeing this images. HAHA.

    * FAKE SPOILER END*

  25. 29/10/2009 at 18:18 Railick says:

    And RPS Is one step closer to being banned at my work location ;) thanks mate (J/K don't worry about it)

  26. 29/10/2009 at 18:20 TrevorAMueller says:

    That is hilarious, my friend. Loving the covers.

  27. 29/10/2009 at 18:42 delfino furioso says:

    girls, action, flames, fire tips, burned bears…

    I see what you did there, valve…

    • 29/10/2009 at 23:22 Wulf says:

      I was wondering if I was the only one who caught that, heh.

      Our good Mr. Hale needs to come out of the closet… guns blazing!

  28. 29/10/2009 at 18:46 Theory says:

    As if this wasn’t enough:

    link to teamfortress.com

  29. 29/10/2009 at 18:50 Andrew Simone says:

    Is the flickr account link supposed to send me to image shack?

  30. 29/10/2009 at 18:57 SmallIvoryKnight says:

    Awww. Theory beat me to it.

  31. 29/10/2009 at 19:39 Downloads says:

    Not sure if anyone’s picked up on this yet, but TF2 currently is only $2.49/£2.49, if for some unholy reason someone out there doesn’t have it yet.

    link to store.steampowered.com

  32. 29/10/2009 at 19:40 kevyt-maito says:

    Also notice that the game is now on sale @ steam for just 2,5 € /$. God bless valve

  33. 29/10/2009 at 20:39 Anthony says:

    “64 pages of Gorilla stabbing”

    I lost it right about here.

  34. 29/10/2009 at 21:10 Funky Badger says:

    Modest Suspense for the Faint of Heart.

    Awesome, like Devlin Waugh’s machoer macho uncle.

  35. 29/10/2009 at 21:26 Angel Dust says:

    I’ve said this before but I’m gonna say it again: Valve need to make a Saxton Hale game, in the style of a 90’s ego-shooter but even sillier!

  36. 29/10/2009 at 21:30 Agro says:

    Now this is why I’ll always have a warm, sweaty, soft place in my heart for Valve. It’s like they want to please their fans or something……..
    …… nar, that’ll never catch on.

    Btw, this is definately going to get a mention in Episode 38 of our international TF2 Podast. (hope the Halloween fun doesn’t steal all your thunder).

  37. 29/10/2009 at 22:04 Andrew Dunn says:

    This is really lovely. The Mildly Thrilling Tales are my favourite.

  38. 29/10/2009 at 22:24 Atalanta says:

    These are amazing.

    Incidentally, I don’t think I ever realised that Saxton Hale’s chest hair is shaped like Australia.

  39. 29/10/2009 at 22:46 Railick says:

    Thanks for pointing that out I never noticed that :)

  40. 29/10/2009 at 23:57 Paul B says:

    Am I the only one who’d like to read the whole comic (if it were real)?

  41. 30/10/2009 at 01:00 Urthman says:

    Why why why why couldn’t Gabe and Tycho have given the Lookouts fill-in job to this guy?

    “What’s the matter, girls? You wanna live FOREVER?”

    “MAY WE DIE IN THE FOREST!”

  42. 30/10/2009 at 01:59 Sonic Goo says:

    Saxton Hale’s Mildly Thrilling Tales are just perfect for a man of my age and proclivity. Thank you Saxton Hale!

  43. 30/10/2009 at 14:27 Ferrous Buller says:

    Grizzly bears burn!

    An ape will die on every page!

    So, probably not a PETA or WWF tie-in, is it?

  44. 30/10/2009 at 22:02 The comic is real says:

    hey guys they are actually doing tf2 comics and mike oeming acted as a consultant in making them

  45. 30/10/2009 at 23:51 radomaj says:

    I also never noticed that before. Thank you!