It´s A Padman!
Back in 1997 the people behind the German Console Magazine 'MegaFun' were planning a new Playsation magazine to be called 'Playstation Games' (later known as PSX). At that time 'MegaFun' was running ENTE's comic strip series 'Peppl Plattfu?' which was about a somewhat clumsy mole, and so he was asked whether he could produce another cartoon strip for the new magazine. This new comic strip would be very different from 'Peppl Plattfuß', as it needed to be based on gaming, making it perkier, even nasty ... at least that's what was in ENTE's mind. Since ENTE was a long-time fan of the Belgian comic book artist 'Peyo', who did comic strips 'Johan and Peewit' and 'Steven Strong', and also a fan of 'The Smurfs', he got the idea of creating something like an evil Smurf. Coincidentally Batman was running in the cinemas, so the character was also meant to wear a superhero-costume. This mixture of the console-setting and the comic character Batman lead ENTE right to the name 'PadMan', with the 'Pad' standing for GamePad, and not PacMan like some have assumed ... ;)
1998, PadMan’s first appearance!
The PadMan comic strip made it debut in the first issue of the 'Playstation Games' magazine towards the beginning of 1998, The early PadMan, in common with most early cartoon characters, looked a little (very) different than today ... ;) for example, back then he had three lonely strands of hair on his head, and an 'X' on his belt where you now find the PadLogo. The most eye-catching difference is PadMan's rather ordinary looking sunglasses. Over time, these glasses would bend to form the basis of the PadLogo. That very first PadMan comic strip was well received by the readership, who subsequently sent many letters to the editors conveying support for this new evil character ... ;)
The wilderness years
At some point ENTE ran out of ideas. He had up to eight consecutive comic strips running in different magazines; and so inevitably, he neglected some strips more and more. Among the neglected was PadMan, with which ENTE had ran into a creative dead-end. ENTE became tired of PadMan's perpetual brutal actions, where at the end of the comic strip he would break something or someone. It was clear to ENTE that a change direction was needed for PadMan, but that's something easier said than done, as you can't just completely change a comic character from one day to the other; therefore, PadMan stuck to his usual schemes...
Bad, bad PadMan ;)
2001 saw the market flooded with console magazines, and the future didn't look too bright for the guys of the 'PSX' magazine either. The poor editorial staff at PSX worked up a sweat, and their mood dropped slowly but surely, and along the way PadMan's future prospects were in jeopardy. Now the PSX Team wanted to keep PadMan, because of the fan mail he generated, but some 'Suit' in the executive decided PadMan had to go, alleging the strip was too expensive and too brutal. Then it happened, that the nasty 'bluenose' PadMan tossed away his eyeglasses and wandered off after issue 12/01. Protest from fans ensued, but it was scorched, and thus PadMan became unmentionable. Then, shortly afterward, the magazine unfortunately folded. ENTE would like to greet the team on this way and he hopes that everyone is doing fine!?
The new PadMan!
Of course ENTE was a little frustrated over that development, as PadMan didn't deserve to end up on the street so suddenly, but on the other hand, he thought, this was the best opportunity to put him into some new clothes, and make those changes he had in mind; his own small little PadWorld, with additional bluenoses, somewhere PadMan would no longer be alone :) So, PadMan got his make-over, and the red and green on his costume disappeared to be replaced with black making PadMan look somewhat cooler, and gone were the 'real' looking characters as this was meant to be a completely separate little world, like Smurf Town … ;)
The Future!?
The PadMan comic strip has yet to find a new home in another magazine, this is because ENTE isn't really trying all that hard, so it might take a while still until something gets moving there again, especially while ENTE is busy with WoP. Although an established comic magazine has expressed some interest in PadMan, certain obligations that have to be followed are making PadMan's reappearance somewhat complicated at the moment ... :( Meanwhile, the 'World of PadMan' is the only place where you can enjoy the Artworks/Comics that continue to be produced, and for that we are all very grateful!
