For a simple "web comic" about "video games," Penny Arcade has managed a surprisingly effective double life as controversy generation machine over the years. This week's scandal is one of its best: Gabe posted an email thread between a hapless pre-orderer of an N-Control Avenger controller and a beligerent representative of the company, who works for Ocean Marketing. Outside the considerable backlash from the gaming community, there's a significant amount of comedy in the thread itself, which quickly spirals out from a innocent question about shipping delays to grandiose statements about knowing the Mayor of Boston. But, like any piece of true comedy, it also touches on our deepest fears: will this incredible chunk of theoretical technology designed by a company I've never heard of ever really make it to my doorstep? Will it be as amazing as the detailed blog describing its creation process makes it out to be? Is the CEO blowing my pre-order money in Vegas right now? It's a risk we all take, and apparently there are some incredible PR people to meet along the way.