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65-518: While Half-Life 2 follows protagonist Gordon Freeman in a dystopian future, Concerned follows "Gordon Frohman", a dangerously clumsy character who arrives in the setting of the game a few weeks before Freeman does. The webcomic's dark humor is derived from its contrasts with the game and through references to the game's shortcomings. On several occasions in the comic, Frohman becomes the cause of various disastrous circumstances that Freeman will later encounter. Several reviews of Concerned praised

130-416: A neurotoxin antidote. It comes with a built-in flashlight , a radio, various tracking devices, a compass , and a Geiger counter . The suit contains an on-board computer system that constantly monitors the user's health and vital signs, and reacts to any changes in the user's condition. It also projects a heads-up display (HUD) which displays Gordon's health and suit charge level, remaining ammunition, and

195-416: A neurotoxin antidote. It comes with a built-in flashlight , a radio, various tracking devices, a compass , and a Geiger counter . The suit contains an on-board computer system that constantly monitors the user's health and vital signs, and reacts to any changes in the user's condition. It also projects a heads-up display (HUD) which displays Gordon's health and suit charge level, remaining ammunition, and

260-445: A comic would be a good way to introduce humor to the game, which he has described as "mysterious, moody, [and] immersive". Well, I thought Half-Life 2 was a great game, but there simply weren't enough jokes about toilets in it. So, I thought a comic would be a good place to get some humor into the game. I came up with the idea for Frohman, a complete idiot, to play all the way through the game, just like Freeman only instead of being

325-413: A crosshair. As a means of immersing the player in the role, Gordon never speaks , and there are no cutscenes or mission briefings—all action is viewed through Gordon's eyes, with the player retaining control of Gordon's actions at nearly all times. The images of Gordon are only seen on the game's cover and menu pages, and also in advertisements, making them marketing tools rather than pictures of what Gordon

390-413: A crosshair. As a means of immersing the player in the role, Gordon never speaks , and there are no cutscenes or mission briefings—all action is viewed through Gordon's eyes, with the player retaining control of Gordon's actions at nearly all times. The images of Gordon are only seen on the game's cover and menu pages, and also in advertisements, making them marketing tools rather than pictures of what Gordon

455-410: A flashback that he has been under " Buddha Mode", a cheat code which prevents his health points from dropping below one throughout the comic's duration. Frohman inadvertently turns off the mode, and even spoils an opportunity to be rescued by a group of Vortigaunts, as both Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance are at the start of Episode One . In the end, Frohman dies unceremoniously, while survivors of

520-519: A forming super portal. After a revelation from the G-Man about saving Alyx, they learn about the Borealis , a research vessel with the potential to cause significant events. The game ends with Alyx mourning her father's death at the hands of a Combine Advisor. Half-Life: Alyx , set five years before Half-Life 2 , follows Alyx Vance trying to locate Gordon. In the end, Alyx alters the future by killing

585-412: A forming super portal. After a revelation from the G-Man about saving Alyx, they learn about the Borealis , a research vessel with the potential to cause significant events. The game ends with Alyx mourning her father's death at the hands of a Combine Advisor. Half-Life: Alyx , set five years before Half-Life 2 , follows Alyx Vance trying to locate Gordon. In the end, Alyx alters the future by killing

650-461: A further strip, the town of Ravenholm becomes the headcrab -infested ghost town seen in Half-Life 2 after Frohman writes to Breen expressing his happiness with being there, giving away Ravenholm's location. Indeed, Frohman causes (intentionally or accidentally) many of the disastrous circumstances that Gordon Freeman runs across. He accidentally gives Breen the idea of headcrab shells while on

715-470: A hero, he'd be a complete fool. The first issue of Concerned was released on May 1, 2005, the comic completing its run on November 6, 2006 with a total of 205 issues. The characters in the comic were posed using Garry's Mod , a tool which facilitates manipulation of the Source engine used by Half-Life 2 , and the comic frames were assembled using Photoshop 6 . The webcomic derives its name from one of

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780-429: A lot of things in common, such as health kits, ammo, and barrels filled with explosive material strewn about levels for no practical, real-world reason. It just seemed like a good setting to make jokes. Much of the comic's dark humor is derived from its contrasts with Half-Life 2 : in a depressing, dark vision of a conquered humanity's future, Gordon Freeman becomes a hero and savior; the similarly named Gordon Frohman, on

845-472: A new mission. Gordon Freeman quickly became and then remained one of the most popular video game characters ever. In 2008, The Age ranked him as the 16th-best Xbox character of all time, adding that "no one has done more for the reputations and street cred of theoretical physicists than Valve." In 2009, GameDaily listed the "strong and silent type" in their top 25 video game archetypes, using Gordon Freeman as an example. In 2010, Empire ranked him as

910-472: A new mission. Gordon Freeman quickly became and then remained one of the most popular video game characters ever. In 2008, The Age ranked him as the 16th-best Xbox character of all time, adding that "no one has done more for the reputations and street cred of theoretical physicists than Valve." In 2009, GameDaily listed the "strong and silent type" in their top 25 video game archetypes, using Gordon Freeman as an example. In 2010, Empire ranked him as

975-647: A radio, and sets up all of the traps in Ravenholm himself in an attempt to catch Father Grigori. It is also revealed that, at the Black Mesa Research Facility , Frohman causes the resonance cascade that allows for alien forces to invade in Half-Life by accidentally delivering a wedge of cheese, instead of the intended test sample, to the test chamber where the cascade flashpoints. Half-Life: Decay , however, indicates that Dr. Gina Cross

1040-470: A signature goatee , who graduated from MIT with a PhD in theoretical physics . He was an employee at the fictional Black Mesa Research Facility . Controlled by the player, Gordon is often tasked with using a wide range of weapons and tools to fight alien creatures such as headcrabs , as well as Combine machines and soldiers. Gordon Freeman's character has been well-received by critics and gamers, and various gaming websites often consider him to be one of

1105-438: A visual zooming capability, limited sprinting, an anti-venom injector, an optional ammo and a health counter on the crosshair , and has been modified to use Combine power nodes to charge the suit. The Mark V initially used a single power source for the flashlight, sprinting, and oxygen supply; in Half-Life 2: Episode Two the flashlight was given a separate power source to improve gameplay. The symbol on Gordon's HEV suit

1170-438: A visual zooming capability, limited sprinting, an anti-venom injector, an optional ammo and a health counter on the crosshair , and has been modified to use Combine power nodes to charge the suit. The Mark V initially used a single power source for the flashlight, sprinting, and oxygen supply; in Half-Life 2: Episode Two the flashlight was given a separate power source to improve gameplay. The symbol on Gordon's HEV suit

1235-504: A webcomic that would parallel the storyline of the original 1987 Legend of Zelda , for the Nintendo Entertainment System , from start to finish. He chose the Half-Life 2 game world as the scene for his comic because he was a fan, and because the availability of Garry's Mod eliminated the need to draw by hand. He always intended the plot of the comic to end at the same point as the game. Livingston thought

1300-452: A week, he seeks Ravenholm by foot instead. Traveling through City 17's canals, Frohman arrives, badly injured and dazed, at Black Mesa East, the headquarters of the human resistance, where he is welcomed as a helper. His stay there is cut short because he causes trouble in the base, and also irritatingly overuses the gravity gun . He is fooled into leaving the base, and finally heads toward and reaches Ravenholm. On Frohman's arrival, Ravenholm

1365-508: Is "really like". Gabe Newell has stated that Valve sees no reason to give Gordon a voice. In Half-Life , Gordon wears the Mark IV suit. Later in the game, the suit is equipped with an optional long-jump module so Gordon can leap great distances. It is charged using power modules throughout Black Mesa. In Half-Life 2 Gordon receives the upgraded Mark V suit, which lacks the long-jump module but gains several new abilities. It features

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1430-454: Is "really like". Gabe Newell has stated that Valve sees no reason to give Gordon a voice. In Half-Life , Gordon wears the Mark IV suit. Later in the game, the suit is equipped with an optional long-jump module so Gordon can leap great distances. It is charged using power modules throughout Black Mesa. In Half-Life 2 Gordon receives the upgraded Mark V suit, which lacks the long-jump module but gains several new abilities. It features

1495-520: Is about to kill Freeman—but he pauses to come up with the perfect one-liner for the occasion, causing him to run out of time; Dr. Breen's teleporter explodes and Frohman is flung off the Citadel peak by the explosion. Dr. Breen also survives, having fallen from the Citadel onto a pile of dead Combine soldiers. However, Frohman falls right onto Breen, killing him. Gordon himself is only seriously injured. Baffled by his ability to survive, he realizes through

1560-428: Is attacked by a headcrab and turns into a zombie too, yet retains his free will ; and after a while his headcrab dies of malnutrition, which is attributed to his lack of intelligence. With Father Grigori's help, Frohman escapes Ravenholm, now the zombie-infested nightmare seen when Freeman visits it in the game, and presses on to Nova Prospekt. After surviving several more hazards, he reaches the coast. Here, after passing

1625-410: Is depicted as a peaceful, bright, and cheerful place devoid of any Combine elements, but "terrorized" by Father Grigori . After adjusting, Gordon becomes accustomed to the town, but unintentionally discloses the town's location to Dr. Breen, who immediately orders his forces to "bomb the shit out of them". The town is fired on with headcrabs , killing many and turning others into zombies. Frohman himself

1690-581: Is designed to protect the user from radiation, energy discharges, and blunt trauma during the handling of hazardous materials. The suit's main feature is its "high-impact reactive armor ", an electrically powered armor system that, when charged, absorbs two-thirds of the damage that Gordon would ordinarily suffer in Half-Life and 80% in Half-Life 2 . A fully charged suit can survive several dozen hits from small arms and even one direct hit from an RPG . The suit can be charged by various means, and has its own oxygen supply and medical injectors, such as morphine and

1755-581: Is designed to protect the user from radiation, energy discharges, and blunt trauma during the handling of hazardous materials. The suit's main feature is its "high-impact reactive armor ", an electrically powered armor system that, when charged, absorbs two-thirds of the damage that Gordon would ordinarily suffer in Half-Life and 80% in Half-Life 2 . A fully charged suit can survive several dozen hits from small arms and even one direct hit from an RPG . The suit can be charged by various means, and has its own oxygen supply and medical injectors, such as morphine and

1820-595: Is in Half-Life (1998). Gordon Freeman is depicted as a bespectacled white man from Seattle , with brown hair and a signature goatee , who graduated from MIT with a PhD in theoretical physics . He was an employee at the fictional Black Mesa Research Facility . Controlled by the player, Gordon is often tasked with using a wide range of weapons and tools to fight alien creatures such as headcrabs , as well as Combine machines and soldiers. Gordon Freeman's character has been well-received by critics and gamers, and various gaming websites often consider him to be one of

1885-476: Is responsible for this task. Livingston admitted he did not play Decay , and thus was not aware of its storyline. He also stated that the comic takes place in the PC version of the Half-Life continuity, and since Half-Life: Decay was never published for the PC, it does not affect the comic. The comic has had positive reception from both the public and editors of various gaming magazines. The Globe and Mail stated

1950-401: Is the lowercase Greek letter Lambda , λ. This symbol is used by scientists to denote the decay constant of radioactive elements (related to the half-life of an element). As well as appearing on Gordon's suit, the symbol replaces the letter "a" in the game title ( H λ lf-Life ) and is the name of the complex in the Black Mesa Research Facility where teleportation experiments are conducted in

2015-401: Is the lowercase Greek letter Lambda , λ. This symbol is used by scientists to denote the decay constant of radioactive elements (related to the half-life of an element). As well as appearing on Gordon's suit, the symbol replaces the letter "a" in the game title ( H λ lf-Life ) and is the name of the complex in the Black Mesa Research Facility where teleportation experiments are conducted in

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2080-529: The Combine Empire to liberate Earth. He gains legendary status and sparks a rebellion, ultimately destroying the Citadel, a major Combine stronghold. The G-Man rescues Freeman after this critical event, praising his accomplishments and placing him back in stasis. In Episode One , Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance work to stabilize the Citadel's core to prevent a catastrophic explosion. In Episode Two , they work together to transport crucial data to close

2145-466: The Combine Empire to liberate Earth. He gains legendary status and sparks a rebellion, ultimately destroying the Citadel, a major Combine stronghold. The G-Man rescues Freeman after this critical event, praising his accomplishments and placing him back in stasis. In Episode One , Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance work to stabilize the Citadel's core to prevent a catastrophic explosion. In Episode Two , they work together to transport crucial data to close

2210-548: The City 17 uprising find him dead. Livingston stated that the comic was a good way of pointing out several shortcomings of video games and first-person shooters in particular. He emphasized the presence of various objects throughout the levels of games which were intended to aid the player, but would have little chance of being found in the real world in a similar manner. There's a lot of elements about video games to poke fun of, especially in first-person shooters, which all have

2275-484: The Combine Advisor who was about to kill her father, impressing the G-Man. Gordon's first appearance in the third-person perspective occurs as he picks up his glasses. The G-Man places Alyx in stasis and assigns her a new mission. In the post-credits scene, players control Gordon Freeman as Eli Vance realizes his daughter's disappearance is linked to the G-Man. Eli then hands Gordon his signature crowbar, signaling

2340-419: The Combine Advisor who was about to kill her father, impressing the G-Man. Gordon's first appearance in the third-person perspective occurs as he picks up his glasses. The G-Man places Alyx in stasis and assigns her a new mission. In the post-credits scene, players control Gordon Freeman as Eli Vance realizes his daughter's disappearance is linked to the G-Man. Eli then hands Gordon his signature crowbar, signaling

2405-492: The Combine in the capture of Alyx Vance , one of Freeman's allies, and reunites with Norman Frohman, his long-lost assassin twin brother, only to promptly witness his death at the hands of a Strider, a large tripodal assault synth. Following this, Gordon returns to the Citadel, unwillingly aiding Freeman in his journey up the Citadel and influencing the plot of the game. As Freeman is pursuing Dr. Breen to his teleporter, Frohman

2470-426: The Combine, Frohman willingly sets off to Nova Prospekt , an alien security and detention installation, for invasive surgery to convert him. Meanwhile, he selects Ravenholm as a residence where he can commute to and from City 17, but lacks proper transport with which to get there. After a failed attempt to reach Ravenholm using Dr. Isaac Kleiner 's teleporter leaves him stuck in a Counter-Strike: Source server for

2535-437: The alien threat." In 2012, GamesRadar ranked him as the sixth "most memorable, influential, and badass" protagonist in games, adding: "It's how the characters of the Half-Life universe treat Gordon Freeman, not the way he treats them, that shape such a compelling character." In 2013, Complex ranked him as the 45th "most badass" video game character of all time. On the other hand, 1UP.com 's Marty Sliva included him among

2600-437: The alien threat." In 2012, GamesRadar ranked him as the sixth "most memorable, influential, and badass" protagonist in games, adding: "It's how the characters of the Half-Life universe treat Gordon Freeman, not the way he treats them, that shape such a compelling character." In 2013, Complex ranked him as the 45th "most badass" video game character of all time. On the other hand, 1UP.com 's Marty Sliva included him among

2665-672: The attention of reviewers outside the United States and the United Kingdom; the Romanian magazine Level said the comic is "a recommendation to every fan of the game and anyone looking for a good daily laugh". In the text, these references are preceded by a double dagger: ‡ Gordon Freeman Gordon Freeman is the silent protagonist of the Half-Life video game series, created by Gabe Newell and designed by Marc Laidlaw of Valve . His first appearance

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2730-431: The attention to writing and presentation and the comic's humor. Livingston also reported positive reception from staff at Valve , the developer company of Half-Life 2 , who were pleased to have a comic based on their game. Livingston later went to work as a writer for PC Gamer , where he has remained since 2014. Christopher Livingston started working on Concerned as a hobby. He had previously considered developing

2795-558: The comic "stands out from most other gamics (comics consisting of game screenshots) by virtue of the quality of its writing and presentation". Online magazine GGL.com said that " Concerned is one of the funnier online gaming comics, and perhaps the best single-game parody in the bunch", and The Irish Gamers described Concerned as a "hit webcomic". Computer Gaming World called the comic "funny" and featured two exclusive three panel comics not found anywhere else, while PC Zone described it as "mildly amusing". The comic had also caught

2860-403: The developer company of Half-Life 2 , was a good one, the company being pleased to have a comic based on their game. According to Livingston, Valve also intended to collaborate with him to produce printed copies of Concerned . However, this was never finalized as the resolution of the comics was too low for printing. Livingston did not continue the comic through Half-Life 2: Episode One ,

2925-520: The eighth-best video game character of all time in the Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2011. Gordon Freeman Gordon Freeman is the silent protagonist of the Half-Life video game series, created by Gabe Newell and designed by Marc Laidlaw of Valve . His first appearance is in Half-Life (1998). Gordon Freeman is depicted as a bespectacled white man from Seattle , with brown hair and

2990-532: The final resistance base and an Antlion-infested beach, Frohman encounters an Antlion Guard , which is killed by a Vortigaunt , an alien race helping the humans in the game. This allows Frohman to retrieve bugbait from the dead creature, with which he can control the Antlions. Frohman, accompanied by several bugbait-controlled Antlions, eventually reaches Nova Prospekt, only to be turned away as he does not have an appointment. He gives up and returns to City 17 in

3055-555: The first game. The Lambda symbol is also seen in Half-Life 2 as a marking of the human resistance, seen close to hidden supplies and on the armbands of better equipped resistance fighters. In the Half-Life saga, Gordon Freeman is a silent protagonist who, despite lacking formal weapon training, survives a chaotic inter-dimensional incident at the Black Mesa Research Facility. In Half-Life 2 , after being kept in stasis for nearly two decades, Freeman battles

3120-472: The first game. The Lambda symbol is also seen in Half-Life 2 as a marking of the human resistance, seen close to hidden supplies and on the armbands of better equipped resistance fighters. In the Half-Life saga, Gordon Freeman is a silent protagonist who, despite lacking formal weapon training, survives a chaotic inter-dimensional incident at the Black Mesa Research Facility. In Half-Life 2 , after being kept in stasis for nearly two decades, Freeman battles

3185-458: The first of an episodic series following Half-Life 2 , as the game "doesn't really lend itself to the type of comic [he wants] to do". In Half-Life 2 , the player takes on the role of Dr. Gordon Freeman . Throughout the game, the player follows the story of a dark, dystopian future in which mankind has been enslaved by the Combine , a mysterious alien enemy. In contrast, Concerned follows

3250-445: The following strip, as Gordon Freeman finally arrives in the city, linking the comic's time frame with the start of Half-Life 2 . He is then drafted into the resistance after failing to disrupt its operations, and unintentionally signals the start of the resistance's uprising after one of his Antlions accidentally kills a Combine police officer. During the fighting, he accompanies Freeman himself and mingles with resistance members, aids

3315-412: The game. In one comic, Frohman makes a clerical error that causes the Combine to order far too many explosive barrels, thus suggesting an explanation for the barrels' ubiquity throughout City 17 and beyond. In another, he writes a letter to Dr. Breen asking why using his flashlight reduces his ability to run, a reference to Half-Life 2 ' s flashlight and sprint functions using the same power source. In

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3380-437: The greatest video game characters of all time, including UGO and GameSpot . Valve president and Half-Life director Gabe Newell coined the name "Gordon Freeman" during a conversation with the game's writer Marc Laidlaw in his car. Laidlaw had originally named the character "Dyson Poincaré", combining the names of physicist and philosopher Freeman Dyson and mathematician Henri Poincaré . The texture for Gordon's head

3445-437: The greatest video game characters of all time, including UGO and GameSpot . Valve president and Half-Life director Gabe Newell coined the name "Gordon Freeman" during a conversation with the game's writer Marc Laidlaw in his car. Laidlaw had originally named the character "Dyson Poincaré", combining the names of physicist and philosopher Freeman Dyson and mathematician Henri Poincaré . The texture for Gordon's head

3510-458: The latter, even going to the point of having a plush doll of a Combine soldier. The early phases of the comic have Frohman excitedly arriving in City 17. Eventually he takes a job at the Combine's headquarters, the Citadel, under a Combine Elite named Mr. Henderson. As most of his human colleagues become Combine soldiers, he realizes that Henderson has no immediate intention to do the same for him, citing his incompetence. Demanding to become one with

3575-519: The letter read by Breen in Half-Life 2 . The name "Frohman" is derived from the last name of Gordon Freeman, the protagonist of the Half-Life series . According to the credits on the comic's website, this name was suggested to Livingston by Sam Golgert, an acquaintance of his. Livingston also employed the assistance of other people, notably Michael Clements, founder of the Half-Life 2 comics repository PHWOnline, and author of SKETCH , another comic based on Half-Life 2 . Clements aided him in enhancing

3640-489: The most unrelatable narrators, stating, "I'm sure some people love the fact that they can become Gordon Freeman -- I just think I'd be a little happier if there was anything there to become." In 1998, readers of GameSpot ranked him as the fifth-best Hero of gaming. In 2009, a public poll on GameSpot resulted in him being voted the All Time Greatest Video Game Hero. He was also voted as

3705-400: The most unrelatable narrators, stating, "I'm sure some people love the fact that they can become Gordon Freeman -- I just think I'd be a little happier if there was anything there to become." In 1998, readers of GameSpot ranked him as the fifth-best Hero of gaming. In 2009, a public poll on GameSpot resulted in him being voted the All Time Greatest Video Game Hero. He was also voted as

3770-403: The number one Greatest Video Game Character, commenting that "the character is the quintessential geek fantasy" who "has become a gaming icon, synonymous with the apotheosis of first-person action." He was also ranked 14th on UGO.com 's list of top 100 heroes in all media, with a comment that "an MIT graduate, donning black-framed glasses and a goatee, he's not the guy you'd picture decimating

3835-403: The number one Greatest Video Game Character, commenting that "the character is the quintessential geek fantasy" who "has become a gaming icon, synonymous with the apotheosis of first-person action." He was also ranked 14th on UGO.com 's list of top 100 heroes in all media, with a comment that "an MIT graduate, donning black-framed glasses and a goatee, he's not the guy you'd picture decimating

3900-405: The other hand, is just an average person, improbably cheerful to the point of stupidity, and somewhat naïve as to what is actually going on around him. For instance, Frohman fails to realize that his return-addressed letters to Doctor Breen reveal his location, and so result in that location being invaded, bombed, or otherwise compromised. The comic contains many references to events and objects in

3965-449: The presentation of Concerned . Greg Galcik, who started and maintained the website SpinnWebe , also assisted in site maintenance, and Livingston later offered him a "guest week special", in which Galcik wrote and published three issues for Concerned . A similar set of three issues have also been published by Joe Yuska, during a week when Livingston was unavailable. As stated by Livingston in several interviews, his relation with Valve ,

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4030-405: The propaganda broadcasts by Wallace Breen in Half-Life 2 , in which he is reading a letter supposedly written by a citizen, signed 'Sincerely, a concerned citizen', and begins his response with 'Thank you for writing, Concerned'. Throughout the comic the main character, Gordon Frohman, sends several similar letters to Dr. Breen, Livingston's intention being to suggest that Frohman was the author of

4095-454: The same general path through the story established by Half-Life 2 , but instead follows the adventures of Gordon Frohman , a hapless, lethally clumsy oaf who arrives in City 17 a few weeks before Freeman. Frohman is incredibly naïve and, unlike the other citizens, seems to enjoy living under the rule of the totalitarian administrator, Dr. Breen , and the Combine. He holds an insane reverence for

4160-481: Was "too big of a job for just one person", so Valve designers combined references from four people. An earlier model of Gordon, known as "Ivan the Space Biker", had a full beard that was subsequently trimmed. Other iterations of Gordon's concept featured different glasses, a ponytail, and a helmet. Gordon wears a special full-body hazmat suit , known as the H azardous E n v ironment Suit (or HEV Suit). The suit

4225-421: Was "too big of a job for just one person", so Valve designers combined references from four people. An earlier model of Gordon, known as "Ivan the Space Biker", had a full beard that was subsequently trimmed. Other iterations of Gordon's concept featured different glasses, a ponytail, and a helmet. Gordon wears a special full-body hazmat suit , known as the H azardous E n v ironment Suit (or HEV Suit). The suit

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