  Broken
Saints ( )
: Anim/Toons
Broken Saints is a very, very, very painstakingly created
online comic book. As a long time comic book enthusiast, I
can assure you that Broken Saints is not just a good comic
book in the online sense, it really would be a good comic
book if it were published in a more traditional format. The
presentation is absolutely beautiful. The crew at Broken Saints
has triumphed in the area of navigation, mood, music, and
lighting, if you can believe it. And of course, last but not
least: the fonts. It's not the only way to publish an online
comic, but it's definitely one of the best hybrids of technology
and tradition we've seen. If you have ever endeavored to publish
your own comic book ideas online, you simply must examine
the Broken Saints website - because the bar has been raised.
Highlights include: Chapter 17.
 InsertSilence
: Animation
This is an oldie, but goodie. It's one of those sites
that gets your blood pressure up because, try as you
might, you cannot fully explain how Insert Silence was
built. Sure, one can go on about tracer movie clips
and masks, but that doesn't fully explain it. There's
something else at work. Normally, we like to provide
a description of a website in these little blurbs, but
Insert Silence is something that should really just
be seen for itself. Think Nosepilot meets the Bauhaus
School of Design.
 Mutafukaz ()
New
: 'Toon
I would like to write that I loved this site, but it would be a lie. I would
like to say that the stories/comics were strong in concept, bold in style,
and entertaining in story. But, again, it would be a lie. The sad truth is
that (much like the movie Velvet Goldmine), Mutafukaz is an ambitious
failure of the most endearing variety. The Mutafukaz crew are, very simply,
amazing animators. They have replicated everything great about Frank Miller
(Sin City, Dark Knight Returns) and Rob Schrab (Scud, Robot Bastard) and
they've done so in a way that doesn't necessary make you want to puke.
However, there is no real content at this website. The few cartoons that are
"complete" are little more than really great-looking nonsensical vignettes
featuring a cute blackhead and some typical, generic, men-in-black type
baddies. There are, of course, tons of guns and explosions and menacing
stares from the shadows. The remainder of the site is populated with teasers
for cartoons that will be done "soon." One gets the distinct impression that
the creators of Mutafukaz have some grand design in mind, they've just
neglected to let the rest of us in on it. Sadly, it comes across as a
juvenile endeavor rather than a provocative mystery. Highlights include: the
possibility of a stronger, more cohesive, sophomore effort.
(Brazil)
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 Unplugged
TV ()
: Anim/Toons
Winner of several prestigious awards (most recently
winning SXSW's "Best Online Entertainment" website,
2002), Toronto-based Unplugged TV certainly doesn't
need the help of a review here on DT. But we just can't
help ourselves. Biting much of their interface from
such online entertainment pioneers as Heavy.com
and Atom Films, UTV offers quality cartoons and
games, a best-of-breed GUI, and pretty decent merchandise,
all for free. It's as simple as that. "No need to reinvent
the wheel," is their mantra we suspect. Unplugged Studios
just concentrates on making it smoother. If your cartooning
toolbox is running low on inspiration, take a look at
their animation style for a bit of fresh air. It's all
the best elements of Flash's limited animation capabilities,
wrapped up in a very friendly interface. Highlights
include: Rebecca (note: once you see the site, you'll
understand how cliché that statement really is).
 Rustboy
()
: Anim/Toons
There are a lot of people making really good cartoons
with 3D imagery, but Rustboy.com does stand out
in a number of ways. Complete with a diary, a "Making
Of" section, concept art, and test scenes, Rustboy and
his creator, Brian Taylor
(XL5),
have put together a website with some real meat. For
the casual viewer, I doubt very much that this site
will yield much more than some "oohs" and "aahs", but
for a designer (or anyone who has ever wished to be
an animator) this site provides much more. As mentioned,
Rustboy comes complete with a "Making Of" section -
and therein is the treat. As you watch Sundance quality
QT files, you can read the details of how each effect
was accomplished. To be fair, he only goes into detail
on a few things, but the site is updated pretty regularly
and it is safe to assume that more explanation is forthcoming.
Highlights include: the Rustboy action figure prototype,
the water scenes.
Designed by: Brian
Taylor
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