
The first animated graphic novel - itamarb
http://www.bottom-of-the-ninth.com/
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bgarbiak
If the author knew that it's not the first animated graphic novel he would
have perhaps also realize it's rather a bad idea. Photo-comics, animated
comics, interactive comics, CGI comics, comics with sounds - all that has been
tried already. All these "enhancements" are just gimmicks that don't expand
the medium - on the contrary, they narrow it down to a crippled version of
something else.

~~~
dclowd9901
Just because nobody's done it right yet doesn't mean it can't be done. I'm
surprised to see such a sentiment in these parts.

It wasn't until I read The Watchmen that I had found a graphic novel that
couldn't have been done better as a movie or television series. Some art lives
in its medium, some defines it. This may be a defining piece.

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ssdsa
Well, that's not actually the first... Electric Sheep Comix did this 10 years
ago: <http://www.electricsheepcomix.com/>

~~~
yread
Also the Art of Pho from last year.... pretty similar concept but more
interactive <http://artofpho.submarinechannel.com/>

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sinak
Very cool - not sure if this is really the first animated graphic novel
though. Some different, but similar things have come before. For example:
<http://www.cognitocomics.com/operationajax/>

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joelanman
Operation Ajax is really fantastic - the fact you can explore around the story
(browse through CIA files, photos, etc) really makes it a unique experience.

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nsns
While beautifully executed, I fear that once the novelty wears off, such a
mixed medium will be absorbed back into traditional animation. Why split the
story into different frames if one frame can show it all?

~~~
klez
Maybe I'm a bit cynical, but to me this doesn't even sound as innovative.

To say it better, I don't think this will enhance the reader's experience, so
maybe I see it more as eye candy (a well executed one, no doubt) than
something really useful.

~~~
anonymous
You could say the same for graphic novels in general. Why have pictures if
text can suffice? Also take a look at Andrew Hussie's online graphic novel
Homestuck. It features not only animated (in flash), but also interactive
segments. These serve to give better representation to the action than simply
explaining all the stuff that happens. Then he goes back to posting large
blocks of text with only a static image on top, when exposition and clever
word-play is in order.

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jonny_eh
I just watched the trailer and came straight here to gush all over it with
everyone else. It's an interesting idea, looks well impemented, has gorgeous
artwork and animation. Amazing!

Then I see all the top comments are people pissing all over it. Does no one
have a sense of excitement or wonder anymore?

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lucisferre
Maybe I'm wrong but I would have thought brokensaints.com was one of the first
animated graphic novels.

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angerman
At first animated graphic novel sounded like an anime to me. But that concept
looks interesting. I am not so sure if it will actually be better. After all,
is not an important part of reading a novel, or graphic novel to be immersed
in the story and let ones creativity and visualisation flow to make the story
a living experience in ones mind? If this supports that, it would be very
great! On the other hand if an animated graphic novel would distract from the
this, it would be very sad.

I very much like the old touch that it's given and it contrasts great with the
new technology.

In the end, if this concept can lure some kids, who'd rather watch an anime
than read, to read more. That would be quite an achievement!

~~~
slowpoke
Graphic novel is actually the "scholarly" term to refer to any kind of comics.
You might be thinking of Visual Novels, though, which is a genre mostly
prevalent in Japan and thus very similar to Anime and Manga in style.

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_novel>
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_novel>

~~~
angerman
Thanks for clearing that up. I ment to start with animated graphic novel
(fixed now). I didn't even know about Visual novels and the exact meaning of
the term graphic novel was also new to me.

When I was a kid we used to read Lucky Luke, Asterix and Obelix and Donald
Duck. These days it seems that Magas have taken their spot. There's a pretty
large bookstore here: Hugendubel, which provided reading corners; similar to a
library, except all books are new. You can often find many kids immersed in
Mangas.

To me it's like the following: if you animate a manga you end up with an
anime. If you animate a comic you end up with animated cartoon.

But the presented product here is still different. It's like a hybrid of both
-- or am I mistaken?

~~~
kingatomic
Manga/anime are essentially just cultural designations; they are referring to
comics and animated cartoons (respectively) endemic to Japan. Note that
"cartoon" here can refer to a long-form animated movie, as well. There are
some things that make manga (especially) unique in contrast with comics
published elsewhere, however they are predominately stylistic in nature with a
dash of difference in publishing and consumption culture.

I actually disagree somewhat with slowpoke; many (including myself) would
argue that the term "graphic novel" refers not just to the broad class of all
comic books, but to a narrower format. Graphic Novels typically are self-
contained works, and are not collected in a series (contrast this with "trade
paperbacks" or "collections" that combine several issues of a comic book
series into a larger volume or volumes, released serially). Libraries and
bookstores however seem to ignore these distinctions and lump any long-format
comic under the "graphic novel" designation. /pedantry

From what I've seen of the product in question here (the landing page + the
youtube trailer), I wouldn't really consider it a hybrid; I would consider it
a graphic novel that has key animated panels to help display motion and
setting. The animations aren't completely necessary in the storytelling, but
are an added artistic "flavor" if you will.

~~~
slowpoke
I actually wouldn't disagree with you on making distinctions. I specifically
referred to it as "scholarly" because it's the term that's used to sound more
serious. "Comic" sort of carries a negative connotation, it's mostly
associated with superhero comics (for comics) or action/comedy aimed at young
boys (for manga), and some people don't seem to like this association. So they
invented a more serious sounding term so they don't have to call it "comics".

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read_wharf
It looks really cool. I wish, however, that the overall ecosystem was easier
to create these things cross platform rather than per-corporation. I don't
really want three or four different devices so that I can read works on
iPhones, Androids, Kindles, etc. In fact I don't even want a device, I already
have a browser running on a screen.

The current ecosystem has the feel of the 1990s, when corporate web sites were
walled off behind the AOL domain, although I admit that today's walled gardens
are much shinier than AOL ever could have been.

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paraschopra
This is the most beautiful thing I have seen in a long, long time. Exploiting
new technology for newer forms of art, and story telling is super exciting!
Definitely going to buy this one.

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michaelpinto
Thank you for sharing this -- I think while some may quibble about the merits
of the headline, what excites me is that slowly the next chapter of comic
books/sequential art/manga is coming to life. I've been researching "visual
novels" which are a genre of games in Japan which aren't animated, but use
anime characters and game design that's very much "choose your own adventure".

By the way if anyone is interested in the possibilities one may want to look
at the CD-ROM era at two titles: Spaceship Warlock and Just Grandma and Me

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaceship_Warlock>

video of Just Grandma and Me <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9uyxPeY3qY>

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sdoering
Might be the first - I don't know. But as a lover of graphic novels, to me,
this seems to be a great thing.

I wish all the best, good sales and good feedback to the creator. the new
media-consuming-devices give us all the ability, to challenge traditional ways
of delivering the message. so it really is nice to see new ways of doing
things.

when the printing press first arrived, the letters were cut, to look like
handwritten letters, just the way, books used to look all the centuries
before. with time, the medium book changed, as more people realized, that the
medium had changed and delivered new possibilities.

so let's celebrate the people pushing the frontier, trying new things and
showing us coherent ways of using the new mediums.

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ahsanhilal
So is the whole idea that each strip would be animated clips, and storyline
would move in smaller clips?

The artwork definitely has a unique aesthetic to it. The level of detail is
amazing.

Products like these, Numberlys, and other Mononbot studio products is showing
us how media is going to evolve as the mode of consumption evolves. In my
opinion this how you kill hollywood, by providing any talented team of
individuals the ability to publish great products and reach millions.

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cyanbane
I think you could at some levels say that "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr.
Morris Lessmore" was in this medium (if you have not seen, definitely check
out - ipad) although it was somewhat of a game hybrid and not paneled.

I honestly think the story looks great and think that a half hour of
entertaining reading/art will easily be worth .99c

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bootload
another take on experimental _"storytelling"_ is _"The Mongoliad"_
<http://mongoliad.com> by Neil Stephenson ( _The Diamond Age_ ) and
<http://subutai.mn>

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dugsu
While it may not be the first animated graphic novel, the baseball animations
are amazing. Not awkward or unnatural at all. Very fluid and exciting and so
well done that it's not obvious how hard that must have been to get the body
movements right.

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TheTrueTDF
You probably didn't know Byook:

<http://www.byook.com/>

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muraiki
If you like this and also like games, try out Imaginary Range on iOS and
Android by Square Enix. It's half graphic novel (with animations and
transitions, although perhaps not quite like the post) and half game.

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JohnLBevan
Readers who viewed this may also like. . .

<http://www.brandongenerator.com>

<http://darkhorse.geekandsundry.com/>

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ryanwjackson
The way it should be.

Hope to see many more like these. Reminds me of the Daily Prophet.

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bomatson
No one here has used the product, so how can you judge whether it was done
right/wrong? Art is never black/white

Via the trailer: Incredible graphics and an intriguing storyline. Can't wait
to try it out

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jvrossb
As a long-time fan of bandes dessinés (Franco-Belgian graphic novel format)
this is extremely exciting. This might be the future of the digital form of
the medium. I'm pumped.

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bjarkijonasson
It looks great but I think I'll wait for an Android version.

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cm127
Seems like this would be more expensive than it's worth, but it will probably
be the future, like adding 3D to movies or pictures to books.

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mikecane
Wondering if each panel has to be tapped to animate, how long to read it all,
and what size a Retina download will be.

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Derbasti
Does not seem to be available on the App Store in Germany. Could you tell me
why?

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dwerthen
That looks brilliant! Can't wait to read it! Truly inspiring work

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sparknlaunch12
Great work! What other work has the artist done?

~~~
namzo
Ryan Woodward's YouTube page is <http://www.youtube.com/user/RyanWoodwardart>.
He designed the official Martha Graham Google doodle
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsbI1GE4DGA>.

He has worked on productions like Space Jam, Powerpuff Girls and Spiderman 3.
You can read more about him <http://ryanwoodwardart.com/about-2/>

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caublestone
This smells like a hit Kickstarter project!

