The first animated graphic novel

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.

Well, that's not actually the first... Electric Sheep Comix did this 10 years ago: <a href="http://www.electricsheepcomix.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.electricsheepcomix.com/</a>

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

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?

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

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

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

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.<p>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.

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.

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".<p>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<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaceship_Warlock" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaceship_Warlock</a><p>video of Just Grandma and Me <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9uyxPeY3qY" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9uyxPeY3qY</a>

Might be the first - I don't know. But as a lover of graphic novels, to me, this seems to be a great thing.<p>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.<p>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.<p>so let's celebrate the people pushing the frontier, trying new things and showing us coherent ways of using the new mediums.

So is the whole idea that each strip would be animated clips, and storyline would move in smaller clips?<p>The artwork definitely has a unique aesthetic to it. The level of detail is amazing.<p>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.

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

another take on experimental <i>"storytelling"</i> is <i>"The Mongoliad"</i> <a href="http://mongoliad.com" rel="nofollow">http://mongoliad.com</a> by Neil Stephenson (<i>The Diamond Age</i>) and <a href="http://subutai.mn" rel="nofollow">http://subutai.mn</a>

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.

You probably didn't know Byook:<p><a href="http://www.byook.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.byook.com/</a>

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.

Readers who viewed this may also like. . .<p><a href="http://www.brandongenerator.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.brandongenerator.com</a><p><a href="http://darkhorse.geekandsundry.com/" rel="nofollow">http://darkhorse.geekandsundry.com/</a>

The way it should be.<p>Hope to see many more like these. Reminds me of the Daily Prophet.

No one here has used the product, so how can you judge whether it was done right/wrong? Art is never black/white<p>Via the trailer: Incredible graphics and an intriguing storyline. Can't wait to try it out

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

Great work! What other work has the artist done?

This smells like a hit Kickstarter project!