Cinematic literature: Broken Saints: online comic book? Something more? The Webisode's creator foretells the future of online fiction. (back drop).(Interview)

Q Is Broken Saints a new art form?

A I think of Broken Saints more as a fusion of existing art forms; it was a case of building on what we already liked in our favorite media and tweaking it for a unique experience online. It has been dubbed "cinematic literature," which basically means that it combines narrative text, original artwork, music, and film-style effects to tell an episodic story.

Q What other medium is it most like?

A The tag "cinematic literature" is a direct nod to cinema and graphic literature (comic books). Rather than try to directly transfer existing media to the world of the Web--like putting movies or full-scale animations in a tiny window--we opted to combine what users were accustomed to finding online. It `feels' new, but it's really just a slight evolution of traditional forms.

Q How would you define the story?

A It's a serial mystery-thriller. Each chapter ends in classic cliff-hanger style, and the story itself weaves long and complex narrative threads that produce more interesting questions once they are resolved. The basic synopsis is that four strangers receive a vision of the apocalypse and are drawn to a city in the Pacific Northwest. Though they are from different cultural, religious, and political backgrounds, their common desire to achieve a greater good unites them against a horrific conspiracy to enslave the masses.

Q Which genres of stories are best suited to this format?