Of course, we get double use out of the 3D models by using them in both the comics and in the games. As far as concept design for the games, we get our ideas from within the comic. In addition to using Java to build games, you use it to enhance the online comics in very creative ways. Our main goal is to achieve a balance between new technologies and good old comic action. For this rea son, we usually use Java to enhance the story instead of telling it.
Examples are our interactive maps, clickable character profiles, and so on.
People love comics with Java effects, not Java effects with comics. Right now we keep the games on separate pages from the comics so that we don't force users to download a huge applet when they just want to read the comic. We're very excited about what we could do with the bandwidth offered by cable modems and television Web browsers. Also, half of the Netscape users out there are still using Navigator 2.0, which dithers all images in Java down to 256 colors. Given the graphics intensity of our site, that's a really big limitation.