Toonlet: yet another (good) comic strip builder
Date : 2008 01 18 Category : Web Webware.com
I really enjoy Web based comic strip tools. I once had ambitions to be a comic illustrator, although I lost interest about he same time I discovered video games. I still enjoy a good doodle here and there, which is where sites like Toonlet can offer a great deal of fun for the creatively inclined. Toonlet is a comic strip builder. We've covered several others like it before, although it's somewhere between that build-your-own Simpsons character maker and Mr. Picasso head. You're given a wide (and I do mean wide) array of body parts to fit together, letting you create your own Franken-comicbook character.
The Toonlet editor lets you pick from a pretty big array of items. Seen here is my attempt at recreating John Bon Jovi in days or yore.
(Credit: CNET Networks)The character building tool runs in Adobe Flash, and is setup to let you create your own reoccurring strip with characters built right in the engine. You can fine tune each character off of a set of emotions, which lets you quickly dial in a preset to match the situation when back in the strip creation screen. This helps you avoid having to go in and tweak every body part of facial expression if you're feeling lazy, although you can still jump back in to make edits if you're looking for a higher level of control.
What's interesting about Toonlet compared to some of the other comic strip builders is that each strip is setup like a forum post. Other people can reply with their own strips, and with a quick glance you can view the original and replies in the order they were posted. It makes it an exploratory process, and even the smallest text response requires some level of creativity.
I don't see Toonlet replacing a solid foundation in illustration techniques (since you're using other people's art), but it sure is fun to play with. It also manages to pack a whole lot of customization into a small package. Going forward I'd like to see Toonlet add a way to upload your own creations into the character builder, but it's already got more than enough items in there to quell most folks' thirst for body parts for the time being.
[via ReadWriteWeb]
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