Canine missiles?! (explodingdog.com)

Member Name: zusy

Product:	explodingdog.com
Date:	03/03/01 (148 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Charmingly simplistic yet somehow ultimately *moving* pictures

Disadvantages: Oh puh-lease...

You have to wonder what pleasures, treasures (or otherwise) a website that resides in the name 'explodingdog.com' will offer the casual viewer.

It was with some trepidation that I ventured to the site, knowing nothing about it but for the rather memorable name. A friend suggested I look at it, and thus I found myself bracing the old constitution for the worst...

No canine missiles here, I am glad to report. Absolutely no pets being hurled into the air with the help of home-made bombs, dynamite or any other volatile combustible.

Instead, we are treated to the most simplistic of drawing styles: Stick figures. And this somewhat childish art form is lifted into the realms of wonderful by the artist Sam Brown.

The concept behind the website is also simple. People email Sam with ideas for drawings - this can just be a line of dialogue, a description of a scene or some vague title. Recent examples are as follows:

I had heard that it is full of evil

Will I fall?

I didn't like her anyway

I had a good idea a few minutes ago

No flashing whirly bits, no animated hamsters singing their little hearts out, no advertising - you get a white background with plain text links of the words. You click on the link that captures your interest and are taken to another page with the picture on.

And oh how *lovely*, how oddly *moving* these pictures are! I don't know how he does it, I am certainly sure that I couldn't copy his style (although it looks so deceptively easy), but he manages to imbue each picture with a whimsicality that stays in your mind long after you've finished viewing the site.

Take, for example, the picture accompanying the text 'Will I fall?': Two slightly robotic figures (robots are a common theme) seemingly hang in the air, clouds surrounding them, gripping each other's hands and looking down with a mixture of trepidation and nervous rel
ief.

Remember - these are stick figures, drawn on his computer (sometimes by hand and then recoloured later), they are *so* simplistic that one would imagine they are devoid of meaning, feeling or interpretation. The fact that they are not is testement to Sam Brown's skill at relaying human emotions.

This is by no means a gut-clenchingly hilarious website, instead you go away with a wry smile and a head full of thoughts about what the pictures meant to you.

Overall, the word I would use to describe the site and the drawings on it, is 'charming'. Take a look and I'm sure you will see exactly what I mean.

Sam Brown seems like a very amiable chap - he invites you to email him with suggestions, or if you'd simply like to have a chat with him about whatever...

Also available on the site are downloadable desktops made from some of the featured drawings, an explodingdog discussion board, and links to other places.

Apparently Sam gets a lot of emails from people asking if they can use his drawings to make t-shirts or posters from. One would imagine many artists (perhaps quite rightly) being wary about this, or forbidding it outright. Sam just says:

"Sure. If you want to make some t-shirts of drawings feel free. As long as you are not trying to sell them or use them to advertise for your company, I don't mind. Make as many as you want."

I like Sam Brown and I love his website. I've emailed a couple of suggestions for drawing titles, and I hope you will also feel compelled to do so.

All hail explodingdog!

Summary: