Float Comix project was originated in late 1997 as an online storytelling experiment by Yi-Chih Chen. The purpose was, by using a web centric language, to explore and create a new graphic narrative that's neither movie nor book. By mid 1998 the online version of Float Comix gained some notoriety and Chen decided to publish the story in print for rest of the world. In January 1999 the first printed issue of Float comic book was published by Yi.magination Studios and distributed by Diamond Comics. Since then 5 printed issues have been published and released. While Float project has evolved and grown into something quite different from its original, Chen still looks back to his book as the source of both inspiration and aspiration for the yet to come.

Since 1998, more than 30 artists have contributed to this project during different periods in various capacities. While their credits are listed elsewhere in our books or online publication, here is a short list of the project's creative principles and noteworthy contributors:

 

Yi-Chih Chen

With a background rooted in animation and multimedia, Yi-Chih Chen is an animator, story artist, director/producer, painter, and professional dreamer. Chen's screen credits include: "X-Men: Evolution", "Roswell Conspiracy", "Xyber 9", "Batman", and many other animation titles. Chen also produced and directed the last 13 episodes of IRON MAN animated series for Marvel in 1995. It was this experience turned his interest to comic book creation. Chen approaches storytelling from an angle that puts more emphasis on visual continuity than literary consequentials. The plot is carried by punchy camera narrative instead of wordy balloon grammar. And the emotion is delivered by suggestive montage rather than illustrative caption. He uses jump cuts, severe close-ups, and sharp angles interlaced with a visual quiescence of the classic East. The hope is to create a mood that is tense, controversial, psychotic, and at the same time blissfully karmic.

Philippe Bonnet

From a background of mathematics and engineering, Philippe attended the prestigious French National Film School "Louis Lumière". After graduation he threw himself wholeheartedly into the world of multimedia programming and authoring, using both mathematics and screenplay writing to reach out for the new Holy Grail of cinematography, "Interactive Cinema". He lives in the South of France and it was a matter of fate, not accident, to link his unique talent to the Float project. With great ingenuity, foresight and passion, he recoded the latest Comixware from the ground up, single-handedly. He is particularly proud of this work for "it is a true piece of Interactive Cinema that is accessible to a large audience". His recent projects include collaborations with famous French sites and artists such as uzinagaz and margerin.

Fred Carrillo

Fred Carrillo was the first artist persuaded by Yi-Chih Chen to join the Float Project. What he brought to the project was 30 years of sassy brush stoke of utmost precision and beauty. Carrillo draws in a style that is at the same time solid in construct and thriving in textures. It sits perfectly in a sci-fi context while contradicts every vain of digital deliberant. Yes, his stuff is that good! An accomplished veteran of both comic book and animation, Carrillo has an impressive career that warrants a separate page by itself. Please click HERE for detail.

Eric Luke

A writer of esoteric complexity both in the fields of comic books and screenplays. Luke was brought in for scripting. And what a fine script he did! It brings just to the otherworldly visual of FLOAT, literately. Here's how he describes his encounter with comics:

I graduated UCLA film school with a short film that got me an agent, and I started writing screenplays. 'Explorers' got produced at Paramount, directed by Joe Dante. This led to writing/directing assignments at Disney. I've had two MOW's (movies of the week) on the Disney Channel: 'Not Quite Human II', and 'Still Not Quite Human'. I've had projects in development at various studios ever since. A conceptual artist I met on 'Explorers' named Phill Norwood introduced me to Randy Stradley at Dark Horse Comics when Phill and I worked on a short comics piece for them. I contacted Randy about writing for comics, which I'd wanted to do since I was a kid, and Randy gave me 'Ghost', which was a hit for them. I wrote 'Ghost' for three years, and then got the 'Wonder Woman' assignment at DC. I've had various one-shot assignments at DC recently. I'm dividing my time between screenplays and comic scripts, which is just fine by me.

Eric Oberthaler

Eric is equally at home both composing for traditional instruments and creating music in his digital studio. This dual fluency, combined with extremely eclectic musical tastes, has led him to develop a kaleidoscopic musical voice that strives to span the full dimensions of the emerging, unified, global musical tongue. Besides composing music for Float, his recent projects include "Le Mystere de Papa Loko" and "The Thar-Taurs of Atlan" for Burning Man Opera, and commissions for Jamie Bishton Dance Company. To learn more about Eric's music please go to ericoberthaler.com and soundsliketree.com.

Ben Gorton

A mathmatic twist of an artistic temperament, just the kind of chemistry needed for the uncompromising mix of Float project. Gorton, a fan of Japanese anime, a sci-fi buff, and a screenwriter-to-be (yeah, he lives in Hollywood), came from Atlanta and of a real math and programming backgrounds (B.S. in math and etc). While pursuing his tinsel town dream he got his foot wet with Float project. Most of the early coding for Comixware and Flash gadgetries you see on this web site were done by our undaunted Flash 'guru'.