We're living in the age not just of screens, but of divided screens; boxes of time are all around us. We find them in split-screen sequences in movies and TV, multiplayer video games, videoconferencing, and more—wherever we turn, it seems, boxes of time have become a major part of the way we communicate visually. As it happens, one medium has long proven adept at choreographing boxes of time for storytelling purposes: comics. This site is dedicated to exploring what comics have to teach us about communicating creatively in the age of divided screens.

The author

My name’s Erik Loyer. I’m a media artist and creative director who’s been making comics for screens since 2007, often in collaboration with writer/illustrator Ezra Claytan Daniels. In 2008 I founded Opertoon, an interactive entertainment label where I combine elements of sequential art, games, music, and gesture-driven interaction in projects like Upgrade Soul and Ruben & Lullaby, and develop new technologies to help explore the creative potential of comics on screens.

The format

This site is a new kind of online publication created with a beta version of a publishing tool called Scalar. Part e-book, part wiki, and part blog, it’s a living work that will continue to grow and evolve over time.

Feedback & suggestions

Your comments are welcomed—just look for the comment icon at the bottom of every page—or you can send feedback directly to erik (at) opertoon (dot) com.