Billed as the world's first story-telling screen-saver cartoon, Johnny Castaway is a great launch (and subsequent shipwreck) for Dyiiamix' Screen Antics series. We weren't sure what Jeff Tunnel I intended when he formed a smaller creative group under the aegis of Dynamix, but the first few products we've seen from Jeff Tunnell Productions look very different from the award-winning designer's other works.
Gamers who enjoy the Johnny Hart style art and humor of the B.C. comic strip should enjoy this randomized film clip of tried-and-true sight gags in a fresh new environment. The artists obviously emulated the Hart style, as the background is minimalist (the tiniest imaginable desert island, decorated by a single coconut tree). The design team also must have been inspired by Gilligan's Island re-runs in that the title character, a marooned seafarer who regularly misses opportunities to be rescued, has an unending supply of accoutrements with which to make his island more "civilized." He fishes, goes diving, builds sand castles, goes jogging (in his "three hour tour" style jogging suit) and even entertains a lovely mermaid for dinner (in his clairvoyantly packed tuxedo).
The concept behind this style of screen saver is, of course, that the computer user is often surprised by the animation that appears on the screen. As the user talks on the phone or works off-line for a while, there are supposed to be enough animated sequences that the antics will be entertaining for months. Johnny will always be looking in the wrong direction or doing the wrong thing whenever potential rescuers (whether yachtsmen, aviators, ghost ships or whatever) pass by. Whether all of this actually works as a screen saver or not is debatable. Only a portion of the screen is used for the animated sequences and much of the background is static. Of course, the same might be said about the entire category of screen savers, whether fireworks or aquariums.
Gamers who want to boot the screen saver and simply view a few hours of gags may find themselves disappointed. Johnny usually ends up pausing after each sequence and, if the gamer doesn't touch a key, will read the disk and start another round of animated slapstick. This staggered pacing shouldn't bother the casual viewer who occasionally glimpses a sequence or two while performing other tasks, but it could be distracting to someone merely wanting to view the computerized cartoons.
Also, computer users who use Photo Styler, or any other program that requires the computer to work for long periods without keyboard input, should avoid installing Johnny Castaway. Those cute animated sequences can certainly play havoc with a .TIF file conversion. (Wonder how we know that?)
All in all, Johnny Castaway is proof positive that Jeff Tunnell is thinking outside established lines. A screen saver that tells a story, no matter how disjointed or random, is a fascinating concept and Jeff Tunnell Productions has brought it to the computer in an artistic fashion. Fans of Johnny Mart-style comics and sight gag lovers everywhere should love it.
Gamers who enjoy the Johnny Hart style art and humor of the B.C. comic strip should enjoy this randomized film clip of tried-and-true sight gags in a fresh new environment. The artists obviously emulated the Hart style, as the background is minimalist (the tiniest imaginable desert island, decorated by a single coconut tree). The design team also must have been inspired by Gilligan's Island re-runs in that the title character, a marooned seafarer who regularly misses opportunities to be rescued, has an unending supply of accoutrements with which to make his island more "civilized." He fishes, goes diving, builds sand castles, goes jogging (in his "three hour tour" style jogging suit) and even entertains a lovely mermaid for dinner (in his clairvoyantly packed tuxedo).The concept behind this style of screen saver is, of course, that the computer user is often surprised by the animation that appears on the screen. As the user talks on the phone or works off-line for a while, there are supposed to be enough animated sequences that the antics will be entertaining for months. Johnny will always be looking in the wrong direction or doing the wrong thing whenever potential rescuers (whether yachtsmen, aviators, ghost ships or whatever) pass by. Whether all of this actually works as a screen saver or not is debatable. Only a portion of the screen is used for the animated sequences and much of the background is static. Of course, the same might be said about the entire category of screen savers, whether fireworks or aquariums.
Gamers who want to boot the screen saver and simply view a few hours of gags may find themselves disappointed. Johnny usually ends up pausing after each sequence and, if the gamer doesn't touch a key, will read the disk and start another round of animated slapstick. This staggered pacing shouldn't bother the casual viewer who occasionally glimpses a sequence or two while performing other tasks, but it could be distracting to someone merely wanting to view the computerized cartoons.
Also, computer users who use Photo Styler, or any other program that requires the computer to work for long periods without keyboard input, should avoid installing Johnny Castaway. Those cute animated sequences can certainly play havoc with a .TIF file conversion. (Wonder how we know that?)
All in all, Johnny Castaway is proof positive that Jeff Tunnell is thinking outside established lines. A screen saver that tells a story, no matter how disjointed or random, is a fascinating concept and Jeff Tunnell Productions has brought it to the computer in an artistic fashion. Fans of Johnny Mart-style comics and sight gag lovers everywhere should love it.
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