INTERVIEW WITH BROOK BURGESS BY GRACE STERNS
Burgess is one of the four creators of Broken Saints
Spring, 2001

Grace Sterns: How would you describe "Broken Saints" in one to two sentences?

Brook Burgess: A mature graphic novel in Flash with original artwork, haunting music, and gripping storylines. Broken Saints creates a hypnotic aura that compels readers/viewers to experience the cryptic saga that ensnares its four very different protagonists.

GS: How long have you been involved in and creating Internet-based art work projects like Broken Saints?

BB: I've been working in the interactive entertainment field (videogame production and design) for nearly five years, but Broken Saints is my first solely 'web-based' production. The project began with a concept definition approximately one year ago.

GS: With rapidly the changing technology around us how do you plan to make sure that people can still view Broken Saints (i.e. do you plan to eventually upgrade it, archive it, or was it intended to be a temporary work?)

BB: The Broken Saints story was originally intended to be 'finite'; a dramatic series of arcs was created that would conclude after 24 chapters, so we originally had a 'wait-and-see' attitude where it concerns the future of the site. Presently, the BS property is being courted by representatives from different entertainment mediums, so there is the possibility that the site/story would continue in an upgraded format...as long as the fans are still there :)

GS: When looking at internet art works, do you personally prefer more image based ("flashy") pieces?

BB: CONTENT has always been the key to keeping my interest/attention-span. I want to experience art in ANY medium that compels me to think, challenges my perceptions, and invites me to revisit it with fresh senses. Much of the image-based material online may be briefly titillating (almost a reflection of the stalwart of web content - pornography), but it has no creative wherewithal. At the same time, text-based sites may contain fascinating content that evolves at a regular pace, but the process of text 'consumption' from a computer monitor leaves me feeling detached. Before I began with Broken Saints, I examined what forms the web audience was most comfortable with, and the three types of content that surfers were most enamored/familiar with were: pictures, text, and (more recently) music. Being such a huge fan of graphic literature, here was the perfect opportunity to create something that would evolve the comic medium AND present the net audience with something novel that still combined the primary forms they were accustomed to. So again, it all boils down to content...though imagery is indeed part of the message.

GS: Is there a goal/mission statement behind Broken Saints?

BB: Tell a damn compelling story that is thought-provoking, socially aware, and more than a little bit creepy. I'm tired of the lowbrow 'assault' in Western media, and the growing popularity of Broken Saints proves that there is a chunk of society that is famished for this type of storytelling.