On September 1, 2008, Google entered the web browser market. Google Chrome is an open source browser project looking to revolutionize the web broswer market. So who do you get to intro your new browser? Why none other than Scott McCloud, who is certainly familiar with how-to!
For those unfamiliar with Scott McCloud, he is the writer and artist of “Understanding Comics,” “Reinventing Comics” and “Making Comics,” which have assisted many a person in learning how to develop their own comic book, or simply to understand the comics medium a bit better. Now he uses his talents to get the word out on a new browser technology. So what makes this thing so special? The comic explains that unlike other web browsers which employ the use of only one computer process, Google Chrome will open a new process with each task it is asked to do—this allows for continued work in a browser even if a particular tab or window crashes on you. Since the project will be completely open-source, this will let any developer use the browser to create whatever modded, tweaked, or integrated version of the technology they want.
McCloud is working off a script created almost entirely by the engineers themselves with this comic, and it shows. The feel is that of a keynote or a tech demo at a convention, only utilizing art instead of video to get a point across. On his web site, McCloud goes into further details on the project which was not originally created for the web.
It was designed as a printed comic for journalists and bloggers. Lots of people have had fun scanning those advance printed copies and posting them however, which is fine with Google (and me) since it’s published under the creative commons license.
The comic book in its entirety is now officially up at the Google Chrome web site for official viewing, but thanks to Creative Commons, I am sure you will indeed find it everywhere in a matter of…well, just about now.
