WORD

The Web may be an ocean of unpolished bandwidth, but WORD is a pearl. Despite its name, this lavishly produced e-zine is first and foremost a kick to look at. The graphics are stunning--often more impressive than what you'll find in those slick art-and-attitude magazines that loiter on the racks at your local bookstore/cafe. Thanks to clever push-pull scripting, photo essays on skateboard punks and weather-beaten pennies advance like slideshows; background graphics materialize and peel away like, well, psychedelic wallpaper. But WORD's words are no less impressive. The content covers the usual alternative arts and culture beat, but editor Marisa Bowe has marshalled some impressive talent: playwright/comedian Mo Gaffney extemporizes on why being poor sucks; debtor artist Randy Sean Landers turns his student loan defaults into an art happening (he owes $23,000, and you can take in his hand-written appeals for leniency); Sonic Youth guitarist Thurston Moore recalls his days as a dorky teenage punk. OK, so function sometimes takes a backseat to style (where are the navigation buttons when you need them?), and the graphics take their sweet time downloading. But when the result looks this good, who cares? (JW)

[ AlterNodes | CyberScape | MetroActive ]