Back in the early 2000s, when my mind was boiling with new projects and little time to transform them into a reality, I had this idea about mixing dynamic HTML and comics to push a little forward the concept of comics as a means of communication and try to bring a slightly different approach, in other words, an 'instructive' comic that doesn't seem to be aimed to idiots and that could actually be somewhat entertaining, and apply it to something real and instead of an abstract, uninteresting test.

Sinclair the Mouse (named after Sir Clive Sinclair and, obviously, the computer mouse) was my attempt to go in that direction. The idea was to squeeze an aspect of the history of computers in 9 panels (that could easily display further information via hidden image-maps). Sinclair wouldn't talk directly about 'computers', but an aspect we all are familiar with, use daily, but give them for granted and don't think twice about it. He talks about the GUIs in this example, but I thought about the history of stuff like input-output devices, printers, operating systems, data storage devices, videogames and so on.

This is the first and only comic of the character I did, adapted to appear in a standard JPG file. Most of the 'interactive' charm of the HTML version disappears in this comic (if you clicked, for instance, on the Mac in the fourth panel, you could see a tiny GIF89 animation showing 'live' screens of the Mac's GUI operating).

I still consider Sinclair as a great idea, but gathering the information, condensing into 9 panels, drawing the thing, preparing the mouse-overs and drawing and coloring the comic was a HUGE task in itself to be done only by myself, so Sinclair is kind of 'mothballed' until I find the stamina, a sponsor or two and/or a partner to bring him to life again.