Stephen King is bringing bite-size scary shorts to a small screen near you.
Beginning Monday, fans can watch two-minute animated shorts on the web or a mobile device based on King’s unpublished story "N," about a psychiatrist stricken with the same mysterious ailment as his patient.
(Check out the premiere episode, right.)
"N" will be included inJust After Sunset, King’s upcoming collection of stories due in stores Nov. 11.
King’s not the first author to experiment with web shorts to drum up interest for a book release.
Foreign Body, a web-based adult soap released in 50 mini-episodes over a period of 10 weeks, launched in late May and served as a prequel to the release of a new Robin Cook medical thriller of the same name.
But while Body has struggled mightily to maintain viewer interest, according to MediaWeek, King has got a leg up on the competition.
For starters, King has a heavyweight fan base. Additionally, King’s team opted for a comic-book look by tapping award-winning artist Alex Maleev, whose distinct, grainy style of work recently appeared on Heroes. Famed comic colorist José Villarrubiato also helps bring the series to life.
The result? Visually arresting imagery, coupled with a custom-composed soundtrack and a genuinely creepy story, equal a web show worth a watch. It’s a bit early to tell how the series will play out, but so far, the show is eye-dazzling enough to warrant two minutes of the day.
New episodes of "N" will debut daily through Aug. 29; a limited edition of the book will come with a DVD of all 25 webisodes.
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