Video: Sutu

Sutu’s stories are relevant to anyone interested in the art of interactive storytelling.

A true pioneer, the Tasmanian-born digital artist has been exploring interactive comics for a decade now. His innovative approach to storytelling transcends his medium of choice.

Sutu’s been on our radar ever since he unleashed Nawlz upon the world way back in 2008. Nawlz is an ambitious beast of a techno punk comic that tells the story of a man lost in a futuristic city. It was released online in two instalments of multiple episodes, and served as a major playground for Sutu. He seems to have poored every single good idea he ever had about interactive comics into the giant storyverse that is the city of Nawlz.

Fast foward to 2016. Sutu releases These Memories Won’t Last – a moving story about his ailing grandfather, who suffered from Alzheimer’s. Sutu uses a series of simple but powerful visual metaphors to illustrate the fading of his grandfather’s memories. It is his most personal story yet and arguably one of his best works. “Memories” exemplifies why interactive comics is a unique storytelling medium. Sutu received an Eisner nomination for it.

What is especially interesting about Sutu’s work is that his stories always complement the technology. Modern Polaxis is another great example – an interactive comic that uses alternate reality technology to reveal hidden story layers. “I don’t want the effect just to be a gimmick,” says Sutu in the interview.

One of his most recent works is a crowdfunded augmented reality art book titled “Prosthetic Reality,” that features contributions from many different artists.

Check his website.