The Wildclown Chronicle is the most flash intensive site I have reviewed to date. A multi-genre e-zine, the Wildclown features horror, science fiction, fantasy, speculative fiction, exotic adventure and open adventure stories. Each story is given its own animated introduction. The attention to detail and artistic expression creates a unique site unlike anything I've visited in the past. The flash intensive graphics and sound take a long time to download and I find it's best if I visit the site during off-peak Internet hours in hopes that my 56K modem actually achieves speeds of 45K or more.

Each page opens into another window. This is both good and bad. Negatively, you can crash your computer if you open too many windows at one time due to the heavy coding. On the positive side, if you open one story at a time, you can browse elsewhere on the net while waiting for the animation to download. Once it is finished, hitting the back browser button will run you through the graphics at the pace they were intended to be viewed. While visiting the site, I recommend taking the time to watch the launch sequence. It was entertaining.

When you first visit the Chronicle, you might notice a suggestion to view the site in low light. This is recommended because the graphics are dark. I found this to be a problem when the story page appears because of the sudden change from dark to a light background. However once your eyes adjust to the lighting differences the font is easy to read.

I spent a little time talking the Mr. G. Taylor Wells, the e-zines editor and he answered a few questions about submissions. There is no pay for published stories at this time. "The Wildclown Chronicle is a free publication dedicated to exhibiting the work of authors in an entertaining fashion. The authors are paid with promotion through association with the Wildclown Chronicle, and with the unique animated introductions designed for each accepted submission. To paraphrase Hertzan Chimera, publishing on the Internet is like handing out business cards. In short, the Chronicle displays work for the purpose of promotion."

The e-zine is open to working with new authors. "The Wildclown Chronicle tries to offer something from 'new' writers in every issue. In fact, many of our "old" writers are relatively "new". The Chronicle is the strangest Ezine on the Internet, and so is very flexible about the vintage of its contributors. A good story is a good story." This includes unique stories that might fall a bit outside the genres listed. Simultaneous submission are not discouraged. Response times are around two to four weeks. Stories are archived "for as long as the author and the Wildclown Chronicle are comfortable with that arrangement."

Mr. Wells also shared the Wildclown Chronicle's mission goals. "The Wildclown Chronicle was originally created to assist with the promotion of the novel When Graveyards Yawn by G. Wells Taylor and its Official Web Site. In the process, the Chronicle took on a life and readership of its own. While the Chronicle continues to fulfill its original mandate, it now promotes the work of many of the Internet's best authors. It is hoped that the Wildclown Chronicle will continue to evolve with the Internet and Internet technology

Wildclown Chronicle presents a reading and viewing experience rarely encountered on the web. Even if you do not read nor write the genres Wildclown publishes, visit the site and enjoy the artistic effort that has gone into creating the zine. It is a visual experience well worth the time it takes to download.

Normally, the Wildclown Chronicle would earn a 4 star rating - losing 1/2 a star due to its non-pay status and 1/2 star for the load times. However, the outstanding work on the site itself, the excellent content, and the overall unique creativeness of Wildclown earns it 4 1/2 stars.
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