The Art of Ralph Breaks the Internet

THE DARKNET

[–] Jessica Julius Author

At one point, Ralph ends up in the Darknet. What is that exactly?

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[–] Matthias Lechner Art Director, Environments

There are multiple levels to the Internet. There’s the surface web, which is the part users mainly interact with. Beneath that are areas less easily accessed, like data storage and content behind paywalls, which have a more industrial design. And under that is the Darknet, where the questionable stuff happens.

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[–] Cory Loftis Production Designer

Up on the surface web you see users and netizens. But the Darknet is mostly netizens. The average user can’t get there. Everyone down there wants to remain anonymous, so their hoods are up, they wear masks. And the environment changes depending on the encryption level, so some things aren’t visible until you get special glasses or an access card to see them.

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Jim Martin, Visual Development Artist

The original idea for the Darknet was that it was the foundation of the Internet. It was made up of discarded sites, with new sites built on top of the old ones from the ground up.

Matthias Lechner, Art Director, Environments

Originally we called it the Oldernet and it was basically the 1990s version of the Internet. The Netscape symbol is there but it has fallen down, a Y2K ticker is stopped at midnight, there are old chat rooms, and users travel by the super slow Dial-Up Express.

JP SPAMLEY & GORD

Cory Loftis, Production Designer

Spamley was inspired by salesmen that can’t make a sale. He’s a fragile character, hanging on by a thread. In his mind, he’s trying to run an honest business but no one is clicking on his links. He’s annoying but he’s not trying to cheat people, which is why he’s so touched when Ralph pays attention to him.

Ami Thompson, Art Director, Characters

Gord is Spamley’s assistant. He’s like a sloth and a pug mixed together, with a little bit of praying mantis tossed in. He doesn’t talk but he knows what Spamley needs almost before Spamley does. Gord has a bit of virus in him, so he knows the secrets of the Darknet and how to find it.

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THE DARKNET

JP SPAMLEY & GORD

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