You may recall my rant about character blogs done poorly. If you don't the quick recap is that it's hard to have an effective "character blog" (a blog created around a fictional character) when the blog has constant reminders that this character is completely fictional. TV show characters live in a world that's not hosted on CBS.com, for instance.

Since that post I've been on the lookout for a great character blog and Web sites that I could share as an example of how to do it right. I found two great support efforts for this season's hit show "Heroes", and both focus on lesser discussed aspects of show.

Of the two, my significant favorite is the VotePetrelli.com site. This site literally could have been created for any candidate running for office this year. (Which is a sad reflection on Web sites for political candidates, but I digress)

Let's see how this site stacks up against my Rules for Character Blogs & Sites:

Keep it right - this blog is certainly the exact right concept for a fictional political candidate.

Use what you have - this project is fun because it fits into the universe, but doesn't focus on the more obvious elements of the show. This helps to extend the show "world" much further.

Make it real - although not as applicable on a non-blog site, it's still interesting to see that the privacy policy says nothing about NBC and instead references only VotePetrelli.com. I actually emailed the webmaster with an in-character note to see what kind of response I'll get back.

Connect the dots - I'm not sure if this has been advertised elsewhere. Anyone else seen anything about it? (I read about it in Wired)

Extend the illusion - the illusion on this one is pretty deep. Zero branding, zero reference to NBC, and absolute synchronization to the show's on-screen character.
The second site focuses on the fictional Yamagato Fellowship but isn't as tight. Sadly there's far too many "coming soon" references in the content for this to be considered great, but it's certainly a solid effort.

Great work, NBC!

Last year, "Heroes" was the smash hit of Comic-Con, and this year promises to be no exception, but...

We're giving you two ways to strut your stuff in front of millions of fans and win great "Heroes" prizes in the process.

Heres How:

Create your own Heroes music video of your own Heroes comic book. The winning entries will be presented at the 2007 Comic-Con convention in San Diego!

Don't waste a minute. Get started on your very own masterpiece now.

The series, Inside Heroes, goes behind the scenes of NBC's biggest hit, Heroes. Part of the goal is to keep viewers interested and engaged in the show during it summer hiatus, with episodes spaced out until the fall beginning of season two.

To that end, NBC will also offer Heroes character profiles online and will continue the online "graphic novel" version of the show, which is itself rooted in the manga Japanese graphic novel ethos.

With the conclusion of the inaugural season of "Heroes," NBC hosted a live blog with creator Tim Kring and everyone's favorite cheerleader, Hayden Panettiere. Over a thousand comments were left when the show's creator left a message last Thursday on the "NBC Heroes" blog calling for fans of the show to leave their own questions for the pair to answer.
The first question they tackled was that of "Heroes: Origins," the new spin-off series debuting next year. "The idea was to try to do about half a dozen episodes that are stand-alone episodes dealing with the origin stories of characters all around the world who are waking up with the discovery of these unique abilities," Kring said "They are not connected necessarily to the show 'Heroes,' but if you do watch or are a fan of 'Heroes,' you'll see tiny little clues that tie into the show."

Kring said he almost wanted to do, "Rod Sterling type of story telling. Cautionary tales and morality tales. Dealing with these people with unique abilities. So they're completely stand-alone episodes that don't follow a serialized formula."

NBC DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT LAUNCHES ORIGINAL WEB SERIES 'INSIDE HEROES'
Exclusive Web Series On NBC.com Goes Behind The Scenes at "Heroes"

"Heroes" Character Profiles And New Installments of Online Graphic Novel Launch in May

BURBANK, Calif. May 10, 2007 NBC Digital Entertainment today announced the launch of its new original web series "Inside Heroes." The eight installment series will go inside the making of "Heroes" and will begin rolling out exclusively on NBC.com on May 21st. The same day, "Heroes" Character Profiles will launch on the site as well. Additionally, the popular "Heroes" online graphic novel continues this summer with new chapters. The announcements were made by Vivi Zigler, Executive Vice President, NBC Digital Entertainment and New Media.

"Fans of 'Heroes' don't need to wait until next season to enjoy their favorite show," said Zigler. "Being able to interact with rich content all summer long is fun for the user and helps us keep the show brand top of mind."

To create "Inside Heroes," the NBC.com crews were given unprecedented access to the people and production process that makes "Heroes" a tremendous fan-favorite. The eight featurettes will roll out on NBC.com throughout the summer with new postings to the start of Season Two. The series will take fans through visual effects, music, wardrobe, stunts, make-up effects, artwork and even the catering and create the feeling of being there with the people who make it all happen each week.

"Heroes" Character Profiles are a look at individual characters' storylines from the beginning of the season, allowing fans to focus on the journey each character has taken. The Profiles begin with Peter Petrelli's story on May 21st. Other show characters profiled are Claire Bennet, Hiro Nakamura, Nathan Petrelli, Niki/Jessica Sanders, Matt Parkman and Mohinder Suresh among others.

The "Heroes" fan-favorite graphic novel continues in originals exclusively on NBC.com this summer from renowned comic book authors Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau, Steven T. Seagle and Joe Casey.