Internet portals are making it easier than ever for indies to show off and capitalize on their skills. Web sites, hosted by giants like AOL all the way down to smaller, independent entities, allow these artists to reach larger and, in some cases, more powerful audiences. More importantly however, it is also becoming easier for animators to profit from their creations and expand into franchising and even merchandising. “A growing number of viable forums exist for independent animators to generate exposure on the web” and several of these sites are featured by Animation World Magazine in an extended in-depth article.