Seventeen People – Meticulously Illustrated Tribute to One Man’s Favorite West Wing Episode

Jon White is some kind of crazy, obsessed guy. But you know what? He’s also one of those incredibly talented guys who gets crazy and obsessed over something. And when you look at Seventeen People (a beautiful, single-page website he created as a tribute to his favorite West Wing episode), it’s a pretty fantastic combination.

For those of you who have been reading this site for a while now… it’s no surprise that I’m a fan of the show. I don’t get into that much TV, and back in 2004… I watched even less TV than I do now. But Sorkin’s writing and the cast was a magical combination, and I got really pulled into the series. As did Jon White, apparently.

I have a lot of favorite episodes, and a lot of favorite moments from the show. But I have to confess than Seventeen People isn’t among them. Reading over White’s beautiful recap, I’m surprised at how much really went on in that one hour.

I think that the website is really amazing, and an inspiring project even to those who may not be familiar with the show. For anyone interested to learn more about what prompted White to create the site, check out this Guardian interview:

Apparently, it took him a year and a half to make all the illustrations. Crazy. And awesome.

I am very tempted to go and re-watch this episode right now. And that impulse is only slightly tempered by the thought that for me to really enjoy the episode, I should probably go all the way back to Season 1 and start from the beginning.

[via MetaFilter]

Related:
An Oral History of The West Wing
Fans of the West Wing: Big Block of Cheese Day is Actually Happening!