Poking fun at George and John makes a profit

0 Comments | USA TODAY, October, 2004 | by Jefferson Graham

In the pre-Internet bubble world, online entertainment was touted as a new world of programming, one that would attract hundreds of new artists and millions of viewers.

The only problem: There was no economic market to support it.

AtomShockwave CEO Mika Salmi argues that things have totally turned around. And he has a musical parody of George W. Bush and John Kerry to thank.

Salmi survived the dot-com crash and is still in business. Along the way he drastically cut costs at his Web site -- which offers short films and games -- and waited for a hit that would make advertisers take notice.

He found it in the political musical parody This Land -- in which an arm-in-arm Bush and Kerry trade musical insults. The sequel, Good to be in D.C.! -- featuring...