Cool community of characters at Mojizu

OK, I'm a sucker for illustration and social / community websites.

So when Michael Arrington reviewed the cool new contemporary character site, Mojizu, I was bound to notice.

Mojizu is a great little site where you can upload, showcase, vote for and rate user-submitted illustrated characters. I could waste hours on this thing rating monsters, aliens and robots.

Sites like this are a clear sign that social media websites are appearing in more and more niche areas. They're really taking off. First there was links (del.icio.us). Then photos (flickr). Then music (last.fm). Then books (librarything), then clothes (Stylehive), then wine (cork'd). Now there's cartoon characters.

"Where's the business model?", I hear you ask. Mojizu receives it revenue through Mojishop, which it shares with the artists. So while it is mostly for fun, there is some money to be made.

But does it always have to be about business models?
I think all sorts of people are seeing the social benefits of the second internet revolution. Some are working out how to make money from it. Others, like Mojizu, are just having a bit of fun.