A black limo ferries Canto 5's David Kekone to his next meeting, his hands wrapped around his firm's trademark steel coffin. The body jewelry that weighs down various parts of his face wouldn't disgrace a bull at Pamplona, but after two seconds of talking to him you realize that Kekone cares much more about the Web than anything else.

The coffin in his hands proves this point. Designed by LA sculptor Brad Howe, it opens to reveal a portfolio that embraces half of Hollywood. Canto 5 has done sites for Bette Midler, Ministry, The Lion King, Kobe Bryant, Pocahontas, REM, the artist formerly known as Prince, the one currently known as Miss Piggy, and many more.

The firm is modest about the work. "In 1995, everyone in the entertainment industry suddenly needed a Web site, and Canto 5 was in the perfect place at the perfect time," he explains. Even so, it didn't start out that way. Kekone only fell into computer design after nearly dropping out of the California Institute of the Arts because he had developed allergies to most of the chemicals used in traditional artistic media.

	In Dante's Inferno, Canto 5 describes the region of hell reserved for those who loved too much. - David Kekone

"It was a trauma," he says, laughing. "I wanted to do art, but all I could do it on was a computer and none of the computers could print back then. I figured it was never going to happen for me." Nonetheless, Kekone mastered Photoshop, supported himself by teaching computer art at Otis College of Art and Design, and, when the Web came around, he was ready. "I was doing sites when HTML wouldn't let you put a background on the page and you had to design against gray," says Kekone.

Canto 5's first big project was for Motown Records. After that, the firm produced the Web site for the movie Toy Story, which America Online declared to be the year's best. Since then, Canto 5 has grown into a full fledged company, with lead designer/art director Lawton Outlaw, VP of Marketing Michael Ameen, and office manager Tess Hartwell. "It's really not hierachical, we're more of an art collective than anything else," says Kekone, whose business card fittingly describes him as "visionary," not president.

The name Canto 5 is emblematic of the kind of work the shop specializes in. "A lot of people look at our Web site and think we're only into dark imagery, but the name Canto 5 really embraces a range of styles," says Kekone. "In Dante's Inferno, Canto 5 describes the region of hell reserved for those who loved too much. So we see ourselves as really evoking passion more than darkness."

"Our work flow is always different," adds Outlaw. "David works heavily in Photoshop and ImageReady. I like to start out drawing or painting, then I'll scan it in and touch it with Illustrator, Photoshop, and Dimensions. Everything then ends up in GoLive, which we've been using since version 1.0."

Canto 5 has long remained small and independent but is finally succumbing to the pressures of success. They've opened a new office on Melrose Avenue and Kekone marvels at the developments. "I'm making sure that whatever happens, my main job will still be sitting at the computer creating art, which is all I ever wanted to do."