Haha, neat. Well, if you're looking for a coder willing to collaborate with an enthusiastic arist like yourself, then check out 'the daily click' . Plenty of keen clickers over there, could be up your alley.
Neat dithering style and colour selections. It really reminds me of the later Commander Keen games. The only thing I'd do with the text is give it a little more space between it and the border.
Animation was also quite smooth, but I'm surprised you couldn't upload it as a gif...it shouldnt be THAT large.
Keep us updated on the game! Will it go beyond the mock up stage?
I don't understand why it has been mentioned.