By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 12/10/2015
By: Nick Eskey Writer: James Robinson Artist: Vanesa Del Rey Colorist: Jordie Bellaire Letterer: Cory Petit Cover Artist: David Aja Taking place after her stint in the Avengers team, James Robinson’s Scarlet Witch is now as she claims “alone.” The only acquaintance that we’re introduced to is the ghost of her old tutor in witchcraft, Agatha Harkness, who happens to […]
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 12/9/2015
Comixology’s annual tradition of 12 Days of Free Comicsis underway again, kicking off with free downloads of Marvel’s Secret Wars #1 Every day until Sunday 12/20, a new free comic goes live at Noon EST, with the download ending at 11:59 AM EST. You can even give these downloads as gifts, if you’re family likes […]
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 7/24/2014
If you look at the history of digital music, the combination of a standardized format, moderate pricing (compared to CDs) and DRM-free files were what sparked sales. Comics still doesn’t have a standardized format or a lower pricing tier for new issues, but DRM-free just turned up. Comixology has announced they’re going to be having DRM-free “back-up” copies available for select publishers.
This new feature allows you to download and store local copies of books in PDF and CBZ format.
For our launch, participating publishers include Image Comics, Dynamite Entertainment, Zenescope Entertainment, MonkeyBrain Comics, Thrillbent, and Top Shelf Productions. In addition, our Submit creators and small publishers are now able to choose to make their books available DRM-free.
Traditionally, Hollywood-based licenses have had DRM baked into the licensing agreements for comics. It’s no surprise that DC (Warner), Marvel (Disney) and IDW (a lot of licensed books from places like Hasbro) aren’t on that list. I’m also curious if Dynamite’s entire line is there or just part of the line, since they do a lot of licensed books.
SLG and Image started the DRM-free comics movement. Comixology just picked up the ball in a big way. Don’t be too surprised if ePub 3 gets added to the format list in the near future, too.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 3/28/2013
BY JEN VAUGHN – For anyone who has ever performed any improv, there is a simple rule: ‘Say Yes.’ Say yes to a situation when presented to you because your fellow troupe member has a story line. You can add even more “yes and…” The same rule applies to a game called Fiasco, which calls itself the ‘make your own Coen brothers film’ game. You create a story without props with high stakes, characters with high ambition and low impulse control AND with a traditional story structure. The first time I played was with Comics Journal editor and gaming partner Kristy Valenti and the heat was oppressive, adding to our Western setting. Center for Cartoon Studies professor and cartoonist (most notably for BERLIN), Jason Lutes, has taken the narrative he created with five CCS graduates and turned it into a 72 page full-color comic book called BINGO BABY.
The creators include five CCS graduates Donna Almendrala, Bill Bedard, Joseph Lambert, Amelia Onorato, and Denis St. John and Jason Lutes is their whip-cracking editor. It’ll be interesting to see this story that was created rather on the fly by creative storytellers and then coaxed into comic book page submission. Each of these young cartoonists are drawn to rich stories, no matter what genre or style. Based on the video, they draw a lot from the quiet mountain town of White River Junction, full of its share of characters from the meth addicts to the Vietnam War veterans to the bougie retirees to the dueling bingo venues crammed with hardcore players. You can do the ol’ Kickstarter pre-order now for only $10.
Lutes is known at the school for his board game nights. Wish there was a reward that included Lutes coming to YOUR board game night and teaching you a thing or two about wheat or stone trades. Rewards include the book itself, a shirt, hell—some original Lutes artwork!
—
Jen Vaughn is a Seattle-based cartoonist and marketing manager at Fantagraphics. CAVEAT: she’s played board games with all these creators and they are magnificent bastards.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 3/10/2013
This is all just breaking!
Marvel are at South By Southwest right now, announcing some new digital projects. The first is ‘Marvel Infinite’ comics, Marvel’s own digital service for comic books. It appears that Marvel will be making 700 of their #1 issues available for free, so new readers can try the first issue before seeing if they want to continue on and buy the rest. Also announced is a new weekly digital Wolverine series called ‘Japan’s Most Wanted’, which will be headed up by Jason Aaron but overseen by a number of different writers. And finally, they’ve revealed that ‘Project Gamma’ will be an adaptive audio addition to their digital comics, putting sound to their digital stories.
So! Let’s break that down as best as possible. The first news involves Marvel Infinite, which was previously revealed to be the new name for Marvel’s digital comics program. As part of their rebrand, which Todd spoke about a few days ago, Marvel are going to make a series of issues available for free to readers. These will be the first issues of every respective series – Guardians of the Galaxy, for example – offering readers a chance to try the books before they decide to pick up the following issues and start following the books proper.
However! This will be a limited offer from Marvel, and it looks like the books will go back to regular pricing – ranging from $1.99 to $3.99 – so you have until Tuesday.
Wolverine: Japan’s Most Wanted is a digital series, which will be released weekly. The first issue will be out in July, with Jason Aaron overseeing the storyline. Jason Latour will also be writing, with Paco Diaz on art. CBR have an interview with the creative team, and Marvel have offered a solicitation for the series:
Marvel Comics’ latest innovative Infinite Comic is here! Wolverine stars in a weekly adventure from the mind of super star writer Jason Aaron (WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN, THOR) that pits Wolverine against classic villains and a threat unlike any he has ever faced!
The Wolverine series will last 13 weeks, and then be followed by three other stories, which will all also last for 13 weeks each.
And finally, Project Gamma. This will be another addition to Marvel’s digital comics, where readers can add audio to their comics as they read them. The sound will be fully adaptive, with no loops. It’ll move with you, in essence, following you as you follow the story. There’ll be music played which changes depending on location and character. There’s no official date for this yet, but Marvel plan to roll this out later in the year. Rolling Stone seem to know a lot about this, actually. You can also find a video from Marvel here.
Kieron Gillen is already furiously writing an email to Kenickie’s manager as we speak, asking for clearance rights.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 3/2/2013
A quick update from Emerald City Comic Con, a convention which you can only access by jumping into your nearest hot air balloon and flying directly into a cyclone. Monkeybrain’s Allison Baker is at the convention this weekend, and on Friday announced the immediate release of a new comic from the company, available now on ComiXology – for free. Free comics, you guys! Live the dream.
Called Frost, the comic is written by Brandon Jerwa and Eric S. Trautmann, drawn by Giovanni Timpano, coloured by Andrea Celestini and lettered by Simon Bowland. Here’s the solicitation for the issue:
Meet FROST. His name is spoken in whispers from deep within the American intelligence community–a cypher, a walking secret, and the ultimate weapon against global terror. In the far-flung fields of battle against America’s enemies–a world where those who would protect us from harm must often trade in violence, deception and betrayal–there are those who strike a deadly balance between order and chaos. In this struggle, information and secrecy are as lethal as the gun, and where the ultimate practitioners of the military arts engage the enemy in the shadows…
Free comic, everybody! Available through this link.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 12/5/2012
RED LIGHT PROPERTIES, now available in its first five issues through Monkeybrain Comics on Comixology, is a genre mixer with a gritty dose of realism that, for Eisner-nominated writer and artist Dan Goldman, hits close to home. Growing up in Miami, and aware of its hectic combination of cultures, crime, and mystery, Goldman ingested plenty of fodder for comics creation. A lifelong interest in the paranormal and occult has taken him down some unusual roads in storytelling, and his unlikely but all too human hero Jude Tobin couldn’t have a stranger profession: exorcist for haunted properties in Miami during the current economic slump. His methods “green light” properties that are bedeviled by hangovers from their violent pasts with a practical result of money in the pocket for our occult explorer as well as downtrodden home owners. It’s just a day in the life of a guy who ingests psychedelic substances to boost his own natural sensitivity to the spirit world in order to sell houses.
Goldman’s approach to comics storytelling establishes belief in a number of intriguing ways. Not only does Goldman emphasize the personal relationships in Jude’s life, dealing with a live-in ex wife who still has feelings for him, a step-son who is starting to display his own occult abilities, and wrestling with his own personal demons including his dead father’s ghost, but he also explores a relationship crux in the stories of many of the haunted properties. Many of the darkest emotions that haunt “red light” real estate spring from love and loss, and owners themselves benefit from Jude’s exorcisms by making peace with traumas in their past. Add to that the artistic methods that Goldman pursues, including use of photography and digital imaging, as well as increasingly experimental page layouts, and RLP delivers a hefty sense of realism alongside its phantasmagorical subject matter.
RLP has been a long-term project for Goldman as an indie creator, and he’s particularly enthused that the comic has now found a home at Monkeybrain. It’s the kind of comic that naturally makes you want to fire questions at the creator. It’s the equivalent of seeing a circus performer pull off a remarkable high-wire act while juggling weighty and disparate materials to create a unique spectacle. You want to ask, “How on earth did you do that?”. But I tried to ask him a few intelligent questions rather than just gawking at his handiwork.
HM-S: How did you come up with the unusual concept for RED LIGHT PROPERTIES?
Dan Goldman: It comes from the collision of a few things kicking around my head for many years: waking up at night and feeling someone watching you from the empty hallway, listening to my mom rattle off war stories of Miami real estate drama for twenty-odd years, my own experiences growing older in this body while trying to figure life out. I was working RLP for nine years before I drew the first page, trying to develop my visual style because the characters were already walking around in my head and I needed the chops to do them justice.
Red Light Properties’ owner/shaman Jude Tobin serves a dark mirror for me, person I’ve looked deep into and decided I don’t want to be. He comes off as an asshole but he’s really just misunderstood with bad communication skills. He and his family are utterly real to me, and that makes RED LIGHT PROPERTIES a great platform stand on and poke all these ideas about life and death and love and consciousness and failure, all using the language of comics.
HM-S: I notice that the setting is not only Miami, but multi-ethnic. What does this bring to the comic for you?
DG: The whole world is multi-ethnic now, I’m just reflecting it. The world grows richer and more interesting in places where cultures bump up against each other. I grew up in Miami, where the series takes place, before I ever traded it for New York City (or more recently São Paulo). All three of these cities are massive destinations for immigrants. It’s how I’ve always seen the world, so it’s only natural that it’s a part of this one too.
HM-S: Has researching the occult and haunted property taken you into some strange places mentally or physically, or is the background for the work purely imaginative?
DG: I’ve been researching the occult/paranormal since I was a boy. My grandfather died right after my fifth birthday and I used to see him around the house for years. After he passed, my mother shared with me something she’d read about Peter Seller’s death experiences during a heart attack and it just sunk down into my consciousness, emerging again around the time I got a library card. I think it was the same summer GHOSTBUSTERS came out. I was a weird little nerdling then; I used to ride my bike to the library during the summer (they had cold A/C) and I stayed mostly in the back aisle of the library, poring over musty old spirit photography books.
So whether it’s perception or just my overactive imagination, I’ve been plenty of places that made me feel things and theorize about them: my brother lived in an apartment that made my skin crawl the moment I set foot there. It turned out that the landlady’s sister committed suicide and she kept her ashes in a box in top of the closet (while he lived there). There are always touches everywhere I went and sensitivities to energies that I’ve been aware of… and whenever I dug deeper, usually found a cool story in answer to my questions.
That desire for the underlying pattern that explains how life/death works is where Jude Tobin comes from.
HM-S: Jude is a pretty extreme character who appears to struggle with a reason to live, “whacked out on drugs and living with ghosts”. What is it about Jude’s character that appeals to you and how do you think he appeals to readers?
DG: Jude’s tragedy is that he needs to take hallucinogenic drugs to fully access the spirit world and accomplish exorcisms, which is rough on the body and the mind. Cecilia asks this of him on a daily basis, knowing that it keeps him straddled between the living and spirit worlds… but without his work, they’re just another real estate agency in a depressed market. It’s Jude’s talent that drives the office, and she’s determined to be successful, even though she knows it comes at a huge price for her family.
He appeals to me because as any cartoonist knows, when you sit down to draw pages, you’re separated from everyone else’s world, coming up for air to eat with your loved ones and get a little rest. To Jude, his shamanism is a kind of art, so I relate to him artist-to-artist. I think that’s clear to readers too.
HM-S: Jude seems to have a sensitivity to the supernatural without the use of drugs, but he uses them to boost his consciousness, often further than he expects. Do you find it difficult to depict these kinds of altered states in comics form?
DG: Yes, as a baseline, Jude was born with a sensitivity to spirits. He knows when they’re around and can sometimes see them, but he needs a heavy entheogenic agent from his toolkit to amplify his abilities enough to project himself into the spirit realm and interact with them directly. There’s a whole logic to the way ghosts function in relation to the life/death membrane that I get into the book and how Jude’s drug-mixes relate to that.
Is it difficult to depict? Yeah. But it’s also the most fun part of drawing RLP. I love weird brain-melty comic page designs and surreal storytelling dropped in the middle of mostly-realistic stuff, so Jude’s work-trips are a perfect excuse for me to let any story off the leash and maul the reader’s eyeballs for a while.
HM-S: What about this comic makes you want to write and draw it?
DG: The initial germ started off as metaphysical questions but now all these characters are ALIVE IN MY HEAD AND THEY HAVE TO GET OUT. Getting the first chunk of the story done was literally a release of a decade’s worth of pressure in my skull — trepanning by comics — but the more I tickle them to understand their life stories, the more the whole story starts growing. I think I’m gonna be at this a while…
HM-S: What’s it like both drawing and writing the comic? Are there pros and cons to being your own creative team?
DG: The drawing for me is a lot hard harder than the writing, which just kinda flows out of me when I sit down. The art — especially getting it just the way I want it — is a brutal process, like squeezing juice out of oranges until there’s just nothing left. I’m always destroyed at the end of a story. It also takes longer; I think I’d be much more prolific if I worked with artists and just worried about the script… but I don’t know anyone who can do RLP the way I do it.
HM-S: I notice the use of photographs blended with artwork. Is that a form you think is particularly suited to comics?
DG: It’s just a style that I’m playing in; RED LIGHT PROPERTIES actually combines photography and rendered 3D models and digital artwork together into its comic pages. I’m comfortable using whatever tools are at my fingertips to give the stories the most impact I can.
Comics are a fluid and evolving medium anyhow, stories made using words and pictures. I have zero patience with anyone who insists otherwise; I just smile and nod as they tell me about which Windsor & Newton brush they like best.
HM-S: While there’s the overarching theme of the occult and supernatural, relationships seem to be a major focus of the series, from Jude and his ex-wife Cecilia, to the stories behind the properties. What role do you think relationships play in the comic?
DG: The relationships are everything in RLP because that’s what makes characters worth caring about. I purposefully make their little tensions and joys as dramatic than the supernatural events, things that would be horrifying to us but they’re totally desensitized to after years in the business. That’s interesting to me as a creator and reader: I want to know what this kind of work, and what trying find meaning in the living world while surrounded by spirits of the dead feels like.
Where the casework, the haunted properties, come in is to ground every ghost stories in something human. Having a poltergeist throwing dishes around is neat visually but it’s got no emotional meat to it. When you find out the tragic reasons and complicated metaphysical structures behind those flying dishes and how to “treat” the house, suddenly the scenario demands more of your attention than just a Hollywood BOO!-type scare.
HM-S: A lot of the more seemingly fantastic elements of the comic, from occult rituals to bizarre murder cases, are actually pretty firmly grounded in reality, aren’t they? What do you think is the value of talking about subjects like pedophilia, murder, and the afterlife?
DG: Placing RLP in the “real world” demands that, doesn’t it? Miami is a violent and vapid city where crazy things happen every day, and these good and bad things are all part of human experience. When you’re delving into the reasons why spirits linger in a structure, that’s historically been the explanation for hauntings (though I’ve got a doozey coming up that gets into the inverse of that).
What draws me to telling ghost stories (versus, say, zombies) is that they’re not just the shells that remain of who we were but echoes of the dreams and experiences that aren’t ready to let go, for whatever reason. And the spectrum of reasons behind that is rich material to tell all kinds of stories with.
HM-S: I notice that “A Series of Tubes”, issue #5, really branches out in terms of panel design. In creating and designing the artwork for the comic, have you had any surprises or discoveries?
DG: I’m so happy you brought that up. I’m very proud of A SERIES OF TUBES… I’m not sure what started happening there, maybe I just really let myself go with those layouts and got all free-jazz with them. The end result is a direction I’m continuing to push in with the new stories I’ve been working on.
The biggest discovery that came from that was how little of it was conscious. I’m a heavy full-scripter and a very loose sketcher, and when I finished the story and read it, I was transported, like I was reading someone else’s work. That’s a good sign to me.
[Photo by Seth Kushner]
HM-S: So what’s the history of RED LIGHT PROPERTIES in terms of production? How did it end up at Monkeybrain?
DG: In the three years I’ve been creating this series digitally, I’ve stayed free enough approach the series from different directions without being locked down to a single format or system. RLP started off as a free publisher-sponsored webcomic serial, it became DRM-free digital issue downloads on its own site, and now it lives at Monkeybrain Comics as an exclusive part of Comixology.
It was always the intention to tell these characters’ stories in an ongoing series like this, though at launch I saw it as a series of graphic novels because the digital marketplace hadn’t really happened yet. This whole time, I’ve been watching my creator friends having a blast in a floppy-to-trade world, and I’ve developed a really intense case of “ongoing series envy.” Until now, all my books have been for the book trade; the only time a comics publisher has ever published my work was a 4-pager I had in Image’s POPGUN anthology. But comics are born from serializing, designed for series. In the book trade, it’s something they’ve learned from us and had great success with. So when it came time to make a new change, doing an ongoing series of digital issues seemed like the cleverest route. No shipping delays, shortages, returns, or waiting on the publisher.
And in the digital-first series world, becoming part of Monkeybrain Comics was an obvious choice. They speak fluent internet. They’re the tiny mammals eating dinosaur eggs, poised to inherit the landscape. That’s something was already a part of, but we are stronger together. Being able to publish easily and quickly to Comixology in multiple languages on all major platforms (except videogame consoles, right boys?) means I’m maintaining almost as much control as I had rolling solo, but now I’ve got distribution and discovery on my side as well. It’s a huge flaming sword to cut through the noise with.
[Photo by Seth Kushner]
HM-S: What’s coming up for RED LIGHT PROPERTIES? What are you most excited about?
DG: Word of mouth around Miami is going to bring the Tobins a lot more success and attention than they’re prepared to handle, which is going to cause all kinds of problems for them, professional and personal. There’s a long road ahead for Jude and Cecilia, and I’ve got many stories in the can, just waiting to get out.
Presently, I’m finishing up the remastering work on the existing part of the series, making the early pages and script the best I can before releasing them as digital issues through Monkeybrain. There are print collections coming too but it’s not the time to announce anything just yet.
I’m probably most excited about finally seeing these characters in print; for three years, I’ve been watching them jump screens with nothing new for comic shops or book stores or my table at conventions. That’s all going to change soon, and it’s gonna be glorious.
HM-S: Thanks for the in-depth insights, Dan! You do realize that you’re going to make all your readers think twice before buying a new house, don’t you? Well, we know who to call, at least.
Hannah Means-Shannon writes and blogs about comics for TRIP CITY and Sequart.org and is currently working on books about Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore for Sequart. She is @hannahmenzies on Twitter and hannahmenziesblog on WordPress.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 7/31/2012
BY JEN VAUGHN – If you are one of the last souls who has yet to buy WANDER or DRACULA THE UNCONQUERED #2, allow me to convince you. Put away that latte money for I have something better for you to enjoy.
In WANDER, Writer Kevin Church, along with artist Grace Allison, follows about Olive Hopkins, your typical grad-school-esque malcontent who can tell her Master’s degree is only going to permanently cement her job behind the barista counter. Be it magic or some heavy, regrettable drinking, Olive wakes up in a land beyond, full of swords, sorcery and adroit companions such as an elf and Dwarf. Olive, it seems, can shift through dimensions but unholy havoc could this bring to both worlds? Church is oh-so clever and delivers at least two, wait THREE, hints disguised in the full Wander package.
The team of creators spin such a yarn that the $2 price is almost maddening. The clean, sharp linework and cool coloring of Grace Allison often nicely contrast the nasty and funny ideas of Church’s story, instead of playing along. Below, even though jonesing for a slice of ‘za, Olive attempts to be open to new experiences.
I’m a sucker for anyone who follows the add a dog for more cuteness rule.
Luwhil the Dwarf is probably the favorite character so far, being ugly, sweaty AND a drunkard who calls people on their bullshit, compared to the acerbic and reluctant Olive or beautiful Monet of an elf (looks great far, obsessive close up), Shalwyn. Future issues will hopefully play up all their flaws.
WANDER is part of the amazing Monkeybrain Comics line-up bringing the world unique and fun digital comics, which leads up to Chris Sims (of Comics Alliance) and his independently published digital comic, Dracula the Unconquered #2. Sims is even hosting a contest to win a ohh-laa-la print edition of Drac #1 (WANT!) if you buy a digital copy of #2 by FRIDAY.
The second issue of Dracula the Unconquered by Sims, drawn by Steve Downer and lettered by YES, the same Josh Krach. When we last met Dracula, he had just woken up all sorts of grump
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 6/14/2012
Bryan Q. Miller’s transfer of the Smallville TV show to comics has been praised by most, with particular acclaim coming from his decision to not have Superman wear jeans, to not have him be annoying and cynical, and to not have him be boring. Radical thinking! And the digital-first series has now pulled off a coup you would never have seen from the TV series: the introduction of a certain dark knight into the story, who broods and dispenses vigilante justice over rolling intervals.
Yep, Batman’s going to appear in the book, starting with September’s issue #5! Here’s what he looks like, as drawn by artist CrissCross:
Oh and by the way the girl in the Nightwing outfit is Stephanie Brown dunno if that might interest you or not… I hear she has a fanbase or something.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 6/8/2012
You may have seen the ad here on the Beat, but just to explain what’s going on, Viper Comics has made WORLD WAR HACK, free to read via iTunes for 24 hours only.
Written by Ethan Bull with art by Tsubasa Yozora, it’s inspired by a true story and follows an 18-year-old computer hacker who’s involved with a secret government plot to use hackers to solve a pressing national security crisis. The book has gotten some good reviews and can be downloaded for free here…but only until midnight tonight.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 5/25/2012
In recent weeks, we’ve been seeing the exclusivity monster poke it’s head up on the digital platform. Marvel’s exclusive with Comixology. Valiant is exclusive with Comixology. DC might as well be exclusive with Comixology. But, for the most part, there appears to be a catch: the digital exclusives seem to be just for the monthly editions. Single issues if you prefer.
In the last year, we’ve seen the big players in eBooks blink. Amazon caused all manner of chaos when they signed an exclusive deal for some digital graphic novels with DC. That deal caused Barnes & Noble to pull print copies of DC graphic novels off their shelves. It may or may not have something to do with people being unable to directly download DC titles to the Comixology app on their Kindle Fire (I have yet to hear a straight answer on that one).
Barnes & Noble got a deal to highlight some digital graphic novels from Marvel. It should be noted that the press surrounding Comixology’s Marvel exclusive was specifically referring to the exclusive as for the monthly titles. Digital graphic novels/tpbs were not mentioned.
Then over at Robot 6, we get a little more confirmation of these things, as iVerse CEO Michael Murphy talks about his relationship with Marvel:
Marvel and iVerse have a good relationship. We haven’t ever sold day-and-date product for Marvel. We have always sold either single issues or graphic novels, and since we switched to graphic novels a month ago, our Marvel sales are better than they have ever been. We have started focusing on graphic novels — not just with Marvel; we have graphic novels with a lot of people. The graphic novels have done very well. The higher price point actually works really well for customers who aren’t direct market customers because they are used to e-book prices. The price of a graphic novel is comparable to an e-book price, so that is not bothersome to them. That is very exciting, and it is directing some of the ways we are modifying ourselves as we go along to accommodate that kind of customer.
and
We have Marvel graphic novels in our app right now. Our top selling graphic novel last week was our Avengers Disassembled.
Right now, there are three trends going on in digital comics:
There isn’t a lot of data available to the public about digital graphic novel sales. We know that Amazon and Barnes & Noble have expressed enough confidence to go out and get some. I’ve heard, anecdotally, that Walking Dead sells well as a digital graphic novel. It certainly seems like the general public prefers the graphic novel to the single issue in the print
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 4/24/2012
BY JEN VAUGHN – Read it and weep! Go have yourself a good cry (probably at a Disney movie). In the tradition of occasionally free newsprint tabloid comics like the one-shot Caboose and quarterly Smoke Signal, a collaborative comic will be available this weekend at MoCCA! Official press release below:
The word “comic” has always been a bit of misnomer and The Cartoon Crier hopes to set the record straight. Sorrow and woe is the focus of this free 36-page newspaper tabloid that highlights the work of members of The National Cartoonists Society and of The Center for Cartoon Studies’ community.
The Cartoon Crier will premiere on Saturday, April 28 at The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art Festival (MoCCA) in New York City.
The Cartoon Crier features the saddest strips from iconic comics like Family Circus, Beetle Bailey, Dennis the Menace, B.C., and For Better and For Worse. The Cartoon Crier also includes comics by Ivan Brunetti, Mell Lazarus, Melissa Mendes, Joe Lambert, Tom Gammill, Hilary Price, Laura Park, Richard Thompson, and Mo Willems as well as new work from the paper’s editors Cole Closser, R. Sikoryak, and James Sturm.
The Cartoon Crier will be available as a free download on May 1 from cartoonstudies.org.
—
Jen Vaughn is ready to weep tears in four colors: CMYK.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 3/16/2012
Mark Waid has been teasing his upcoming webcomics project(s) for a little while now. The same stuff that got him involved with this digital Nova comic Marvel’s putting out in relation to Avengers Vs. X-Men. As of today, you can download a free sample of his upcoming format.
A bit of advice? Save that PDF, don’t open it in the browser. Once it’s downloaded, open it in Acrobat (i.e. the PDF viewer) and hit the spacebar to advance panels and balloons. Waid describes this as a proof of concept piece. I find it similar to what Alex deCampi has been doing with the Valentine webcomic (also free).
“Luther,” Waid’s digital comic (not to be confused with the Idris Elba BBC detective show) is character piece about a developmentally disabled man in a post-apocalyptic, zombie-plagued southern state. Waid promises details of his formal projects on April 2nd. Which is to say he’s probably afraid we won’t take him seriously if he announces them on April 1st.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 3/7/2012
When DC launched their comics app, these many months ago, a lot of people wondered why there wasn’t a Vertigo app to go along with it. Well, wonder no more. Today Vertigo announced you can download a standalone Vertigo app from the App Store/iTunes. You can also get some 99-cent Sandman issues while you’re there.
Conventional wisdom says that these standalone apps are major sales drivers for digital, so this should be a good thing for all parties involved. Not coincidentally, Vertigo is launching some new titles this month.
I’m not seeing a Vertigo Comics app in the Android Market, so Android users will need to keep using the Comixology app. Presumably, the Android edition won’t be too far behind.
Official PR:
DC Entertainment Releases New VERTIGO App
And Announces SANDMAN Digital Comics Sale for $.99
Starting today, VERTIGO fans can download a new dedicated app featuring all Vertigo digital titles. The new app, available on the App Store, is free to download and features popular VERTIGO series THE SANDMAN, FABLES, Y: THE LAST MAN, PREACHER, 100 BULLETS, HELLBLAZER, AMERICAN VAMPIRE, THE UNWRITTEN, DMZ, THE INVISIBLES, TRANSMETROPOLITAN, and SWEET TOOTH, among others.
As an added bonus, readers who download the new VERTIGO app will have exclusive access to a three-day in-app sale that offers all SANDMAN digital comics for $.99 per issue. Written by #1 New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman, THE SANDMAN is one of the most acclaimed titles in the history of comics. Norman Mailer described the series as “a comic strip for intellectuals.” With a rich blend of modern myth and dark fantasy in which contemporary fiction, historical drama and legend are seamlessly interwoven, the series is considered to be one of the most original and artistically ambitious comic books of the modern age.
The launch of the app is timed to the release of four new VERTIGO series debuting each week this month, beginning with today’s publication of FAIREST by New York Times best-selling and award-winning writer Bill Willingham. A spin-off of FABLES, the series stars some of the fairest in the land and balances horror, humor and adventure. Each FAIREST storyline will explore the secret histories of one character, from Sleeping Beauty to Rapunzel to Cinderella to Thumbelina to Snow White and more. The first six issue arc drawn by Phil Jimenez (WONDER WOMAN, THE INVISIBLES) follows the misadventures of Briar Rose along with Ali Baba and the Snow Queen.
Also available same day digitally this month are the following new Vertigo series:
- SAUCER COUNTRY (VERTIGO / ongoing series / 32pg. / Color / $2.99), a dark thriller that blends UFO lore and alien abduction with political intrigue, all set in the hauntingly beautiful Southwest written by Paul Cornell (DEMON KNIGHTS, Doctor Who) with art by Ryan Kelly (NEW YORK FIVE).
- DOMINIQUE LAVEAU: VOODOO CHILD (VERTIGO / ongoing series / 32pg. / Color / $2.99), a high octane story set in New Orleans that blends the mortal and supe
3 Comments on Vertigo Gets a Standalone Comics App, last added: 3/7/2012Display Comments Add a Comment
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 2/17/2012
I just got off the phone with Michael Murphey from iVerse Media, and the real details about Diamond’s digital comics distribution program are a little different from how this was initially portrayed by early accounts from the ComicsPro meeting. (It probably should be disclosed that ICV2’s Milton Griepp is on comiXology’s Board of Advisors and Directors.)
Moreover, and this will be the first time I’ve said this about a Diamond Digital project, it seems like a very reasonable plan.
This program is a little on the complex side, so let’s break it into to “purchasing” and “reading.”
Purchasing: All purchases for the Diamond Digital program will be made off the retailer’s website. Yes, there is an app (we’ll get to that in a bit), but the app is _only_ for reading. The idea is to create a directory off the comics retailer’s existing website (for example: GenericComicShop.com/digital). The entry level product will be a plug and play template that the retailer can drop into that directory and sell digital comics. There will be an API available if the retailer wants to integrate the digital offering into their e-commerce package. That is to say, have a web customer buy a t-shirt, a graphic novel and a digital comic in the same shopping cart.
The retailer will get 33% of a digital comic sale, which will be invoiced through Diamond. At launch, the retailer will be able to set the prices for digital comics purchased at the store (that whole business about going into the store to purchase a code to go home and THEN download a digital comic), but the prices will be set to list price online. Murphey tells me they’re working on a software update to allow the retailer some leeway to set their own prices on the web store. Figure with a 33% discount, you’re unlikely to see many retailers discounting digital much more than 10-20% when this happens and you might not see that much discounting at all.
Reading: This is where the app comes in. iVerse has stripped the store out of the Comics+ app and turned it into the “Digital Comics Reader,” which will not be branded as a Diamond product, past a Diamond Digital logo in the start up screen. So it’s a read-only app. The Reader will initially be available in iOS and Android formats. You purchase the comics at the retailer’s website (or, theoretically, in the store and get a code for download), then download them to your device. Now, this means you get to keep the files, which is a sticking point for a lot of people. Murphey tells me the comic files can be backed up in iTunes and purchase records will be kept, so they can be re-downloaded from the Cloud.
The comics can also be read in a web browser, right on the retailer’s website.
At this point, you’re probably wondering which publishers will be available through this system. Murphey gave me an initial list of “APE Entertainment, Arcana, Archie, Asylum, Blue Water, Broadsword, IDW, Image (including Top Cow), Moonstone, Red 5, Top Shelf and Viper. Murphey further said they expected more announcements in the future and expected a “robust” line-up for launch.
So
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 2/14/2012
Digital comic downloads are a bit of a strange market. (Note: I’m talking about paid/legal downloads.) The big thrust, thus far, has been the battle of proprietary formats. Comixology has their own format. iVerse has a format. Graphic.ly has a format. Apple has a format. Amazon has a format. If you’re from New Jersey, you’ll probably want to tell me my mother has a format. Well, as of the ComicsPro meeting, the focus has changed a little, because now Diamond officially has a comics app.
Let’s step back from the old issues of file rental vs. file ownership and proprietary format. When iVerse rebrands a browser as the Diamond browser, we’re taking a cognitive move back towards the distribution issue. Who is going to be distributing comics to consumers? It breaks down into two types of storefronts: publishers and stores.
At this point, most of the major publishers have an app or storefront of their own. For DC and Marvel, Comixology is their vendor, but the consumer may not be immediately aware of the connection. Particularly if the consumer is more of a casual reader, than an active hobbyist. (If you want to argue there aren’t any casual readers left, let’s save that for another thread.) Dark Horse and Slave Labor run their own store front. In all these cases, and a few I didn’t mention, the consumer goes to the publisher’s app and effectively buys from the publisher.
The second category is the store. Comixology’s website and main app is a store. Ditto Graphic.ly and Panelfly. In these cases, the stores are run under their own tech and formats. For Diamond, they’re also doing a store and iVerse becomes their vendor. Now, if you’re a physical store running an affiliate program from Comixology, your website will fall into this category. Presumably, Diamond will be rolling out a more robust affiliate program. At least that’s what I’m reading into the following comment:
As iVerse’s CEO Michael Murphey put it: “By adding the Digital Reader App into the Diamond Digital program, we’re completely removing our own digital store. This is a much cleaner solution for retailers and will give them the same kind of tools companies like Amazon and Barnes & Noble are using to sell digital on these devices.”
This is opening up a whole new can of worms. In recent years, we started out with textbook channel conflict (retailers enraged that publishers sell directly to the customers, be it subscriptions or digital — even if the digital is really through a third party), now we’re seeing the last major print distributor standing emerge as a competitor to the retailers in a digital setting.
Am I over-reacting? Look at it this way: if the iVerse app (Comics+) is rebranded as the Diamond Digital Comics Reader, then Diamond is now selling directly to the consumer. If the consumer downloads that off the iStore or Android Market, will they have to set a default retailer for an affiliate program/payment? Yes, you can make an argument that the average c
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 1/28/2012
Do you REALLY want to work in comics? Have a got a deal for you. There’s a job posted over at eLance (a portal where you bid on jobs, lowest bidder frequently winning) that gets you into digital comics production:
Hi, we’re a comic book publisher (www.smartercomics.com) and need help with formatting our comics for iPhone Apps.
Each comic with 60 pages needs to be cut into panels for reading the comic on the iPhone.
Attached are the exact guidelines.
Thanks,
Franco
Bids are currently running between $115-$99 for the gig.
All you’re really doing is going into Photoshop and cutting out panels that fit into the dimensions of an iPhone screen. It isn’t particularly a particularly difficult thing to do. Many moons ago, I did something similar for Marvel’s Daredevil movie adaption dotComic. There’s a little art clean-up involved with this (deleting bits of extra panels if the borders aren’t squared off), so I’m guessing you’re probably looking at 5-6 hours per 60 pages if you’re moderately familiar with photoshop, depending on exactly how much clean-up is needed.
It’s not exciting work. It’s not going to be a cash cow, especially if you’re slow. But it’s a comics job.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 12/12/2011
Over at CBR, Kiel Phigley had a chat with John Rood, DC’s Executive VP-Sales, Marketing and Business Development, about DC’s digital sales and it’s worth taking a closer look at.
The biggest question, which is still utterly unanswered, is how many copies these digital comics are selling. The second biggest question is where these sales are coming from and Rood does get into that, just a little:
Yeah, anecdotally there’s every type of digital reader under the sun. There are folks who bought plenty of physical product that week but also wanted it digitally because of their media consumption habits. Then there are folks who don’t know where their local comic shop is. So our consumers run the gamut. What I expected to find in our primary research through Neilsen NRG was some staggering difference in terms of demography or age or history in the comics category or the genre, but I haven’t seen anything like that that’s jumped out. We’ll be sharing more specifics with the retailers at the ComicsPRO convention on February 9, but there won’t be anything shocking. It’ll be, “Hey look, there’s a measure of physical traffic to the stores that is current plus new plus lapsed readers, and then there’s a measure of self-reported readership from our digital resources that is a balance of current, new and lapsed.”
I still am delighted that this is a genre — and I trust other publishers are equally delighted — where we’re not talking about cannibalizing [the core business]. We’re not talking about one platform being a replacement for the other. Who else in print can say that? Not “Businessweek” or “The Washington Post.” No one else can say that the addition of a new medium or platform or consumption behavior has been additive to your business
To a lot of people, that’s going to be a “duh,” followed by a “that’s because the Direct Market has a smaller footprint than the newsstand.” But, there seem to be a fair amount of Direct Market people that need to hear that.
The next biggest question is what’s selling? Rood does a little bit of a soft shoe routine on this:
But consistency is the right word — especially consistency in the digital end. There has been no shake up of numbers when you look at the percentage of physical sales by title. So if something is selling 6% of its physical sales digitally for issues #1 and 2, then it’s about 6% in issues #3 and 4. And if another title has been selling at 16% of print sales in the early titles, the latter titles have stayed at the same level. So there’s been no fluctuation. And the fact is that the makeup is largely the same and the performances you’ve seen in the data provided is largely the same in digital as it is in physical, yet we know from both anecdotal and primary research that this is a different audience. It suggests that the people might be different [for digital and print] but their tastes and their demos are largely the same.
Please note, he’s not saying that number of digital copies sold is proportional to print across the board.�
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 11/30/2011
The move to digital trade collections is an interesting thing you don’t hear much about. Outside of the Direct Market, people like to buy the entire story, not just a chapter in a serial. Looking at the Dark Horse digital store, sure enough, we’ve got:
It’s fair guess to think that simultaneous trades are going to look a lot like bundles, like this one of the Baltimore: The Plague Ships mini-series.
DC is already on simultaneous releases. Marvel is transitioning. A fair number of Image books are there. Mark Millar… not so much.
As Millar illustrates, there’s still a little bit of disagreement on when digital editions should come out. Is the world going to end if the digital edition follows the print edition by 2-4 weeks? Well, that really depends on who you talk to. It is becoming clear that every publisher needs to have an established schedule of when the digital editions come out and we’re seeing enough of the big boys moving to simultaneous release that simultaneous is turning into the standard practice.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 11/22/2011
We all know DC signed a deal to give Amazon digital exclusivity to 100 graphic novels (and it kind of blew up in their face). You were probably thinking that you could read one of those DC digital graphic novels, like Watchmen, on any device that runs a Kindle app. (Bleeding Cool has a tweet of Warner Bros. saying just that.)
It turns out, this is not the case. As DC’s Hank Kanalz says, “You can’t do that today but that’s the intention going forward. Like other other Amazon digital editions, readers will be able to read their graphic novels on any device.”
What does this really mean? It’s all about a software update. Amazon has a proprietary format for their eBooks called MOBI (as opposed to ePUB, which is the open source, i.e. non-licensed, format). Amazon added some new controls to MOBI to allow for comics navigation. It sounds like the Kindle apps haven’t been updated to read files with those new controls in them. Whether this is a deliberate attempt to force people with an interest in comics into a Kindle Fire and off an iPad or is just a blown deadline on the software side is a matter for speculation. I’d put this one on Amazon, not DC.
I do find it interesting to go to the page for the Kindle edition of Watchmen and see the disclaimer language:
“Available only on Kindle Fire
Optimized for larger screens
Text-to-Speech: Not enabled”
Amazon seems aware enough this isn’t portable to put a disclaimer on it. More interesting is saying that Watchmen is “optimized for larger screens.” What does that mean?
According to Amazon, “This title has complex layouts and has been optimized for reading on devices with larger screens.” Of course, Amazon doesn’t tell you what their definition of a larger screen is. Does the Kindle Fire count as a larger screen? It’s larger than, say, an iPad touch. Oh, wait. This only works on the Kindle Fire.
Which also goes into reviews like this:
TUAW:”Oh, and about that Watchchmen book, which is available exclusively on the Kindle Fire? It’s unreadable. There’s far too much whitespace around the actual page (a side effect of its shape?) which makes the page itself too small to comfortably read, at least for my 38 year-old eyes. I had expected there would be some sort of special feature or reason why it was only available on the Kindle Fire, but if there is, I can’t figure out what. As far as I can tell, there’s absolutely no reason why Watchmen isn’t available for Kindle on the iPad, where it might actually be readable.”
Granted, 9 panels grids aren’t intended for small screens.
The software up
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 11/21/2011
Did you ever notice it’s more expensive to buy new digital comics, than it is to buy new print ones? The big trend from DC and Marvel is to put the same cover price on both the digital and print editions when they come out. DC will knock it down $1 when the next issue comes out. Marvel… not so much.
I don’t know where you live, but most of the places I’ve lived, the local comic shop has given a discount. Discounts come in different formats. Sometimes it’s contingent on having pull-list or in-store subscription account. Sometimes (particularly in New York City), it’s a rebate: every time you accumulate $100 worth of purchases, you get $20 credit. Sometimes the shop gives a discount with no strings attached.
Not every store has them, but a lot (if not most) will end up giving you 10%-20% off.
What does this mean? If your local comic shop gives a discount, you’re actually spending MORE money on your new comics if you’re buying them digitally. *
Just food for thought.
*Yes, some indies do knock the price down right off the bat, but the Big Two aren’t doing that.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 8/26/2011
In advance of DC’s move to simultaneous digital and print release, comiXology has released version 3.0 of its software, which is says is a major improvement in many areas.
New features and benefits of 3.0 include:
Completely redesigned application
Near instant launching
Separate “Purchases” area that displays all owned comics
New series groupings in store and “My Comics”
Discover comics at much faster speeds
Pause and prioritize downloads
Background downloading
Improved “Instant Search”
Buy or continue reading the next issue at the end of a comi
This is a fairly big deal for the popular app — when we get back in AT&T service range we might even give it a try.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 8/24/2011
ComiXology’s digital storefront for physical comics shops went live yesterday, but not without some bumps. The release has been accelerated in order to get ready in time for DC’s digital day-and-date rollout next week, and some retailers have voiced concerns about the contract, including the fact that retailers cannot use customer data, while comiXology can, use of store logos and so on. The terms have already been amended a bit from the version posted at Bleeding Cool, which was leaked on a private retailer forum, so we won’t run it here. Although the basic agreement is that the stores are affiliates of comiXology, selling digital comics via their own sites, this is not entirely a comfortable idea for many retailers.
Despite all the worries, about 100 stores have signed on for the launch, according to the PR, below.
comiXology in partnership with ICv2, today launched over 100 online storefronts to sell digital comics as a result of its Digital Storefront program for retailers. Participating comic retailers have gone live with their deployment of a comiXology-powered store and reader, enabling them to prosper from the sale of digital comics from top comic publishers, including DC Comics, Image, BOOM! Studios, Dynamite and many more. Also, in conjunction with DC and their Relaunch, all participating retailers will be able to sell all the same day as print comics.

Announced in January, the Digital Storefront program enables retailers the ability to sell digital comics with a simple integration into their existing site while tapping into comiXology’s vibrant digital marketplace. Any comic book fan will now be able to purchase digital comics online from their local comic store’s digital storefront with a portion of each purchase going directly to the retailer. All digital purchases will be compatible with the Comics by comiXology platform, providing fans the ability to enjoy their comics on their mobile devices (iOS and Android) and on the Web at their retailer’s websites by way of cross-platform synchronization.“These retailers have put their trust in us from day one and we’re excited to make good on our commitment to bring them into the vibrant digital marketplace leveraging comiXology’s technology as a backbone for their success,” said David Steinberger, CEO of comiXology. “We have been working hard with our retail and publishing partners to make this program a reality for the benefit of the comic industry and take pride in starting to see it come to fruition. We look forward to continuing on this important initiative and celebrating its success with all our partners.”
comiXology’s participating publishers DC Comics, Image, BOOM! Studios, Dynamite benefit from comiXology’s Digital Storefront Affiliate program through wider distribution on the Web and by strengthening the relationships between publishers, comic stores, and fans that have so successfully made comics a major force in world culture.
“Our deployment with comiXology as part of its Digital Storefront program for retailers marks the beginning of our introduction into the digital comic book world, which we believe will open up new revenue streams while strengthening our relationship with publishers and consumers,” said Chris Niles of Legacy Comics. “From the adoption of its Retailer Tools and Pull List services, we�4 Comments on FutureComics: ComiXology launches retailer digital storefronts, last added: 8/24/2011Display Comments Add a Comment
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 8/17/2011
The state of digital comics was recently addressed in a couple of Newsarama roundups by Vaneta Rogers. In this one, she asks is comiXology the iTunes of comics, a position which the recent addition of Marvel’s downloadable comics to the comiXology website greatly boosted
“DC and Marvel have a 900-pound gorilla ability to decide who is going to be the iTunes of delivering digital comics,” said Andy Ihnatko, tech writer for the Chicago Sun-Time and other publications. “And given that DC has put so much torque behind ComiXology, that certainly elevates ComiXology as that one resource.”
Apparently, the “leading position” of ComiXology finally got Marvel Comics to expand its commitment with the distributor. Marvel, which holds the largest market share in the comic book industry, began selling digital comics this week on ComiXology’s website for the first time. The move adds to a relationship that already had Marvel’s comics on ComiXology’s Apple iOS app. Marvel’s stand-alone app on iOS is also powered by ComiXology.
The addition of Marvel to ComiXology’s web store is a significant move for the publisher, because Marvel’s previous web presence was mostly back issues that were available through its own subscription service, Digital Comics Unlimited, or through digital sites like Graphic.ly.
Joe Field, president of the retailing organization ComicsPRO and owner of Flying Color Comics in Concord, Calif., agrees with Lee’s claim. But even he admits the long-term future of comic shops is questionable.
“I still think there’s a long life left for comics because I think it’s a different beast than other print media that have had such a difficult time because of the migration to digital,” Field said.
“I do think that, down the road, there is that generation that’s growing up with all things digital and sure, there’s likely to be more migration. I don’t doubt that,” he said. “But I also think that we’re still … where we are with digital comics right now is where print comics were when Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson was hawking his reprints and hoping to turn them into something.”
{snip} “There are people who grew up with paper comics, and that’s how they define comics,” Ihnatko said. “Not only the physical paper, but also the practice of finding a comic book shop you like and going there on a regular basis. Most people that I know that are regular comic book readers have a real allegiance to their local shops, not only because they are good stories, but also because that’s sort of their clubhouse. They really like that 20-second to two-minute conversation they have with the shop keeper or someone else they happen to bump into there from time to time.”
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 8/15/2011
Only a year ago, Tom Bouden’s gay-themed adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest was fighting rejection on Apple’s mobile platforms, leading to cries of a double standard where sex and violence were concerned. But now LGBT publisher Northwest Press is claiming victory by having Teleny and Camille, Glamazonia: The Uncanny Super-Tranny, and Rainy Day Recess: The Complete Steven’s Comics all approved by Apple. All are now available via the iBooks app.
Obviously over the last 12 months, the outcry over too-narrow standards has helped Apple loosen up a little for what’s approved on the iPhone and the iPad — even if S. Clay Wilson is still a little too far out.
BTW, no matter what your orientation, David Kelly’s Steven is a charming slice of life, coming of age comic that deserves a wider audience.
Last year, there were numerous reports of comics with gay subject matter—most without even any nudity—being rejected by Apple for inclusion in its App Store, and many had concerns that selling comics for the iPad would not be an option for independent lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender comics creators. That appears to be a thing of the past; last month, Apple approved all three full-length graphic novels from Northwest Press, an LGBT comics publisher, for sale on its iBooks store. One of them is even a steamy adaptation of a classic erotic gay novel.
“Anyone trying to start a publishing business in this day and age needs to factor digital distribution into their business plan,” says Northwest Press publisher Charles “Zan” Christensen. “When it looked like we wouldn’t have one of the biggest marketplaces for digital comics open to us, it was a major concern. We explored a lot of alternatives but found nothing else that matched the experience readers have viewing books on the iPad. We’re relieved that we’re able to finally bring our books to iBooks.”The iBooks versions of Northwest Press books feature easy browsing of chapters and pages, elegant page turn animations, and zooming to view detail. Each books is optimized for display on the iPad screen, but can also be viewed in pan and zoom on the iPhone.
The approval process for Teleny and Camille, Glamazonia: The Uncanny Super-Tranny, and Rainy Day Recess: The Complete Steven’s Comics started in early July, and was still underway as Northwest Press exhibited with LGBT comics nonprofit Prism Comics at Comic-Con in San Diego. By the end of the show, all three books were available for purchase through iBooks in the US, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Australia.
Many decisions to reject gay content by Apple have been reversed over the course of the past year. For example, Tom Bouden’s adaptation of The Importance of Being Earnest—rejected multiple times and only ultimately approved after censoring images most readers would find tame—is now for sale in its uncensored form. Christensen credits the chang8 Comments on One year later, Apple welcomes LGBT graphic novels, last added: 8/17/2011Display Comments Add a Comment
Well, good. I’m about to buy a tablet and comics are a consideration (and a major reason I’m going 10″ instead of 7″ this time); I’ve read a good deal of Thrillbent and some other third-party publishers here and there, but have never spent any money on Comixology (because I’m not going to pay money for comics I don’t get to own).
It’s actually a bit of a surprising move coming from Amazon, as Amazon’s definitely got a vested interest in locking publishers into its platform (as Hachette has recently discovered). Then again, maybe the indies forced Amazon’s hand; Image has been doing pretty well for itself with DRM-free sales.
(And I don’t think that it’s a coincidence that Image started selling DRM-free comics just a few months after the Comixology/Saga #12 debacle.)