Original creators of comic books are believed to be insufficiently compensated for their work. DSTLRY can help address these pain points of creators in the comic world.
DSTLRY.co has been unveiled as a creator-owned comics and collectibles publisher by former Comixology heads – Chip Mosher, former Comixology head of content, and David Steinberger, co-founder and former CEO of Comixology.
The Issue
Comic book characters are intellectual properties, particularly when they make their way from printed pages to the silver screen. But these characters primarily benefit companies that own them. For instance, Superman’s creators sold their rights to the Man of Steel for $130 in 1938, not knowing the massive popularity the character would garner.
Similarly, publishers like DC and Marvel Comics make millions in primary benefits from the success of flagship characters like Black Panther, Captain America, and Spider-Man, to name a few. But original creators feel they aren’t adequately compensated for their work.
DSTLRY as a Solution
DSTLRY will provide physical and digital items for sale online and in brick-and-mortar stores. The platform will allow owners to sell their items, and original creators will earn a percentage of the sale price. The percentage hasn’t been disclosed at the moment, but any percentage is better than nothing.
“The main drive here is to create a more sustainable and equitable future for creators. That’s our macro goal — benefiting the creators and, in turn, benefiting readers and retailers,” said Mosher.
Founders of DSTLRY say that with this platform, they want to honor creators’ contributions to the creative industry.
The Initial Buzz
Some of the initial comic book creators include writers Brian Azzarello, James Tynion IV, Scott Snyder, and Ram V. Some initial artists include Lee Garbett, Elsa Charretier, Mirka Andolfo, Jock, Stephanie Phillips, Marc Bernardin, and Jamie McKelvie. Tula Lotay is another creator for DSTLRY, and she will write creative stories for the platform. Lotay founded the Thought Bubble Comic Art Festival in Yorkshire, northern England.
The Devil’s Cut is the first comic from DSTLRY, and it will feature self-contained stories by the founding creators. It will become available at comic bookstores nationwide and in time for the Comic-Con International festival to be held on July 20-23 in San Diego.
DSTLRY’S Effect on the Comic Industry
With DSTLRY, readers will be able to read digital comics several times and then sell them on the same marketplace for the same price they bought them for, or even higher. In addition, DSTLRY wants to serve as a system where creators keep making money from the resale of their comics at any time.
Physical copies need plastic covers and highly secure storage space. On the other hand, digital copies of comics are limited only by storage space on your device. Fortunately, DSTLRY offers cloud storage, so people don’t need to worry about that.
Since creators will get a percentage of every sale, they will benefit from their work for months or even years after the end of their digital series.
Navkiran Dhaliwal is a seasoned content writer with 10+ years of experience. When she's not writing, she can be found cooking up a storm or spending time with her dog, Rain.
