Many a student’s grade in high school English was saved by the comic book-style Classics Illustrated, and even more student simply enjoyed the link drawing illustrations and original graphic novel adaptation of some of the most famous works of literature ever written. Unfortunately for fans who are fond of the nostalgia of the pocket-sized books, the collectors items are now cost in the hundreds of dollars from book dealers.
Now, Massachusetts-based digital publisher Trajectory has bought the digital rights and is bringing the seventy-year-old books back to life as an app, available through iTunes. Originally launched as ebooks with the intention of making them available for every e-reading platform, Trajectory has now created the app version for iPad. With books costing between $1.99 and $3.99 for the full-color graphic novels, readers who simply enjoyed the books–as opposed to actual collectors who may pay the hefty price for an original print edition–can revisit the classics.
According to Calvin Reid in an article for Publisher’s Weekly, “Trajectory is releasing the digital comics via the Trajectory Classics App, which can be downloaded for free. Additional issues can be purchased through the in-app purchase system. The Classics Illustrated App will offer about 30 Classics Illustrated titles initially and more will be added every Wednesday. The app will also offer the Classics Illustrated ‘Special interest Series’ and an introductory “discovery pricing” of 99 cents for featured Classic Illustrated issues.”
Reid spoke to Jim Bryant, CEO of Trajectory, about the new generation of readers who can still love the classics while enjoying the easy-to-navigate app and taking advantage of the previews of each title. The host of included features includes zoom, landscape-vs-portrait, and the option to read two panels at a time, similar to comic books and how the original Classics Illustrated were published.
Mercy Pilkington is a Senior Editor for Good e-Reader. She is also the CEO and founder of a hybrid publishing and consulting company.