Three years ago, the Archie Comics folks startled the world by introducing the first openly gay character in Riverdale, Kevin Keller. Kevin made his debut in Veronica #202 and soon got his own mini-series. This week, Kevin's creator, Dan Parent, accepted the Outstanding Comic Book award at the GLAAD Media Awards, saying, "Many people thought it would be a challenge to … [Read more...] about Digital Deals: Kevin Keller and Archie Comics
digital comics
Barnes and Noble Beefs Up Nook iOS App for Comics Readers
Barnes and Noble announced a major upgrade to its Nook app for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch this week, bringing the full range of digital comics capabilities to the app for the first time. Previously, many comics in the Nook store were available only on Nook devices, not on the associated apps. With the upgrade, iOS users can now access any of the 8,000 comics titles in the … [Read more...] about Barnes and Noble Beefs Up Nook iOS App for Comics Readers
Creator Posts Link to His Own Comic on a Pirate Site
Writer Ian Sharman wants readers to buy his new book Hero: 9 to 5 - Quietus, but he realizes some folks haven't read the first volume, which comprises issues #1-#4. So he's making the first collection available digitally, for free, but he's letting others do the work: On his Tumblr, Sharman posted a link to a downloadable copy on what is obviously a pirate site. He … [Read more...] about Creator Posts Link to His Own Comic on a Pirate Site
Bitstrips Turns Comics into Social Media—Now with Less Anxiety!
Over on NPR's All Tech Considered blog, Nishat Kurwa discusses the recent success of Bitstrips, an app that allows users to make cartoon avatars of themselves and their friends and then insert those characters into their own comic strips. In the beginning, there were just the characters and the backgrounds, but what's interesting about this story is that Bitstrips didn't … [Read more...] about Bitstrips Turns Comics into Social Media—Now with Less Anxiety!
Blistering Barnacles! There’s a Tintin App for the iPad!
Tintin, the plucky little reporter who spent more time investigating mysteries and running away from bad guys than doing any actual reporting, has made it to the small screen: Idboox reports that Moulinsart, the company that controls the rights to the works of Herge, Tintin's creator, has released an iPad app that contains all 24 of the Tintin graphic novels. The app is free, … [Read more...] about Blistering Barnacles! There’s a Tintin App for the iPad!
Marvel Unlimited Now Available for Android on Google Play
Marvel Unlimited is an "all-you-can-eat" subscription service that allows readers access to Marvel's enormous back catalog, starting with their first-ever comic, Marvel Comics #1. For $9.99 per month, or $59.88 per year, you can dip into their library of over 13,000 comics and read as much as you like. There are two drawbacks to Marvel Unlimited, although they are really … [Read more...] about Marvel Unlimited Now Available for Android on Google Play
Digital Comics in Libraries: Still Working on It
Publishers Weekly's Heidi MacDonald has done a comprehensive overview of graphic novels and libraries, and she includes a discussion of digital library programs, which are still evolving even as we speak. OverDrive, the biggest vendor of e-books for libraries, gets no love in this article. The prices are too high and the graphic-novel catalogue is too limited. Librarian … [Read more...] about Digital Comics in Libraries: Still Working on It
Every Day Is Free Comic Book Day if You Know Where to Look
This past Saturday was Free Comic Book Day, the biggest day of the year for comics shops. But in case you missed it, digital has got your back. All the major digital comics distributors have a special page set aside for free comics. ComiXology always has an assortment of free comics, mostly issue #1s, and they also have 14 of this year's FCBD comics. Like comiXology, Dark … [Read more...] about Every Day Is Free Comic Book Day if You Know Where to Look
Nao Yazawa’s Slice-of-Life Manga is Free Today, $2.99 Tomorrow
Either way it's a good deal, but if you're seeing this on Sunday, May 5, don't waste any time: Nao Yazawa, the creator of Wedding Peach and Moon and Blood, is offering her 77-page manga Go Go Nao-p! for free on Kindle today; at midnight (Pacific Standard Time) the price goes up to $2.99, which is still pretty reasonable for a 77-page graphic novel. Go Go Nao-P! is a 4-koma … [Read more...] about Nao Yazawa’s Slice-of-Life Manga is Free Today, $2.99 Tomorrow
Fan Community Calls Out Illegal Comics Sharing
SuBLime is an imprint of Viz Media that publishes yaoi manga (love stories between two men). When they publish digitally, it is usually in the form of a PDF download, which means that is it basically DRM-free—it can be readily moved from one device to another and won't disappear if the publisher or the app does. It's the digital comics format that a lot of fans want (and some … [Read more...] about Fan Community Calls Out Illegal Comics Sharing