Symbolia is a magazine of graphic journalism designed specifically for the tablet; the navigation and pageflow are completely different from anything found in a print magazine, and the use of the comics medium opens up new possibilities for nonfiction storytelling. The magazine launched late last year as an iPad app, which includes a free issue; the first issue is also … [Read more...] about Interview: Symbolia Editor Erin Polgreen on Graphic Journalism for the Tablet
digital comics
Looking at Kickstarter as a Digital Comics Marketplace
The crowdfunding platform Kickstarter has become a significant player in the comics world; last year, Publishers Weekly calculated that if it was a publisher, it would be the second largest publisher of graphic novels. Actually, Kickstarter is more like a retailer than a publisher, a place where people put up their money and get a comic in return. There are several … [Read more...] about Looking at Kickstarter as a Digital Comics Marketplace
Digital Comic News: Special International Edition
Cory Doctorow says ownership is key: I'm paraphrasing here, but Doctorow, who has been right about a lot of things, has some things to say about digital comics in a video shot at New York Comic Con, including his opinion that readers should be able to buy digital comics and keep them: "You know, you buy the comic, and it looks like a purchase, right? There's a 'Buy' button, but … [Read more...] about Digital Comic News: Special International Edition
Top Digital Comics News: Shop Smart!
Welcome to a special shopping edition of Top Digital Comics News! How much does a digital graphic novel cost? That may depend on where you buy it. As graphic novels proliferate on a variety of platforms—both e-book stores and dedicated comics apps—something interesting has happened: The prices vary, sometimes by quite a bit. Todd Allen investigates this for Publishers … [Read more...] about Top Digital Comics News: Shop Smart!
Marvel Offers Free Downloads, Shonen Jump Expands: Top Digital News for January 30
Buy it in print, get digital for free: Marvel has announced it will include digital codes in its Marvel NOW hardcover graphic novels that will allow the reader to download a free digital copy. They already do this with some of their monthly comics and other graphic novels, and apparently response so far has been good. Archaia pioneers digital variant cover: The publisher … [Read more...] about Marvel Offers Free Downloads, Shonen Jump Expands: Top Digital News for January 30
Digital Comics Retailing: Could This Be Done Better?
Comics retailer Brian Hibbs, owner of Comix Experience in San Francisco, was one of the first retailers to adopt Diamond Digital's digital storefront, and he reports that after three quarters, his total take is $22. What's wrong with this picture? Hibbs is well known in the comics community, and he was linking straight to his digital comics store from reviews on the Savage … [Read more...] about Digital Comics Retailing: Could This Be Done Better?
Free Comic Book Day 101
Free Comic Book Day is exactly what the name says: A day when you can get a free comic book. Every year since 2002, Diamond Comics Distributors has been teaming up with comics shops and publishers to give away free comics on the first Saturday in May; this year, Free Comic Book Day falls on May 4. You won't be able to just walk in and grab any comic, though—the free comics … [Read more...] about Free Comic Book Day 101
Interview: Russell Willis on the Digital Edition of The Phoenix
Panel Nine apps are sort of the iPad equivalent of coffee table books. Elegantly designed, with a deluxe feel, each one presents a graphic novel or the work of a single creator as a single standalone app. If comiXology is the digital equivalent of a comics shop, geared toward the way comics fans think (Wednesday releases, single-issue comics, heavy emphasis on superheroes), … [Read more...] about Interview: Russell Willis on the Digital Edition of The Phoenix
Udig to Publish Short Collections of Universal Uclick Comics
Back in the 1930s, the very first comic books were collections of newspaper comics. The genre continues to be popular, but the trend over the past 40 years or so has been toward big books collecting a lot of strips (think The Doonesbury Chronicles, or the fat archival collections published by IDW and Fantagraphics). Now comes Udig, a new imprint featuring shorter collections of … [Read more...] about Udig to Publish Short Collections of Universal Uclick Comics
Bluewater Introduces Digital Variant Covers for Honey Boo Boo Comic
Variant covers are a long-established tradition in print comics: Basically, publishers print part of a run with one cover and part with another. Since print comics buyers often are collectors at heart, they may buy both versions of the comic just to have them. In addition, some variants are offered to retailers who order a certain number of comics, and since those variants tend … [Read more...] about Bluewater Introduces Digital Variant Covers for Honey Boo Boo Comic