Digital Dawning
So anyone who knows me personally knows how much of an advocate I have been for digital comics. My first journey into comics can be traced back to finding the old forum called ZCultfm. It was where people would post torrents to comics both new and old. With that, I was able to try out hundreds of comics that I would have never known about or will most likely never be printed again for various reasons. Spider-girl, Runaways, DEMO, GLC, Hellboy, Ex Machina, Starman, Wildstorm, all the money I've spent legally on them can be traced back to the fact that yes I downloaded them.
I know they are illegal, I know it was wrong of me to do. I have done the best to make excuses like the fact that out of everybody I know I easily put in the most money back into the industry and easily am the most supportive of books that barely have much of a following or that many that I have downloaded are books that will never be brought back (2099, miracleman(did not expect the return of it haha) ultraverse, gen X). Even with that though I know what I have done was wrong.
The one thing I always said though was when the industry finally caved and gave me what I had been advocating for, my illegal escapades would end and I would fully support it all legally.
So as I expected it has begun. A digital comic library where I can buy the comics as I have advocated for rather than renting them(marvel) or reading webcomics that are not the same as digital comics(DC). How much of an impact will this have to the direct market? Not sure. Fact is that the direct market is very small now and decreasing. Many are getting into comics but through graphic novels. Many of my friends are interested in comics but simply do not go out of there way to find the comic shops that are simply few and far between. And honestly in this world why should they when no other industry asks them to do the same. It's a model that is collapsing on itself without any attempts of revival. The top sellers would have been canceled decades ago for making to little money. The prices are understandable yet to high for passer bys to get into it as well.
Two problems that people always bring up with digital comics. First they assume it's a battle between print and digital. It is not. There will always be print because graphic novels have become stable and are climbing in sales. The direct market and graphic novel market do horrible together though. There is no synergy because to buy both means you are spending nearly $40 a story. That is simply not right for the customers. Paying for a cheap digital version then buying a print version I believe do fit nicely. You are getting 2 different versions that are separate enough to warrant it. Second that the digital model is replacing the direct market model. I don't believe this is so. They are replacing the dead newsstand model. A product that is cheap, easy to find and able to try out in a normal passer by way. Does that sound like the direct market to any of you?
So what is in store for the future? Well the product is still delayed to appease store owners. This will have to change. The generation that will get hooked with this is a generation on the go. Things need to be at their finger tips when they want it or it will simply drive them to illegal downloads. Illegal digital comics are here because it is a niche that the industry does not give them. Will they disappear now? Nope. Not at all. But neither has illegal music downloads yet itunes is making tons of money regardless due to better product, cheap and easy. Digital comics will also need to become cheap. $1.99 is a nice price for them and understandable but music is 99 cents. The market has spoken that this is the ideal price and I will announce right now that this WILL be the price comics will be driven down too. Last, they will need to be cross platform with many different ways to read. Some like myself hate the flash system and regard CDisplay as the best way of doing it. Other's love it and are disgusted by the simple way CDisplay does it. Both will need to be taken into account and most likely many other ways if they are to hook as many people as possible.
I know many don't like this. Both readers and industry. I am sorry but the market does not care. No other industry was able to stop it and if there is any chance to bring comics to it's full glory this is the only way to do it. We should not fight it and we should see what mistakes past industries made. There is a niche that will be filled whether legally or not. Why not make sure it is made profitable and supportive rather than destructive to what we all love
I know they are illegal, I know it was wrong of me to do. I have done the best to make excuses like the fact that out of everybody I know I easily put in the most money back into the industry and easily am the most supportive of books that barely have much of a following or that many that I have downloaded are books that will never be brought back (2099, miracleman(did not expect the return of it haha) ultraverse, gen X). Even with that though I know what I have done was wrong.
The one thing I always said though was when the industry finally caved and gave me what I had been advocating for, my illegal escapades would end and I would fully support it all legally.
So as I expected it has begun. A digital comic library where I can buy the comics as I have advocated for rather than renting them(marvel) or reading webcomics that are not the same as digital comics(DC). How much of an impact will this have to the direct market? Not sure. Fact is that the direct market is very small now and decreasing. Many are getting into comics but through graphic novels. Many of my friends are interested in comics but simply do not go out of there way to find the comic shops that are simply few and far between. And honestly in this world why should they when no other industry asks them to do the same. It's a model that is collapsing on itself without any attempts of revival. The top sellers would have been canceled decades ago for making to little money. The prices are understandable yet to high for passer bys to get into it as well.
Two problems that people always bring up with digital comics. First they assume it's a battle between print and digital. It is not. There will always be print because graphic novels have become stable and are climbing in sales. The direct market and graphic novel market do horrible together though. There is no synergy because to buy both means you are spending nearly $40 a story. That is simply not right for the customers. Paying for a cheap digital version then buying a print version I believe do fit nicely. You are getting 2 different versions that are separate enough to warrant it. Second that the digital model is replacing the direct market model. I don't believe this is so. They are replacing the dead newsstand model. A product that is cheap, easy to find and able to try out in a normal passer by way. Does that sound like the direct market to any of you?
So what is in store for the future? Well the product is still delayed to appease store owners. This will have to change. The generation that will get hooked with this is a generation on the go. Things need to be at their finger tips when they want it or it will simply drive them to illegal downloads. Illegal digital comics are here because it is a niche that the industry does not give them. Will they disappear now? Nope. Not at all. But neither has illegal music downloads yet itunes is making tons of money regardless due to better product, cheap and easy. Digital comics will also need to become cheap. $1.99 is a nice price for them and understandable but music is 99 cents. The market has spoken that this is the ideal price and I will announce right now that this WILL be the price comics will be driven down too. Last, they will need to be cross platform with many different ways to read. Some like myself hate the flash system and regard CDisplay as the best way of doing it. Other's love it and are disgusted by the simple way CDisplay does it. Both will need to be taken into account and most likely many other ways if they are to hook as many people as possible.
I know many don't like this. Both readers and industry. I am sorry but the market does not care. No other industry was able to stop it and if there is any chance to bring comics to it's full glory this is the only way to do it. We should not fight it and we should see what mistakes past industries made. There is a niche that will be filled whether legally or not. Why not make sure it is made profitable and supportive rather than destructive to what we all love
Labels: comics, comixology, digital comics, george zapata, gzapata
posted by GZAPATA at
4:23 AM
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