CBR Live! Archive
2010: The Year We Switch to Digital?
(This post fell backward through time and landed in my word processor. I thought I'd share.)
Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. We're a year into the Obama Age of Comics in this first decade of the new millennium. As you know, President Obama managed to save the economy and recede the recession (and his hairline!), so we all have plenty of money to spend on comics. Unfortunately, space termites ate all of the trees on Earth and we're all going to choke to death. But that's not important right now. The comics, them's what's important.
A year ago, we all wondered if Amazon would become our local comics shop-- if a digital marketplace that sold print media at a stiff discount would replace the brick-and-mortar-and-flopsweat stores to which we were all so accustomed. Did it? Not really, but it might not get its chance, what with screens and hard drives rapidly replacing paper and staples. Welcome to the age of the iPhone v.6, of Kindle v.12, of Internet Explorer 18 and Firefox 42, of torrents of torrents and jpeg jamborees. Or maybe jpeg jambalaya. Mmm. A new form of comics emerges from the burning corpse of the old one, and so we get-- well, I don't know what to call them. Digicomics? iComics? Just don't let it be motion comics-- are these the future? Or are they the present? Is this What The People Want? Is it what I want!? Is it what women want? Does only Mel Gibson know the truth!?
As adult comic book readers/collectors/amassers, I'd imagine many of us are object fetishists, in a way. It's not just the comics we want, it's the thing itself. The ink and the paper, the staples and, in some cases, the mylar sheaths with backing boards. It's the feel of the paper, the difference between newsprint and glossy and cardstock. It's the smell. Oh, the smell. The physicality is part of it, right? Part of the experience of reading, and not just for comics. Would I rather read a leatherbound Agatha Christie or have it be one of many files on my Kindle (which I still somewhat believe is the devil)? For me, the decision is an obvious one. Give me the darling wrapped in dead cow.
Personally, I think physical comics and books will always exist in some fashion, even in the nichiest markets, printed on synthetic paper (space termites, remember); but the way of digital lies ubiquity. Think of the cost factor. Publishers would save buckets or barrels or briefcases or other storage units starting with 'b' of money. Printers would save none, because they would no longer exist, using moneyless barrels as clothing, as the impoverished are wont to do-- easier to throw oneself over the falls, that way. The publishers, however, are still going to charge you for the content, because they need full barrels in order to feed their neglected families. They don't have to pay for the ink and the paper and the staples anymore, but they've gotta pay the writers and artists and letterers, and hey, might as well make a bit of profit while they're at it, so I imagine the price won't be going down too much. iTunes charges two bucks for an episode of TV, remember, which is a ludicrous price when compared to the DVD sets that are constantly on sale, but them's the breaks for internet immediacy.
I'm afraid I'm one of those people who doesn't want to pay for digital content, though, because-- it's on the internet. I'm already paying for the internet. Anything on the internet should be free. I don't want to pay for something ephemeral, something that could disappear at the whim of a computer virus or hardware failure. I don't even own an iPod! That's why I think FreakAngels is such a damn good idea. Give them the content for free and ask them to buy the physical item-- the lovely, lovely thing. Some of them will listen.
But I'm an old man. Okay, not really, but I always feel old, so, in the context of this one-sided internet discourse, I am an old man. Get off my lawn. I love my ratty old comics, those poor dears read so hard they fell apart, slowly decaying in boxes somewhere. Deep down, I love them with all my heart. With my mind, however, I understand the digital argument: why the hell do I keep these tattered objects around? Nostalgia, probably. Would I really really mind replacing them all with digital copies? Except for a few sentimental old issues I'd want to hang on to, probably not. It might not be so bad. Do I really need these copies of Hulk #385 or Archer & Armstrong #3? Will I ever reread them? I can't answer that now-- but what if I want to read them later? Better keep 'em, then.
Should comics be cutting edge, or should they be old school? I say give the next audience what they want. We're the geriatrics, holding on for dear life to all the things we loved in our pasts. Technology angers and confuses us. We remember the days of newsstand spinner racks and being able to afford comics *and* gasoline. Maybe it's time we gave up our old ways and listened to the whippersnappers. Maybe they've got something with this digital format. It's going to be a long and rough labor, no doubt, but hopefully the baby will be worth it. Hopefully we can afford to feed it.
What format will the digital comics take? We've seen a variety of them already, and I'm not sure what works the best. Simple jpegs like FreakAngels? Hideous "comic viewers" like Zuda or Marvel's Digital thingie? Intuitive .cbr files that the pirates are all into? Or, heck, how about this? Again, it's not perfect-- strictly linear, one direction or the other, you can't just flip back three "pages"-- but it takes the format and possibilities and it makes something of them, something that still feels like a comic, that puts the reader in charge, like s/he should be, and gives us sequential art that fits a designed space. I don't know who this "Balak01" guy is, but he's onto something.
We all know the Singularity is approaching; these digicomics will eventually become sentient and take over the world, and, hopefully, rid of us of those devious space termites. But until then, we have these things to think about. We shouldn't, however, forget the people behind the comics, and what works best for them. Can we bear losing our retailers, our printers? Our object men?
I wonder all of this because I'm interested in my own comics-publishing venture, and I'm thinking about the web. It's cheaper, it's easier, and it's more direct, sure. But it's not quite my dream. One also has to think about the formatting, the dimensions, the level of interaction-- so many more possibilities and variables than print comics. And how about the crossover into ink and paper? We can't all be FreakAngels, but we can try. I'm interested in seeing what happens.
Which comics will you be buying?
[Post Script Update Time: Speaking of various digital ventures, I'm actually putting new stuff on that other blog I supposedly have. You can read it if you want, I guess. Also, I've gone and bought myself an Xbox 360, so if you would like me to shoot you in the face on Call of Duty: World at War (or shoot me in the face on Team Fortress 2, which I am inept at), you can find me under the gamertag Billuccho, which, luck has it, is also my AOL Instant Messenger name. Feel free to add/harass me online and see how long I put up with you. The internet, man! It's really something.]
- Posted on February 9, 2009 @ 11:46 AM
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29 Comments
infomofo
February 9, 2009 at 11:56 am
I would love a digital comics format to take off and become mainstream, but I'm not holding my breath. The industry has 2 major players, neither of whom want to switch to a format that reduces the barrier to entry for indie comic shops, and also exposes their pretty ridiculous pricing model.
Until some hardware giant puts their money behind this in a big way (*cough* color kindle), I can't see this move being started by the publishers.
Blackjak
February 9, 2009 at 2:10 pm
I really, REALLY like that "Balak01" digital Comic. He's got a lot of good ideas that are being used to great effect. Thanks for sharing the link...
I personally think the Freakangels business model is the one that will make most money (initially) as a lot of the others won't translate back to print as well as it does...
But I REALLY like that "Balak02" guy's idea...
Blackjak
February 9, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Sorry... typo...
Meant "Balak01"...
Beta Ray Steve
February 9, 2009 at 2:27 pm
I just happened to stop in at the Marvel digital comics panel at NYCC. From what I heard, Marvel is still stuck in it's proprietary reader and until they give that up, it'll never take off. I don't think digitized comics will ever replace actual comics, but Marvel seems to want to charge for the inferior, digitized product exactly what you would pay for a read-while-sitting-on-the-can comic. Given the limitations of digital rights management (not portable, tradeable, needs proprietary reader) it's tough to envision a breakthrough that makes Marvel-style digital comics viable. They need to view digital comics as a promotional tool and not as a product that competes with their bread and butter.
As for 'motion comics' it seemed like something they did to make their artists (Maleev & Cassaday) happy and give them some experience in animation.
Lord Paradise
February 9, 2009 at 3:31 pm
I'm subscribed to Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited, and the price of $60 for a year's access to 5000 year-old comics doesn't seem that bad to me. The reader itself can be obnoxious, with all the words occasionally jumping two inches to the right, but the library is alright and it's getting better.
Greg Burgas
February 9, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Isn't 2010 the year Jupiter becomes the second star in our solar system?
Anthony Cheng
February 9, 2009 at 3:46 pm
I see two trends gaining steam in the immediate future: webcomics + ad revenue and iPhone comics. The economics of both options are alluring, plus they segue quite well into TPB collection, a market that is well known.
Balak01's demo is absolutely lovely but it roughly quadruples the amount of work for the same story and would be hard to print as a collection. It's very close to outright animation.
Bill Reed
February 9, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Maybe so, but if you're doing a webcomic, I feel you should do a webcomic-- take full advantage of the medium. Naturally, it's unprintable, but theoretically it shouldn't have to be printable.
Anthony Cheng
February 9, 2009 at 4:42 pm
As a creator, doing your webcomic in such a way that it's nearly impossible to print frustrates the goal of making revenue from as many different sources as possible. The bookstore crowd is (for better or worse) the most reasonable profit-bearing market to target. Not everyone gets a movie deal.
Random Stranger
February 9, 2009 at 4:43 pm
I have a real problem with digital only media (for lack of a better term there) in that it seems to carry with it a removal of my property rights. With a comic book that I can physically hold I can do things that I can't do with a digital book: I can sell it, loan it, or give it away. On top of that there are multiple retailers introducing competitive pricing for the goods.
Biggles
February 9, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Sorry. I need tangibility in my life. With my job (and already tons of my socialization) being done online, I don't want or need any other part of my life that has me sitting in front of my computer more than I already have to be.
Ian A.
February 9, 2009 at 5:23 pm
Damn, he sure is.
I really dig that interface.
And, I think it would be possible to convert it to print. You would just need to make judicious use of stat panels. Something, certainly, would be lost in translation, but, as Morrison taught us, only nothing is impossible.
But, of course, why do webcomics need to be print comics? A number of (print) comics creators constantly talk about writing comics that are only meant to be comics -- not to be TV shows or movies or video games or anything else. Shouldn't webcomics creators focus on writing comics for the web and not worry about the print collection? The medium is the message, so stay on message, yeah?
Webcomics creators are bound to make more money off merchandising (sketches, posters, apparel) than off a collected edition anyway.
ejulp (John)
February 9, 2009 at 7:17 pm
@Greg Burgas
2012???
What have you heard...lol, I'm such a geek, that comment actually made me sick and worried. Do you have a link? Or am I missing the joke?
stealthwise
February 9, 2009 at 8:01 pm
I read webcomics and I read print comics, and I have little desire to see most of them in the opposite format, with the exception of stuff like Dr. McNinja, which is pretty much a print comic three pages a week.
Ted
February 9, 2009 at 8:22 pm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010:_Odyssey_Two so obviously not that much of a geek, though considering no Moon bases were built before 2001 I think we should be OK.
aboynamedposh
February 9, 2009 at 8:48 pm
That interface is pretty cool. I've seen a few pirated comics that do the same thing. I read a cool edit of 'Old Man Logan' that had the dialogue and captions pop up sequentially like that. It was activated by 'page down' rather than clicking on an arrow, which was much nicer.
Umm, sorry Mark Millar. I might buy the trade. For the art...
ejulp (John)
February 9, 2009 at 8:58 pm
@Ted
Now I'm ashamed...only ever read the first book in junior high.
Aditya
February 9, 2009 at 11:30 pm
This Balak01 comic reminds me heavily of a fan-made "widescreen" CBR comic recreation of Garth Ennis's first Marvel MAX Punisher issue. Same thing: predesignated area, good use of negative space etc.
J to the AAP
February 10, 2009 at 3:36 am
I don't think a real replacement'll happen anytime in this century. How long has it been since you can read on a monitor or digital device? They're still printing books and nobody is seriously speculating on their disappearance anytime soon.
With the iPhone and other devices like it the market for digital comics does seem to get a lot bigger and more attractive. It's also a great way for new talent to self-publish, which seems increasingly difficult to achieve in print. I think a lot of people are with you on the 'not paying for stuff on the web' part, the Freakangels model seems plausible to me, any idea what sales figures versus downloads are on that?
J to the AAP
February 10, 2009 at 3:39 am
In short, i think lots of titles and new creators will have their debut on the web, but once they achieve a wide enough audience there will probably be a demand for a print collection as well, as is the case with many webcomics already.
J to the AAP
February 10, 2009 at 3:52 am
Thanks for pointing out that Balak01 thing by the way, very interesting. It does seem like a whole new animal compared to print tough, I think we should see this kind of stuff as more like an addition to the different formats in comics rather than a replacement for the older model. 'Old-Schoolers' might feel threatened by it in some way but there's really no reason for that. Will Eisner created a whole different format when he did 'Contract With God' but that certainly turned out to be a worthy and innovative addition to the medium.
Uhm... I'm done hogging the comments section now. Serves you right for posing interesting questions!
JimShelley
February 10, 2009 at 6:24 am
Great article Bill! I remember your comments on similar topics from Newsarama threads. You've always managed to see both sides of this issue very well, which is hard for people I think.
As one of the first publishers to embrace Digital Comics as the new way, and perhaps the only publisher with comics available in cbr, web comic AND on the iphone/iPod I've gotta say that 2009 is actually the year comics go digital! I've been reading comics from uClick, iVerse and ComicZeal on my iphone, and in so many cases, it's really a very seamless transition. Check out Atomic Robo, or Chance of the Lifetime on your iphone/ipod for some great examples of that format! I
And in the Fall, Apple is supposed to be rolling out the iTablet!
- Jim Shelley
http://www.FlashbackUniverse.com
TonyJazzz
February 10, 2009 at 11:13 am
"I’m afraid I’m one of those people who doesn’t want to pay for digital content, though, because– it’s on the internet. I’m already paying for the internet."
You are not paying for the internet. You are paying someone who gets you to the Internet as a service, but they don't 'pay for the internet'.
Unless you want to see your monthly Internet bill go to $100 (like cable tv), you can select and paying for the services you want. Don't you think the creators and their support companies deserve to be compensated for their work? (It's unfortunate, but many people steal music on the internet and justify it on the same terms as this author's.)
(BTW: I don't plan to buy digital comics myself. I prefer paper, and will discontinue my reading if this switch occurs...That's OK as there is a lot of good reading of all kinds out there...)
Dalarsco
February 10, 2009 at 11:51 am
Once something like the Kindle is made comic-sized I think we'll see single issues start to go digital-only, with collected editions being the print format.
Blackjak
February 10, 2009 at 11:56 am
What's a Kindle? Is that like Sony's Reader?
Dalarsco
February 10, 2009 at 11:38 pm
Maybe. It's something made by Amazon that lets you take E-Books on the go. The screen is a new design that is low on battery life, lightweight, and is non-reflective so you don't have to worry about light angles like a Gameboy.
Blackjak
February 11, 2009 at 6:38 am
Ah yes. Same concept then. Electronic ink that only uses power to change page. Throws the ink onto the screen and leaves it there until you "turn" the page...
Just needs colour and it will really take off... (I know there s plenty of black and white content that could be used, but let's face it, pretty colours will sell the product better...)
At least with big names like Sony and Amazon pushing that format, it should take off in one form or another soon enough...
Clayton
February 12, 2009 at 10:16 am
Tell that to Jeph Jacques, or Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins. While Penny Arcade is in print now, Krahulik and Holkins made a comfortable living off of merchandise sales for years. Print collections are only one source of revenue for webcomics, and in some cases not even a particularly large one.
Gregory C Giordano
February 16, 2009 at 11:31 pm
It's a simple cause and effect scenario if you ask me:
1.Diamond (rightfully) continues each year to refuse to take financial risks on independent-created comics. The bar of pre-orders at said distributor continues(and will continue) to rise each year.
2.Creators and small indy publishers will HAVE TO increase audiences or cease publication entirely.
3.Electronic distro - most sensibly of the FREAKANGELS model, along with what Flashback Universe, iverse , etc. are doing- will be the only dollar-friendly method to get as much free content out there to many more adopters or "subscribers.
4. Money is made on collections, albums, TPB, call them what you will.
iPod/phone, NDS, online game console and virally distributed content FEEDING eventual GN/TPB sales is going to be most prevalent in next 10 years for the "small guys". If the economy continues to buckle-and if youth culture continues to buy more electronic consumer appliances, it will be necessary for bigger companies to follow suit. I agree, paper comics, books, magazines will not blow away. But in the long term paper versions as PRIMARY adoption of content will go the way of the Dodo.