Downloadable comics - what do you think?

[reideen1313]

I've been talking about the need for comic publishers here in the US to jump to an online format - something downloadable for a fee - that can be transferred not only to PCs but to Ipods, PSPs and other portable devices, for a while now.

Well, apparently, while I was out of town, Marvel took a step in that direction. The issues they're offering are free after registration.

Now 12 Gauge Comics has moved to an online format as well. Body Bags: Father's Day #1 is available - for free.

The trick to moving to an online format with comics will be getting people to pay for the service - similar to an MP3 download now. Once that happens, I expect to see a shift in marketing $ spent on the direct market. This means less $ being thrown at your local comic shop (LCS) by the big publishers and could be the (eventual) end of Diamond Comics.

Where's DC in all this? Right now, DC is moving towards focusing on the big box book store - such as Barnes & Noble, Borders, WaldenBooks, etc. While they say they're still committed to their relationship with the direct market, I don't believe that for a second. They can make more $ by cutting Diamond out of the distribution deal - if they go direct (with TPB's as an example) to these book sellers, they make more $ than they would by going through Diamond to the LCS.

What do you think about this? Are downloadable comics better? Would you be sad to not have to walk into your LCS every week? Breaking Diamond's monopoly would be a good thing - I don't think anyone would argue that.... What else?

[Blakeus125]

it doesnt sound too bad but I don't think that reading a comic on a computer screen or Ipod would be the same as owning an actual physical copy of it. honestly I dont really know about the diamond stuff (I dont really get to go to my LCS very often) but it does sound like it would make more profit by focusing on selling TPBs to bookstores but I dont really want to see the end of comic shops either. so I guess I would be agianst online comics but maybe thats just me

[Violator]

I only buy/collect Trades/Graphic Novels, but if issues were available to download and store on my computer, Id pick up some regular issues. For people like me (dont know how many there are) this could help DC's sales, but as its been said, might hurt Diamond. The key would be to make a filetype that can be downloaded but not traded, thats the real trick. One alternative would be you have to login to the DC Site to access the files through the computer you registered your account on, but I feel if Ive paid for the digital comics I should be able to save them to my computer. Its kind of tricky. Comic companies are already losing money because of torrents and I doubt they want to make it easier for people to rip them off.

[reideen1313]

blakeus125 said:

it doesnt sound too bad but I don't think that reading a comic on a computer screen or Ipod would be the same as owning an actual physical copy of it.

I used to feel the same way. Then I thought about how much I actually go through my boxes & boxes of comics and realized I could save a whole lot of space by storing them all on CD or on my hard drive. I buy a bunch of TPB's anyway, so getting fewer individual issues really isn't a problem for me.

honestly I dont really know about the diamond stuff (I dont really get to go to my LCS very often) but it does sound like it would make more profit by focusing on selling TPBs to bookstores but I dont really want to see the end of comic shops either. so I guess I would be agianst online comics but maybe thats just me

It sounds like you like the idea of the specialty retailer, and that's fine. I don't think that the LCS will be completely dead - many won't be able to function as they do today though. There might be a few big stores, such as Mile High as an example, to cater to those who still want their comics in print form, but they'll be few and far between.

[reideen1313]

violator said:

Its kind of tricky. Comic companies are already losing money because of torrents and I doubt they want to make it easier for people to rip them off.

I agree - which is why I don't think we'll see this change for a few years yet. They (DC, Marvel & Darkhorse) still need to figure out a way to make an online subscription profitable, easy to use, and applicable to different viewing formats - obviously I don't want to view the same size image on my PC that I do on an Ipod. I say that those three companies will be the ones that cause this shift to occur, since they make up the bulk of comic sales currently. There will be smaller companies (such as Speakeasy and 12 Gauge) that will jump on board hoping that online hits translate into increased print orders. Unfortunately, I don't think that's going to happen like they think it will.

[Blakeus125]

Reideen I do see your point about space issues for some people but for a 17 yr old like me that really isn't an issue but I do understand, and I guess comic shops are kinda fading out already but I dont want to see them gone. I still dont like the idea of reading comics on a computer screen but I guess if the comics shops stay alive and the people who would read comics on the computer/Ipod could have that I think it may be good for the comic industry, and thats something I'm all for

[The Dark Knight]

I really don't think the ideas that great, people who like comics can just buy comics and enjoy them and stuff, but now thinking about using it as a portable system I have mixed feelings. I know it's really just to keep in business but it isnt that bad of an idea. Phone companies are already making music stores online and such so the timing's kind of good and bad. People will jsut ignore the comics but then somehow be interested. I like reading comics just out of pleasure anywhere I want. I don't want it on my teeny screen ipod and I would get headaches carrying and reading it around. Let's keep it to the stores shall we?

[??The Riddler??]

Yeah, same here . Plus, collecting the comics themselves is fun but, think about the people who don't own an ipod they have to read comics anyway. I think having the real thing is better. Just my thoughts

[/\/\att]

Hmmm...great topic Reideen. Really making me think. I admit that I'm torn on this one.

On one hand, I do enjoy heading out to the comic shop and getting something I can hold in my hands. I would hate to not have that option at all.

On the other hand, getting them online via subscription would rock...be FAR more convenient for my hectic lifestyle, and would provide more longevity for the material...being saved in electronic format.

This development would most definately destroy diamond and the direct market...but honestly, I think thats coming in the next decade anyway. I don't like a lot of the "local" shops...but I would miss not being able to take my kids there and having the experience. Plus, then what of FCBD?

Honestly, some books I want to collect for myself..like Batman Strikes...but a lot of the mini series or special events, I could just as easy pay to download..I don't need all that clogging up my space. I moved this weekend..realized how many comics I have. ugh.

[The Dark Knight]

I guess you really have to think about the lifestyle too and how much a hassle it would be to come and go back to the comic stores to retrieve issues for some people. Yet just downloading them is going to ruin the fun of collecting issues especially if it was part of your hobby. The only real dilemma in hand is, what they decide, and will they even think about stop producing comics and start with the downloadable stuff jsut like music? Like everyone these days buy ipods and download songs and stop buying CDs and records because they have no use for it anymore. I guess no matter the opinion that it's going to happen anyways. We'll just deal with it and read and collect our own way

[/\/\att]

laughingcatsxp said:

I guess you really have to think about the lifestyle too and how much a hassle it would be to come and go back to the comic stores to retrieve issues for some people. Yet just downloading them is going to ruin the fun of collecting issues especially if it was part of your hobby. The only real dilemma in hand is, what they decide, and will they even think about stop producing comics and start with the downloadable stuff jsut like music? Like everyone these days buy ipods and download songs and stop buying CDs and records because they have no use for it anymore. I guess no matter the opinion that it's going to happen anyways. We'll just deal with it and read and collect our own way

I don't think that everyone is stopping buying CDs. Are sales down? Sure...but they're not dead by far. Many people still collect CDs and records...and many people purchase them to upload onto their Ipod! lol. People want something for their money..something tangible..often they want to buy the CD, even if they intend to digitize the info anyhow.

[Fobok]

reideen1313 said:

What do you think about this? Are downloadable comics better? Would you be sad to not have to walk into your LCS every week? Breaking Diamond's monopoly would be a good thing - I don't think anyone would argue that.... What else?

They are definitely a good thing, in my opinion. Especially for those in situations like me. My 'LCS' isn't wheelchair accessible, which means if I want any comics I have to send somebody with a list, (and also means I can't use my credit card), or buy online (and either pay huge shipping fees, or wait so long the next issue will be out before I get the one I ordered).

It's the same with RPG books now too. For the most part, when I buy books now I buy through DriveThruRPG just to avoid the hassles, and I know quite a few others that do as well. Though this hurts gaming retailers (who were hurting already, I once owned a game store that went out of business before DTRPG ever started), it's not enough to make that much of a dent, and I'm guessing won't make much of a dent in comic shops either. It's a market worth exploring, I think.

[BatWulf]

Back when I was in college, there was a comic and game shop right there across from campus (yes, they had comic books and RPGs back in the olden days), and I loved going in every week to buy my comics. Until I began grad school and found it hard to find free time to read them, let alone make a trip to the comic shop once a week. I'm not sure being able to download them to my computer would have helped, but it might.

Today, I have a different problem -- the nearest LCS is about 80 miles from home (coincidently, it's the same shop from my college days), and there's no way I'd make the trip once a week. In fact, in the last 5 years, I've barely made the trip once a year (and twice, the store's been closed when I was in town). So aside from a few TPBs I've picked up at the local book store, I haven't bought a new comic in years. I tried subscribing to a couple titles for a year, but I wasn't always happy with the condition they arrived in (not that I'm one of those collectors who insists on Absolute Mint condition).

So in the end, I think I'd like an electronic format. The comics would take up a heckuva lot less space, arrive on your computer screen in pristine condition, and you'd never have to worry about your local store selling out of an issue before you had a chance to buy it. Plus it would open the door to all sorts of technical innovations not available to a paper format (like animation), though that's another subject entirely.

[The Dark Knight]

It's funny, my semester writing assessment had to do with people inventing a new way to read comics or books (or audio books) on mp3 players and ipods. The question was if books and comics would become obsolete :/ I took a vote for no of course. It was kind of hard I had to rush to do 2 paragraphs in 4 minutes. The teacher swiped it from me when I went overtime trying to finish the last sentence and left a huge pencil mark on it -_-

[Patronus]

I would definitely embrace this format.

I love the concept of being able to read comics at my computer and take a large number with me wherever I go.

I'd subscribe to something like this and then just buy my "must haves" for collecting purposes.

[darkclaw]

I'm not crazy about online comics. Crossgen tried the online comic system a few years back and it failed terribly. Even today there are PC versions of comics (i.e 40 years of Spider-man) and they are stagnant on the shelves.

I think it's safe to say most (including myself) of comic book reader want to hold the book and read it. Sure I have to lose half my room space to hold all the longboxes of comics, but that's part of the joy of collecting

[reideen1313]

Looks like Marvel is looking at this as a potential way to increase sales. Take the survey and tell them what you think!

I like the idea of .99 individual issues available for download. Not only would that save me $$ and time, it would save me lots of space in my house! Currently I've got about 14 long boxes sitting in my garage that I need to find a spot for. If they were on my pc or on a disc, that wouldn't be a problem, but as they are, that's a lot of room I'm wasting.

[Batlaw]

For me I enjoy all the tactile elements and the collection aspect of the hoby too much. If this were to be the new method of distribution, my interest and active participation in the hoby would in all likelyhood dwindle dramatically... possibly even to nothing? I can see it's appear and benefits (such money and space), but realsitically I know I wouldnt stay involved or interested beyond the ocational / purely "BIG" D.C. moments or milestones.
Man, its pretty depressing actually to realize how "fragile" our hobby realy is nowadays?

[Jack-Ups]

Tell me about it its just boring trying to read the spidey comics online I havent even got threw a whole one yet!

[catfanbogota]

Both print and electronic media have their place. I do enjoy reading a hard copy comic book when I am, say, vacationing in the Adirondacks. That said, the idea of electronic comic books is also a good one. My main concern is that the comic book industry survives and flourishes.

[RJ]

Like many others here, I enjoying holding the comic book in my hand. I enjoy looking at the art, the cover, and all that good stuff. I just don't' think I would enjoy it as much if it were digital...

[blinker]

I would only dl it to read it throughly so I will know if its worth buying. I do this all the time.

[SPOILED]

I probably wouldnt go in for the downloadable comics that much. Sure the real thing takes up room but it feels good to grab hold of a comic, peel it out of the plastic, smell the paper ( I love the smell of comic shops ) and have a good read in the comfort of your room or a couch. The only exception that I can see is when a comic im looking for is sold out. Since identity crisis started I have been frustrated by people buying "Robin" to fill in the storyline. They sell out before I, a regular collector, can get a hold of them. With downloadable comics I could still keep up with my favourite titles even if I couldntt get hold of a couple of issues. Thats my two cents!

[Severen]

I actually think this would be a great way to get the non-regular audience into comics, I mean lets face it, for most comic fans part of the appeal is the collecting, the tactile enjoyment, but for the masses out there that aren't regular comic buyers, never have been, or who may have considered it or had their interest piqued but never got around to doing anything about it then this is actually a great way to reel them in, primarily because most of these people aren't interested in collecting comics, but they might be interested in reading comics.

The interesting thing about the nature of comics is that, for the publisher, most comics only make money for the publisher once, on the month they come out (unless they sell so well that the issue goes back to press for another printing), sure, down the line a lot of the big titles, events, or key character arcs will go to trade, but even with that the truth is that 90% of comics never make money for the company again past that first initial release. This would be a way of the companies making money on already created product that is currently bringing in no revenue for them whatsoever. Whether you're paying fifty cents for access to a single back issue in perfect condition, paying a buck an issue for the latest issue of a title or $12 a year for a digital subscription (maybe with a 2 or 4 week delay on new issues so they don't hurt paper comic sales as much), or paying thirty bucks a month for full access to the archives to read as much as you want from what's on the server, I think there would be a way to make this work and tap into an as yet untapped market.

But more than that, rather than looking at this as a way to make a profit for the likes of Marvel and DC, I think they should look at this as an excuse to start a project to digitally preserve every single issue of every single book that they've ever published, so that none of this work will ever be completely lost to the ages, and use money they might make from this back into the project to help fund such a project.

I don't want to see the traditional comic medium die off, and I don't think that's going to happen (people have been saying it is for decades now), but I don't think fear of technology should stop companies from using new technology that could potentially help usher them into new, and largely untapped, markets. My thoughts anyways.


Sev.

[TheQuestion]

Ugh. I will never support this fully, though out of boredom I may look at it. There is just something about sitting with the paper in my hands that appeals far more to me.

[Zabuza]

My two cents:

Sales- I think that this would allow access to many people and would spark more interest in comics. This would allow better sales, but not by much.

Psychology- Although this would provide an easy way to access comics, provide more space, and save people money on comics' supplies, I don't think many people, like you guys, or me, would dig it to have a digitalized comic. Its the same with everything else: movies, books, games, ect. Humans want something tangible; it gives them a feeling of possesion. Seeing a book or movie on your shelf gives you a sense of ownership. People wouldn't feel the same way about having, in this case, a comic book on a memory stick. It doesn't feel like its yours.

Technology- If anyone has experienced Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel, then they know what I'm talking about. Imagine a comic which incorporates music, sound effects, and animation into their pages. Well, you don't really have to, since its already been done in i]Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel[/i]. I think this would bring a whole other level of entertainment to comics which many people would enjoy.

Value- If comics ever got fully digitized, then their value would go down greatly, since you can duplicate a digitized version millions of times, while a paper one not as easily. Amazing Spider-Man #1 would cost as much, maybe even less, than the latest issue of Amazing Spider-Man.

The World- Hey, digitizing comics would save a lot of trees.

In the Long Run...
I believe that as time goes on comics will delve deeper and deeper into the digital realm, and will incorporate aspects such as animation, music, and sound effects. However, paper will stay the medium for the comic book presentation, due to humans' need of possesion.

[Digital Inker]

I doubt they will ever stop printing comic books in this century. It's an art form unto itself that the readers will demand. Who would stand for having his/her collection wiped out due to a failed hard drive or a corrupted CD? Would you want to hang a CD of Picasso or Rembrandt on your wall? I doubt it. You'd want the real thing to hold in your hand or hang on the wall.

What I would like to see is online copies of vintage stories that I can't get. Stories that were lost during the second world war due to paper drives and other recycling. I see nothing wrong with paying a modest yearly fee to the publisher to be able to dip into their archives and read an old story from the far past on a read only basis.

[BruceBatman]

I have never tried a downloadable comic before!
But I don't want to!
I would rather have the paper version!
I like the thrill of collecting! And the glory ans happiness after you have found the one you want or a really good one!

[batmaster]

I don't care.

[arkhaminmate]

I never particularly like reading anything online apart from forum, blog, & news posts. I attempted to read some of Marvel's online comics. I can't figure out how people enjoy these? It's just boring reading a comic book online. I barely managed reading the 5 page long Heroes web comics. I don't think they translate particularly well to a digital format. No matter what it is, I always enjoy reading a regular comic book, whether it's dead serious or funny, or both. Maybe I just like paper. Online comics do apeal to a new audience who usually probably wouldn't read a real comic book, & in that way it's a great thing. But I don't think anything can ever replace a good old ink, paper & staple comic book.