downthetubes Mobile Comics

Richie Rich goes digital

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 15:13:00 +0000

Ape Entertainment and Classic Media have unveiled the digital comic debut of Richie Rich for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

Developed by Ape Entertainment's digital partner iVerse Media, the Richie Rich app will feature digitally restored and colour corrected original master copies of the comic as well as new adventures under the title of Rich Rescue.

The Richie Rich digital comic app is free to download and features a free preview of the first issue. The app includes four full-color issues of the all-new Rich Rescue series ($1.99/each) and the Richie Rich Classicsseries ($.99/each), each with a colour cover, one five-page story in colour and the rest in classic black and white.

These new adventures are available digitally within the app as well as in print at comic book shops nationwide.

The first four new Richie Rich adventures are: Rich Rescue, Issue #1: The Boon Under The Bay!, Richie Rich: Rich Rescue, Issue #2: The Pursuit of Pesos!, Richie Rich: Rich Rescue, Issue #3: Just Desserts Deserts, andRichie Rich: Rich Rescue, Issue #4: Yen for a Yeti!

Richie Rich made his comic book debut in 1953 and has since starred in his own comic book series, syndicated comic strip, and animated TV series. There have been 50+ Richie Rich comic titles and 2,000 issues under his name.

Eddie Campbell's "Dapper John" stories released on iPad

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 10:09:00 +0000

Panel Nine, a new digital comics imprint set up by Hong Kong-based iEnglish.com run by a longtime British comics supporter, has just released a superb iPad edition of Dapper John, one of Eddie Campbell's earliest comic strips.

It's a fabulous package collecting all of the "Ace Club" stories in one place and adding a whole bunch of extras.

When Alan Moore first saw Eddie Campbell’s In the Days of the Ace Rock ’n’ Roll Club in 1982, he wrote, “Eddie Campbell is, in my opinion, one of the most interesting talents, amateur or professional, working in comics at the moment.”

It was the start of a beautiful relationship. Dapper John was an inspiration for John Constantine from Swamp Thing. And it was with Eddie Campbell that Moore created the magnificent From Hell (later adapted by Hollywood with Johnny Depp in the starring role).

Campbell, of course, is now recognised as one of the world’s most talented comics artists, with his Alec stories included in the Comics Journal’s list of the 100 most important comics published. His graphic novels The Fate of the Artist, Bacchus, and The Playwright have all drawn great critical acclaim.

Last published in 1993, the Ace Club stories here follow the lives of a group of teddy boys in Southend in the 1970s – characters who could mythologise their walk down the street before they got to the end of it. The stories are a direct precursor to Campbell’s Alec series and are essential reading for any Campbell fan.

"In the Days of the Ace Rock'n'Roll Club was a book, or an ongoing series of sevn-page stories which I drew between March 1978 and March 1979," says Eddie. "The stories interlocked in various ways, with characters from one piece showing up in another. The 'arc', as we say nowadays, came to a logical conclusion after the eighth story, by which time Dapper John had emerged as the main character. A proto-Alec MacGarry appears as the second key character.

"It was in these pages that I started to get the idea of using autobiography as a starting point for a big serious book."

Eddie created new artwork and wrote a special introduction for this new iPad edition, and a whole raft of notes and captions covering the era in which Dapper John strode the small press stage.

The app itself is excellent, offering different ways of reading the strip - a version aping its original layout and a slick 'panel by panel' version with a very well thought out scrolling action involving movement from frame at some points and at other times, a simole cross fade which make for an enjoyable reading experience.

The strips themselves are raw Eddie Campbell at his finest - vignettes of life among the 'Teddy Boys' of Brighton, the stories themselves given entertaining context thanks to accompanying notes, offering a fascinating insight into the heady days of Fast Fiction, early photocopied comics sold at Westminter comic marts and more.

All in all, this is an excellent app with great content - certainly one of he best presentations of comics on the iPad I've seen and up there with my other iPad bench mark, the 'Mirabilis' app.

Panel Nine will be publishing more comics on iPad in the coming months. "We will have two lines," says Russell Willis, who longtime British comic fans may recall as one of the ground-breaking figures in indie comc publishing back in the 1980s (read an interview on downthetubes here).

"One publishes some of the best comics work already existing work in deluxe digital graphic novels for the iPad, and the other is to commission new work that is created with the iPad in mind from the beginning.

"Our team here in Tokyo has developed what we think is the best graphic novel reader on the market," he enthuses, "giving a much better user experience than market leaders such as Comixology and other comics reader platforms."

More news as things develop.

• Buy the App from iTunes

• More about Dapper John on Eddie Campbell's blog

IDW and Barnes & Noble Partner to Bring Graphic Novels to NOOK Tablet

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:08:00 +0000

Continuing to lead the charge of digital comics, IDW Publishing - perhaps best known for its Transformers, Doctor Who and Star Trek titles - has debuted a collection of graphic novels for the new Barnes & Noble NOOK Tablet.

Currently, the NOOK is only available in the US and it seems Barnes & Noble are unsure about offering it in the UK and elsewhere, despite high praise for the tablet.

IDW’s initial NOOK entrée features over 30 complete graphic novels, including award-winning books and works by bestselling authors.

“We’re excited to partner with Barnes & Noble to bring IDW graphic novels line to NOOK,” stated Jeff Webber, IDW’s director of ePublishing.

“With the NOOK Tablet, Barnes & Noble has developed a stunning display that works perfectly for viewing comics and graphic novels. Our digital graphic novels include all the special features and content found in the print versions also available through Barnes & Noble.”

Fans of IDW writers such as Joe Hill, Anne Rice, Max Brooks, Peter S. Beagle, Steve Niles, or James Patterson can now find those graphic novels right next to their respective prose stories. Award-winning creators like Darwyn Cooke and his acclaimed adaptations of Richard Stark’s Parker books and the first instalment of the Bloom County: The Complete Library are also included in IDW’s diverse NOOK line.

IDW’s NOOK launch offers something for readers of all ages, from classics like Eric Shanower’s OZ series for younger audiences and Joe Hill’s best-selling Locke & Key series for mature readers.

“Barnes & Noble is excited to offer IDW Publishing’s graphic novels on NOOK Tablet,” said Theresa Horner, vice president of Content and Digital Products for Barnes & Noble. “With the launch of NOOK Tablet, we now offer a vast collection of full-colour comics, graphic novels and kids’ comics in high resolution that makes the action virtually jump off the page. IDW’s graphic novels are a great addition.”

As well as being an eReader, the NOOK Tablet - available only, for now, in the US - offers access to popular movies, TV shows, music and more through the top entertainment services, including Netflix, Hulu Plus, Pandora and others, plus a collection of high-quality apps, fast Web browsing and e-mail. NOOK Tablet features Barnes & Noble’s award-winning colour reading experience, with access to the world’s largest digital bookstore via Wi-Fi.

The initial lineup includes the following titles, and can be found at: http://bit.ly/idwnook

•    Bloom County: The Complete Digital Library Volume 1 1980-1981
•    Bloom County: The Complete Digital Library Volume 2 1982
•    Bloom County: The Complete Digital Library Volume 3 1983
•    Code Word: Geronimo
•    Doctor Who: Fugitive
•    Doctor Who: Tesseract
•    Doctor Who: Agent Provocateur
•    Doctor Who: The Forgotten
•    Doctor Who: Through Time and Space
•    Doctor Who: Fairy Tale
•    Dead Space
•    Dragon Age
•    G.I. JOE: Hearts & Minds
•    The Last Unicorn
•    Little Adventures in Oz Vol. 1
•    Locke & Key Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft
•    Locke & Key Vol. 2: Head Games
•    Locke & Key Vol. 3: Crown of Shadows
•    Locke & Key Vol. 4: Keys to the Kingdom
•    The Murder of King Tut
•    Mystery Society
•    Parker: The Hunter
•    Parker: The Outfit
•    The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures
•    Star Trek: Countdown
•    Star Trek: The Movie Adaptation
•    Star Trek: Nero
•    Star Trek: Spock Reflections
•    Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon Movie Adaptation
•    True Blood Vol.1: All Together Now
•    Witch & Wizard: Battle for Shadowland

Visit IDWPublishing.com to learn more about the company and its top-selling books.

- More information about the company can be found at IDWPublishing.com.

- For more information on NOOK devices and eReading software, updates, new NOOK Book releases, Free Friday NOOK Books and more, follow them on www.twitter.com/nookBN and www.facebook.com/nookBN.

- General information on Barnes & Noble at: www.barnesandnobleinc.com

Liquid Comics launches 'Graphic India'

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 10:02:00 +0000

An image from the series, "RAMAYAN 3392AD" by artist, Jeevan J. Kang. A futuristic, sci-fi adventure, inspired by the Ramayana myth and featured on www.graphicindia.com

Liquid Comics, which owns one of the world’s largest comic book libraries based on Indian characters by Indian creators has announced the launch of Graphic India, a new digital platform to promote comic books in India and showcase young artists and writers in the country.

Graphic India is intended to be India’s premiere graphic novel platform and community, leveraging Liquid’s large library of high quality content created by Indian creators, while also aggressively commissioning and showcasing numerous original stories by India’s greatest new visionaries.

“India is home to some of the most creative minds in the world, and we believe that the next Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, JK Rowling or Stan Lee exists somewhere in this country - ready to change the world through their stories," says Liquid Comics co-founder and CEO Sharad Devarajan. "Through Graphic India, we want to find, nurture and promote these creators, leveraging the power of digital media to potentially reach millions around the world.

“In the same way Japanese anime and manga redefined a generation of audiences worldwide, we believe the creativity and rich storytelling potential of India is ready to take the world by storm.”

"There has been no greater experience than to have worked closely with some of the planet's most talented young story-tellers and artists in India,"commented Liquid Comics co-Founder and prolific author, Gotham Chopra, who will be writing and editing a number of original stories featured on the platform. "I really believe that to channel all this talent now into Graphic India promises to be one of the most exciting endeavors of my life."

Initially, the platform has been launched as an online site at http://www.graphicindia.com/ that features free daily digital comic book chapters, interviews with creators, educational resources for aspiring artists and writers and pop culture film, television and game reviews. Digital comics featured on the site can be embedded and shared across social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

To further spark young Indian creators to look at graphic novels as a meaningful profession, the site is featuring a “Create A Comic Contest,” where the winning idea submitted will be awarded a contract to publish their Graphic Novel and win 100,000 Indian Rupees.

Over the next few months, Graphic India says it intends to expand its digital platform across mobile through various partnerships and apps. Beyond digital comics, content will soon include episodic animated shows, digital trading cards and social games based on Liquid’s leading character properties.

Episodic digital comic books featured for free on the site will include long running international hits such as, Devi, created by acclaimed filmmaker, Shekhar Kapur; Ramayan 3392 AD, a futuristic story inspired by the classical Ramayana myth which is also now being developed as a theatrical film in Hollywood with Mandalay Entertainment; The Sadhu, created by Gotham Chopra and also in development as a feature film; Myths of India, featuring retellings of original Indian myths presented by bestselling author Deepak Chopra; Mumbai Macguffin an action-espionage story by Saurav Mohapatra and Saumin Patel; UnHOLI by Indian writer, Samit Basu and artist Jeevan J. Kang, which centers on a zombie attack in Delhi that takes place during the Holi festival; and many other stories.

Graphic India intends to commission as many as 20 new graphic novel stories to be exclusively featured on its platform in 2012.

Liquid Comics - www.LiquidComics.com - is a digital entertainment company focused on creating cinematic and mythic graphic novel stories with filmmakers, creators and storytellers. The company was founded by entrepreneurs, Sharad Devarajan, Gotham Chopra and Suresh Seetharaman and uses the medium of digital graphic novel publishing to develop properties for theatrical live-action films, animation and video games.

Liquid has created and is creating original graphic novels with acclaimed filmmakers and talents including John Woo, Guy Ritchie, Grant Morrison, Shekhar Kapur, Deepak Chopra, Dave Stewart, Marc Guggenheim, Jonathan Mostow, Edward Burns, Nicolas Cage, John Moore, Wes Craven, Barry Sonnenfeld, Marcus Nispel and others.

The company currently has a number of film and television projects in development based on their properties.

ROK Comics releases Iron Moon digital graphic novel

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 11:03:00 +0000

Britain's dedicated mobile comics publisher ROK Comics, has just launched a digital edition of the steampunk graphic novel The Iron Moon, a creator-owned comic story by acclaimed Commando comics artist Keith Page and film writer Stephen Walsh.

Described as 'Rorke's Drift in Space', The Iron Moon is a fast-paced steampunk-inspired adventure starring no-nonsense adventuress Charlotte Corday and is now available worldwide for iPad from the Apple iTunes store.

In the story, the twentieth century is just around the corner and Queen Victoria is hale and hearty as she heads into the second century of her reign. The British Empire stretches from the white cliffs of Dover to the red skies of Mars. Go-getting men and women of the imperial dominions flock to the colours, eager to make reputations and fortunes in the wilds of high space.

Take lieutenant Charlotte Corday, for instance. Born in what used to be known as France, she has risen to prominence through the ranks of the Royal Space Navy and now finds herself up to her neck in her greatest escapade yet. Watch as she travels to the mysterious Iron Moon! Marvel as she grapples with a conspiracy that may see the galaxy plunged into war! Goggle as she meets new and strange races, both mechanical and biological! Ponder how she manages to put away so many cups of tea! And prepare to have your brain scrambled as she scoops us up and carries us to the very limits of this universe... and into the next!

ROK Comics partnership with Stephen and Keith is one of several new agreements with comics publishers and comic creators. These include the release of an iPad edition of the first issue of the adventure anthology comic STRIP Magazine, published by Print Media Productions, which includes a special 'prequel' strip for The Iron Moon.

Iron Moon writer Stephen Walsh has written multiple volumes of DC Thomson's Commando Picture Library, as well as the graphic novel The Acid Bath Case (illustrated by Kellie Strom). He co-wrote the feature films How Harry Became A Tree, released in 2001, directed by Goran Paskaljevic and the upcoming Where The Sea Used To Be, directed by Paul Farren. He's currently working on a documentary about John Ford with the director Sé Merry Doyle, as well as preparing further adventures of Charlotte Corday with Keith Page.

Inspired by the great British comics artists of the past such as Frank Hampson, Don Lawrence and Joe Colquhoun, Keith Page has worked full-time in comics and illustration for some 17 years. Subjects have ranged from television-related material such as Thunderbirds, science fiction, and his current war stories of all periods for Commando. A variety of Keith's work can be seen on www.keithpageukcomicsartist.blogspot.com.

ROK Comics recently launched its first fully originated comic, TEAM M.O.B.I.L.E. which is initially being published as a weekly web comic (at www.theteammobile.com), followed by roll out on iPad and other devices.

The company has previously published creator-owned and licensed strips for mobile, with three iPhone apps – Ligeia the Vampire by Rodrigo Diaz Ricci, The Mobile Gospel by Rich Diesslin and Madd Science by Steve English.

Further iPhone and iPad apps, working with a number of different publishers, are in development.

• The Iron Moon can be downloaded for £4.99 at: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/the-iron-moon/id472627046?mt=8

• Visit ROK Comics at: www.rokcomics.com

• A print edition of The Iron Moon is available from Print Media Productions – www.printmediaproductions.com

Cartoon Days of Christmas challenge launched by 'Mobile Gospel' cartoonist Rich Diesslin

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 08:15:00 +0000

Comics creator Rich Diesslin has just announced the 9th Annual On-line The Cartoon Days of Christmas, which aims to offer cartoonists interested in some free promotional fun.

This year's Cartoon Days of Christmas will begin on 1st December and run until 5th January 5th at www.the-cartoonist.com. Cartoons need to be submitted by 28th November in order to be posted on the web site.

Each cartoonist will have a page featuring two or more cartoons on the theme of humor in the Christmas season.

"It will be G-rated fun for the whole family and help to keep the hustle and bustle of the holidays in perspective," says Rich.

How it's looked in past years can be found at www.the-cartoonist.com/tcdc_july.html

Rich, whose 'Mobile Gospel' is available as a ROK Comics-produced iPhone app, is known for his freelance cartoons and cartoon books on a variety of topics including his recent e-book KNOTS Scouting, Out-to-Lunch general and Gospel cartoons.

"This foray into Christmas humour is one of the ways the cartoonists can draw attention to their cartoons, blogs and web sites," Rich enthuses."It's free publicity for those participating, and this year they will again be able to have two cartoons added to the gift shop to generate a little bit of revenue next year."

What you need to participate:

RSVP e-mail to Rich so you can be kept up-to-date on any developments

Basic stuff needed for your web page:

Two or more cartoons on Christmas (G or PG-rated)
A brief biography (one or two paragraphs)
A banner and/or contact information
E-mail them to Rich by 28th November 2011 via RLDesATaol.com
Promote the event to your contacts
Enjoy the show!

Content will be screened for suitability on a family-oriented web site! Further information is available upon request, including interviews and graphics as needed.

Little Lemming Books launched by Windett and Gatehouse

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 10:48:00 +0000

Artist Dave Windett and writer John Gatehouse have launched Little Lemming Books, a new publishing imprint for print and digital media, kicking their line off with Trick or Treat, the first story to feature aspring reporter Neela Nightshade.

Town gossip has it that creepy Monster Mansion on top of Gallows Hill is haunted. Investigating for herself, Neela discovers that the stories are all true…! And when the terrifying Monsters in the Basement escape, nothing can stop them from destroying the town…

Dave and John have worked together for numerous companies on more projects than they can remember, featuring both licensed characters and their own creations. Little Lemming Books is their first leap into the brave new world of electronic self publishing made possible by the emergence of devices such as the Amazon Kindle and Apple’s iPad.

Produced with the help of expert E–Book developer Paul Drummond, Trick or Treat is the first of a series of illustrated children’s comedy horror books.

• Little Lemming Books can be found at: www.littlelemmingbooks.com

• A version of Trick or Treat for Iphone, Ipod, Ipad, Nook and other epub readers is available at Lulu.com

• More of Dave’s artwork can be seen at www.davewindett.com and news and sneek peeks at upcoming projects can be found on Dave’s Blog.

• Paul Drummond's site has information about his E–Book development services.

How do you know you want to buy an e-comic?

noreply@blogger.com (john_maybury) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 17:25:00 +0000

So, how do you know you want to buy an e-comic? Same as a paper comic I guess - look inside…

Would you buy a paper comic if you couldn’t see what it was like inside? Probably not. Similarly, I very, very, very rarely buy an e-comic without a meaningful preview - I did once, but the book had good reviews and as far as I could tell, the reviews weren’t by the writer’s mum (and it was non-fiction - I was interested in the information, not the artwork, although it did turn out to be rather nicely drawn).

When browsing through the Amazon Kindle store, you can download a free preview of the book and make an informed choice. If you are the publisher, you need to consider how to help your potential buyers make the right choice.

The main thing to remember is that Amazon decide how much free stuff to give you based on the text in the book, not the images. This means you can easily avoid letting potential purchasers see how good your work is by:

- putting the copyright information in text immediately after the cover.
- putting the table of contents at the front.
- start the book with a multi-page rant telling the potential purchaser not to pirate it.

Copyright information is important, but why not put it on the first comic page - i.e. in an image? Full copyright and contact details and whatever else can be included in text at the end of the book as well.

For Kindle e-comics, the table of contents should be at the back (or omitted if you prefer, though for a large graphic novel it is handy to have one…). The Kindle lets you jump straight to the table of contents, so this isn’t a problem for the reader.

Remember, no matter how good the cover looks, comics are about sequential art. We want to see a sample before we buy.

ROK Comics launches Misfits from M.O.B.I.L.E.

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 23:00:00 +0000

ROK Comics, Britain's dedicated mobile comics publisher, has just launched its first originated comic title – MISFITS FROM M.O.B.I.L.E.

MISFITS FROM M.O.B.I.L.E., drawn by Andrew Chiu, is the first fully originated ROK Comics title and will initially be published as a weekly web comic (at www.misfitsfrommobile.com), followed by roll out on iPad and other devices.

An ongoing adventure comic, MISFITS FROM M.O.B.I.L.E. centres on the story of teenagers recruited into a secret organisation to battle crime, terrorism and other dangers – some stranger than others.

And if you’re wondering why a secret organisation would risk such young lives, there’s a very good reason, and all will be revealed in the coming weeks…

MISFITS FROM M.O.B.I.L.E. is the creation of ROK founder Jonathan Kendrick, a concept he has been developing for several years. Inspired by a love of James Bond and comics, he came up with the back story for the comic, including its top secret 'MindMerge' technology and gadgets.

The strip is written by John Freeman from storylines by Jonathan Kendrick, with art by Andrew Chiu. Kris Carter is colouring the title, with Jim Campbell providing lettering and logos.

John Freeman's credits include work for Marvel, Judge Dredd Megazine and other comics but he's perhaps better known as an editor, for ROK Comics and titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, STRIP Magazine and many others. Andrew Chiu's credits include 2000 AD, the mainstay of the British comics industry, DC Comics, Vertigo Comics and ILEX Press.

Kris Carter is a digital colourist, illustrator and web designer whose credits include Transformers and Doctor Who and Jim Campbell is a professional comic-book letterer and occasional artist whose credits are far too numerous to details but suffice to say, he's worked for pretty much every major British comic publisher and some American companies, too.

ROK Comics has previously published creator-owned and licensed strips for mobile, with three iPhone apps – Ligeia the Vampire by Rodrigo Diaz Ricci, The Mobile Gospel by Rich Diesslin and Madd Science by Steve English.

Further iPhone apps, working with a number of different publishers, are in development.

ROK Comics, part of ROK Global PLC, continues to provide mobile comics content for WAP subscription services across the globe and is currently working with partners in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

• Follow MISFITS from M.O.B.I.L.E. at www.misfitsfrommobile.com

• Visit ROK Comics at: www.rokcomics.com

Comixology revamps app - requires re-download of comics

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 11:01:00 +0000

Comixology has issued a major update to its digital comics app - one that means subscribers will have to re-download their comics library, albeit at no cost, but I can imagine some annoyance if that has to be done one comic at a time.

Version 3.0 of the app has brought a lot of improvements and changes to the graphic-publishing management and storefront app, giving users a new on-demand store, a completely new interface, background downloading and a host of user-management options for digital collections.
The Comixology app allows users to purchase digital editions from major and minor comics publishers, including US publishers such as Marvel, DC and Image. Independent and creator-owned books and labels are also available from within the app, which includes a "guided view" comic reader that creates a dynamically-masked, optimized view of each panel in the story in sequence.

Since 2007 comiXology has been developing the technological infrastructure to bring comics into the digital mainstream and expose new audiences to the rich history and culture of the industry. Through partnerships with publishers, their own mobile and web apps, hosting over 4000 digital titles, comiXology has become a leader in comic book proliferation.

The company is also focused on creating strong ties with retail stores through its technology solutions, aiming to transform what it describes as "the previously fragmented comic ecosystem" into a vibrant and cohesive marketplace.

The new version of the app features a "collections" organizational motif to find and manage collections, series-level organization, a new "My Comics" area, a New Purchases tab and the ability to buy or continue reading the next issue at the end of a comic. MacNN reports the storefront now loads nearly instantly, and sports featured pages for genres, creators, series, story arcs and other criteria, along with branded publisher screens and the ability to pause and re-prioritize downloads.

The update also adds stability for the app running on iOS 4.0 and higher.

• Comixology's Comics 3.0 is a free download from the iTunes App Store and requires iOS 4.0 or later. Due to the adult content found in some titles, users must be aged 17 years old or older. For more information visit www.comixology.com.

Mirabilis Comic App gets a spruce up

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:38:00 +0000

Reading on iPad shifts up a gear with Mirus Entertainment's completely revamped Mirabilis comics app, released this week.

In addition to smooth page-loading and an improved menu bar and in-app storefront, the Mirabilis reader now gives users direct access from within the app to Facebook, Twitter and email.

Features like this are providing comics publishers like Mirus with the ability to engage one-on-one with their readers, providing push notifications of upcoming issues, responding to fan letters, and updating news from the Mirabilis Facebook group straight to the app.

In effect, book apps like this work not only as publishing platforms and virtual stores, they are the framework for publishers to connect with communities of readers.

• Check out Mirabilis - Year of Wonders application on the App Store

Cut the Rope digital comic on way from Ape Entertainment

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 13:53:00 +0000

Ape Entertainment and ZeptoLab, developers of Cut the Rope, one of the top selling iPhone, iPod touch and iPad game apps of all-time, have announced a new licensing agreement to create a series of digital comic books based on the popular game.

The comic series will explore the yet untold backstory of the game’s endearing hero, Om Nom, building upon his adventures in the popular mobile game.

Cut the Rope is an award-winning mobile game from ZeptoLab that has experienced top-rated success in the major app stores for iOS and Android smartphones; and the world's first iOS game to win a BAFTA Award.

In this physics-based puzzler, players are challenged to cut an increasingly complicated series of ropes by swiping the screen, catching stars, and ultimately steering the candy into the mouth of Om Nom, a cute and ravenous little monster.

In the game, users encounter new characters and unusual obstacles that keep the game entertaining, addictive and most of all - fun to play.

Ape Entertainment plans to release the full-color comic book series digitally through a standalone Cut the Rope Comics App in the iTunes App Store in late August.

"It’s an amazing opportunity to work with ZeptoLab on one of the app world’s most addictive and successful games,” said David Hedgecock, CEO of Ape Entertainment. “The comic book series is shaping up beautifully and we are making something that we know fans of Cut The Rope and fans of good entertainment everywhere are going to absolutely love!"

“Om Nom has become a fan favourite and he has an amazing backstory," said Misha Laylin, Chairman of ZeptoLab. "This new comic book series will tell that story and introduce fans to a cast of characters and storylines that will unfold in future iterations of the game.

“As we develop new channels outside of mobile gaming for consumers to engage with Cut The Rope and Om Nom, we’re thrilled to be working with Ape Entertainment. They have done a great job of not only capturing Om Nom’s story, but maintaining the high level of artistic integrity fans of the game have come to expect.”

• For more information visit www.ape-entertainment.com or www.zeptolab.com

Star Wars Comics go digital with Dark Horse

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 13:46:00 +0000

The wait is finally over, as Dark Horse and LucasFfilm announce the arrival of Star Wars comics in the Dark Horse digital store.

Dark Horse announced the arrival of Star Wars digital comics ad the San Diego Comic Con last weekend, delivering the news to a packed house of fans, media and industry professionals.

Now, fans are encouraged to head over to Digital.DarkHorse.com to download their favorite Star Wars titles today, with over 50 comics available for purchase! Fans can now download, the original Star Wars: Crimson Empire series, Marvel’s adaptation of Episode IV: A New Hope, The Clone Wars, Knights of the Old Republic, Legacy: War, Knight Errant, The Old Republic, Jedi: The Dark Side, and the top-selling Darth Vader and the Lost Command.

Most single issues will be priced at the standard $1.99, with KOTOR #1 and Clone Wars #1 available for free download. Additionally, Crimson Empire #1, Knight Errant #1, and The Old Republic #1 will be just $.99!

Going forward, Dark Horse will release a mix of new and backlist titles weekly.

Lucasfilm, the Lucasfilm logo, STAR WARS™ and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved.

Panel Borders radio show spotlights Interactive Comics

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 12:28:00 +0000

Jack’s Abstraction by Daniel Merlin Goodbrey, available on Android devices

Starting a month of shows about the cross-over between comic books and video games on the Panel Borders radio show that first airs on ResonanceFM, Alex Fitch talks to web comics creator Daniel Merlin Goodbrey about the latest examples of his experiments in interactive ‘hyper-comics’: including Jack’s Abstraction, available on Android devices, and the forthcoming A Duck, which allow comic strip readers to follow differing narrative paths in various directions on the virtual page.

Alex and Daniel also talk about other recent examples of the intersection between games and comics including Batman: Arkham Asylum and InFamous 2: The Fame Strips which he designed the flash interface for but were written by Pat Mills and Howard Marks to promote the PS3 game and feature a number of well-known celebrities - including Lady Gaga, Pippa Middleton, Justin Bieber , Lindsay Lohan (right) and Cheryl Cole - get some refreshingly satirical treatment.

The fantasy comic strips, which bring together seven of the world’s freshest comic artists, explore what would happen if some of the world’s favourite celebrities were integrated into the fantasy inFAMOUS world alongside characters of New Marais, allowing them to hold superpowers and the choice to change the world for better or worse.

• Panel Borders: Interactive Comics airs at 5.00pm, Thursday 07th July 2011 on Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com / podcast after broadcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com

• Read the full collection of InFamous strips online here

Bryan Talbot delivers 'The Naked Artist' to Kindle, Nook and more

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 08:38:00 +0000

The Naked Artist, comic creator Bryan Talbot's prose book documenting the outrageous, daft and occasionally educational tales of the comic industry is now available in Kindle, iBook and several other formats including PDF.

If on the night of a comics convention you were to go to the the hotel bar and buy a few drinks for a comic book pro, you'd soon hear stories about his fellow creators - tales of drinking and drugs, of missed deadlines and missing pants, of maniacal editors and crazed fans. These are the urban legends of the comic industry.

Illustrated by Hunt Emerson, acclaimed graphic novelist Bryan Talbot (creator of the award-winning The Adventures of Luther Arkwright, The Tale of One Bad Rat, Alice in Sunderland and Grandville) saves you the cost of gin and tonics by bringing you this collection of the wild and hilarious anecdotes told by - and starring - some of comicdom's leading lights. This expanded edition includes all the stories from the original print edition and more.

"It’s an updated edition with an extra few thousands words’ worth of stories," Bryan tells us. "In fact, I was thinking of calling it The Naked Artist - Engorged!"

• The Naked Artist is available for the ludicrously low price of $2.99 (approx £1.86, or £2.13 for the Kindle edition in the UK). You can read the first 20% of The Naked Artist free here: www.combustoica.com/NakedArtist.php

UK Readers

• Buy The Naked Artist: Comic Book Legends (Kindle edition) from Amazon UK

• Buy The Naked Artist (iBook) from Apple UK

• Other eBook editions - Smashwords

US Readers

• Buy The Naked Artist: Comic Book Legends (Kindle edition) from Amazon.com

• Buy The Naked Artist (Nook Edition - Barnes & Noble)

• Buy The Naked Artist (iBook) from Apple US

Graphic.ly gets "Awesome" Revamp

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:21:00 +0000

Digital comics distributor Graphic.ly has revamped its platform which now caters for some 200 publishers and caters for "hundreds of thousands" of readers.

Announcing the revamp via the site's blog CEO and Chief Community Caretaker Micah Baldwin revealed the new version is completely HTML5 based and will soon be optimized to be viewed on any device. "We have worked closely with Google to extract all the benefits of HTML5 and the Chrome browser," he explained, "and as those features (offline browsing, in-app purchases and others) get rolled out, you will see them activated on the site."

The revamp also includes the inclusion of new social tools to help creators, publishers and fans promote favoured books, reflecting Baldwin's long-standing commitment to making Graphic.ly a comics community as much as a comic store.

"In early January, we began to discuss Graphicly and its future," he revealed. "We knew that we had to continue to champion the importance of community and cutting edge technology. We also knew that if all we did was grow into a gigantic online store or even the “Diamond of digital,” we were doing nothing more than putting a Walmart in the middle of a vibrant downtown.

"Being a store is easy. Get content. Sell lots of content. Repeat as necessary.

"But building a platform that allowed for the intersection of story-tellers and story-lovers— well, that's hard. Every day, wonderful creators are told that their work isn’t good enough simply because someone determined that their stories may not sell.

"Fans are disappointed as stories are discontinued and the creators they love find it difficult to work. Publishers are repackaging, renumbering and rebooting stories and character lines in an attempt to keep the interest of fans.

"It’s a vicious cycle, one that we have decided to opt out of. We will continue to sell books from the greatest publishers out there. But we will also help stories, regardless of medium — be they graphic novels, film, audio, games or some amazing aggregation — be accessible, immersive and engaging."

The new Graphicly.com "is a wonderful first step in that direction," feels Micah. "Beyond the refreshed look and feel, you will find that there is no Flash on the site anywhere. It is completely HTML5 and will soon be optimized to be viewed on any device.

"We even released a new version of our Android app, which closely resembles the functionality of the website."

The major development for the site, however, is that it now has a YouTube (and MyEBook) style 'embed' option, meaning any comic available on Graphicly.com can be taken and embedded, just like a video, anywhere, so fans (and publishers) can show it off on other websites or blog."

And the conversation that occurs around the story on your site?

"Well, that carries to every single place the comic book is installed," says Micah. "Imagine having a conversation about Top Cow’s Angelus across a thousand sites in real time?

"It's a pretty powerful concept," he enthuses. "Think about how you were introduced to great stories. Someone introduced you to Spider-Man or Wanted or any of the stories you love. Now, with a couple of clicks, you can do that for hundreds or thousands of people.

"For creators this is a compelling promotional tool, and one that many creators have already taken advantage of, and over the course of the next few months, many more creators and sites large and will will do the same.

"We are committed to continue to produce and develop creator tools to 1) be supportive and 2) make it easier for their fans to connect with them," he adds. "Initially, we have set it up where any creator can submit their work to submissions@graphicly.com and within 24-48 hours, their book will appear within the network — and more importantly, the community will help curate the content.

"Over time, we will introduce more and more ways for the community to directly interact and collaborate with their favorite creators.

"It will be a fantastic connection of awesome."

In addition to publishing an independent creator or publisher's title, Graphicly will also work work with the creators to help them to submit approved work to places outside the Graphicly Network, be it the Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble NOOK, or even other digital comic online stores.

"We are committed to helping creators get their work seen by the largest audience possible, and are working on ways to make that possible," says Micah.

"We are also starting to work with creators of all types of stories. Soon, you will see video and other story mediums within the Graphicly Network, and in many cases the stories will be presented with multiple mediums used. (As an example, imagine clicking on a tv screen in a graphic novel, and having a video play that extends the story.

"The stories that will be discovered and curated by the community will be, well, awesome.

"At the conclusion of our meeting in January we decided that our mantra was 'Connect Awesome'.

"We want to help define what online storytelling becomes," says Micah. "We want to reach inside the minds of the most creative people in the world, and provide technology that empowers them to tell their stories in the way they want, and watch those stories be shared and enjoyed by the most amazing community in the world."

• Check out Graphic.ly here

Tank Girl and Lenore head for iPad as part of new Titan Comics App

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 16:07:00 +0000

A panel from Titan Publishing's comics app featuring Tank Girl and Lenore comics, available on iPhone and iPad for the first time ever.

Titan Publishing has announced the launch of a brand new comics app, featuring Tank Girl and Lenore comics, available on iPhone and iPad for the first time ever.

The new stand-alone app allows iPhone, iPod touch or iPad users to explore Titan’s digital comics portfolio, including – for the first time in digital format – Lenore volumes 1 & 2 by Roman Dirge, Tank Girl: Bad Wind Rising (Alan Martin & Rufus Dayglo) and Tank Girl: Skidmarks (Martin & Dayglo).

The dark surreal world of Roman Dirge comes to life on the iPhone and iPad with the digital debut of his cult comic creation, Lenore. These gruesomely grisly tales see Lenore, the cute little dead girl, and her twisted menagerie of demented friends do battle with Nazi zombies, avoid the unrequited love of Mr. Gosh, and fend off the massed forces of Heck and an overeager, hungry earthworm.

Bad Wind Rising is the brand new Tank Girl series by Alan Martin and Rufus Dayglo, which sees Tank Girl and her long-term partner Booga split up in dramatic and outrageous circumstances.

Described by Ain’t It Cool News as ‘possibly this year’s coolest comic!’, the series is a must-read for all Tank Girl fans.

Martin and Dayglo’s previous series Skidmarks sees Tank Girl participating in an Outback ‘take-no-prisoners’ race in an attempt to win prize money for her friend Barney’s operation. The series is also available digitally for the first time in the new app.

For the first time Titan’s wide-ranging portfolio is available in one app, featuring exclusive free content including WWE Heroes, Transformers (exclusive UK strips), Shaun the Sheep and Wallace & Gromit. Brand new comics are set to be released by Titan via the app throughout the year.

• To explore Titan’s digital comics, simply go online to the iTunes app store and search 'Titan Comics' to download the app or follow this link direct.

• More information about the app can be found at http://titanmagazines.com/pages/titan-comics-app/

• More about Titan Comics at www.titanmagazines.com

Business Books turned into comics for 'Twitter generation'

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 12:02:00 +0000

Chris Anderson's The Long Tail turned into a comic by Smarter Comics and Round Table

US publisher Round Table is to release a number of best selling business 'text books' as comics - in both print and digital editions - hoping to make the books "lively" and appealing to the "Twitter and Facebook generations".

Round Table, working with nonfiction comics publisher SmarterComics, will launch titles such as Larry Winget's Shut Up, Stop Whining & Get a Life and technology magazine Wired's editor-in-chief Chris Anderson's The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More in May.

The printed editions will be published first, distributed by National Book Network, and will be available through US chain and independent bookstores, Indigo Canada, and Hudson News airport bookstores - with eBook editions for IPad, iPhone and Android devices hot on their heels.

Round Table carefully selected some of the best business, self‐help and motivational books written and turned them into "lively, visually appealing comics, for a generation of readers who want valuable information in easy to understand bits," according to RTC President Corey Michael Blake.

Franco Arda, founder of SmarterComics teamed with Blake and Writers of the Round Table Inc., to package the best selling books with authors such as sales guru Tom Hopkins, the "Pitbull of Personal Development" Larry Winget, and performance psychologist Dr. John Eliot.

The range will be 60-70 pages each and should take only 30-40 minutes to read. Winget''s 229-page Stop Whining, for example, will become a 51-page comic.

Blake says the original authors agreed to exchange rights for a token USD $100 each, in return for royalty payments of 20 per cent.

With interest and enthusiasm building for the medium, Blake went on the hunt for a distribution partner who could deliver, and took an immediate liking to National Book Network, who has signed on to introduce the series and other Writers of the Round Table Press titles to the US and select international markets.

“We're always on the lookout to discover creative, well‐organized and exciting new publishers," explains John Groton, NBN’s VP of Sales. "In this case, I can honestly say we have scored in a big way; and we particularly look forward to getting the comic book series in the market place as quickly as possible.”

NBN, one of the oldest independent book distributors in the United States represents 85 publishers, and utilizes its long‐standing experience and relationships to promote books through multiple channels. “They have made us feel like family and we appreciate the enthusiasm they have for our series and our authors,” says Blake.

“In my 30 years of publishing, I have not seen anything this inventive, this fresh,” adds Gail Kump, NBN’s Vice President of Business Development.

"One thing Kump and Blake both want to make clear: these business comic books are not children’s cartoons. These are illustrated graphic novels that should be shelved in the business or self‐help sections of the bookstore, right next to the original versions. That way, a reader can choose a quick, illustrated, engaging summary, and follow up with the original version for more depth.

“I passionately believe we’re on to some revolutionary work in the book business,” Blake says. “We’re proud to spearhead this new market."

• SmarterComics will release the books digitally through the iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Kindle and other digital readers. Print volumes will sell for about USD $13 and digital versions for USD $10.

Web Links

• SmaterComics: www.smartercomics.com

• Round Table: www.roundtablecompanies.com

DC Thomosn's Commando comic goes digital

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 15:24:00 +0000

Commando - now available on iPad and iPhone

Along with the latest issues of Commando – which includes a reprint of an issue from 1970 drawn by now top 2000AD artist Cam Kennedy - comes news from DC Thomson that their digital editions of the war edition comic are now available for iPhone and iPad.

Commando, which has now surpassed 4300 stories since its inception in July 1961, started its 50th anniversary year in 2011 with a bang, courtesy of a brand new website, www.commandocomics.com. Now its digital subscriptions service, using iPhone and iPad apps has gone live, a first from DC Thomson’s stable of publications.

DC Thomson says the new service ensures that Commando adventures, famed for their accuracy and authenticity, are now available in digital form as well as print.

iPad interface for the new Commando app

The new Commando website, created by DC Thomson’s Digital team in partnership with Edinburgh-based digital agency, Storm ID, has a range of new features which ensures that Commando is well positioned for the digital future.

Users can explore the stories, including new issues, using the free interactive viewer as well as obtain information on the military hardware featured throughout. There’s also the chance to enjoy various story features and the reminiscences of both the current editorial team and contributors from throughout Commando’s 50 years.

Visitors will also have the ability to purchase a digital subscription directly from the website or buy a print subscription for delivery. Also, for the first time, users can get their hands on some famous Commando cover posters (in A1 size format) exclusively through Commandocomics.com, for the introductory price of £19.99.

Both iPad and iPhone apps, the other aspect of the title's latest digital push, are free, and come with the option to download four free issues of Commando from the title's archive, to tempt you into buying a full subscription.

The iPhone App has an instinctive interface that's simple to use and Commando's printed format – usually two landscape panels per page – means the stories transfers easily to the small screen.

Download speeds from the archive will vary with your connection, but you can carry on exploring the library while you're waiting for that to happen, which has been catalogued themeatically.

iPhone interface for the new
Commando app

At present, there doesn't appear to be a search facillity - comic fans will almost certainly like to search by artist or writer as well as by theme - but there is an in-app link to the Commando web site (which opens in Safari), so there are options there for DC Thomson to develop direct to its readers.

Annoyingly, while there's clearly been a huge effort to make Commando an enjoyable reading experience on the small screen (although some readers may need to use the 'zoom' feature to read the story text), it's a bit odd that the new Commando web site doesn't detect you're viewing it on an iPhone, and offer a mobile version of the site. But this is a minor niggle - the whole launch of these new Apps and the new web site is a huge step into new territory for DC Thomson and they've done a good job - and I'm sure there are more developments in the pipeline.

“Being the first DC Thomson title to offer a downloadable digital comic via a web-based subscription service is quite a responsibility but one we are delighted to take on," says Commando Editor Calum Laird. Commando is a unique product in the UK marketplace and now, it can be made available worldwide at the click of a mouse, or the tap of a screen for iPhone and iPad.

"These devices are almost tailor-made for the unique presentation of Commando," feels Calum. "Backing up the subscription service with a fully-loaded website giving access to our timeless story archive will be welcomed with open arms by Commando fans.”

• The iPad and iPhone apps are free to download through the Apple iTunes App Store and a digital subscription is priced at £4.99 per month, compared to a £99 annual print subscription. For those not sure there are four free issues to download prior to making a purchase.

• Commando Comics iPhone App on iTunes

• Commando Comics iPad App on iTunes

• Official Commando web site: www.commandocomics.com

• Click here for subscription information or write to: D.C. Thomson & Co Ltd, The Subscribers Department, Commando Library, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL or Freephone (UK only) 0800 318846

Winners Announced in The Webcomic List Awards

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 17:26:00 +0000

The winners of the 2010 Webcomic List Awards have been announced in the form of a brilliant illustrated ceremony, but for those that would like to know the results without having to read through the ceremony the winners are as follows...

Best Writing - xkcd
Best Colour Art - Dresden Codak
Best Black and White Art - The Abominable Charles Christopher
Best Non-Traditional Art: Romantically Apocalyptic
Best Character - Cleo from Cleopatra in Space
Best Long Form Webcomic - The Abominable Charles Christopher
Best Gag-a-Day Webcomic - Bug
Best New Comic - Scenes from a Multiverse
Best Comic - Red’s Planet

The Webcomic List Awards were started in 2009 as a replacement for the Web Cartoonist's Choice Awards, which ran each year between 2001 and 2008.

Nominations were open to anyone involved in the creation, promotion or distribution of comics, in print or on the web and the winners were picked by a panel of judges from across the web and print comics.

Codestore offer iOS templates for iPad comic book publishing

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 17:11:00 +0000

British developers CodeStore recently announced the availability of a new iOS app template - 'Comic Book App', a way to publish digital comics on the App Store, without the need to learn how to develop an App.

The easy to use template, which costs just $27, loads pages in JPEG format, and outputs a native iPad App, ready for the App Store.

The Comic Book App project has the following features:

Loads pages from image files, easily add pages to the project, no coding required
Simply save your pages as .jpg files and the Comic Book App will display them in order
Supports 'Zoom', adapt the zoom level to suit your comic, again, no coding required
Supports high-resolution images for great detail even when zoomed
Swipe between pages, or use on-screen buttons
Animated page transitions, and app launch animation
Supports an unlimited number of pages
Includes an example comic book
Left-to-Right and Right-to-Left format comics supported (useful if Manga is your genre)

CodeStore offers a range of projects for producing Book Apps for iPhone and iPad, the projects on offer allow authors who may not be familiar with coding or software development to easily create an app from their content. The projects are apps that load content in HTML or JPEG format - so no knowledge of the Objective-C programming language is required to create a book using the templates.

Codestore say templates have opened up the App Store book market to a world of authors who had previously got stuck at the hurdle or either learning iOS software development, or paying an expensive price to have an app built for them.

Designer Chris Mayer is an iOS and Mac developer based in Chichester, who has developed apps in a number of categories, mostly focusing on games, entertainment titles and books. Get in touch via contactATchrismayerapps.co.uk; check him out on Facebook; follow him on Twitter

• The Comic Book App project can be purchased for $27 (USD). One purchase allows an author to release as many apps as they like. All five CodeStore book projects can be purchased together for just $57. You will need Mac OS X 10.6 and iOS SDK 4.2 developer kit to use the template.

• Link to CodeStore • Comic Book App Guide (PDF)

Australia's first digital comic publisher launches, promots indie titles

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 08:56:00 +0000

Spectrum Pacific Publishing managing director Benjamin Slabak has announced the launch of Australia’s first digital comic book publisher, Cloud 9 Comix -- and its initial focus seems firmly on publishing independent titles and independent creators.

Spectrum Pacific Publishing, founded by Benjamin Slabak in 1996 in Sydney, Australia, developed and published over 30 computer games and moved into print publishing in 2009. It quickly moved toward digital publishing in 2010, with plans to release comic books, magazines, books, as well as casual games for iPad, iPhone, Kindle, Blackberry and Android devices.

The project's line up features titles from Italy, France, Croatia, India, Argentina, Australia, USA and many other countries, with a number of titles fully translated and adapted into English language for the very first time.

“We are big fans of the international comic book scene and we will bring a number of classic Italian fumetti, French BD, as well as titles from Asia and South America to the digital platform, starting with the iPad and following up with Android and other platforms in the coming months”, says Mr Slabak.

Cloud 9 is also backing indie creator. “We will work with and support independent comic book authors and small publishers in making their titles available to an audience that’s wider than ever before," he enthuses.

"A myriad of digital tablets and e-reader devices are slated for release during 2011 and we expect the digital comic book scene to experience a boom in 2011”.

The iPad app, codenamed Silver Lining, available now as a free download from iTunes, was developed internally by SPP and features a store-front that lists the available comics, previews of each comic, and a handy shelf feature where the purchased comics are stored and easily accessed.

SPP say the simplicity of use of the app is one of its strengths and the comic book fans will surely enjoy flipping between the pages of the many comic books and graphic novels available in the store, with a number of free ones available to download.

Cloud 9 Comix has also collected the best of Australian comic book titles under its brand and titles such as Dark Detective: Sherlock Holmes (published by New South Wales-based publisher Blackhouse Comics), Vienna, Dark Nebula, Southern Squadron, The Wraith, and others, which are already available for purchase in the Cloud 9 Comix iPad store.

Explaining the decision to launching first with an iPad app, Slabak points to the quality and clarity of comics on the device. "It's perfect for comic books and it allows one to take their comic book collection with them and read them on the go.

"With most comics priced between $0.99 and $1.99 USD,' he adds, "it has never been more affordable to get back into the wonderful world of comics and graphic novels. Our catalogue offers something for everyone, with new titles being added on regular basis”.

Partners in the project include small publishers and independent studios such as Texas-based Red Handed Studios, publishers of Dynagirl; Ratti Entertainment, Chicago-based Spinner Rack Comics, Blackhouse Comics, Bangalore-based Level 10 Comics, publishers of Jump Magazine, Azure Press, publishers of Acolyte Chronicles, superheroine publisher Heroic Publishing, Cinemacomics, Urban Style Comics, Vimanika Comics and more.

SPP say their catalogue now features over 150 unique titles from all six continents. They also plan to publish in Italian, Spanish, German, Croatian and other languages.

“We're excited about launching Cloud 9 Comix and look very much forward to building our brand and reaching new audiences with much content never before accessible on the global scale," says Slabak. "This is an opportunity for independent authors and publishers to show their labour of love to the world which would not be possible without the digital platform”, says Mr Slabak.

“I invite everyone with an iPad to download our free app and sample some of the comic book titles available from us.”

• The full catalogue of comics available is on the official website http://cloud9comix.com

• Official Cloud 9 Comix promo video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzDmip68u0w

• Cloud 9 on Facebook

• Cloud 9 on Twitter

• Cloud 9 App for iPad (iTunes link)

IDW launches creator-based comics

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 11:50:00 +0000

IDW Publishing has announced the launch of Templesmith Comics, the first of its creator-based digiital comics range.

The Templesmith Comics universal app for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch comprises a collection of comics by one of the industries most unconventionally brilliant creators, Ben Templesmith and features a free storefront application offering in-app purchases.

"Ben's work deserves to be featured on its own," said Jeff Webber, IDW's Director of ePublishing. "The custom designed app includes several of Ben's biggest series - Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse, Singularity 7, Groom Lake, Shadowplay, Welcome to Hoxford, and even a special G.I. JOE story featuring the Baroness.

"These books have been top sellers on other platforms such as Sony PSP, so we wanted to bring them to his iPad and iPhone fans as one complete library."

The app launch comes hot on the heels of sales figures released by digital comics distributor Comixology (a company regarded as emerging at the forefront of digital comic distribution and sales) suggesting strong sales for creator-owned comics on digital devices.

IDW, the first comics publisher to launch its own "in app purchase" storefronts for the iPhone and iPod touch, brings its offering to five storefronts with the new Templesmith Comics. This creator-based app joins IDW's existing storefronts: G.I. JOE Comics, TRANSFORMERS Comics, Star Trek, and IDW Comics.

All IDW store front apps are powered by iVerse. IDW currently has over 650 individual issues available through the App Store, with more available every week and distributed on more mobile devices and platforms than any other major publishers, including Apple iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Sony PSP, Nokia Ovi Store, Amazon Kindle, AT&T, Blackberry.

Available as a free application through iTunes, Templesmith Comics comes with three free books and the option to purchase over 30 for either $.99 or $1.99 each. New books will be added regularly as IDW's Templesmith catalog continues to grow.

Each digital comic has been specifically formatted to optimize reading for both iPad and iPhone.

• Templesmith Comics is now available from iTunes as a free download. Click here to download from iTunes

Graphicly attracts $3 milion in new investment from VC angels

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 11:15:00 +0000

Digital comics distributor and comics community Graphicly has announced that it has raised a Series A financing totaling $3 million dollars, investment lead by DFJ Mercury, with participation from 500 Startups, Dundee Venture Capital, Ludlow Ventures and several angel investors.

With the additional funding, Graphicly says it now plans to create a true digital entertainment experience by providing audio commentaries, video, music and interactive panels.

“Our community is looking for more than just an online digital comic store," says stated CEO Micah Baldwin. "They know that comics are not just colorful stories for children, but beautiful art, with deep story lines that are best experienced socially and interactively that extend beyond the page.

"2011 is the year we bring that into existence.”

"In 2010, we focused on bringing our community to as many digital comic publishers and creators we could, on every platform in existence, and they responded by downloading more than 600,000 copies of our applications in less than 5 months, and spending more than 20 minutes per visit,” he added. “In 2011, we are taking what we excelled in and combining it with our new funding to bring a greater immersive social experience and new ways to engage with the story and characters.”

Graphicly ended 2010 leading the industry with more than 150 publisher and creator relationships, including industry leader Marvel Comics, Archie Comics, Archaia Entertainment, IDW Publishing, Top Cow and BOOM! Studios, and was the only company to release applications for the desktop with Windows 7 and Adobe Air; mobile with iPhone, iPad, Windows 7 Phone and Android; and the web as a featured partner with the Google Chrome Web Store.

"Their product is phenomenal and their team is out of this world," feel investors Ludlow Ventures.

• Graphicly web site: www.graphicly.com

More Jack Staff issues released for iPhone

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 13:44:00 +0000

A quick plug, courtesy of digital comics distributor Comixology, to remind folk here that Paul Grist's wonderful Jack Staff is available on iPhone and more.

Out now are Issue 9 and 10, with Issue 9 offering "Titanic team-up action as Britain's Greatest Hero, Jack Staff, and Castletown's Cast Iron Champrion, Tom Tom the Robot Man, join forces in the hunt for superhero-hating Detective Inspector Maveryk!

You'll also learn the full details of the Freedom Fighters' battle to halt the Nazi invasion of Castletown in 1942.

In Issue 10, it's time for more action from Karl Stringer, a man who was just a thief until he stole the Claw, a strange metal glove that bonded with his own hand and gave him the power of invisibility! He became the mysterious Super Villain known as The Claw - until the police caught up with him.

Right now he's called Ben Kurmer and he's part of Q, the enigmatic investigators of the Question Mark Crimes – only when he gets caught up in a diamond robbery, he has to decide if he's really a hero or a villain!

• More info on Issue 9 of Jack Staff on the Comixology site

• More info on Issue 10 of Jack Staff on the Comixology site

• More about Jack Staff on Wikipedia