If the iPod changed the music industry, what will the iPad do to the comics industry?
At the Grammys this past Sunday evening, Neil Portnow, the Academy President and CEO, delivered some interesting and important words. Before the amassed crowd of celebrities, recording artists, and self-important rich people, Neil said words that hit this comic lover right in the bread basket.
“Now, what if someone told you they really appreciated your work but didn’t think they should have to pay you for it anymore. What would you do? How would you pay your bills, support your family? How would you survive?
This evening, you’ve seen performances by the most successful artists today. And you know about their generosity and giving back. But standing right behind them are thousands of unknown and up-and-coming music makers who face the question of survival every day. In the coming decade, unless they can make a living at their craft, the quality and creativity of the music will be at risk.
Well tonight, we’re all fans and music lovers who want to ensure that the future of music is a bright one. New technologies will bring music whenever and wherever you want it.”
The “up-and-coming” musicians he speaks of… the thousands upon thousands of twenty and thirty somethings working night after night in dingy clubs playing for measly covers? It got me thinking… are are they any different than the twenty and thirty somethings slaving over their computers and drawing boards, putting out small press and indie comics? Nope. And just as the indie bands’ survival is questioned based on the continuing movement to an all digital format… so too we must ask about the future of our medium.
Let’s not kid ourselves. Comic books are a specialty medium. The big boys like Marvel and DC are backed by big corporations, being fueled by multi-million dollar summer blockbusters, Saturday morning cartoon shows, and merchandising deals that keep the chinese children working 60 hour work weeks. And all this is topped by an actual comic book distribution system that leaves little ground for small publishers to stand on. Artist alleys at the local cons are the closest indie creators get to distribution of their wares, unless they can move thousands of books via pre-orders in ‘Previews’. And unless you last name rhymes with ‘Mirkman’… fat chance that’s happening. Suffice to say, the little guy has long had the deck stacked against them when it came to getting their books out to fans.
The solution? The digital age harkens! All this time, whilst we pumped our iPods full of our tunage, we’d been without a hip and trendy device with which to enjoy our clobberin’ codices of four-colored combat! The iPod screen? Tiny! The iPhone/iPod Touch? Minuscule. The Kindle? Bigger yes, but available only in “indie palate” Black and White. And just as all hope is lost… Steve Jobs comes back down from the mountain, with his newest gadget… the iPad (and yeah, we covered this pretty darn well). So, with the iPad large and ‘purty’ enough to showcase our graphic media, what does the future hold?
As we know, Marvel presently offers a subscription service. 5 bucks a month gains you access to a web only portal to enjoy some 5000+ books from the House of Ideas. DC, Image, and the other larger presses have yet to move towards the digital format, but how far off can we be, when the iPad hits shelves faster than Taylor Swift changes fresh-faced boyfriends? Nay sayers (ok, my roomate, Kyle Gnepper of Unshaven Comics) are quick to say that digital comics don’t offer the same satisfaction as the printed page. But digital only version of media (see iTunes for example) tend to be a more cost effective solution to the physical product. Digital distribution also eliminated the middle man (hence the lessened cost)… but in this case, would that lead to your local comic shop having to board up?
Let us also consider the publishers themselves. Why print a title that’s failing to sell well on the shelves, when you could simply produce it as online only content? Could comics see revenue streams from online advertisers in digital comics? If developers can block against piracy (via authentication on iTunes, for example) will comic books be sold as single unit downloads, or podcast style paid-subscriptions? And for the small publisher, will it make more sense to digitally distribute your new book on the iPad, or will it be worth it to use the smaller press print-on-demand services that are slowly popping up? The future it would seem, is open to speculation.
So, let’s open the floor up to you folks out there. How interested are you in digital comics for portable tablet devices? If there are those out there who don’t buy paper comics, would digital comics be more desirable to read? What distribution would work best for you… subscriptions or single issue downloads? And would you opt to stay on paper books, to support your local comic shop? And what of the creators out there? Is there any opinion about seeing your work never hit the fibers of paper… only the glint of pixelated screens? Consider this an ongoing discussion.
I personally think that the iTablet will catch on, but at somewhat the same rate that the iPod did. I think it will be several years and multiple upgrades latter before more companies release web only comics. Marvel already does online comics, but most of them are motion comics of already existing material.The printed comic will never go away as long as there is that twenty/thirty something up and coming person. Printed comics give cause for that local comic shop, which in turn becomes the local hub for debate and interaction of people. So unless you can only go to your comic dealer to download the latest material, there is going to be a continuing need for print.People have a very emotional reaction to a piece of are that is right in front of them. When it's something that you can hold and see the craftsmanship in it, there is a very real physical/emotional reaction. Something is lost in translation when it is show on a screen. Same thing applies to sports and other events. There is no substitute for seeing it live.
Sorry, finger slipped. I mean piece of art, not are.
Phew, thanks for the clarification, Matt. For a minute I thought that your typo might have been "very emotional reaction to a piece of *arse* that is right in front of them…"
As long as there are printed comics, I will read them. If a day comes when there are no more new printed comics, that's the day I'll stop reading new comics. I feel very strongly about this.Comics have been part of my entire life (my earliest memory is of my father buying me a comic book to take on a long car trip) and as Matt stated, we have an emotional connection to things we can hold. I read a number of web comics, and they come and go, but the end of one has never affected me the way the cancellation of a favorite comic has. Matt's right, you connect with what you can feel.
Hey I happened to stumble upon this blog and found you discussing a topic that I had written about before the iPad release, albeit briefly.The first thing I thought about when thinking about the then rumored Apple Tablet was how much I'd like to get comics on it. I'm not a big comic book reader mainly because the price to keep up with the different lines and the hassle of going to a store once a week to get them. So I typically wait for the trades.I would love to get comics digitally distributed for an iPad. View comics on a beautiful higher resolution screen and not have to go to a physical retailer to get them. Also I'm thinking the price should go down since publisher is saving on shipping and printing costs.I know LongBox is a company I've read about that is trying make an iTunes like product for comics so I'd love to see them get a nice app going for the iPad.
I myself have a strong connection to printed materials, but I feel in time the digital platform will create better opportunities for smaller creator/publishers. With no overhead dealing with printing and distribution, creator-owned titles can compete with the bigger boys, at the same price point. My only fear is what the local comic stores will do to maintain their revenues. I'm gonna ask anyone reading this to spread the word, and lets get a ton of opinions to flow onto this story… it's a great debate to have. Russ… I'm looking at you!
I can't help but think about the band Dispatch. They had the biggest indy concert ever for their farewell and they are the first (and I still believe only) independent band to HEADLINE at Madison Square Garden when they reunited for a charity event. THey were never part of a big label, never played on the radio, and credited their success to Napster spreading their music to others.I think stuff like the iPad will be great for up and coming folks the way that YouTube and web-sites have allowed us to embrace folks like Felicia Day, Brigitte Dale and the Ask-a-Ninja Ninja. Heck, 15 years ago I would not be in the position I am where I can get a small fanbase just by writing articles online and doing a web-series for this site and for MidtownComics.com.I agree that nothing will replace the enjoyment of actually holding a comic book in your hand and being able to lend that to someone, but that can come later still. If a comic is successful as a direct to internet/direct to tablet product, then certainly funds can be raised to later release a collected version in print.
This situation really confounds me. On one hand, I've been trying to dedicate myself to a fully digital, paper-free life where ever possible. I would love nothing more than to have my comic collection be digital and on a portable device, with any issue just a click away at all times.But then what are comic shops good for? I think it would be horrible for the community to lose the comic shops. And I don't say this just because I own a comic shop. The shops are hubs of marketing. In a fully digital world, you'd have to rely on the comments posted by other users to see what new thing you should be reading, and I've never found those helpful in other mediums. It's definitely a struggle in my mind.
The comic shop going away would be a disaster to the community.Years ago, there were 5 or 6 comic book shops within a 20 minute drive of where I live. After the direct-market crash, there was one. There's still one. It's the hub of the comic community here. Creators and fans come in on a weekly or daily basis and interact. It's the only place I see some of my friends whom I've met through a love of comics. If not for this shop, I'd probably never see them.Digital-only distribution would kill it, as it is they aren't open 7-days a week anymore (and haven't been for a couple years) if the industry suddenly went all or mostly digital they wouldn't last more than a couple weeks before having to close their doors entirely.
You have a fair point Alan, but the printed version of a web comic never made sense to me. Why would I pay to have the printed version of this series, when I can go online and read it for free? I know that sometimes they throw in some rare art or sketches. But most of these are posted on that comic's website anyway.Unless it is something that is print format only, I don't see the point. I know there are a lot of web comics that use the digital medium purely, i.e.: Pencil to paper, then inked and colored vs. digital creation – all inclusivePvp, Penny-arcade, CtrlAltDel are all web comics and all make prints of there work. There wonderful prints and nothing should be taken away from them. But there is always going to be that market for people who want the original art for a comic.Unless Apple comes out with a rather Zune like app to allow you to share comics with your friends (like you would/do with print versions) I don't see the tablet taking hold for awhile. Also, Brian makes a fair point (aside from the fact that I shop at his store.) of what would happen to comic shops if this takes hold?
Matt, didn't you buy Grimjack: the Manx Cat?
I did by the first two issues, then was informed that it was online for free. I've since read the whole story online and stopped buying the printed version.
And I read it online, and ended up buying it anyways. I don't know… it must be that tactile thing that got me. Or my desire to support a smaller imprint/John Ostrander. But this is the big debate, if they have cheaper books via online readers… how many of them won't even see print anymore?
I read it online as soon as it came out and waited eagerly for the printed version. But I love Grimjack and John Ostrander.I should take a picture of my Grimjack tattoo for you guys.
I would buy them because i can carry them around – i can read them in the kitchen while supper cooks. I can read them in the bathroom … whatever i happen to be doing there.And, while it might be annoying if i dropped a book in the tub, it would be catastrophic if i dropped a laptop or iPad in it…
This is a GOOD point, here in the UK there is alot of talk from the newspapers saying that the people who read the paper ONLINE will have to start paying to do so as the sales of printed papers has gone down so much, BUT they have been letting them read it for FREE online for years, they are having trouble bring in this as a few have said they will keep it free just to keep the online ads getting high hits but they will still not cover there costs.I worry about the FREE online comics not getting the sales they need to cover costs IF no one wants to buy the printed copy so having to add an on line cost as more big named comics start turning up !. Just to add that so far I have payed for Grimjack, Jon Sable, Deamons of Sharwood and Frankenstein Mobster as I enjoyed them so much :)
I always prefer paper over electronic. I would not use the iPad to read a book, newspaper or comic book.
I actually brought up this exact point to an Apple zealot, Marc. I was attacked by him, and his Apple goons. I brought up the local comic shop thing. One of his minions accused me of not getting with the 'digital age'. I fired back with, 'If you support digital comics, you're not a true comic book fan.' And I'm not talking about webcomics. I'm talking about reading New Avengers #54 as an Adobe file or whatever.I'm with Marc about the whole tactile feel of reading a comic. There's just something about physically turning the page. Storing the comic like an obsessive squirrel. I have 17 long boxes filled with comics. I need another 2, but I don't have the room. I don't care. Collecting comics is a passion. Its something I've done for over 25 years. There's just something not collectible about digital comics.
Well put Nick. The issue we face is that the digital age is coming. I'm not against it, I think it would open doors to creators I'm not reading right now… But at the cost of seeing local shops get hurt? I'd not want that to happen at all. I think one way this could happen is to release printed books ahead of a digital readers. But again, if Marvel sees no one buying "Hellcat #26" they might as well put it on the iPad, and save the cost of printing #27.
I found this Seth Godin blog post today particularly appropriate. Who will save the local comic shop in an increasingly digital world? I think I agree with Mr. Godin's point: nobody will. IMHO, the local comic shop is a dead end. Shelf space is limited but web space is effectively infinite. It might not be the iPad that ushers in the all-digital comic age, but that's where things are headed. The argument that "you just can't beat the sensation of holding a printed comic in your hands" will go the same way as audiophiles' arguments about the sound from vinyl records. I think you'll get over it…eventually.That being said, this is a tremendous opportunity for the indie comic book scene. iTunes and digital music revolution have opened up a plethora of new music that most people wouldn't ever hear about 10 years ago. I think comics face the same destiny. Digital comics will reach an (international!) audience larger than anyone has ever dreamed. It's nothing to be scared of. The joy of reading and sharing comics will never die; it'll just take on a new form.
In the interest of full disclosure, I am *not* a true comic book fan as Nick points out – I just live vicariously through the Unshaven Comics guys. I'm just an outside observer with an opinion on where things are headed.
Thanks for the opinion though Kristo, truly. That's what this article was meant to ask… And as a casual observer, you might be part of a new market share the industry could not reach before but WOULD with digital distribution.
Let's run with that idea for a minute. How does one market comics to someone like me? Number one, they *must* be digital because I don't frequent comic book stores. Then suppose I already owned an iPad-like device for Internet browsing from my living room couch. The device could be turned to portrait orientation like a book. I get full screen resolution and I get to hold it like a book (i.e., closer to my eyes, no annoying scrolling). And finally I'd want to have an automatic subscription like Google Reader where my comics are *delivered to me* as they're published.Satisfy all those if's, and I'd say you've really got something. Just don't go Amazon Kindle on me and steal my comics back on a whim. :-)
I actually blogged about this as well because the iPad is something I've been waiting for. A device that allows me to easily carry around a bookshelf worth of content and not just regular books but comic books/graphic novels? Yes, please!However, I do wonder about the fate of the comic book store and I think that right now they have a friend in the publishers. The issue there is that as new blood comes into the ranks and takes over certain positions, they might be more inclined to go for the quick and easy dollar to be made with digital distribution. I think that if publishers act now, come up with a standard, and establish control over digital distribution of their materials, they can act to ensure we'll still have comic book stores.I'm not going to go into it again here, but let me link you to what I wrote: http://lowbrowmedia.blogspot.com/2010/02/tech-low…