Digital Comics

[starscape]

I would far far prefer a cheaper Essential Marvel/DC Showcase/Judge Dredd Case Files version, i.e. big volumes of comics. Or even smaller graphic novels. They were mostly black-and-white anyway, so we're losing little by not having colour. Even by just selling them as print-on-demand books via Amazon, well, it's relatively little outlay and no sale-or-return issues. I believe Titan might have the right mind you to graphic novels but I'd certainly be interested in publishing them like this if either Titan or Egmont don't want to.

I do actually read quite a lot on the Kindle. Pocket books like Commando, Air Ace, Stablazer etc are AMAZING to read. Just the right size and I can get them in under 5mb, so it's possible for companies to sell them via the Kindle store without any premium. And of course, they're B&W anyway.

But...I also read a lot of US comics (btw, it's me that's doing all the digital trickery to get them readable, not any bought scans or so) on the kindle (mainly my favourite stories for train, plane etc journeys). US comics work surprisingly well with a touch of contrast and lighting.

However...I find traditional Brit comics just too difficult. I tried converting some old Bullets. It just doesn't work. Even when zooming, the panels are usually cut somewhere in the middle or partial splashes aren't fully seen. It's just not a very pleasant experience.

[tony ingram]

Just in case anyone missed the thread on the subject; August sees the return of Crikey! as a 128 page Special (it's grown since the cover was designed) available for download, with contributions from Pat Mills and Bryan Talbot, features on Valiant, Whoopee!, Death's Head, Star-Lord, Planet of the Apes and Ken Reid amongst others and a lavishly illustrated look at the 'British Invasion' of DC Comics in the eighties. There's a teaser at the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNDHShc- ... r_embedded

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

I've been collecting masses of comics material [mostly colour covers] for a few years, and storing them onto disk permanently: it's much cheaper and easier to store than books [though printed material if done well is the real deal and always preferable].

Get the stuff put on disk, I say: if it's cheap enough and good value, I'll buy it [even the complete BIMBO or MISTY if it's affordable.]

This is a far better idea than letting these works slip into oblivion.

[-MikeD-]

CDs/DVDs are dying out as a medium. I still think digital downloads are the way to go.

But, of course, in an ideal world this archive material would be printed in books and read in the old fashioned way. I like the idea of print-on-demand. As an example, every back issue of the B/W Solar Wind Comic is available in volumes on Lulu - 244 pages for £6.10+postage. And paper copies make better presents for comic fans...

[crow]

I love my Charley's War, Dan Dare, Johnny Red and The Spider collections but I think digital is the only way to go for fans to see more of that old stuff again.

Yes please, collections of Lion, Valiant, Action and Battle. But please index the pages so we get the choice to read each story from week to week as a whole rather than having to trawl through each weeks issue.

I'm happy with downloads. Maybe not individual issues, but blocks of 13, 26 or 52 issues at a time.

If anyone from DCT is reading this, Warlord and Starblazer re-issues please?

Also, (to whoever holds the rights) I'd love a collection of TV21 and the first 100 issues of 2000AD (including Dan Dare).

My iPad awaits.

[-MikeD-]

...and the first 100 issues of 2000AD (including Dan Dare).

My iPad awaits.

A bit but yes...yes...and thrice yes! Although, I've a feeling the Dan Dare rights issues prevent this happening. I'd gladly pay good groats for an official download of old progs - it's a shame we have to rely on illegal scans or nowt.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

I can certainly see digital comics becoming a standard format.

The only question is 'when?"

[Raven]

Raven, the good news is that we do have an archive! I don't know exactly what's in it (all i know is that what we have was way, way too much for me to consider digitising myself. Even as a longterm project), but we definitely have original bound volumes of comics going back into the 60's - the special editions you and others have mentioned were created from them.

I see the publisher's file copies of Buster for 1969 are up for sale in the present Compalcomics auction.

[swirlythingy]

This week's issue of the Beano contained a well-hidden announcement (on the second-last page) that DC Thomson are about to launch a subscription-based digital edition. I'm surprised nobody here seems to think it's significant.

[Digifiend]

I didn't spot it because it was the subscription advert page! I always ignore those adverts.

[WizzKid97]

I didn't spot it because it was the subscription advert page! I always ignore those adverts.

So do I, trust Swirly to spot it!

(Then again I can talk, I realised Dave Eastbury spelt his surname wrong. Saaaad! )

[swirlythingy]

I didn't spot it because it was the subscription advert page! I always ignore those adverts.

So do I, trust Swirly to spot it!

Yes, everyone does ignore them, don't they? (Hmm... that thread needs updating. I'll get to that later.)

I haven't seen this news announced anywhere else, so it really does seem as if they were going for security by obscurity by announcing it on a page they know nobody reads. As I revealed in the linked post, some quite shocking errors have slipped through that way - and now, on the flip side, some important news has been deliberately leaked in plain sight.

(Then again I can talk, I realised Dave Eastbury spelt his surname wrong. Saaaad! )

Yes, and I didn't - and I'm supposed to the be really sad and pedantic one around here!

[Phoenix]

I'm supposed to the be really sad and pedantic one around here!

No you're not, Swirly. You are the angry one. I'm the sad and pedantic one. If you don't muscle in on my title, I won't muscle in on yours. OK?