Digital Comics

[swirlythingy]

The problem with a Kindle is of course that the e-ink technology currently hasn't advanced enough to display colour, so I reckon that would be a non-starter. And I certainly don't want a web-based Flash monstrosity with completely unnecessary animations and forcing you to use the limited range of display options implemented in the viewer - I've had quite enough of those on Beano.com! And whoever thought single panel viewers - in which an entire page layout is stuffed into a viewport which remains the exact same size and shape - were a good idea? I remember my first encounter with one on the Viz website, and thinking what a stunningly bad idea it was.

Really, it depends what distribution model you're thinking of. Simply disseminating PDFs for a fee would be inadvisable, unless you actually want the stuff on Rapidshare within ten minutes, and I suspect a print collection (as a number of our more sentimental members are suggesting) would be prohibitively expensive.

Maybe you could talk to DC Thomson and find out what they did for Commando's recently launched digital editions? I haven't tried them myself, but they may have thought of something I haven't.

The best idea I can think of would be to host scans of everything on your own server, and install a paywall on a website displaying them, preferably with a smartphone app as well - not trivially easy to copy, but reasonably accessible, flexible and convenient. I believe there are some invisible digital signature technologies available for JPEGs to prevent copyright theft.

As ever with non-physical media, the challenge is to find something compatible and secure at the same time. Just don't resort to DRM, because, trust me, it will end in tears.

I wish you best of luck in your venture, and while I can't guarantee I'll buy something (not having any money to spend on comics ATM after buying the Beano and Dandy), if the price is right, I may be tempted in the future.

[-MikeD-]

Well, I (shamefully!) already read most old comics as CBRs on ComicZeal. I find it quick and convenient. And, for me, it was the killer app that convinced me to buy the iPad.

Most CBRs online (zip archives of scanned comic pages) are only available as fan compilations and are distributed freely. I know there are some folks around here that hate the idea of downloading comics from unofficial sources, the ethics are dubious, but it's often the only way to read this stuff. And (Heresy! Exterminate!) I really don't want to fill a wardrobe and the attic with old newsprint…

Having said that, I think there would be a market for downloading old Fleetway titles. I'd still use the CBR format as *any* digital distribution format can be freely copied. Many comic fans and parents would prefer to pay for legitimate downloads and a colourful, well designed Fleetway Comics site would be a joy, given the wealth of excellent characters in the archives.

Lastly - why not commission new comic material? Unless this is a philanthropic gesture for us comic fans, I guess you're thinking of monetising the archive for profit? Couldn't you reinvest some of this in new, online comics strips featuring revamps of old characters? I'd be interested

[Raven]

Unless this is a philanthropic gesture for us comic fans, I guess you're thinking of monetising the archive for profit?

As I said, though, they don't actually have an archive, do they? It was got rid of.

[-MikeD-]

Unless this is a philanthropic gesture for us comic fans, I guess you're thinking of monetising the archive for profit?

As I said, though, they don't actually have an archive, do they? It was got rid of.

Yeah...good point. We need to know which archive Nick was referring to in his original post.

[Lew Stringer]

Unless this is a philanthropic gesture for us comic fans, I guess you're thinking of monetising the archive for profit?

As I said, though, they don't actually have an archive, do they? It was got rid of.

That was IPC's archive wasn't it? (Material up to 1970.) Not Egmont's. (Post 1970.)

Presumably copies of the pages were retained in some form anyway.

[Raven]

Yeah...good point. We need to know which archive Nick was referring to in his original post.

Well, he mentioned "rare comics that were too expensive or too difficult to find", so presumably he's talking about fairly old material.

That was IPC's archive wasn't it? (Material up to 1970.) Not Egmont's. (Post 1970.)

Well, allegedly publisher's official bound volumes of the likes of Cor!! have turned up for sale, I think ...

[Nick G]

Hello everyone,

first of all, thank you for everyone. All your comments are very useful.

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'm sorry if you thought i was talking about ultra old material from the 30s or 40s - it wasn't my intention to mislead

Mike, I'm afraid that type of decision making is out of my hands. I'd love to see new comic material too. I have a feeling it might be that the market is just too competitive to try launching a new comic. I hope that changed in the future.

As for everyone else. Again - thank you. I'm not sure anyone here had considered the DVD/CD route here at all, but I'll definitely float it back up the chain. It's also nice to hear that the printed books we put out were appreciated. As so many of you point out there are numerous balancing acts to do around working out how to get the material out in a commercially viable manner. I'm hopeful something can be worked out though!

[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'm sorry if you thought i was talking about ultra old material from the 30s or 40s - it wasn't my intention to mislead.

No, I was assuming '60s/'70s, which would be great! I'm fascinated - and delighted - to hear that you have original bound volumes going back so far - and surprised because some items purporting to be those publisher's bound volumes appear to have turned up for sale from time to time, including on Ebay, as I recall!

You own some great material and I hope you find a way to make good use of it.

[Digifiend]

It would be great to access them through a website that would let you `page turn` as if it were a real comic. It would be great to have the ability to zoom in and out

Yeah, like the ones at the Beano website. But either print or DVD versions would also be good.

[Niblet]

Wonder if any TV ads relating to comic launches still exist in the archives - they would make good 'bonus' material.

[tony ingram]

Digital appears to be the future. Personally, I prefer something you can hold in your hands, but I do have all of TV21 on a DVD and I must admit, both on that and on some stuff I've been checking out more recently, the image quality is terrific...

[Digifiend]

Wonder if any TV ads relating to comic launches still exist in the archives - they would make good 'bonus' material.

Dennis the Menace was in one to launch the Beezer. Would be interesting to see it, but I bet it's been wiped (as was common in the 1950s). What other comics had launch TV ads?

[Lew Stringer]

Wonder if any TV ads relating to comic launches still exist in the archives - they would make good 'bonus' material.

Dennis the Menace was in one to launch the Beezer. Would be interesting to see it, but I bet it's been wiped (as was common in the 1950s). What other comics had launch TV ads?

We've covered this before several times I think.

Most comics of the Sixties to Eighties had TV ads.

[felneymike]

Mike, I'm afraid that type of decision making is out of my hands. I'd love to see new comic material too. I have a feeling it might be that the market is just too competitive to try launching a new comic. I hope that changed in the future.

Actually it's mainly because the shops charge ludicrous amounts to put publications on their shelves... hence why your management are wondering if they could instead put all this material onto CD's / the internet to sell directly. And the shops are always complaining about losing out to online sales!

Classics from the Comics was a cheaply-printed, totally reprint publication and that still went under - and just as it had been re-organised and was starting to get really good, too. Personally I reckon old nostalgics would snap this sort of thing up if it was
a - available! (Classics also had horrible distribution)
b - they were aware of it

But putting out in print would be a big risk so I can see why the higher-ups aren't interested. With online distribution it's "distributed" straight away, you just have to wait for the money to roll in. And CD's take up a lot less warehouse space...

Oh yeah tell those higher up that if anything does come out of this, in whatever format, that credits ought to be included. We are well aware that "our chums" aren't actually real and knowing the names of the writers and artists won't in any way lessen the enjoyment of the reading. Plus it's not likely anybody's going to poach the artists now.

[Digifiend]

Classics (and the Fun-Size comics) was chopped so suddenly it actually advertised a no-show next issue!

It's not just shops overcharging for shelf space. Retailers don't seem to think a comic will sell without being based on a TV or film franchise. That's part of the reason Classics and the Fun-Sizes had such bad distribution, which led to their demise - they couldn't get into more retailers because they're not licensed. BeanoMAX only got off the ground because of the Beano brand name, which is ironic when you consider that it's nigh impossible to create a new comic brand these days.

Classics's successor of sorts is Retro Beano. Two pages in the comic each week (subject to adverts) and the odd Dandy strip posted on their Facebook page, isn't a patch on what Classics was (Retro Beano is a good feature, but Classics was a whole magazine with a wider remit). It's loss is regrettable.

And yes, if any archive collections get released, please include the artist credits. The Beano usually does that with it's Retro pages, and rightly so.