Digital Comics [Archive] - Revision3 Forums

dillopod

04-13-2007, 12:49 AM

I just listened to one of the old podcasts where a listener wrote in asking about digital comics and was surprised to hear the ifanboy guys actually kind of support the idea. I can't even begin to imagine a world where comics are digital and we have to read them on little screens (A world gone mad! Zombie-sharks! Nuclear fallout! Digital comic books! AHHHHH!). A huge part of reading comics is the actual COMIC ITSELF. I guess a lot of it is nostalgia...like the smell of an old back issue you pull out to read...but to me that's part of what makes comics great. And I don't buy any book hoping it'll be worth a lot of money but I still bag and board my books just to take care of them...cause they ARE impermanent and they won't be around forever...and that's part of what makes them special...downloading that old issue of Spider-Man I had when I was a kid just doesn't sound as cool as actually buying it and holding it in my hands. Maybe I'm just old fashioned but if all comics went digital I'd have a real hard time staying on board. I actually downloaded some Young Avengers books last week and after trying to read the first two pages decided it just wasn't worth it. And this concludes my comic book rant for the week...

conorkilpatrick

04-13-2007, 12:57 AM

Digital comics are the future.

Marvel and DC better come to grips with that soon.

Evolve or die.

paper

04-13-2007, 12:59 AM

I think my user name shows my stance. At least for now.

As much as I love technology, all my gadgets and such, as much as I understand the road that must be taken...

Nothing replaces paper.

tdarwin

04-13-2007, 01:05 AM

I agree. Being a very poor college student. I've stooped to downloading more books than I own (I do believe in having a backup to read so I don't have to go sifting through my collection to find the book - it's easier for referencing this way). But there is nothing that compares to holding the actual comic in your hand and reading it. The computer screen just doesn't do comics justice, no matter how high-def the scans. So, after I graduate, and get my job, the great backissue hunt of 2007 will begin.

Well, I wanted to quote a Giles/Ms.Calendar reference from "I Robot..You Jane" with Giles going on about the certain olfactory presence in books that computers just don't offer. It's a good quote. Doesn't stand out among others, but it would have been appropriate. oh well.

paper

04-13-2007, 01:08 AM

I'm looking forward to digital paper, the technology that could replicate the look--perhaps, eventually, the feel--of real paper within the digital realm. Imagine having a blank slate comic book which could wirelessly update itself into any comic from your digital archive.

Imagine the editor's note at the bottom of the panel in New Avengers #271 referring to an issue of, say The Fantastic Fourteen. Tap the editor's note and your digital paper converts to that FF issue.

xyzzy

04-13-2007, 01:23 AM

Just like digital music took off when mp3 players hit the market, digital comics will start to really show their advantages when we have a reader that can support them. I mean, just imagine, being able to carry around your entire comic collection in something the size of one comic book. That's appealing.

lindseyd

04-13-2007, 02:00 AM

I don't understand the whole "digital comics?! Never! Paper forever!" stance, as if digital comics will somehow immediately supplant paper ones. They just plain won't; don't get freaked out about it.

What digital comics can do is subsidize the comics market, attracting readers that might not purchase paper comics for whatever reason (cost, availability, whatever.) Assuming digital comics were appropriately lower in price than hard copies (I'm looking at you, Top Cow), the itunes model has huge potential for comics distribution, IMO.

comhcinc

04-13-2007, 02:37 AM

i got to disagree. i don't see that this is the future of comics. look at the book industry, they have no plans to do away with books ever. in fact if you was watching book tv on cspan a couple weeks ago you would have saw the publisher of balletin books talking about this.

if they ever do away with paper comics, they do away with me.

acomicbookgirl

04-13-2007, 02:43 AM

I think my user name shows my stance. At least for now.

As much as I love technology, all my gadgets and such, as much as I understand the road that must be taken...

Nothing replaces paper.

I agree.. I love technology but I love holding that floppy or trade.. :)

itsbecca

04-13-2007, 02:44 AM

Reading old stories I'd never be able to get my hands on otherwise is to big of a plus to deny. Nothing can beat turning pages, but honestly the first time I read a comic on the screen I was really surprised how much I didn't mind it. In fact I kind of like the vertical aspect because in a book I always find my eyes wandering to the next page and spoiling surprises.

Don't get me wrong I'll still be getting all new comics in tangible form, but I think it should be welcomed for the good uses you can get out of it.

paper

04-13-2007, 02:49 AM

kwok_talk

04-13-2007, 02:50 AM

I think it would take some time, but as an analogy, 10 years ago I would've thought that I'd never give up CDs for mp3s. I think digital distribution will have a rough patch unless they align with an existing tech co (ex: Apple). I can't imagine Marvel or DC coming up with a stellar download interface or reader. But down the line, I hope digital download becomes an option.

comhcinc

04-13-2007, 02:56 AM

We also need to remember, paper production is vital to the supression of rogue trees. Have you seen the second LotR? Enjoy reading your techno comics on your backpack sized iPods as the Ents lay waste to your home.
i wet myself just a wee bit at that one. and i have no problem with comics printed on papyrus.

I think it would take some time, but as an analogy, 10 years ago I would've thought that I'd never give up CDs for mp3s. I think digital distribution will have a rough patch unless they align with an existing tech co (ex: Apple). I can't imagine Marvel or DC coming up with a stellar download interface or reader. But down the line, I hope digital download becomes an option.i'll never gave up records for cds. cds can't give you the lows that a record can. and i'll never buy an mp3 cause they compress them too much for my taste.
now that said i do have cds and mp3 but they will never replace records as the product of choice

kwok_talk

04-13-2007, 02:59 AM

Concerts have ruined my hearing. I honestly can't tell the difference. MP3s sound just fine to me.

comhcinc

04-13-2007, 03:05 AM

Concerts have ruined my hearing. I honestly can't tell the difference. MP3s sound just fine to me.
alot people can't but that's because you don't know what to look for. if i were to spend some time with you i could show you easy. i've got 15% hearing lost in my right ear due to a rpg and i can still tell.
i didn't spend 1500 on my bose 901s to listen to badly recorded music.

kwok_talk

04-13-2007, 03:15 AM

alot people can't but that's because you don't know what to look for. if i were to spend some time with you i could show you easy. i've got 15% hearing lost in my right ear due to a rpg and i can still tell.
i didn't spend 1500 on my bose 901s to listen to badly recorded music.

It took me a second to realize how we wandered off on this tangent (my fault). But I guess our back and forth on this illustrates that even if comics go digital, the paper format probably won't go away any time soon b/c there are a lot of people who want to stick with and appreciate that medium. (offers peace branch)

comhcinc

04-13-2007, 03:20 AM

It took me a second to realize how we wandered off on this tangent (my fault). But I guess our back and forth on this illustrates that even if comics go digital, the paper format probably won't go away any time soon b/c there are a lot of people who want to stick with and appreciate that medium. (offers peace branch)

eh? i would agree with you on that.

okay problem solved. questions answered. close this tread and lets move on. come people, chop chop. lots of questions to answer

itsbecca

04-13-2007, 03:21 AM

i'll never gave up records for cds. cds can't give you the lows that a record can. and i'll never buy an mp3 cause they compress them too much for my taste.
now that said i do have cds and mp3 but they will never replace records as the product of choice

That is intense.

comhcinc

04-13-2007, 03:30 AM

That is intense.

i just don't believe giving up a format just because there is something new. i go with the best format.

oh and as for the records thing. pretty much every album out on cd is still put out on vinyl. all good djs use vinyl

heh i still own(and use)laserdisc and beta too

kwok_talk

04-13-2007, 03:38 AM

i just don't believe giving up a format just because there is something new. i go with the best format.

oh and as for the records thing. pretty much every album out on cd is still put out on vinyl. all good djs use vinyl

"Best format" is pretty subjective. The space freed up from not having crates or racks of albums is worth the lower music clarity/quality. I love the fact that I can carry my whole music library around on an ipod thanks to mp3s. Even with inferior sound quality, it's not noticeable enough for me to go back.

And I'm definitely not DJ-ing anytime soon, unless someone wants a party set to Belle & Sebastian.

Just saying. Nothing personal.

conorkilpatrick

04-13-2007, 03:46 AM

I'm with Kwok - vinyl, CDs, mp3s - I don't notice any difference. I'm not a connoisseur. I don't care all that much. And I am pretty sure that most people I know with iPods feel the same way.

xyzzy is correct. Once the viable delivery mechanism is developed the digital wave will happen. At least with the kids. Good luck finding a comic book store at that point, though.

comhcinc

04-13-2007, 04:01 AM

I don't care all that much. And I am pretty sure that most people I know with iPods feel the same way.
what? the uninformed sheep-like masses feel that way? i completely change my stancehttp://www.websmileys.com/sm/music/musik01.gif

j/k

i agree that at some point digital comics will become commonplace, but i don't see it ever replacing it

mikegraham6

04-13-2007, 04:10 AM

i'd much rather read a floppy physical version of a comic but i would love for Marvel/DC to do a iTunes type distribution system. I've already mentioned my opinion on the Top Cow Digital comics thread (in terms of price and avalibility) but if this existed i would still by the paper versions but this would be a great way to buy back issues, or to try out a new book with low risk (again: see my price point suggestion). imagine instead of going to wikipedia to reference a past storyline your unfamiliar with, you can just download the issues/arc for a deal and be caught up with the original material, i'd use it all the time.

mikegraham6

04-13-2007, 04:15 AM

i just don't believe giving up a format just because there is something new. i go with the best format.

oh and as for the records thing. pretty much every album out on cd is still put out on vinyl. all good djs use vinyl

heh i still own(and use)laserdisc and beta too

i think the only main difference in sound quality comes from vinyl to cds. vinyl definitely sounds different, it has that scratchy sound to it (but don't get me wrong I love that scratchy sound)

any you'd be suprised with the amount of big name DJs that have now moved over to MP3s, many of the top name UK DJ's have either moved over to this or have combined it with their vinyl collections

labor_days

04-13-2007, 04:22 AM

I prefer paper comics. Digital comics don't bother me. As long as it helps keep the form alive and healthy, I can't complain.

Drawing an analogy between CDs and mp3s makes me want to cry tears of blood.

Mp3s are so compressed, so tinny. All the dynamics of music are lost. Trying to listen to an mp3 of Debussy's Nocturnes would make me want to stab my eardrums to death. The mixing of today's pop records isn't helping much either.

comhcinc

04-13-2007, 04:30 AM

i think the only main difference in sound quality comes from vinyl to cds. vinyl definitely sounds different, it has that scratchy sound to it (but don't get me wrong I love that scratchy sound)

any you'd be suprised with the amount of big name DJs that have now moved over to MP3s, many of the top name UK DJ's have either moved over to this or have combined it with their vinyl collections

it's all about the low end. that's why you have a "bass boost" on your cd player.

the mp3 that the djs are using are nowhere near as compressed as what you get at say the itunes store.

i have no problem ripping your own mp3s(or in my case AACs) cause you can control the quality

alexg

04-13-2007, 05:18 AM

Bottom line...can't read digital comics on the can. Pure and simple.

conorkilpatrick

04-13-2007, 06:08 AM

Bottom line...can't read digital comics on the can. Pure and simple.

You will be able to once the digital reader device is developed.

alexg

04-13-2007, 06:09 AM

You will be able to once the digital reader device is developed.

I'd be afraid of getting it...uh...wet.

kwok_talk

04-13-2007, 11:37 AM

Bottom line...can't read digital comics on the can. Pure and simple.

No laptop then? ;)

mikegraham6

04-13-2007, 11:52 AM

No laptop then? ;)

that's just gross, i refer you to AlexG's comment about not "getting it wet":rolleyes:

k33k3r

04-13-2007, 12:16 PM

There's always tablet PCs

horatio616

04-24-2007, 12:36 AM

Ron's comments about digital comics was interesting. I personally am not as interested in it but the way that Ron presented the idea was more appealing than any I've heard in the past.

What if:

A company had all of its content available to subscribers for a monthly fee, allowing customers to read ALL of the books released each month on their computer. The customers could then be given to option of buying a collection of a certain title in TPB. I might actually go for that because one of the main reasons I've mostly stopped buying monthlies in favor for TPBs is space.

Of course, comic publishing is a money pit and it would take a brave soul with deep pockets to be the first to leap in. Someone like Virgin comics, maybe?

kal

04-24-2007, 01:05 AM

I eagerly await the day that comics make a big jump to the digital format. After amassing a huge library of trades and single issues (see my mega trades sale-a-thon to see what maybe half of my trade library looks like), I've come to realize that storing them is an absolute chore and takes up a huge amount of space where I could put, you know, a couch or something.

Now, let me say this: I hate reading comics on my computer. The only way I like to read them is through what Marvel's doing on their official website with the smart read feature (how nifty that is!). But, the day they come out with a device that'll intuitively let me read my comics anywhere I want, I'll be on that shit immediately. I feel like the antagonist in Fahrenheit 451, but paper doesn't hold much appeal to me anymore -- it's simply the information I want. I used to think that having an actual CD and the CD case was important, but once the iPod came along and showed me the convenience technology can bring about, I was a convert (like I'm assuming many of you are).

Are CD's a dead duck? No, and it's doubtful that music in the digital format will ever be the sole way to buy music media. In the same way, comics in the paper format will never go away -- but I would love to have to at least have an alternative.

I absolutely love comics and books in general, but I'm sick of them dominating my closet space, my living space -- if I could store them all on an iPod like device, I'd be down in a minute. I love going to the comic store each week, but if I can get my comics digitally each week (think of how much time would be saved if the entire printing process was cut out!) I would do it in a heartbeat.

The comic format will never die, but at least present some alternatives for people who are willing to try somethingnew.

six-gun

04-24-2007, 01:48 AM

This (http://youtube.com/watch?v=V1uYTp0--zE) is the (pipe-dream) future of comics.

And it's a must buy (http://www.amazon.com/Metal-Gear-Solid-Digital-Graphic/dp/B000FDMUSM/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-6440956-1516801?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1177374782&sr=8-1) if you own a PSP (http://www.amazon.com/Sony-PlayStation-Portable-PSP-Core/dp/B000F2DE8S/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1_s9_rk/002-6440956-1516801?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&s9r=8afea4c110df77ee0110fcba88bd0327&itemPosition=1&qid=1177375438&sr=1-1)

jerome

04-24-2007, 02:34 AM

was that last link really necessary? ;)

six-gun

04-24-2007, 03:15 AM

was that last link really necessary? ;)

No, but I bet you clicked on it :)

mikegraham6

04-24-2007, 03:03 PM

I can understand people's reluctance to move to digital, but the reasons seems to be more for nostalgic reasons more than anything. if they can make digital as portable as regular comics then i'd be happy, thats my only concern, and i agree with the rest of the positives presented in the other posts. people who don't want to accept digital comics just remind me of the debate over cds replacing vinyl. Sure their are people who prefer one over the other, but the truth of the matter is that a new generation will grow up with the new medium and eventually it will get replaced as this generation will have no interest in a paper format. you can arrgue as much as you want about the benefit of something like smell (which i agree with by the way) but the kids wont care, thats just how the market works.

horatio616

04-24-2007, 03:26 PM

Could you imagine reading comics on an iPod? Early vision loss.

The comic market will follow the book market. They will have to come up with a good reading device and a distribution system and then comics will follow suit.

alexg

04-24-2007, 05:46 PM

I think the Ipod proves that a major format shift rests on the unit and the software that supports it. There were mp3 players and even software to manager them before Itunes/Ipod, but no one really cared.

Once a reliable device is in place I think there will be a landslide of people reading things digitally. Look how many people are already obsessed with ipods and friggin blackberries--The culture already accepts handheld devices, now we just need the device itself. it'll probably come from Google too...weren't they the one's who wanted to digitize the world's libraries?

xyzzy

10-23-2007, 12:25 AM

We're getting closer.

Full color e-paper. (http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/22/bridgestone-shows-off-ultrathin-full-color-e-paper/)

esophagus

10-23-2007, 12:37 AM

I hate the idea that comics will be gone to the digital age, but if there's one way for them to go, it's to e-paper. You buy say, 5 e-books at the standard 22 pages, once. More for a lot of people, I'm sure. Then you upload a book onto them each week, and are set to go. But, by the time you want to read something else (whetheri tb e the next week has rolled around, or oyu just had more books to read than e-books) you can just copy over it. Looks and acts like a real floppy, but you've got files instead of longboxes.

diabhol

10-23-2007, 02:04 AM

Personally, I'd be just as happy with the iTunes model. Especially if it meant I could get a cheap trade when the arc was complete.

e-paper is freakin' cool, though.

mrugly

10-23-2007, 02:45 PM

I sympathize for the owners of comic book shops (especially the small ones) when comics make the jump to the digital format. I'm a very anti-social person, but I like going to my new LCS (new comics reader) and chatting with the lady that owns it. But, we are moving toward a faceless, introverted society that will require little to no human interaction in terms of the trades of goods and services, so what do I expect?

six-gun

10-23-2007, 03:41 PM

We're getting closer.

Full color e-paper. (http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/22/bridgestone-shows-off-ultrathin-full-color-e-paper/)

that just blew my mind

xyzzy

10-23-2007, 06:40 PM

esophagus

10-23-2007, 07:54 PM

that just blew my mindThen you should try it's wiki page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_paper).

Unlike traditional displays, e-paper can be crumpled or bent like traditional paper. One important feature needed is that the pixels be image stable, or bistable, so that the state of each pixel can be maintained without a constant supply of power.
Basically, unplug it and crumple it up, when you come back in a couple of hours your comic will be fine. Woooo.

esophagus

10-23-2007, 07:59 PM

I don't need human interaction to receive consumer goods. That's what I have friends for.First off, that was the most anti-social thing I've ever heard.

Second, I don't think it's so much tat. Most people's LCS is a hangout of sorts. You read books, you socialize, and you enjoy everyone's company. And a lot of, as mcuh as I hate to use the word, comic nerds don't get that interaction in a lot of places. Not only does this eliminate one very nice, very great source of social interaction, it may eliminate all of them for some people.

Then there's the matter of jobs. A lot of small comic shops make a fairly small living. They're doing it because they just plain love the industry. This gets rid of that, which can be quite unstable.

I say if this ever happens comic stores should still exist. For the indie publisher that can't figure this out, for the collectors and quarter bin finds that exist everywhere, etc. A lot of bookstores (even Barnes and Noble) survive on the fact that people can come in and relax with the book. A comic shop could do that with the selection of issues they have. Or work in an internet cafe sort of way. You can come in and buy your blank paper, load it up from one of their electronic tills, and sit and enjoy it.

xyzzy

10-23-2007, 10:32 PM

First off, that was the most anti-social thing I've ever heard.

Really? I thought it was pretty mild. It's not like I threatened violence or anything.

Second, I don't think it's so much tat. Most people's LCS is a hangout of sorts. You read books, you socialize, and you enjoy everyone's company. And a lot of, as mcuh as I hate to use the word, comic nerds don't get that interaction in a lot of places. Not only does this eliminate one very nice, very great source of social interaction, it may eliminate all of them for some people.

This is something that I simply have no interest in. As you note, many of the patrons are somewhat lacking in socials skills. Not to mention hygiene. It's a stereotype, but in my experience, one based in reality. And the clerks are as bad, if not worse. All I want to do is exchange money for goods. I don't want to become buddies with the staff or excahnge small talk. I certainly don't care what they think of my purchases. I go to a store for service, not companionship.

Then there's the matter of jobs. A lot of small comic shops make a fairly small living. They're doing it because they just plain love the industry. This gets rid of that, which can be quite unstable.

Not to be harsh, but that's just not my problem. It's not my responsibility to provide a living for other people. That they do it for the love is not a good reason to patronize them.

I say if this ever happens comic stores should still exist. For the indie publisher that can't figure this out, for the collectors and quarter bin finds that exist everywhere, etc. A lot of bookstores (even Barnes and Noble) survive on the fact that people can come in and relax with the book. A comic shop could do that with the selection of issues they have. Or work in an internet cafe sort of way. You can come in and buy your blank paper, load it up from one of their electronic tills, and sit and enjoy it.

If comic book stores can grow and adapt with the changing times, good for them. If they can offer me a service that I want at a reasonable price, I'll partake of it. But regardless of whether they will be able to adapt or not, change will come.

dave-accampo

10-24-2007, 12:07 AM

"Best format" is pretty subjective. The space freed up from not having crates or racks of albums is worth the lower music clarity/quality. I love the fact that I can carry my whole music library around on an ipod thanks to mp3s. Even with inferior sound quality, it's not noticeable enough for me to go back.

I'm with you on that. Like you, I don't notice the difference (untrained ear or whatnot, it might just be a case of ignorance being bliss), and I love having my entire library on something that's so tiny and light. It's ridiculously cool.

I do believe I could switch to a digital comics model, but it's gonna be harder than the switch from CDs to MP3s because I have harder time shaking the collector mentality on comics. That said, I do see that it will happen. The biggest factor, as others have said, is the device. I'd need something small and thin, but not so small as to ruin the art. I dunno. I could see myself easily subscribing to little comic strips and things like that, but i'm not sure about a graphic novel unless it was on a reader that's maybe 9x6 and super-thin with an amazing paper-like display quality. Then it would be portable enough, but still large enough to read the artwork.

I know that'll come. When it does...and when the distribution model slides into place...I think I'll probably be there.

dave-accampo

10-24-2007, 12:11 AM

And if it's OK to plug for a friend....one of the writers on my audio drama podcast has a deal with Wowio.com and is digitally distributing his first comic.

http://www.wowio.com/users/product.asp?BookId=1577&Link=1

They're PDF comics, but they're free when you sign up on Wowio. It's not a bad deal. I read the comic in PDF form, and didn't have too much trouble.

Again, I ain't sayin' I'm moving away from print comics, but if this is a good distribution method for finding some good new talent, then...yeah, I could see myself reading a few pdfs on my lunch break at work or something...;)

esophagus

10-24-2007, 01:04 AM

Really? I thought it was pretty mild. It's not like I threatened violence or anything.

This is something that I simply have no interest in. As you note, many of the patrons are somewhat lacking in socials skills. Not to mention hygiene. It's a stereotype, but in my experience, one based in reality. And the clerks are as bad, if not worse. All I want to do is exchange money for goods. I don't want to become buddies with the staff or excahnge small talk. I certainly don't care what they think of my purchases. I go to a store for service, not companionship.

Not to be harsh, but that's just not my problem. It's not my responsibility to provide a living for other people. That they do it for the love is not a good reason to patronize them.

If comic book stores can grow and adapt with the changing times, good for them. If they can offer me a service that I want at a reasonable price, I'll partake of it. But regardless of whether they will be able to adapt or not, change will come.Okay lets sum up here. You've got a self-centered attituder about comics that make the stereotyping so bad, and not only that you've decided you're above the stereotype, and I disagree.

xyzzy

10-24-2007, 01:12 AM

Okay lets sum up here. You've got a self-centered attituder about comics that make the stereotyping so bad, and not only that you've decided you're above the stereotype, and I disagree.

What do you find so self-centered? That I don't patronize or care about an establishment that doesn't offer me anything I want? *Gasp!* How could I? I'm probably also being self-centered because I don't buy Hello Kitty merchandise. Those poor Hello Kitty store owners. Why am I so thoughtless towards them?

Yeah, I think I am better than the comic book guy stereotype. And I feel bad for anybody who doesn't. Because it's a pretty shitty stereotype. If you want to not bathe for weeks at a time, feel free. Whatever floats your boat. But dont' expect me to want to spend any time around you.

On the other hand, I tend to fit the asshole trial lawyer stereotype pretty well. So, not so great on that front.

conorkilpatrick

10-24-2007, 01:23 AM

Okay lets sum up here. You've got a self-centered attituder about comics that make the stereotyping so bad, and not only that you've decided you're above the stereotype, and I disagree.

I have to admit, I fall more into xyzzy's camp. I don't go to comic book stores to socialize and unless I knew the owners I wouldn't feel compelled to keep a comic book store in business.

And breaking the comic book reader stereotype is the reason why iFanboy exists.

esophagus

10-24-2007, 01:25 AM

What do you find so self-centered? That I don't patronize or care about an establishment that doesn't offer me anything I want? *Gasp!* How could I? I'm probably also being self-centered because I don't buy Hello Kitty merchandise. Those poor Hello Kitty store owners. Why am I so thoughtless towards them?

Yeah, I think I am better than the comic book guy stereotype. And I feel bad for anybody who doesn't. Because it's a pretty shitty stereotype. If you want to not bathe for weeks at a time, feel free. Whatever floats your boat. But dont' expect me to want to spend any time around you.

On the other hand, I tend to fit the asshole trial lawyer stereotype pretty well. So, not so great on that front.What's so selfcentered? Lets seee.....This is something that I simply have no interest in.
All I want to do is exchange money for goods
I certainly don't care what they think of my purchases
that's just not my problem. It's not my responsibility to provide a living for other peopleShould I keep going? Basically what your saying is that because these people don't effect you, you just don't care. "I don't have AIDs, why is Africa my problem?". You're being unnecessarily harsh because it simply odesnt effect you. I think that's what being self-centered is. You are not the majority. You don't like the shops? Stop going. We aren't going to lose any sleep if you never pick up another book.

When I think of a comic book stereotype I don't think of anything relating to hygiene, and I think it's sad that you, someone who reads them, does. It's even sadder that you find it to be true. Not to mention kind of rude considering where you are posting this.

If you want to treat people with similar interests who just want to be nice like dicks for weeks at a time, feel free. Whatever floats your boat. But dont' expect me to want to spend any time around you.

esophagus

10-24-2007, 01:28 AM

I have to admit, I fall more into xyzzy's camp. I don't go to comic book stores to socialize and unless I knew the owners I wouldn't feel compelled to keep a comic book store in business.Digital comics wouldn't close one, it would close all, including the one's you know. I think it's kind of a lame stance to just not care because no one you know is harmed by it. And again, a lot of people do like the people at their shop.

And breaking the comic book reader stereotype is the reason why iFanboy exists.I agree. And I would think fellow comic reader saying "Well a lot of comic readers I meet fit it" is something that iFanboy would be working against.

conorkilpatrick

10-24-2007, 01:55 AM

Digital comics wouldn't close one, it would close all, including the one's you know. I think it's kind of a lame stance to just not care because no one you know is harmed by it. And again, a lot of people do like the people at their shop.

Well, I don't think that most shops will close down from e-paper. Not any time soon, anyway.

I agree. And I would think fellow comic reader saying "Well a lot of comic readers I meet fit it" is something that iFanboy would be working against.

He's not wrong, though. He didn't say "all" comic readers fit. Many do, that is undeniable. We're just trying to grow the other demographic.

xyzzy

10-24-2007, 02:36 AM

What's so selfcentered? Lets seee.....

Should I keep going? Basically what your saying is that because these people don't effect you, you just don't care. "I don't have AIDs, why is Africa my problem?". You're being unnecessarily harsh because it simply odesnt effect you. I think that's what being self-centered is. You are not the majority. You don't like the shops? Stop going. We aren't going to lose any sleep if you never pick up another book.

AIDS? Really? You're comparing digital comics to one of the most deadly diseases on the planet? Which could effect me, because I could catch it, by the way.

Digital comics are something I like. Comic shops are, by and large, something I don't. It is your opinion that I should support the thing I don't like in an effort to restrict the thing I do like in order to support the livelihoods of people I don't know? I don't think so.

This would be like not buying a car because you were worried about the buggy whip industry.

Ultimately, spending money on stuff that you actually like is better for the overall health of the industry than supporting things that you're not really into out of some sort of misguided loyalty. Supporting something that you don't like is insanity.

Also, I don't go to the store very often. Thank you DCBS.

And who's "we?"

When I think of a comic book stereotype I don't think of anything relating to hygiene, and I think it's sad that you, someone who reads them, does. It's even sadder that you find it to be true. Not to mention kind of rude considering where you are posting this.

Pretending like the stereotype doesn't exist in reality is beyond silly. It's not like it materialized out of thin air. You go to a comic shop or a convention and it's my experience that there's a large stereotype contingent.

And if you've never heard of the stereotype that comic book fans don't bathe enough, well, I'm shocked, because that's a pretty common one.

If you want to treat people with similar interests who just want to be nice like dicks for weeks at a time, feel free. Whatever floats your boat. But dont' expect me to want to spend any time around you.

Can you point out where I treat people badly? I'm always very polite. You think that anybody at the store has their feelings hurt because I don't hang out there? I mean, I admit that I'm pretty damn awesome, but I honestly doubt they notice my absence.

It seems like you're kind of taking this personally. You shouldn't. I don't know you, as far as I know. I speaking in generalities, not about you.

esophagus

10-24-2007, 03:50 AM

Really, I don't deny that you have an opinion. I'm fine with it. I know comics are nothing cloe to aids. All I'm saying, is that you're coming off like a hugely selfcentered douche.

xyzzy

10-24-2007, 03:53 AM

Really, I don't deny that you have an opinion. I'm fine with it. I know comics are nothing cloe to aids. All I'm saying, is that you're coming off like a hugely selfcentered douche.

Because I don't socialize at the comic book store. Okay.

I just want to point out that you're the only one who's calling people names and making personal attacks.

esophagus

10-24-2007, 03:57 AM

I dont think you as a person are self-centered, or a douche, or whatever I may have said. You are just really coming off that way. But I'm dropping this for the sake of civil discussion.

conorkilpatrick

10-24-2007, 04:02 AM

I dont think you as a person are self-centered, or a douche, or whatever I may have said. You are just really coming off that way. But I'm dropping this for the sake of civil discussion.

Good idea.

xyzzy

10-24-2007, 04:02 AM

I dont think you as a person are self-centered, or a douche, or whatever I may have said. You are just really coming off that way. But I'm dropping this for the sake of civil discussion.

I'm sorry you feel that way. I stand behind everything I wrote and I do not think it makes me particularly self centered or in any way douche-like.

itsbecca

10-24-2007, 04:24 AM

If I might make a small... observation. I don't think it's your opinion so much as how you're stating it. When a person uses sarcasm in a debate it comes off as condescending and... um... not nice. Just an observation.

I'm personally on the side of epaper but not because I don't like my LCS or think the people who shop there smell badly. It's more so that I don't beleive empathy is a reason to stifle technological progress. And that sounds colder than I mean it to, but it basically rests on that a healthy active economy is best for everyone and sprinkle in a little adaptability is key to success.

esophagus

10-24-2007, 04:30 AM

conorkilpatrick

10-24-2007, 04:33 AM

=
Same thing, just put better. Thanks.

Notice how Becca did it without name calling? :)

esophagus

10-24-2007, 04:35 AM

Notice how Becca did it without name calling? :)Heat of the moment, soooorry. I know when to give up.:(

xyzzy

10-24-2007, 04:40 AM

If I might make a small... observation. I don't think it's your opinion so much as how you're stating it. When a person uses sarcasm in a debate it comes off as condescending and... um... not nice. Just an observation.

Sarcasm is my lifeblood.

I apologize if anybody got their feelings hurt. As I said before, it's not personal.

itsbecca

10-24-2007, 04:44 AM

Sarcasm is my lifeblood.

I apologize if anybody got their feelings hurt. As I said before, it's not personal.

Just saying is all. I think we'll all be okay.

kahunablair

10-24-2007, 08:42 PM

esophagus

10-24-2007, 08:47 PM

Not to be a Jerk either, but arguing against the digital copies just because the Shops may close down is not that good of a stance to take.
Would you argue against Cars because the Ye Ol' Horse and Buggy shoppe would close?
Assuming you're talking to me, I think you'll find I mentioned that I loved the idea of e-paper. It's just depressing that my beloved comic shop could be a casualty of that.

kahunablair

10-24-2007, 08:53 PM

Assuming you're talking to me, I think you'll find I mentioned that I loved the idea of e-paper. It's just depressing that my beloved comic shop could be a casualty of that.

Psst... I wasn't talking to you my man. It was more of a generalized out cry.

esophagus

10-24-2007, 09:38 PM

Psst... I wasn't talking to you my man. It was more of a generalized out cry.In that case, I think it's time I stop checking this thread. =o

dave-accampo

10-25-2007, 12:47 AM

Wow. This thread got a little dark.

I'm up for the E-Paper revolution myself. I'm actually one of the people waiting for the price of the black and white Sony readers to come down so that I can buy one of those.
I'm not against paper reading either. I love it. But I think of it the same way as I do my iPod. I buy music offline and put it on my iPod which allows me to carry a lot more music then I could ever carry in CD form. So why not carry an e-reader that does the same thing for my books/comics?

That's interesting. I'm kind of in the same vein (regarding comics), but this made me think of how my buying habits might change. I'd probably end up picking up a lot of monthlies if they were cheap, and really treating them as more disposable bits of entertainment (like listening to podcasts, for example). I mean, I'd probably shuffle them off into a file somewhere, but you get the idea. So I'd probably have a lot of cheap, serialized monthlies that I'd keep up on (assuming you had a price point like $0.99), and then I'd probably be a little more cautious with what I bought in print. It would be all hardcovers and trades. Coffee Table books, or books that I'd love to have on my shelf. The best digital series that I read, I would probaby buy in print collections, and the very best in hardcovers.

I actually kinda like that idea. No longboxes. Just read the digital serials I like for cheap, and then store 'em on a hard drive or DVD or something and get
em out of the way.

dave-accampo

10-26-2007, 11:25 PM

Just saw this image here: http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/26/e-ink-shows-off-front-lit-flexible-e-paper-displays/
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/2007/10/e-ink-flexible-substrate.jpg

I, uh, I think I could read a comic on that...

kahunablair

10-27-2007, 04:13 PM

That's interesting. I'm kind of in the same vein (regarding comics), but this made me think of how my buying habits might change. I'd probably end up picking up a lot of monthlies if they were cheap, and really treating them as more disposable bits of entertainment (like listening to podcasts, for example). I mean, I'd probably shuffle them off into a file somewhere, but you get the idea. So I'd probably have a lot of cheap, serialized monthlies that I'd keep up on (assuming you had a price point like $0.99), and then I'd probably be a little more cautious with what I bought in print. It would be all hardcovers and trades. Coffee Table books, or books that I'd love to have on my shelf. The best digital series that I read, I would probaby buy in print collections, and the very best in hardcovers.

I actually kinda like that idea. No longboxes. Just read the digital serials I like for cheap, and then store 'em on a hard drive or DVD or something and get
em out of the way.

Exactly.
For certain books I'd even give $1.50 a go. After buying servers, the backend programming, and paying the talent, at 99 cents I'd imagine they would still be making more of a profit on each sale.

thefreakytiki

10-28-2007, 02:43 AM

http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/iamlegendawakening/medium.html

I really have no opinion about this but I am surprised that we have not heard any hype/buzz/press realeases about Vertigo having a part in this.

the Tiki http://www.pixeljoint.com/files/icons/tiki_torches.gif

esophagus

10-28-2007, 02:45 AM

That's a little different than a digital comic. It's basically what the Transformers: Beginning type thing is, just a lame adaptation, that they put out to promote the movie.

six-gun

10-28-2007, 05:33 PM

I just tried to read the Heroes online GN and it was miserable

six-gun

10-28-2007, 05:35 PM

Zuda (http://www.zudacomics.com/) launches Tuesday!

mikegraham6

10-28-2007, 05:58 PM

i'd prefer to have my comics digital, then they wouldn't take up so much space. I think i'd probably keep buying trades of the books i really like, but the only thing that paper has over digital is the portability and that looks like it will be solved in the near future

esophagus

10-29-2007, 12:57 AM

Yeah, I'm really stoked to see how that turns out. Then maybe I'll start getting e-mails that mean something.

kahunablair

10-29-2007, 07:47 PM

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/2007/10/10-29-07-cybook3.jpg
Those sitting tight for Cybook's Gen3 e-book reader can finally do something other than just wait for it. That's right, Bookeen's latest is finally on sale, and just as promised (the second time, that is), it's available now (read: in October) for $350. If you're wondering what all that coin will get you, you can look forward to 8,000 page flips without a recharge, a daylight-readable 800 x 600 resolution display, 2.5-millimeter stereo headphone jack, 64MB of storage, an SD expansion slot and USB connectivity. So go on, bust out that credit card and count down the minutes till it arrives on your doorstep.
http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/cybook-gen3-e-book-reader-on-sale-now-for-350/

esophagus

10-29-2007, 07:50 PM

SD expansion? If these get popular, we're going to see a massive increase in downladed comics. Which isn't a great thing, considering no one's offering them legally yet.

tad

10-29-2007, 08:06 PM

esophagus

10-29-2007, 08:09 PM

I think most companies are really trying to put-off going digital for as long as possible. DC should puto ut a file with each Zuda comic, allowing you to download it. That would really help them here.

Also, one question. What are the headphone jacks for?

kahunablair

10-29-2007, 08:15 PM

Also, one question. What are the headphone jacks for?

Most of these digital readers have MP3 players included. I think it's them "sweetening the pot".

dave-accampo

10-29-2007, 08:33 PM

If the readers became popular there would be lots of people offering comics legally. But it's a chicken and egg thing. iTunes launched with all sorts of legal content which helped the iPod take off. A comics company would be smart to bundle a huge amount of free downloads, or have a bunch of their comics already on the machine when you buy it. Like bundled software on a computer.

Totally agreed. It's not just the reading device, but the distribution system. As a comics reader and device owner, I would personally want ONE site I can log onto to download all the comics I want. And Subscriptions! I want to subscribe to my comics and have them download each time I sync up! It could come from a publisher, but I actually think this would work best if some third party emerges (An iTunes equivalent of Diamond, I guess) that can gather all the publishers under one umbrella and distribute their material.

Does anyone know -- I haven't looked too closely at these next gen readers -- is it a special format, or just PDFs...or a combination of formats...?

havok7

11-11-2007, 11:09 PM

Does anyone read a lot of digital comics. Just wondering what readers there are for mac. Preferably a program to organize digital comics as well. I've heard of Comic Book Lover, but i don't really want to spend any money on this program. Any suggestions?

kahunablair

11-14-2007, 08:08 PM

Last in the sense that true fanboys will never want to lose the longbox. Time will tell.

I doubt Paper books will ever go away. They'll probably be less of a demand, but they'll still be there.

Look at newspapers. Most of the "Modern" people get there news from online sites. Yet some people, both young and old, still buy them, just not nearly as many. So rather then having 12 places to buy the papers in a single town, you know have one or two. The same will probably happen to the LCS.
The typical LCS will just have to find a way to set themselves apart from the others and wait out the oncoming storm.

esophagus

11-14-2007, 08:12 PM

I doubt Paper books will ever go away. They'll probably be less of a demand, but they'll still be there.

Look at newspapers. Most of the "Modern" people get there news from online sites. Yet some people, both young and old, still buy them, just not nearly as many. So rather then having 12 places to buy the papers in a single town, you know have one or two. The same will probably happen to the LCS.
The typical LCS will just have to find a way to set themselves apart from the others and wait out the oncoming storm.If you look at it that way you could say that typewriters are still common. Which is true, but I just mean in the broader sense. I know if I lived near one of the few remaining comic shops, and everyone else read digitally, I'd still pick up the issue. I just mean it in the broader sense. Which will fade sooner? But yeah, you're right.

esophagus

11-14-2007, 08:46 PM

Am I not a true fanboy then? I mean, it's in the title....I don't mean every single one, I just mean it seems to be a very common opinion that digitals can't replace paper. You'd be happy with a switch to digital? That surprises me.

xyzzy

11-14-2007, 08:50 PM

I don't mean every single one, I just mean it seems to be a very common opinion that digitals can't replace paper. You'd be happy with a switch to digital? That surprises me.

Paper will only be prevalent until e-reader tech reaches a certain level of quality and affordability. Paper, as we all know, takes up a shitload of space and is really heavy. Once we have a reader that is indistinguishable from paper, quality-wise, I think you'll see that only value paper has is nostalgia value.

Well, also permanence. It's one of the reasons that we have such a hard time getting rid of paper in the legal biz.

But for entertainment media, I expect paper to die out within my lifetime.

kahunablair

11-14-2007, 08:50 PM

I know I'd make the switch to digital in a heartbeat.

I'd be curious to see how other, non-internet savvy readers would feel. Is there more of "them", then "us"?

kahunablair

11-14-2007, 08:52 PM

..
But for entertainment media, I expect paper to die out within my lifetime.
That really isn't going to happen in your lifetime. I'm sure people said the same things about Vinyl, but new records are put out every week.
Paper books are going to become a niche market, but it won't go away anytime soon.

xyzzy

11-14-2007, 08:53 PM

That really isn't going to happen in your lifetime. I'm sure people said the same things about Vinyl, but new records are put out every week.
Paper books are going to become a niche market, but it won't go away anytime soon.

Well, sure. Paper's never going away completely. My point is that it'll become the exception, rather than the rule.

I mean, what's the market share for vinyl? It's not big.

esophagus

11-14-2007, 08:54 PM

I think I'd make the switch to digital once a really nice reader, or e-paper, was offered. If I had to read it on a laptop / at my desktop, I don't think I would do it.

bogotoko

11-15-2007, 01:31 AM

xyzzy

11-15-2007, 01:34 AM

Too much doom and gloom talk. The LCS and paper comics will survive. The ability to read the newspaper online is nice, but it hasn't stopped almost every convenience store and all book stores from selling the daily newspaper. And what about the newspaper vending machines on street corners?

When you consider the newspapers longevity, the comic is really going to stand the test of time because one thing the comic has that the newspaper doesn't is great artwork. While some may argue that a newspaper has pictures, which may be considered 'art,' it is not in the same category.

The newspaper market is crashing. There was a time when a household, on average, received 1.3 newspapers. Now? We're down to below half. And once people have an e-reader that they can take on the bus or read on the can and autmomatically downloads the paper in the morning? The physical newspaper will be crippled. Produced maybe as an afterthought.

kahunablair

11-15-2007, 02:53 AM

The newspaper market is crashing. There was a time when a household, on average, received 1.3 newspapers. Now? We're down to below half. And once people have an e-reader that they can take on the bus or read on the can and autmomatically downloads the paper in the morning? The physical newspaper will be crippled. Produced maybe as an afterthought.

Take it from someone that has family in the newspaper business. It's not going anywhere for at least 15-20 years.
The paper business as it is, is crashing, but they're surviving.
There will be a culling of some of the smaller papers, but the other's are evolving.

Same thing is going to happen to the LCS and paper comics.

xyzzy

11-15-2007, 03:09 AM

Take it from someone that has family in the newspaper business. It's not going anywhere for at least 15-20 years.
The paper business as it is, is crashing, but they're surviving.
There will be a culling of some of the smaller papers, but the other's are evolving.

Same thing is going to happen to the LCS and paper comics.

It's one thing to say that physical newspapers and comics will be around for at least 15-20 years (I'd say probably longer) and another to say that they'll be around forever.

esophagus

11-15-2007, 03:13 AM

It's one thing to say that physical newspapers and comics will be around for at least 15-20 years (I'd say probably longer) and another to say that they'll be around forever.I think what he's saying is it will keep it's prominence for 15-20 years, but will exist forever. Newspaper may not always be popular, but they won't go extinct.

xyzzy

11-15-2007, 03:15 AM

I think what he's saying is it will keep it's prominence for 15-20 years, but will exist forever. Newspaper may not always be popular, but they won't go extinct.

Of course they will. Nothing is forever.

kahunablair

11-15-2007, 03:16 AM

It's one thing to say that physical newspapers and comics will be around for at least 15-20 years (I'd say probably longer) and another to say that they'll be around forever.

15-20 years is the best way to say it. Anyone that says ANYTHING will be around forever is an idiot.

Edit: Can you tell I hit reply and typed, but then walked away for a few minutes? Sorry to be redundant!

esophagus

11-15-2007, 03:18 AM

Of course they will. Nothing is forever.I don't think any of us mean forever as in a literal eternity, just a lot longer than, well, a short period of time.

xyzzy

11-15-2007, 03:21 AM

I don't think any of us mean forever as in a literal eternity, just a lot longer than, well, a short period of time.

It may be 50 years or 500 years, but the physical newspaper's life is limited.

esophagus

11-15-2007, 03:24 AM

It may be 50 years or 500 years, but the physical newspaper's life is limited.I'm really not sure who you're arguing with anymore. We've all admitted that "forever" isn't the correct way of putting it.

xyzzy

11-15-2007, 03:28 AM

I'm really not sure who you're arguing with anymore. We've all admitted that "forever" isn't the correct way of putting it.

I guess Bogotoko, who was the person who made the original statement that I was commenting on.

kahunablair

11-16-2007, 05:15 PM

Well we have some more news on the E-Paper front that will eventually lead to the DEATH OF PAPER COMICS!

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/2007/11/11-15-07-sk_panel1.jpg
This one is only a prototype, hence the Grayscale image. They claim the resolution is 1,600x1,200, so this one is going to be a beauty when it comes out.
http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/seiko-epson-shows-off-uxga-e-paper-display/

Now on to something in the here and now..
On Monday the Amazon Kindle is rumored to be launched.

It's not that pretty, and it has a $399 price tag, so I doubt this will be the "book killer", but it's a nice start.
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/2007/11/11-15-07-amazon_kindle_230pxl.jpg
http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/amazon-to-launch-kindle-e-book-reader-on-monday/

xyzzy

11-16-2007, 06:03 PM

Well we have some more news on the E-Paper front that will eventually lead to the DEATH OF PAPER COMICS!

It seems like every week there's more exciting news on the e-paper front. This tech is on the bubble and I cannot wait to see how it plays out.

bogotoko

11-17-2007, 12:43 AM

I guess Bogotoko, who was the person who made the original statement that I was commenting on.

Please, no arguing :p

I was just saying that for the limited use of a newspaper (you read it once and discard it), it doesn't seem affected by online reading. Comics have a much better entertainment value, so "never fear" comics in print are here to stay! YEA!

conorkilpatrick

11-17-2007, 12:45 AM

Well we have some more news on the E-Paper front that will eventually lead to the DEATH OF PAPER COMICS!

That's damned sexy.

paper

11-17-2007, 01:15 AM

How DARE you try to replace meeeee!!!!

No, this looks very cool. The prototype, not the Kindle (har har, funny name). Why is the Kindle cream-colored? That's so....1989.

xyzzy

11-17-2007, 01:32 AM

How DARE you try to replace meeeee!!!!

No, this looks very cool. The prototype, not the Kindle (har har, funny name). Why is the Kindle cream-colored? That's so....1989.

It may be white and the lighting makes it look cream colored. Post iPod, white plastic is all the rage in consumer electronics.

esophagus

11-17-2007, 02:26 AM

It may be white and the lighting makes it look cream colored. Post iPod, white plastic is all the rage in consumer electronics.Judging by the picture it's not a very sleek design at this point. Cream wouldn't surprise me. I'm sure you'll have a reason I'm wrong though.

xyzzy

11-17-2007, 05:15 AM

Judging by the picture it's not a very sleek design at this point. Cream wouldn't surprise me. I'm sure you'll have a reason I'm wrong though.

Dude, what is your problem?

conorkilpatrick

11-17-2007, 05:17 AM

No more of this, please.

From anyone.

Thank you.

six-gun

11-17-2007, 05:43 AM

why can't we all get along :eek::(;)

kahunablair

11-17-2007, 11:29 AM

It may be white and the lighting makes it look cream colored. Post iPod, white plastic is all the rage in consumer electronics.

Sadly every picture I've seen has that disgusting tan/cream color.
I don't think the Kindle is really going to break any numbers, sales wise. It is an important step though.

paper

11-17-2007, 12:48 PM

No, it'd be cool. I'd definitely like to try one out.

They had a neat segment about e-readers on Tekzilla recently.

xyzzy

11-19-2007, 08:01 PM

Sadly every picture I've seen has that disgusting tan/cream color.
I don't think the Kindle is really going to break any numbers, sales wise. It is an important step though.

I'm looking at the Amazon page (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FI73MA/ref=amb_link_5873612_1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=gateway-center-column&pf_rd_r=0FJQK7QXPDXT640FJHFA&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=329252801&pf_rd_i=507846) now, and it looks pretty white to me.

esophagus

11-19-2007, 08:06 PM

I don't think that necessarily means that the prototype we saw earlier was white, but yeah, looks like it will be.

kahunablair

11-19-2007, 09:58 PM

I'm looking at the Amazon page (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FI73MA/ref=amb_link_5873612_1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=gateway-center-column&pf_rd_r=0FJQK7QXPDXT640FJHFA&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=329252801&pf_rd_i=507846) now, and it looks pretty white to me.

Yup. The official model is whiter then me without a shirt on.

The original prototypes were always that off-white tan. If you do a google search and look at every picture, pre-this week, you'll see that they're all tan.

jimski

11-19-2007, 10:43 PM

I'm trying to figure out how to use this thing to read my comics. I have these DVDs full of X-Men PDFs, but it looks like they're not on the menu unless I turn 'em into Word docs.

dave-accampo

11-19-2007, 10:50 PM

I'm looking at the Amazon page (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FI73MA/ref=amb_link_5873612_1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=gateway-center-column&pf_rd_r=0FJQK7QXPDXT640FJHFA&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=329252801&pf_rd_i=507846) now, and it looks pretty white to me.

Ugh, it's so ugly, though...

It's interesting about Amazon, though.

What I see next is Amazon's book-version of iTunes. buy, download, sync your books right there.

Then they need to improve this reader's design...make it like an iPhone but thinner, taller, and wider.

If they can pull all that together, they've got a shot at the e-reader revolution. ;)

kahunablair

11-19-2007, 10:59 PM

I'm trying to figure out how to use this thing to read my comics. I have these DVDs full of X-Men PDFs, but it looks like they're not on the menu unless I turn 'em into Word docs.

Well it's all going to be black and white for now, so I'm not sure how well they'd translate onto the reader.

This isn't the answer we are looking for. It's a huge step though.

jimski

11-20-2007, 05:49 AM

esophagus

11-20-2007, 05:52 AM

My wife-- who recently called me and said, "Congratulations! We bought a wii!"-- is over the moon about this gizmo. Wh-what's that rustling sound? It almost sounds like a lot of money walking out my front door.
Only $400 and the price of every book you decide to buy afterwards. But on the plus side, it auto-syncs those same books in less than a minute! Not too mention, it's not tan, it's white!

jimski

11-20-2007, 06:24 AM

Well, thank God, because if it were tan that might affect my ability to read.

Wait. I get the sense I should have read more of this thread.

paper

11-20-2007, 10:10 AM

I'd keep an eye on Kwok's blog tomorrow...

conorkilpatrick

11-21-2007, 11:37 PM

Uh oh.

From Steven Grant's column (http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/?column=10):

***

Finally, a cautionary note from a fellow professional. I forgot about this today and could have written about it this week if I'd pondered it awhile, but maybe someone from Marvel would like to send a pre-emptive strike:

"I was struck by something upon reading about Marvel's new online service...there's no mention of any royalties for creators being pulling from that $9.99 monthly subscription fee, is there?

And, as far as I know, no royalties are being paid on sales of Marvel's DVD-Roms.

If digital delivery becomes the distribution system of the future, will writers and artists find themselves once again working solely for their page rates?

Makes for an interesting parallel to the WGA strike."

Sure does, since they're the same issues. Hmm. Given how many screenwriters are now writing for companies like Marvel, DC and Dark Horse, are they willing to put up with treatment from comics companies that they've vowed not to take from producers and studios?

***

kahunablair

11-21-2007, 11:40 PM

Wow... That is an Uh Oh moment.

paper

11-21-2007, 11:43 PM

I'd keep an eye on Kwok's blog tomorrow...

Ok, so my thoughts on the Kindle didn't make the cut. But I have a write-up in the works, which I'll link to here.

esophagus

11-22-2007, 05:37 AM

Uhoh. I'm guessing Marvel will adjust faster than TV, especially now that they've seen the strike. Comics can't even rely on "reruns", I'm not sure, but I'm guessing sales of old issues make up for a very small portion of profits.

dave-accampo

11-22-2007, 06:36 AM

Interesting. The mention of screenwriters working in the comics industry really is pretty significant, isn't it? We've seen a few big publishers just get stupid in their pursuit of Hollywood writers. They've made some bad publishing decisions banking on some of these writers.

So...if the screenwriters actually take up the cause of the comic book writers, it certainly seems to me they would have a lot of clout. Could they force the issue?

And this will certainly be noticed, given that there are a growing number of comics writers with a foot in each world right now.

I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this...

xyzzy

11-22-2007, 06:52 AM

I feel like somebody would have mentioned it if they thought they were getting stiffed.

esophagus

11-22-2007, 06:57 AM

I feel like somebody would have mentioned it if they thought they were getting stiffed.http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/11/16/us/16writers-600.jpg

The majority of what is going up on Marvel online is old issues. I'm sure it will take a minute for anyone to catch wind of it. Ditko and Co. is long past finished expecting to see money for issues, I'm guessing. Seems to be the common thread among old writers.

dave-accampo

11-22-2007, 07:25 AM

Also: I think that Marvel kinda sprung this on everyone.

The WGA has obviously had a few years to look at online revenue streams, and watch how online viewing has become a significant part of the whole.

This is all brand new for comics.

And honestly, I don't really know how Marvel is set up for various royalty deals. I know there are certain deals with creators, where they now get royalties from characters they've created (like Liefeld on Cable, for example). But when you're writing, let's say, Spider-man, you're most often writing straight work for hire. So you're unaffected. You got a straight page rate, and Marvel can publish it in any form they want. However, if you take something like BKV's Runaways, it might be different. I presume he's got some kind of deal there, and he gets royalties any time those characters see print. Now let's say they're downloaded online and Marvel is making money from that. If they're not cutting BKV a royalty check from that...that could be a problem.

esophagus

11-22-2007, 07:30 AM

dave-accampo

11-22-2007, 07:50 AM

I'm guessing this, or the idea that something like this may happen, has been in Marvel's pocket for a while. Seeing as they generally work under contract, perhaps there was already a measure put in place.

Well, that was the whole point of Steven Grant bringing it up in the column. There has been no mention of it, AND there hasn't been a mention of it in regards to DVD-ROM sales either. So the big question is: is there a measure in place?

After all, it may have been in Marvel's pocket for awhile, but they may not have seen any reason to mention it to creators, especially if Marvel felt there shouldn't be any royalty payments for their online stuff.

So that's what I'm waiting to see. This stuff spreads pretty rapidly in our favorite little industry, so I'd imagine by next week, there might be some industrious online journalist interviewing creators about this very question...

firevine

11-22-2007, 09:44 AM

If I were to be consistently reading comics on some sort of portable device, said device would have to have a screen that was pretty freakin' huge. Seventeen inch widescreen at least. Paper comics are big, bold, and beautiful, and reading on CBR or whatever has been a hassle, scrolling up and down all this that and the other way.

Well, until I realized I could just turn my 19" widescreen monitor sideways the other day. It blew my freakin' mind. :eek:

Well, not really. But it did make reading on CBR suck a lot less.

I would not be entirely opposed to some sort of digital reader if it was affordable, and had a large screen. Still leaves the problem of wordy two page spreads, so I couldn't read Powers on it, but whatever.

I am undoubtedly a collector though. I want stuff. I want my CD's and cassettes and stacks of records, even though I have an iPod and rip said CD's onto said iPod at the absolute highest quality I can. I want my boxes and discs for video games I buy instead of using DDL services, and by golly, I want my paper comics, and cardboard Magic cards, and whatever other highly expensive hobby I have for the time being.

Also, I have a huge problem with paying for something that I do not physically own. I'd much rather spend $2.99 on a paper comic than .99 on a download.

What would please me, is if comic publishers did both. Some vinyl records now come with activation codes for a download of the album to use on digital players. If there were a hybrid Paper/Digital business model, where you could either just buy the download for a discounted price, or buy the paper for full price and have an activation code for a download to use on a digital reader, I think I'd be sold.

I LIKE STUFF!

bogotoko

11-22-2007, 01:43 PM

17" screen with the ability to shrink down to a dime...hmmm, what's Henry Pym's forumla? I've got it around here somewhere :)

I with you Firevine. Stuff is cool, and you can never have enough... especially, stacks and stacks and stacks (or boxes) of comics... YIPPEE!!

six-gun

11-22-2007, 02:30 PM

E-Book roundup (http://blog.wired.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/11/21/ebookroundup.jpg)from Wired

dave-accampo

11-22-2007, 07:04 PM

I with you Firevine. Stuff is cool, and you can never have enough... especially, stacks and stacks and stacks (or boxes) of comics... YIPPEE!!

I totally understand the "I like stuff!" mentality, but now I find myself at the other end of the spectrum. See, for me...? I went through my 20's collecting huge runs of quarter-bin comics, etc. My collection grew enormously. And i'm talking like 50 longboxes worth. I guess it also didn't help that I worked at several different comic shops in the 90's.

And now what have I got? Rows and rows of boxes stacked in a garage. I don't re-read them. I don't do anything with them. They don't even display nicely.

So now I'm re-thinking how much I like stuff. I'm the guy who HAS stuff, but who realizes that...he's got a lot of stuff he doesn't know what to do with...

That said, I love my bookshelves crammed full of all sorts of books, from comics to prose. So I'd still have to maintain some paper. But if I could read a lot of single issues of comics on an e-reader, I totally would. I no longer need a huge box of X-men comics. Just a few well-chosen collected works on a bookshelf.

conorkilpatrick

11-22-2007, 07:06 PM

I totally understand the "I like stuff!" mentality, but now I find myself at the other end of the spectrum. See, for me...? I went through my 20's collecting huge runs of quarter-bin comics, etc. My collection grew enormously. And i'm talking like 50 longboxes worth. I guess it also didn't help that I worked at several different comic shops in the 90's.

And now what have I got? Rows and rows of boxes stacked in a garage. I don't re-read them. I don't do anything with them. They don't even display nicely.

So now I'm re-thinking how much I like stuff. I'm the guy who HAS stuff, but who realizes that...he's got a lot of stuff he doesn't know what to do with...

That said, I love my bookshelves crammed full of all sorts of books, from comics to prose. So I'd still have to maintain some paper. But if I could read a lot of single issues of comics on an e-reader, I totally would. I no longer need a huge box of X-men comics. Just a few well-chosen collected works on a bookshelf.

You have almost perfectly summarized my feelings. I'd love to have single issues in digital format and then collections on a bookshelf. I've got my 28 longboxes in a storage unit. I saw them last weekend for the first time in about 6 months. Their existence almost serves no purpose at this point.

esophagus

11-22-2007, 07:13 PM

There has been no mention of it, AND there hasn't been a mention of it in regards to DVD-ROM sales either. as far as I knowI'm 99% sure that you are right, I'm just saying, maybe there was something, and us (with our not having Marvel contracts and all) just missed out on it. But it's quite likely, as both the DVDs and online are primarily older issues, that someone is getting screwed here.

firevine

11-22-2007, 08:38 PM

That said, I love my bookshelves crammed full of all sorts of books, from comics to prose. So I'd still have to maintain some paper. But if I could read a lot of single issues of comics on an e-reader, I totally would. I no longer need a huge box of X-men comics. Just a few well-chosen collected works on a bookshelf.

*nods I have V for Vendetta, Queen and Country, and Watchmen, and stacks of other things, sitting beside Shakespeare, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Plato. I love cleaning out used bookstores and getting those old paperbacks that we had to read in school for a quarter each. I've got a bookshelf full of that stuff, and my graphic novels and TPB's are right there with them.

You have almost perfectly summarized my feelings. I'd love to have single issues in digital format and then collections on a bookshelf. I've got my 28 longboxes in a storage unit. I saw them last weekend for the first time in about 6 months. Their existence almost serves no purpose at this point.

I don't have near as many longboxes as you do, but I still feel the need to downsize every once in a while. I just got rid of a longbox or so recently, of stuff I knew I would never read again. Round two is coming up soon. That being said, I still wouldn't even read those books if I had digital copies of them. I cared about my JMS Amazing Spider-Man when it was new and fresh, but not now, so it gets cut, and digital wouldn't make me care about it again.

darron

11-22-2007, 09:18 PM

EDIT - Moved from General Discussion - Conor

***

Anyone heard about this... the Amazon Kindle (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FI73MA/ref=amb_link_5892762_2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=16V0NK26PH7FVGEN2RT7&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=333267901&pf_rd_i=507846)?

Shit, I'd read a comic on that. Not for $400 though.

paper

11-22-2007, 09:35 PM

We talk about it in the Digital Comics thread.

I'm also working on an article about it.

It's really not idea for comics. Black and white and the screen's a bit too small. And what do you do about 2 page splashes? Give it a few years.

bogotoko

11-23-2007, 01:06 PM

Solution: Wrist watch halographic projector. 100 GB memory. On sale in 2099.:D

mikegraham6

11-23-2007, 03:56 PM

i've slowly been giving all my individual comcis to my brother and his son. i started with the stuff i'll never re-read but i eventually want to give them all my stuff and buy collections of the series i really like in trade, but a digital comics substitute that i could keep on my PC would work good too, i would probably still buy trades of the stories i really liked but the main thing is, i really want to get rid of my single issues, i never go back to them... it's just too much of a hassle to dig up the stuff

paper

11-23-2007, 03:58 PM

Solution: Wrist watch halographic projector. 100 GB memory. On sale in 2099.:D

Sooner than that.

esophagus

11-23-2007, 07:00 PM

Solution: Wrist watch halographic projector. 100 GB memory. On sale in 2099.:DYou mean the iWrist? I'm guessing it's currently in development. =D

kahunablair

11-23-2007, 08:10 PM

You mean the iWrist? I'm guessing it's currently in development. =D
http://www.dal.kr/grim/2006/20060228_iwrist.jpg

esophagus

11-23-2007, 11:55 PM

You amaze me sometimes, Blair.

cam-

11-24-2007, 12:20 AM

Hah I totally showed the iwrist to a bunch of people at work, they were convinced.

So convinced.

horatio616

02-13-2008, 04:46 PM

Go read this everyone if you haven't already:

http://ifanboy.com/content/articles/Concentric_Circles_by_Jonathan_Hickman__1_-_Digital_Comics

Does anyone read digital/web comics regularly and, if so, what are your thoughts on them and can you give recommendations?

idave

02-13-2008, 08:34 PM

I may have hypothetically read some comics on my computer. They may have fallen off the truck and just appeared on my harddrive, hypothetically of course. I may have enjoyed reading them on my laptop using the program CDisplay and I may have done this a couple times and didn't mind reading comics on the computer as opposed to on paper.

But that's all hypothetical of course.

itsbecca

02-22-2008, 01:37 AM

dave-accampo

02-22-2008, 01:50 AM

For me personally? I don't need to feel the pages or anything. My ideal product is basically a bigger ipod touch. Something with at least a 6x9 screen and a color version of the latest e-ink technologies that are supposed to really look like paper. the ipod's touch screen technology, allowing me to flick through pages, to call up cover art, etc., would be perfect.

But that's just what I imagine would suit me...

casually-drowned

02-22-2008, 02:03 AM

I'm curious, what would be the ideal experience in a digital comic reader? For my final project in my flash class we have to make a prototype for some kind of handheld device and I'm considering going this route. Skys the limit, since the point of the project is the flash, not the feasability of the item.

I feel like a big issue is losing the visceral experience of touching and feeling the comic so I was toying with some sort of system that would project onto a blank book. Meh. I don't know. This project is leaving me entirely uninspired.

I just got my first digital comic, so I am not sure I can help. Let me work my way through some of it, and I will see if I can come up with something. Perhaps the sensory experience of the books you are trying to duplicate isn't the point, and maybe the new sensory experience that is created with digital media is. I am not sure what that new experience actually is, but you get the point.

itsbecca

02-22-2008, 02:07 AM

I see the point. Perhaps the page idea is barking up the wrong tree. So I'll focus on what would make the most comfortable digital experience.

superfriend82

02-22-2008, 02:13 AM

http://www.dal.kr/grim/2006/20060228_iwrist.jpg

blair are you a god?

itsbecca

02-22-2008, 02:45 AM

blair are you a god?

He is close to it. One of his peices remains my wallpaper to this day and yes, I have got comments.

kahunablair

02-22-2008, 04:38 AM

I'd just like to state that, although after reading those comments I'd like to, I can not take credit for that iWrist ad. That was posted in an old "What would Apple do next?" art thread I was reading a while back.

Should have mentioned it, but since it wasn't done in MSPaint, I figured it would be obvious it wasn't me.

Sorry guys, I'm going to go cane myself.

He is close to it. One of his peices remains my wallpaper to this day and yes, I have got comments.
Really? haha. Which one?

esophagus

02-22-2008, 04:46 AM

Becca, the idea of digital paper definitely intrigues me. It is probably my ideal experience.

itsbecca

02-22-2008, 04:46 AM

I'd just like to state that, although after reading those comments I'd like to, I can not take credit for that iWrist ad. That was posted in an old "What would Apple do next?" art thread I was reading a while back.

Should have mentioned it, but since it wasn't done in MSPaint, I figured it would be obvious it wasn't me.

Sorry guys, I'm going to go cane myself.

Really? haha. Which one?

Santa punching out elmo. To much hilarity to switch it out, regardless of the season.

itsbecca

02-22-2008, 04:47 AM

Becca, the idea of digital paper definitely intrigues me. It is probably my ideal experience.

Ahhh one taker! The idea appeals to because it's I don't have to stay within the plausible. So it'd be interesting to tinker with something out there.

esophagus

02-22-2008, 04:49 AM

Ahhh one taker! The idea appeals to because it's I don't have to stay within the plausible. So it'd be interesting to tinker with something out there.It's perfectly plausible. There's a prototype article somewhere in this very thread, I believe. I also recall more people being on board.

kahunablair

02-22-2008, 04:53 AM

I agree with pretty much everything Dave said. That type of "Flipping through the pages" motions are extremely satisfying. If they came up that device, I'd buy it and sign up for Marvel's crap right now!

Santa punching out elmo. To much hilarity to switch it out, regardless of the season.
Awesomeness.

kahunablair

02-22-2008, 04:57 AM

Ahhh one taker! The idea appeals to because it's I don't have to stay within the plausible. So it'd be interesting to tinker with something out there.

Like, Eso said, there are articles in this thread where you can find examples.
HP is probably the biggest "creator" of e-paper at the moment. If you need examples, look in that direction. They have a cloth-like screen that you can actually roll up like a scroll. Plus you get a highly detailed pictures. Sadly at the moment it's only Black and White.

itsbecca

02-22-2008, 05:01 AM

esophagus

02-22-2008, 05:05 AM

I've seen those and that's definitley a different approach then I would want. I'm thinking something that doesn't just match the thickness, but more so mimics the feel of reading. Complete with weight, texture and page turning. Sort of thing. I haven't gotten to detailed in my thoughts yet. It's just mulling around.
I love projects like this. In visual communications last year we had to design our ideal working stations, physical improbabilities, and lack of techonology, aside. A ton of fun.

Go for it. "It's comic books... Just with electricity".

kahunablair

02-22-2008, 05:09 AM

http://img.alibaba.com/photo/50507766/Sell_Multimedia_Electronic_Book.jpg

itsbecca

02-22-2008, 05:09 AM

http://img.alibaba.com/photo/50507766/Sell_Multimedia_Electronic_Book.jpg

Oh damn.

All I need to do is layer over my own skin and there's my project right there!

esophagus

02-22-2008, 05:10 AM

http://img.alibaba.com/photo/50507766/Sell_Multimedia_Electronic_Book.jpgIs that a Leapfrog Leap Pad? I love those things.

casually-drowned

02-22-2008, 05:35 AM

Is that a Leapfrog Leap Pad? I love those things.

What does one do with a Leapfrog Pad?

esophagus

02-22-2008, 05:39 AM

What does one do with a Leapfrog Pad?They were after my time, so I never owned one (http://www.leapfrog.com/en/families/leappad/leappad_learning_system/leappad_readwrite.html), but I can safely say I've had my fun with display models in the mall.

ashgotti

03-23-2008, 07:18 PM

I've been looking for a way to read comics on the iPhone and it was cool to see the boys mention it on the panel.

I really think that comics on the iphone can blow up huge: it's got a great screen and the touch will be cool to look around. I doubt it will get to the point where you can get them off iTunes but with the SDK, I'm excited.

I had been reading comics on the DS so I'm sure it would be even better on the iPhone.

Thoughts?

cenquist

03-23-2008, 08:03 PM

Iphone and Ipod touch screens are the same size right? If they are I am not sure how I would like to read them that small. Now obviously I wouldn't read the books like that when they come out and to have a few to read while on the train or bus or stuck at the airport would be cool. If something like the Amazon Kindle came out and was able to read comics then I might consider that. I wouldn't switch over to just digital books but having most of your comics at your fingertips would be nice for long trips. And instead of worrying about wrecking them in your bag....you just have to worry about not wrecking a $400 device hahah.

conorkilpatrick

03-23-2008, 08:16 PM

Iphone and Ipod touch screens are the same size right? If they are I am not sure how I would like to read them that small.

But wouldn't you be able to zoom in like you can now on the iPhone/Touch? It's not like the page would fit the screen and that would be it.

cenquist

03-23-2008, 08:28 PM

Ya you would be able to zoom I would imagine but with a screen that small I don't know how easy it would be to read books where the panels jump around alot. Having to zoom....unzoom....zoom....unzoom to make sure you didn't miss a balloon or panel. But I do get your point, but still I think would be a little too small for my taste. You wouldn't be taking in the art all that well.

kahunablair

03-23-2008, 08:41 PM

cenquist

03-23-2008, 09:01 PM

Ya I have actually. I am not saying it isn't easy to use. I just couldn't sit there and stare at that small screen for that long reading a comic. Or surfing the web for that matter. I would rather just grab a book or mag and bring that with me. Not saying I would never use it but it wouldn't be a reason I would go out and buy one.

dave-accampo

03-23-2008, 09:47 PM

I agree...the iPhone would not be the best format for traditional comics. I would think it would have to be a device that looked like a bigger iPhone. Maybe something 6x9, a least. Or picture the Macbook Air as a tablet...Just one thin screen. That would work.

That said, I COULD imagine a Panel-per-page web comic that would be nice and easy to read. Something where the panel is sized to fit the iPhone screen, and then you tap it to turn the page and thus get to the next panel. They would play more like comic strips, as they wouldn't have the variety of layouts that many modern comics have, but it would still be a very readable piece for the iPhone.

Actually, are there any webcomics specifically designed for iPhone the way there are websites designed for iPhone? I would like to check those out, if anyone knows of any.

xebix

03-23-2008, 10:43 PM

I did a search in thie thread, and didn't find any mention of it. Has anyone tried the comicbook ds program for the Nintendo DS? It is a homebrew program for the DS that takes cbr files and converts them into files that the reader program can open. The reader itself is just a ROM that runs on the DS. It's probably the best way I have found to read digital comics.

Mind you, it's not as good as reading an actual comic (I don't think anything is), but it is a good way to read them.

I got laid off a while back and couldn't afford to buy comics, so I was downloading them so I wouldn't miss anything. I didn't always want to be sitting in front of the computer to read them, so it worked out really well. I have been gainfully employed for a while now and have gone back to buying actual comics again, as I wouldn't dream of not supporting the industry as long as I can afford to. It got me through my hard times though, and I have since gone back and bought a lot of what I missed in trades.

blakbyrd

03-24-2008, 12:00 AM

I agree...the iPhone would not be the best format for traditional comics. I would think it would have to be a device that looked like a bigger iPhone. Maybe something 6x9, a least. Or picture the Macbook Air as a tablet...Just one thin screen. That would work.
Agreed.That said, I COULD imagine a Panel-per-page web comic that would be nice and easy to read. Something where the panel is sized to fit the iPhone screen, and then you tap it to turn the page and thus get to the next panel. They would play more like comic strips, as they wouldn't have the variety of layouts that many modern comics have, but it would still be a very readable piece for the iPhone. I'd been thinking of something similar to this.Actually, are there any webcomics specifically designed for iPhone the way there are websites designed for iPhone? I would like to check those out, if anyone knows of any.I'd be interested in this as well.

ashgotti

03-26-2008, 02:01 AM

jcohen7523-mac-com

03-30-2008, 11:22 PM

Found way to read comic books on the ipod.

http://cgi.ebay.com/COMIC-BOOKS-for-iPOD-TOUCH-iPHONE_W0QQitemZ280213664881QQihZ018QQcategoryZ67Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://s120.photobucket.com/albums/o184/jcohen7523/?action=view&current=iPhone-ComicCover.jpg

adeepercut2k

03-31-2008, 03:41 AM

If I were to be consistently reading comics on some sort of portable device, said device would have to have a screen that was pretty freakin' huge. Seventeen inch widescreen at least. Paper comics are big, bold, and beautiful, and reading on CBR or whatever has been a hassle, scrolling up and down all this that and the other way.

Well, until I realized I could just turn my 19" widescreen monitor sideways the other day. It blew my freakin' mind. :eek:

Well, not really. But it did make reading on CBR suck a lot less.
I just got a LCD for my wii and it's not until you're up close to a LCD when you realize how easy it is to rotate. It's my first LCD and the concept just never crossed my mind. So now I have it on a wall mount so I can play Ikaruga with it sideways.

I still have a crt for my pc but this thread just made me do a spit take on the possibility of viewing comics at home. I might have to ditch the monitor and go lcd. I have no problem going all digital. I have no space for a library of trades or issues. Although thumbing through the comics is nice, I think I'd rather have open space.

The ComicBookDS looks ok if you have to have comics on the road but not as the primary way of reading. I'd go mad.

Then again, thumbing through comics is nice. Damn you nostalgia.

kahunablair

03-31-2008, 06:21 PM

Found way to read comic books on the ipod.

http://cgi.ebay.com/COMIC-BOOKS-for-iPOD-TOUCH-iPHONE_W0QQitemZ280213664881QQihZ018QQcategoryZ67Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

All that is, is a bunch of pictures that you send to the Photo section in your iPhone/Touch. You could do that right now. All you need to do is find some comics online and then format them to the right size.

jimski

03-31-2008, 10:01 PM

My digital comic reading experience has improved immensely since I got over how stupid I looked holding my laptop sideways. ("Wait… if I rotate the PDF 90 degrees, it's the exact same shape as the page. Problem solved, until my wife comes in and asks 'What the hell are you doing?'")

footsore

09-03-2008, 09:27 AM

Now I'm not promoting piracy, so no one do this who hasnt actually purchased these issues but...

Ho....leee....shit

The guys who regularly put together the scan packages of the weeks Marvel and DC titles, The Minutemen, put together wide-screen versions of all 3 issues of Old Man Logan. These arent just scans, these are frakking amazing, cinematic stories done in an incredible bit of panel by panel editing. They totally blew me away. These are how comics should be done for digital viewing. I'd never buy a paper comic again if this was how digital downloads were put together, and I'd gladly pay for them.

If you dont know how to download and view scans I'll explain it briefly.
You need to download BitTorrent(torrent downloader), and Comical(freeware cbr file viewer) from their parent sites, and then go to
*LINK REMOVED*
once you choose to download this torrent BitTorrent will open, and give you a list of all the issues contained in that torrent, and just check off the issues you want to grab.
It's pretty basic.

But seriously, everyone should see these scans. It's a work of art. If you thought Old Man Logan was good the first time you read it you aint seen nuthin yet.

six-gun

09-03-2008, 12:10 PM

we're not into piracy around these parts

hank41

09-03-2008, 12:20 PM

i second that Six. that's a no no

gobo

09-03-2008, 01:43 PM

Checking it out... curious what he means by "widescreen"

labor_days

09-03-2008, 01:54 PM

Maybe he means widescreen as in monitor?

gobo

09-03-2008, 02:10 PM

It's an interesting idea and works fairly well for this kind of story, but I really miss being able to see the whole page.

It kind of feels like a super low-budget motion comic thing.

hcolyn

09-03-2008, 03:05 PM

gobo, I'm not going to download it myself but what DOES he mean by widescreen? You made me curious as well :)

gobo

09-03-2008, 03:16 PM

As you skip from "page" to "page" in the comic viewer it shows either one panel at a time or shows a couple panels coming up one at a time on a single page, it's definitely kind of neat.

It works well on Wolverine, I'm not sure it would work on everything and I definitely don't prefer it to traditional books.

labor_days

09-03-2008, 06:13 PM

Don't all .cbr readers have the ability to display double pages?

I know comicrack, cdisplay and cdisplayex do. Makes text hard to read though.

gobo

09-03-2008, 06:19 PM

Yeah they do, this isn't just displaying two pages though.

It's displaying each "shot", so it will show one panel, per page, or sometimes 2-3 panels on a page loading up one at a time.

labor_days

09-03-2008, 06:22 PM

To wit~

Single page: Link (http://i33.tinypic.com/dlj7eo.jpg)

Double Page (widescreen): Link (http://i35.tinypic.com/23mvfd2.jpg)

Doesn't seem all that big a deal. Perhaps McNiven's art on Old Man Logan is particularly well suited to such viewing though. It sure is pretty either way.

Disclaimer: There are no pirated files in this post. Merely two scans from a comic I own displayed using imaging software.

labor_days

09-03-2008, 06:24 PM

Yeah they do, this isn't just displaying two pages though.

It's displaying each "shot", so it will show one panel, per page, or sometimes 2-3 panels on a page loading up one at a time.

Interesting. Makes my last post irrelevant.

gobo

09-03-2008, 06:33 PM

Really "cinematic" version would make more sense than "widescreen" version.

labor_days

09-03-2008, 06:37 PM

It must take ages to read that way.

gobo

09-03-2008, 06:39 PM

I only went through a few... "scenes" to check it out. I didn't find it took much longer than reading a normal book.

footsore

09-03-2008, 09:43 PM

Yeah its more like a cinematic cut of the comic, they called it widescreen so who am I to re-name their artistic endeavor?

Personally I dislike viewing digital scans. Unless you have at least a 30 inch cinema display they just dont look good, but this is great. They completely control the pacing with the viewing software. Displaying only those panels they wish you to see totally focuses you on the event on the screen.

You really have to check it out to understand what they did. I'd love to see this done in Flash, and set it to music.

labor_days

09-03-2008, 09:46 PM

Sounds neat.

Hopefully, one day someone will make a motion comic without the unnecessary vomit-inducing "shaky" cam ala Invincible.

Also, comic book dialogue is the worst shit to hear aloud. The fucking worst.

labor_days

09-03-2008, 09:48 PM

Also, Starfire's pupil-less green eyes have never stopped creeping me out. Sweet Jesus.

gobo

09-03-2008, 10:19 PM

You really have to check it out to understand what they did. I'd love to see this done in Flash, and set it to music.

That's basically like the motion comics thing they did with Invincible. Except they added voices

conanobrien

09-03-2008, 10:36 PM

That's all the comic industry needs is more incentive for people to pirate.

I just thought of an idea that may have been tossed around before but what if every time you bought an issue of a comic it came with a unique code to download a digital version.

hank41

09-03-2008, 11:48 PM

isn't this kinda wrong?

footsore

09-04-2008, 12:01 AM

I download scans because I purchase all my books via 'mailorder' and receive them 1x per month enmasse. I download the 3 or 4 books that I just cant handle waiting a month to read, like Wolverine's current run. Thank God for sites like Pirate Bay, since Marvel and DC refuse to join the rest of us in the 21st century and sell their product electronically.

They can continue to complain that online piracy hurts their sales, but if they provide no alternative then they are just yelling at cars on the freeway like all the other loonies. The music industry learned, and are now selling 10x as much product online as they did when they were screaming about Napster, and now they dont have the overhead of retail stores, cd/cassette production, or shipping costs. On top of that we the consumer have a 1000x the selection we had before and instant ownership.

esophagus

09-04-2008, 12:46 AM

Shhhhhh.

We've had this fight before and it didn't end well.

I think its best to leave this debate outside of the forums.

labor_days

09-04-2008, 01:00 AM

Having one of those Amazon Readers for comics would be pretty snazzy though.

esophagus

09-04-2008, 01:04 AM

The Kindle?

Does it do color?

gobo

09-04-2008, 01:10 AM

Nope, would be good for Walking Dead though

esophagus

09-04-2008, 01:29 AM

I didn't think so. It would be good with color, or as you said for books already in black and white.

hank41

09-04-2008, 01:52 AM

a comic reader like the amazon thing would be sweet. i would definetely get that

footsore

09-04-2008, 02:09 AM

Actually this
http://www.microvision.com/pico_projector_displays/index.html
is what I firmly believe is the future of digital media. Now imagine you have this built into your phone, and your pull list digitally downloaded into your phone, and you can project a high quality 24-36 inch picture onto any surface you like.

These guys say they can do this, its just a matter of the phone makers integrating this tiny new chip into their products. I think its only a matter of a year or two at most before we see this.

Just look at the applications gallery of devices they've installed it to already
http://www.microvision.com/pico_projector_displays/application_gallery.html

esophagus

09-04-2008, 02:10 AM

What would you do while on the go, where a lot of people read? On the subway? On a bus? In a waiting room?

cenquist

09-04-2008, 01:51 PM

I don't know if I would like that...my hands are shaky. It would look like a motion comic though!

deadspace

09-04-2008, 03:17 PM

Actually this
http://www.microvision.com/pico_projector_displays/index.html
is what I firmly believe is the future of digital media.

Hmmm, not for me. I don't wanna have to find a wall any time I want to read a comic.

Digital comics though on whatever they end up being displayed on are the future.

macdad34

09-11-2008, 10:54 PM

i've been reading comics digitally alot lately and i have to say i've sort of grown to enjoy it. yeah - i still love going into my local shop and hanging out for a few minutes, then walking out with a huge stack of new stuff - but it's so convenient to just have a folder of files to pull stories from. plus, if you're reading on a laptop and rotate the page, so that you hold the computer like a book, it works pretty good.

deadspace

09-11-2008, 11:21 PM

Where do you get the digital comics from?

kahunablair

09-12-2008, 03:50 PM

Just to keep the talk going on the eReader side of things, everyone keep their heads up. We are about to see some new Kindle 2.0 and new Sony Readers hitting the market.
Rumors have it the Kindle's new focus is going to be at a price point that is low enough to attract College students so that they use the Kindle for their textbooks. This means that the price point will be sub-$200. If this is the case, then we are about to see the eBook market blow up.
Plus, now we are having some really good non-Amazon, non-Sony companies putting out good products.
Take a look at Plastic Logics new reader:
http://www.uploadandgo.com/images/Plastic Logic.PNG
http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/08/plastic-logic-finally-ready-to-launch-flexible-e-newspaper-re/
Just as the Kindle is more of the size of a paperback, the new Logic is the size of a magazine.

I know that this is all still black and white ink we are talking about, but this is how it's going to start. I can't wait!

gobo

09-12-2008, 04:11 PM

I would definitely read a comic on a colour version of the magazine looking one.

Hell I'd read B&W comics on it right now

tad

09-13-2008, 05:38 AM

Whatever happened to Marvel's DCU? Did anybody hang around downloading digital back issues after the initial dazzle wore off?

esophagus

09-13-2008, 05:49 AM

I would definitely pick up a $200 Kindle for textbooks next year, provided the selection keeps up with both texts and regular books.

deadspace

09-13-2008, 06:48 PM

That Plastic Logics reader looks amazing! That's much more like how I imagined 'digital paper' to be like. Plus it has hardly any of teh ugly that the Kindle has. Love it.

macdad34

09-30-2008, 08:38 PM

there's a line of dvds out there from marvel for hulk, spidey, x-men, fantastic four, avengers, ghost rider - and it's like from their start up through 2006. i think they're out of print now, but i know i've seen them floating around on amazon (plus you could click an ifanboy banner....).

i thought i saw that they actually are re-issuing some of them now too - albeit in a more condensed manner. they can make more $$ by breaking the one large set into a series of smaller sets - but it all reads the same and more than worth the dough.

as for other stuff, you can obtain digital backups of the comics you own through a variety of sources including bit torrents or newsgroups.

as for the readers - as soon as they offer a color digital reader, i'm in - regardless of cost, as long as the books look as good as they do on my laptop.

actionsreaction

10-01-2008, 12:41 PM

i think i saw some discussion on this thread a while back about a reader on the iPhone,.... well i'm about ready to enter a closed-ish beta phase on my iPhone comic reader. I'll be posting a fresh thread on here when I am ready with it, but i'd also like to gauge the interest in this, whatcha all think?

...more details to follow in the coming days.

macdad34

10-01-2008, 02:26 PM

i'd certainly be interested in checking it out, but i have to admit, i don't know how crazy i am to be reading on such a small screen. my laptop is a 12" and many times i wish it were larger - especially with big 2-page splash spreads. can't wait to hear how it goes though!

conorkilpatrick

10-01-2008, 04:45 PM

I'll be posting a fresh thread on here when I am ready with it

Which will just get merged with this thread so you might as well just post here.

jklimp

10-07-2008, 07:25 PM

I bought the Amazing Spider-man DVD from marvel and have been reading a lot of comics on my computer, and it really isn't that bad. I think a good comparison is like playing pac-man on the internet or in an arcade. It can certainly be fun to play on the internet, but there is something about playing on a machine with a joystick that makes it a little more enjoyable. I feel like in comics there is something about turning a page and having the art pop out at you that is really fulfulling. Turning the page to a full page spread of batman on a rooftop or spider-man web swinging isn't the same on a computer screen, but that being said I'm certainly not against the idea because it's still extremely fun to read comics on the computer, and maybe, just maybe it would help make comics a little cheaper(wishful thinking).

rchapoteau

10-07-2008, 08:12 PM

I am so ready for the comic book digital jump. I would buy more comics if they were digital. Part of my problem with buying comics today is that I don't really want to keep them. I don't feel like organizing them. I just want to enjoy the story and move on.

I also want 1 source to get them from like Itunes as opposed to going to each comic company.

racemccloud

10-07-2008, 10:20 PM

Every time this thread pops up in bold I like to jump on board and say, "Yay for digital comics!"

Weeklies via the internet, collected trades and hardcovers for the bookstores, this is my dream. Poor LCS's...

cenquist

10-08-2008, 03:38 AM

Do the pros outweigh the cons for going digital?

gobo

10-08-2008, 03:44 AM

There are cons to floppies going digital?

miyamotofreak

10-09-2008, 03:37 AM

There are cons to floppies going digital?
Yes. I don't like buying a copy of anything which I merely own some restricted rights to.

kndoubleu

10-09-2008, 04:01 AM

The pros by far outweigh the cons for going digital in my mind. The physical storage space and the recallability of back issues are the two main selling points for me.

The biggest downside is if you have anything below a 25 inch screen or so you can't take in the whole scope of a page while you read it. I read comics on my laptop, and I need to enlarge each page an average of two-to-three zooms to get easy-to-read text. Doing this, though, limits my ability to look at the landscape and layout of a page or a two-page spread as a whole.

racemccloud

10-09-2008, 05:36 AM

racemccloud

10-09-2008, 05:40 AM

Yes. I don't like buying a copy of anything which I merely own some restricted rights to.

Is that a shot at iTunes restricted music sold through Apple? Honestly (and this is a tangent that doesn't really belong in that thread) I could care less about those restrictions. As far as I'm concerned, the iPod is the best digital music listening device on the market, iTunes is free and is the best music software and distribution system available for the home computer, so why would I go with inferior product just so somebody else can grab the file that I paid for and play it on their Zune? I'm sure there are reasons, but none that have any impact on my life or that I feel the need to worry about.

If the comic book industry can come up with an affordable reader and distribution system that is to comics what the iPod and iTunes are to music, I'll deal with restricted content. If the content is restricted for use only on the best product on the market, why would you want to transfer it to a different product, anyway?

kndoubleu

10-09-2008, 05:48 AM

Of course, I'm sure those comics end up on your laptop through perfectly legal means. (Agree quickly!) :D

I can't imagine how else they would!

racemccloud

10-09-2008, 05:52 AM

I can't imagine how else they would!

Nicely said. ;)

esophagus

10-09-2008, 06:02 AM

Do the pros outweigh the cons for going digital?

Pros
- Easier to transport
- Saves space
- Saves money
- Easy to organize
- Better selection

Cons
- Tough for things like iPhones. Panels just don't work well in that format.
- Presentation needs a bit of work.

I think those cons (which are the big two, I'm sure theres more) are just reasons this needs to be perfected, not reasons it shouldn't happen. Pros definitely outway the cons.

diabhol

10-10-2008, 12:54 AM

If the comic book industry can come up with an affordable reader and distribution system that is to comics what the iPod and iTunes are to music, I'll deal with restricted content. If the content is restricted for use only on the best product on the market, why would you want to transfer it to a different product, anyway?

Well, sometimes you want to share, so you can expose people to the awesomeness that they're missing. :)

That said, there will always be ways around that stuff. For example, the only difference between music I've downloaded myself and purchased music I've taken off my girlfriends' computers is that I can't play it on my *computer*. I can play it on my iPod as much as I want. DRM is kind of a joke.

To bring this back around to comics, isn't there a way around the Marvel Digital Comics reader format? 'Cause one of the main reasons I'm not using it is that I don't (and don't want to have to) read my digital comics while I'm online. We aren't yet at a place where the entire world is a wifi hot-spot, after all.

I really would love an iTunes for comics.