Is Apple's iPad the future of comics?

Is Apple's iPad the future of comics?

Editorializing on the Apple iPad and its appreciative comic book applications.

Editorial Opinion
By StuckInPanels - Apr 05, 2010 11:04 AM EST
Filed Under: Marvel Comics

Hey friends. Now that the iPad has been released and tons of Apps are gonna be released like crazy for the thing. While I have not gotten one yet, because I don't buy gen 1 tech. So once a g2 or g3 is released, which most likely be around late summer or mid fall, I will be purchasing one. This sorta ties into an article involving Joe Quesada from Marvel. On his CBR blog Cup O' Joe, he talks a bit about the iPad and a potential app for digital comics.

So as my editorial has mentioned, will the iPad be the future in how we as comic book fans and aficionados read our comics via a digital network and displayed on a giant iPod touch. I do know there exist digital comics you can get for the psp, marvel has a section on there site with digital comics. I don't know if DC has a digital comics section, but I'm sure they will soon. With that said will this new piece of technology be the next step in giving us our super hero escapism.



Imagine being able to get your weekly comic orders with a simple press on the screen and flipping through the pages with ease. This would cut the amount of paper they would need to make for the amount of comics they make(now IDK if they use recycled resources so don't preach). Imagine being able to purchase your comic or comics if your local comic shop is hard to reach or you are nowhere need one(unless you prefer TPB, then you have bookstores and libraries). This item has full of potential and we can be the first in seeing a comic revolution.

Now, while I like seeing technology pushing the terms of humanity and helping people socialize more by keeping them apart(the irony), but I still prefer going to brick and mortor stores. The shop I go to is great. THe owner is a cool guy, he gives me good recommends to read. I think shops are good place to have great discussions and debates. Chat with your fellow compatriot on comics and movies. Plus if they did perfect this, then well the stores would lose business and thats never a good thing.

Now I know not everyone will own an iPad and loyalty to a store is very strong(my comic shop made $400 dolllars during one of those huge snow storms), the likelyhood of stores closing is small. With that said, whats your take on this. Will the iPad be the future of comics or will just a fad?

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Stumblin
Stumblin - 4/5/2010, 12:51 PM
Comics on the iPad will be as successful as motion comics. In other words it wont effect the comic book shops at all. I still don't understand the iPad, it's a giant iTouch, has no USB port to hook up any USB you have to buy extra crap, personally I would just save up for one of the Mac Books, you'd be about half way.

Plus reading online is a huge strain on the eyes, sometimes I'll read books for a few hours I stare at a computer eight hours a day doing graphic design, if I'm going to get some R&R done it wont be reading comics on a computer.
StuckInPanels
StuckInPanels - 4/5/2010, 1:07 PM
Thats how I feel. Reading a comic in my hands isn't as straining.
Spock
Spock - 4/5/2010, 2:25 PM
Like with all things in regards to data, it will change the land scape. But I can't see myself looking @ a computer screen all the time. I prefer to read a good old book. Besides these are potential collectors items. You can't have your favorite artist, writer sign your Dig comic book & expect to have the same weight as a Hard copy. This is cool, but give me paper any day!
ecksmanfan
ecksmanfan - 4/5/2010, 2:35 PM
I like new technology and am willing to embrace it as it comes along...as needed of course. However, there will never be anything that can replace a book. Whether that be a comic book or a novel. For one thing, it's just easier to read. Call me old fashioned, but I love my books!
OdinsBeard
OdinsBeard - 4/5/2010, 3:35 PM
im down for it! but i would only really use it if it were subscription based. i just buy the big releases of the month. your Sieges your Blackest Nights and what have you. the rest i buy in trade or hard cover form. and nothing is going to stop me from getting that variant cover of a big release.

But i think it would be cool if, and i believe marvel does something like this, you could pay 9.99 -19.99 a month and have access to read all of the books in said company's digital library. the more you pay a month the more books you would have access too. i think that would work.

but im with BlackAirs - why buy one of these things now when in 6 months - a year - two years - five years all the better ones come out with all the good stuff? any one buying an ipad right now is just a sucker for technology and having things "FIRST!" - looking back would any one go buy a gen 1 ipod? i'm betting no. and the thing is what do you really need an ipad for? no doubt once this product get's more features and everything people will use it instead of a home computer - much like how laptops over took the desk top. but for now - and for the next 10 years - i see no point in owning an ipad

except for what BlackAris is talking about - reading comics. but for those of you who like to read there's this thing around call a book - stuff is written inside of it - some times these "books" can be pretty cool. i would never pay hundreds for a device that's for reading books that you'll again be charged for. why not just save the $$$$ and buy the book? so again ipad=useless (for now).
StuckInPanels
StuckInPanels - 4/5/2010, 5:05 PM
@odinsbeard, your awesome my man. Those are easy ways of pointing out all that stuff. People need to buy books more instead of reading it via digitally. Unless you have no means to store the book, or hell go to a library
StuckInPanels
StuckInPanels - 4/5/2010, 5:12 PM
@odinsbeard, I agree, it should be for big releases. Like main titles like Captain America, Thor, Iron man, X-men, Spider-man, and the Avenger titles. This is fertile ground that could be a great and wondrous revolution in the digital media and for comic distribution. I will still support brick and mortar stores
OdinsBeard
OdinsBeard - 4/5/2010, 9:23 PM
BlackAirs@ you wrote a good article sir.

the ipad wont really hit until they figure out a way to make it more like a laptop.

imagine two "ipads" that unfolded like a laptop but instead of a keyboard you had another touch screen. the top screen would function just like a regular screen and the bottom one could become a full-size touch screen keyboard but you could also change it into pretty much anything you want. compose music, do visual design, the gaming possibilites alone would be endless(DS meets PC). then you could turn off the key board and turn the device vertically and read it just like a news paper. and if you wanted to watch a movie you could spin it around and close it just like that new at&t flip phone.

now that^ i would buy.
StuckInPanels
StuckInPanels - 4/5/2010, 9:30 PM
@odinsbeard, now that is what I would buy too. Apple will perfect on this, give them 2 or 3 years and we will have something awesome

@CapProg, thats a good thing it could help. reduce use of paper.
StuckInPanels
StuckInPanels - 4/5/2010, 9:37 PM
thats a cool video and thats exactly what I would like but feeling a comic in my hand has more emotion and weight to it. I will wait till the next gen ipads
StuckInPanels
StuckInPanels - 4/5/2010, 10:05 PM
@gaston, so you hate apple?lol. we all have our preferences
SHAZAM171
SHAZAM171 - 4/5/2010, 11:20 PM
LOL, I own everything apple. Some people just won't learn. LOL
darthstern
darthstern - 4/6/2010, 12:40 AM
@odinsbeard
actually microsoft has a tablet comming out that does exactly that it opens like a book
check it out i think its calles the couirrer or somethingit actually looks pretty cool
SauronCorps
SauronCorps - 4/6/2010, 2:11 AM
damn you steve jobs always making me want to buy ur amazing products
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 4/6/2010, 5:26 AM
i dont think this will be the future of comics any more than digital comics was. this debate has been going of for over 2 years now, and in no way have digital comics even begun to completely taken over.

also, the comics offered on the ipad, from what i've read, will not be new issues, only back issues. so no, it won't be the future.

most comic fans won't be willing to give up collecting the actual physical floppy issues or trades. its what makes collecting comics fun for a lot of people.
OdinsBeard
OdinsBeard - 4/6/2010, 9:06 AM
Darthstern- alright i'll check that out! i knew if I could think of it these computer geeks probably thought of it 10 years ago!
OdinsBeard
OdinsBeard - 4/6/2010, 9:15 AM
DarthStern@ OOOOOHHH THAT IS SICK! THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS THINKING! wow. now that looks like its worth buying right now.

http://gizmodo.com/5365299/courier-first-details-of-microsofts-secret-tablet

the video only shows the user doing lots of business and work-related stuff but i bet there's endless possibilities for fun and games. as far as it turning into a laptop type of set-up with a touch screen keyboard - i guess we'll have to wait and see. but seeing how awesome this device is, it's probably not too far off.

awesome you just made my day Darth
peterparker420
peterparker420 - 4/6/2010, 10:21 AM
NO NO NO..COMICS WILL ALWAYS BE BETTER IN PRINT!
ALWAYS HAVE BEEN ALWAYS WILL!
gorgeousgeeks
gorgeousgeeks - 4/6/2010, 12:40 PM
I know ebooks and other reading applications are doing well, but people still like the feel of the pages in their hands. I would feel like a traitor if I contributed to my comic shop going out of business. I'm going to keep supporting the comic shop as long as I can. Besides, I like conversing with fellow nerds when a new book comes out. It's like our watering hole.
theartofoneness
theartofoneness - 4/6/2010, 1:23 PM
i think that looks awesome. ide love to read it in that movie mode. very cool. i can see this as being the way of hte future. paper is such a crude things to use still.
GreenLantern416
GreenLantern416 - 4/7/2010, 11:21 AM
great article! I'm glad someone decided to spark this debate. I actually wrote a paper on digital comics a few years back for a marketing strategy class. My analysis showed that the major barrier to the expansion of the comics industry is in its distribution system. It accounts for way too much of the final purchase price. If comic companies sold their products online, they basically cut out the middle man and keep more of the profits for themselves. But the online digital comics market is still struggling because companies can't seem to figure out how to effectively establish themselves without popular online stores that can sell their comics. So here are the pros/cons to going online:

Pros:
-artists, writers and publishers make more money
-it makes comics more easily accessible, resulting in a larger geographic and demographic market
-more accessibility and revenue means publishers can finally spend more energy on non-superhero comics (documentary, romance, comedy, etc.)

Cons:
-comic shop owners lose business
-it affects the social aspect of buying and talking about comics outside of forums

I had a lot of numbers to back it up but I'm not sure if I can find them and I think they're outdated by now. But anyway, this opens up a lot of new business opportunities for writers, artists, publishers and the emerging online comic shop owners looking to make a buck. All they need to do is understand the industry better and craft the right strategy. Still, I believe the next big comics company will an online store that provides most comics for free and uses ad revenue to pay the publishers.

If anyone currently owns a brick&mortar comic shop or is interested in starting a digital comics publishing business or online store, you're in the right place at the right time but you need the right market strategy to make it successful.
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