Digital comics have existed online for the greater part of the last twenty years, but it appears they may only now be reaching the stage of development where they are influencing lasting change in the comic book industry. The reason is that the largest makers of comics have only in the last year or so started to consider online comics as a major market and a genuine source of new fans. One explanation for the industry's relatively tardy foray (as compared to other periodicals and e-books) into digital publication on a large scale is technological: the graphic-intense medium needs devices that are capable of showing the artwork in a suitable manner. The rising availability of tablet computers and smart-phones with acceptable digital displays has fueled the interest by comic book producers.
From a casual reader perspective, digital comics potentially provide lots of advantages over conventional paper. Since digital books are simply computer files, customers can easily bring along their full collection on the hard drive of their notebook or on a portable storage device, and no longer need to clutter the floor of their basements with boxes of comic books. Customers can download digital books from any location that has an internet connection, so customers who don't live near physical comic book specialty stores can purchase them more easily. Digital comics do not need to be physically transported, so readers in markets outside the States can get their favorite comics instantly on release, without having to pay shipment costs.
But as more publishers use digital comics to find new potential markets, will the practices of digital publication exert influence on the normal way of of comic book writing and drawing? Until now, the term digital comic has ordinarily been used to describe something that could just as easily be read in print. Print comic books, in which about 20 pages are traditionally released on a monthly basis, can certainly be scanned and read digitally. Webcomics, in which single strips or pages are many times published several times per week, are often gathered into print versions. But more and more creators are developing genuinely digital comics, which use new technology to reveal information in a way that print is not able to. Will these writers continue to create comic book scripts the become the equivalent of twenty print pages every month? Or will we see somewhat shorter chapters released weekly, like tv shows? And will these creators still work to collect these digital comics into print versions, knowing they will lose some of the effect through the print process? We can expect these challenges will result in interesting new developments in the comic book industry over the next few years.
From a casual reader perspective, digital comics potentially provide lots of advantages over conventional paper. Since digital books are simply computer files, customers can easily bring along their full collection on the hard drive of their notebook or on a portable storage device, and no longer need to clutter the floor of their basements with boxes of comic books. Customers can download digital books from any location that has an internet connection, so customers who don't live near physical comic book specialty stores can purchase them more easily. Digital comics do not need to be physically transported, so readers in markets outside the States can get their favorite comics instantly on release, without having to pay shipment costs.
But as more publishers use digital comics to find new potential markets, will the practices of digital publication exert influence on the normal way of of comic book writing and drawing? Until now, the term digital comic has ordinarily been used to describe something that could just as easily be read in print. Print comic books, in which about 20 pages are traditionally released on a monthly basis, can certainly be scanned and read digitally. Webcomics, in which single strips or pages are many times published several times per week, are often gathered into print versions. But more and more creators are developing genuinely digital comics, which use new technology to reveal information in a way that print is not able to. Will these writers continue to create comic book scripts the become the equivalent of twenty print pages every month? Or will we see somewhat shorter chapters released weekly, like tv shows? And will these creators still work to collect these digital comics into print versions, knowing they will lose some of the effect through the print process? We can expect these challenges will result in interesting new developments in the comic book industry over the next few years.