I have seen the future of comics.......

[sterlingcomics]

I've been living with technology since I was 10 or so (actively involved with computers, programming, etc) and although I understand this as a "direction" I don't think it's the best one.

 

There's something about the printed medium for comics that cannot be replaced with a computer. Having it your hands...the paper...the experience is just way different than binary data flashing on a computer screen.

[Ze-man]

It is not the format that bothers me, I love seeing how evolving technology creates new ways to experience entertainment. I remember buying a Spiderman CD from Toys-R -Us 10 years ago. It was awful, but still kind of fun.

 

Considering many fans of the comic book medium(modern readers included) collect them for reasons other then just reading them. An E book format will only go so far in a hobby driven by people who like to collect, grade and hoard stuff ,and never replace what we know as the hobby today. But as an alternative to TBP's or Masterwork Editions. I would love to see the digital medium find a spot in the future of our hobby. Especially if it gets people exposed where otherwise they might not.

 

Ze-

[Raphael]

i think that people collecting cd wrappers sounds a bit silly.

 

there is a difference in slabbing an actual comic book and slabbing a "paper wrapper". in terms of grading, all that would be graded is that one piece of paper vs. the condition of a comic book.

 

imo, if the guys at marvel/dc are doing to animate their comic books, they're better off doing the shot animated features on dvd release and pushing the movies. trying to animate comic books is just a 1/2 a step into making an actual cartoon, which is a step in the direction of making a full motion picture.

 

comics have been around for a long time, and i think with more and more movies coming out, the value of comics will continue to increase. kids who see the movies will seek out the comic books because that's where the characters originally come from.

 

digital comics may be around, but i definately dont see them replacing comic books in the future as long as people still read off of paper

[sterlingcomics]

i think that people collecting cd wrappers sounds a bit silly.

 

Many people think collecting comics or toys are silly too...

[50 Cent #II (1st)]

Trying to think what a CGC slab will look like in the future? Will it look like a Memory card holder or a clear DVD case? Will the norm be 10 and 9.9 will be rejected like a qualified label?

[Raphael]

i think that people collecting cd wrappers sounds a bit silly.

 

Many people think collecting comics or toys are silly too...

 

that's true. collecting comics has, at least a market. i collect a couple toys here and there. i just dont think those would be as stygmatized as collecting cd wrappers

[*paull*]

I don't think CDROMs or DVDs like this are the future of comics. Comics will remain in book form, but it's time to get rid of those silly monthly pamphlets.

[dekeuk]

i think that people collecting cd wrappers sounds a bit silly.

 

Many people think collecting comics or toys are silly too...

 

that's true. collecting comics has, at least a market. i collect a couple toys here and there. i just dont think those would be as stygmatized as collecting cd wrappers

 

 

To a non-collector, anything any collector collects can be considered stupid. They just don't understand why you would want to spend good money to clutter your house with old garbage.

 

Collecting cd wrappers is NOT stupid, because the best collectibles fields are those ones where most of the items produced are either thrown away, consumed, degrade, etc. This leaves very few pristine copies remaining, and that is why the remaining ones become desired collectibles.

 

This is why the boxes of many old toys are worth more than the actual toys that came in the boxes. The boxes in nice condition are much harder to find than the toys.

 

People collect old bottles, beer cans, bottle caps, etc. How is that any less stupid than collecting comic cd wrappers?

 

If they produce a lot of comics on cd and they have these wrappers, I am 100% sure people will be collecting the wrappers, and the ones in the best condition will be most highly valued (or those in limited supply, those with printing errors, etc.) It's like Star Wars toys, the toy sealed in an average box might be worth $50, but the same toy in a pristine mint box is worth $1000.

[tilleycs]

I give the possibility of a "paperless" comic industry about as much credence as I do the possibility of a "paperless" office. (Remember when that was predicted?) Never gonna happen. Whomever wrote about digital books not replacing physical books was correct.

 

Don't forget, not everybody is a follower, or even a fan, of technology. Some people jump on every bandwagon, some people pick and choose, and some people reject it entirely. Depends on whether you want technology to be your master or your servant.

[Davenport]

comics have been around for a long time, and i think with more and more movies coming out, the value of comics will continue to increase. kids who see the movies will seek out the comic books because that's where the characters originally come from.

 

digital comics may be around, but i definately dont see them replacing comic books in the future as long as people still read off of paper

Look at the direction comic "collecting" is trending. On one end of the continuum you have out-of-reach $$$$$$ grails and on the other end you have printed-yesterday issues that rarely make Mint, but lose collectability value below 9.8. Not to mention the behind the scenes benchworking that goes on to feed-condition-demands/up prices.

 

So where will future rabid-fan completist turn? Perhaps digital, perhaps collecting complete Title libraries instead of paper backissues. Maybe every appearance of a favorite character, or the complete works of a particular artist, writer, or company. Digital formats may permit that sense of fun and accomplishment once again, where wallets surely won't.

[sterlingcomics]

Good point.

 

Case in point: Essential and Showcase editions

[Aman619]

I have seen the future of comics and this is what it looks like:

 

 

These comics on cd's are probably the only way the publishers will attract new young readers to comics, because that generation lives and breathes technology. It might even save the comics industry.

 

If you are 13 years old or less, that means you have lived with the internet your whole life, from the day you were born.

 

One day soon CGC will start encasing these comics on cd, so start looking for those 9.8 copies now. It won't be that easy because they seem to be shrink wrapped in cellophane, which tends to bend in all the corrners a bit.

 

sort of. But CDs are the past. A Decade already since they were the New Format. I cant stand to put a CD in and wait for it to load etc etc. boring. We still do it for movies on DVD but is that really a clean experiance? Its all just marking time til we are live online with ANYTHING we want to read or watch. No buying ATOMS. (= stuff) .. just downloading bits.

 

But, digital comics have 'A' future, or at least a place in the future of comics character publishing.

[Sid]

A lot of good/weird points but I still stand by my belief, the only reason the industry is suffering (if at all which I also don't believe completely) is due to lack of quality in the actual stories. Any good comic book still sells just fine, Fell series is up to it's 8th or 9th print already after just a few months. I also disagree that the variants saturating the market is effecting it any which I've read about overtime, if people aren't interested then they don't buy. I go out of my way to find some of the rarer ones, and I fully enjoy the chase that ensues which is a BIG factor in me still buying/collecting new books.

 

How much would it be acceptable to buy a digital comic book? Would it attract new customers? I doubt it, if they're not interested in it as a book format to look at what makes it more interesting in digital format? It makes it even more boring, but that's opinions I guess. Now consider the final piece, at least to me. I personally would never go buy a comic book in digital format unless it was a movie/show/game, never an actual book. How many like me are there? I can comfortable say a quite a few, and if you/anyone believes the industry is already suffering and the sudden surge in buyers is very suspect, would it be wise to risk losing us?

[Aman619]

Serialized comics on computer will never work. Something is lost in transition from the page to the screen for even the best stories. I don't foresee this medium gaining any traction other than as a quick reference tool for back issues collectors...

 

Jim

It's an interesting discussion of the unknowable future. So kick it up a notch...

 

For the it-must-be-on-paper fans...what about flexible color OLED (organic-light-emitting-diode) "e-paper" film? If it's paper-like, but delivered bright crisp images, would that increase the acceptability factor?

It's in it's infancy, but quickly coming down the pike.

 

 

YES!! I remember reading aboiut this future tech dream technology to do away with paper back in WIRED Magazine in the early 90s. Seems to be taking forever to get here, but when it does, assuming its light enoughand handy enough (not to bulky sizewise) look out! A portable pocket size or cigar sized 6x9"screen, connected wirelessy to the web? oh baby!

 

who want to bet Steve Jobs is all over this? WELL, MAYBE NOT, BUT ID LOVE TO SEE APPLE TAKE A STAB AT MAXIMIZING THE POTENTIAL OF THIS COOL TECHNOLOGY.

 

 

sorry caps lock key stuck.. I was so exceited typing and dreaming I didnt notice.

[rodan57]

People won't buy a comic book on a CD. They will want to buy an animated feature. A comic book on a CD is like a picture of a sun dial on your digital watch.

 

Dennis

[Sid]

People won't buy a comic book on a CD. They will want to buy an animated feature. A comic book on a CD is like a picture of a sun dial on your digital watch.

 

Dennis

 

Very well put.

[Davenport]

People won't buy a comic book on a CD. They will want to buy an animated feature. A comic book on a CD is like a picture of a sun dial on your digital watch.

 

Dennis

 

Very well put.

Well, if people won't buy,companies probably wouldn't produce them. These boxed sets aren't off in some distant future, they're available now.

 

[markseifert]

These (or the likes of) have been around for 5-10 years...

Didn't Crossgen try this about a year before they went belly up ?

 

Malibu did something called CD-Romix (sp?) in the early to mid 90's.

[Davenport]

This is worth a mention too, offered now as opposed to the future: A company doing 99cent downloads of their titles, such as "Family Guy" and "Sheena, Queen of the Jungle". PullboxOnline.com

 

[Raphael]

Very well put.

Well, if people won't buy,companies probably wouldn't produce them. These boxed sets aren't off in some distant future, they're available now.

 

 

on an aside note,

 

is that Captain America one available? if so, I'd like a link for it. Would love a chance to read the GA Cap stuff.