ComiXology, Image Comics & Robert Kirkman Release THE WALKING DEAD App

Just in time for Halloween and the premier of AMC's The Walking Dead Image, comiXology and Kirkman team-up to develop an iPhone app for The Walking Dead. I'm not quite sure what purpose this app serves since you can already read these books on your iPhone, but it does provides all the issues (for purchase) in one easy to use app with comiXology's new Guided View.

New York, NY – To commemorate the highly anticipated AMC series premiere of The Walking Dead this Halloween, comiXology has created a dedicated digital comic app of the award-winning series for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch in collaboration with Image Comics and the comic’s creator Robert Kirkman.

The Walking Dead, which won the 2010 Eisner Award for Best Continuing Series at San Diego Comic Con, recently went day-and-date with its digital version on comiXology-enabled devices and Web reader and is now giving its loyal fan base the ability to enjoy the comic in all of its gory in its own dedicated app. The Walking Dead in digital format is exclusive to the Comics by comiXology platform.

“Robert Kirkman and Image Comics have been great partners of ours and we love to see them continually pushing the envelope with The Walking Dead series,” said David Steinberger, CEO of comiXology. “Through this new app, zombie lovers everywhere will be getting a full dose of their favorite comic on their mobile devices all in one location. We’ve even added all the collected editions.”

The story centers around Rick Grimes, a former police officer who was shot in the line of duty and woke up from a coma after the world had succumbed to the zombie plague. Dazed from months in the hospital, and confused as to why he can't find anyone alive, he begins his journey to find his wife and son.

“Today’s app release will provide fans of The Walking Dead, new and old alike, another way to enjoy this series," said Robert Kirkman. “The Walking Dead app will make the series that much more accessible to the new generation that, more often than not, experiences their entertainment completely digitally. I couldn't be more thrilled to be working with comiXology, on the eve of the debut of the AMC television series, to bring this series in front of a whole new generation of readers.”

The Walking Dead app can be found in the iTunes App Store here and on comics.comixology.com.

The purchases made in The Walking Dead app will also be available in the Comics by comiXology app and online at comics.comixology.com.

via: Press Release

DC Ends WildStorm Comics, Kills ZUDA & Pledges Enhanced Digital Publishing

Today has been a very busy day for DC comics and Warner Brothers. As reportedly earlier, DC Entertainment will move it's offices from New York to Burbank, California. Now, DC is reporting that the WildStorm Comics will end in December 2010 and Zuda Comics will cease to exist.

WildStorm, published American comic books. Originally an independent company established by Jim Lee and further expanded upon in subsequent years by other creators, WildStorm became a publishing imprint of DC Comics in 1999. The WildStorm imprint remains editorially separate from its DC parent, with its main studio located on the West Coast. The imprint takes its name from the combining the titles of the Jim Lee comic series WildC.A.T.S. and Stormwatch.

"After taking the comics scene by storm nearly 20 years ago, the WildStorm Universe titles will end this December. In this soft marketplace, these characters need a break to regroup and redefine what made them once unique and cutting edge. While these will be the final issues published under the WildStorm imprint, it will not be the last we will see of many of these heroes. We, along with Geoff Johns, have a lot of exciting plans for these amazing characters, so stay tuned. Going forward, WildStorm’s licensed titles and kids comics will now be published under the DC banner."

 

Zuda Comics was DC Comics' webcomics imprint from 2007 until 2010. It featured comics for Flash player instead of in a web page. Announced in a press release on July 9, 2007 and the first ongoing series and competing comic entries went live October 30, 2007. Zuda comics series have won awards and nominations from comic industry's Glyph Comics Awards and Harvey Awards. Bayou, Volume 1 was also named one of the 2010 Great Graphic Novels for Teens by the American Library Association.

"After this week, we will cease to publish new material under the ZUDA banner. The material that was to have been published as part of ZUDA this year will now be published under the DC banner. The official closing of ZUDA ends one chapter of DC’s digital history, but we will continue to find new ways to innovate with digital, incorporating much of the experience and knowledge that ZUDA brought into DC. "

"We could not be more excited by the successful launch of our Digital Publishing products in June, which exceeded all sales forecasts and will be building on our early success with new applications for DC material on all major formats and hardware, partnering with Warner Bros Digital Distribution"

It's been a very busy day in DC Comic and Warner Brothers land.  What do you think of all these moves and decisions that were announced today?  Do you think it poised DC and Warner Brothers to continue to be a dominate player in the entertainment industry?  Can DC keep-up with Marvel or even surpass them?  Let us know!

Zuda Image via Rich Lovatt

FINALLY! DC Comics Enters the Modern Age and Offers Digital Comics

After seeing virtually every other comic book publisher in the free world jump on board the digital comics bandwagon, and after facing months of questions and speculation about when DC Comics would finally announce a digital distribution initiative fro comics, we finally get an answer.  The DC Comics app is now available for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad offering e-versions of selected DC comics.

DC’s app is powered by ComiXology, who is pretty much THE leader in digital publishing for the comic book industry.  They also power Marvel's app. 

Over 35 titles were available at launch, with prices ranging from FREE to $2.99. The initial selection features titles from all of DC’s imprints, including Wildstorm, Vertigo and Zuda.

While most of the offerings fall in the category of classic tales or first issues of classic runs, the one that is particularly noteworthy is the availability of Justice League: Generation Lost #4 ($2.99). The fourth issue of the series (the first three are also available through the app) is scheduled to arrive in comic book stores today.  Making a comic available digitaly on the same day it arrives in comic book stores is a BIG DEAL, and one gfest wholeheartedly supports.

A 10-page free preview of another key release scheduled for today, Superman #700, is also available on the service, along with seven other free titles.

The following is a list of titles available on the service at launch:



Action Comics #844 (Johns/Donner, $1.99)

All Star Superman #1 ($1.99)

The Authority: World’s End #1 ($1.99)

Batman #404 (first part of Year One, $1.99)

Batman #608-613 (first six parts of Hush, $1.99 each)

Batman #655-656 (first two Grant Morrison issues, $1.99 each)

Batman Black & White (five stories, all free)

Bayou #1 (Zuda, free)

Dante’s Inferno #1-3 ($1.99 each)

Fables #1-5 ($1.99 each)

Fringe #0 (free)

Fringe #1-3 ($1.99 each)

Gen 13 #21: World’s End ($0.99)

Green Lantern #21 ($1.99)

Green Lantern #29 ($1.99)

Green Lantern Corps #14 ($1.99)

Green Lantern: Rebirth #1-6 ($1.99 each)

Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special #1 ($1.99)

Jonah Hex #1-6 ($1.99 each)

Justice League: Generation Lost #1-3 ($1.99 each)

Justice League: Generation Lost #4 ($2.99)

The Losers #1-12 ($1.99 each)

Mirror’s Edge #0 (Free)

Mirror’s Edge #1-3 ($1.99 each)

The Origin of Batman #1 (free)

The Origin of Superman #1 (free)

Planetary #1-6 ($1.99 each)

Sandman #1 ($1.99)

Stormwatch: PHD #13: World’s End ($0.99)

Superman #700: Preview (free)

Superman/Batman #1-10 ($1.99 each)

Team Zero #1-6 ($0.99 each)

Tiny Titans #1-6 ($1.99 each)

The Unwritten #1 ($1.99)

Victorian Undead ($1.99)

Wildcats: World’s End #1 ($0.99)

iTunes is Helping the Printed Comic Book Market?

Entertainment chain Hastings will launch 127 direct market comic shops throughout the US in an effort to replace dwindling retail sales of music CD's due to digital downloads on iTunes.  

By adding an expanded comics section to 127 of their existing stores, they're also set to become the largest retail buyers of comic books.  

Hastings is a multimedia entertainment retailer that combines the sale of new and used CDs, books, videos and video games, as well as boutique merchandise, with the rental of videos and video games in a superstore format.

They have already implemented two test stores. These stores contain 32 feet of new comic releases, 32 feet of back issues, 44 feet of Manga and graphic novels, an expansion in action figures, role playing books, comic-related merchandise and supplies among other things. The tests were deemed a great success.

Gfest will admit that we did not see this coming at all.  With the introduction of the iPad we have been forcasting the rise of digital comics and continuing decline of local comic book shops.  It will be fascinating to see if Hastings experiment is a success.  We sure hope it is. 

Source: (Bleeding Cool)

BOOM! STUDIOS ANNOUNCES IPAD/IPHONE COMIC APP

Hey, DC Comics!  Can you hear me?  Yes, I am talking to you Dan Didio.  In case you did not know comics can be read electronically.  In case you also did not know, Apple has sold two million iPads and 35 million iPhones.  These devices have the ability to allow the owner to watch videos and read books on them.

Enough Gfest ramblings about the piss poor management at DC Comics.  Congratulations to Boom studios for announcing the arrival of the BOOM! Studios Comics app for the iPad and iPhone.  BOOM! partnered with comicXology to create this app that will, "create an incomparable reading experience for BOOM! Studios fans and comic fans everywhere...BOOM! will release its mobile app with nearly 50 comic book titles optimized specifically for mobile devices. " 


To read the full press release from BOOM! Studios click read more.  

Digital Comic Book Industry Is Growing -- FAST!

The Comic Book Industry is dreadfully behind the times on digital distribution.  Now look, we get the romantic feel of a printed comic book in our hands, we really do.  On the other hand, I read the first issue of Irredeemable by Mark Waid while in line at the grocery store.  And for once, I was happy to have gotten in the wrong line.  I then went on to buy all the rest of the issues digitally.  This is not a book I probably would have picked up or read, had it not been available on my iphone.

So while digital comic distribution is widely panned by the purists in the industry, it's worth noting that what may consider to be the future of comics has now become a million dollar a year business.