Category Archives: Technology

FanConXR takes conventions into Virtual Reality

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FanConXR

FanConXR promises to be the safest and most unique con experience of the year! FanConXR unites award-winning Big Rock Creative, producers of an official Virtual Burning Man Experience, content experience thought leader Partikle Digital, and Los Angeles based Golden Apple Comics, known for first class comic book and movie signings, screenings and more. 

FanConXR will feature publishers Aftershock Comics, legendary science fiction publisher Heavy Metal, and Stranger Comics, with creators and additional exhibitors to be announced in the coming weeks! Heidi MacDonald, the award-winning Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Beat, will moderate panel programming with top comics talent, with names and times to be announced weekly leading up to the event.

FanConXR promises to be a unique experience for a global audience harnessing the incredible possibilities of virtual reality and the best in pop culture fandom. With over 11 million VR headsets sold in 2021 and fans around the world regularly participating in livestream and virtual events since 2020, the mission of FanConXR is to celebrate comics fandom by introducing the first comic convention designed exclusively for virtual.  Fans can interact with their favorite comic artists and writers, as well as fellow members of the comic community for a safe, fun and accessible social experience unlike any other.

The inaugural FanConXR will take place on September 24, with exhibitors, Hollywood talent, and comic creators to be announced weekly leading up to the event. Attendees will be able to participate from either headset or laptop, easily set up through AltspaceVR and streaming through FanConXR’s YouTube page with programming running at various times throughout the event to be accessible to fans around the globe in most time zones.

Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea is coming March 2023

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Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea

Readers and retailers rejoice! Scholastic has announced that 2023 will be a big and exciting year for kids and families everywhere with the publication of a new Dog Man graphic novel. Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea, the newest book in the #1 global bestselling and critically-acclaimed series will release on March 28, 2023, simultaneously in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, New Zealand, and throughout Asia. This eleventh installment in the series follows Dog Man: Mothering Heights which dominated both children’s and adult bestseller lists, and was the #1 bestselling book overall in 2021, selling more than 2 million copies to date in the U.S. alone. In just over five years since Dog Man launched to multiple starred reviews, there are more than 50 million copies of the Dog Man books in print with translations in 42 languages. DreamWorks Animation is currently developing a movie adaptation of Dog Man.

The phenomenal success of Dog Man has also helped to drive the comic book industry, and Dav Pilkey’s global domination continues on November 29, 2022 with the release of Cat Kid Comic Club: Collaborations, the newest book in his #1 worldwide bestselling Cat Kid Comic Club graphic novel series, a spin-off of Dog Man. With more than 90 million copies in print to date, the Captain Underpants series will soon mark its 25th anniversary. To celebrate the milestone of Pilkey’s popular series widely-credited for helping to create the illustrated children’s chapter book category, Scholastic will publish on March 7, 2023 a special anniversary edition of the first Captain Underpants book, The Adventures of Captain Underpants, featuring a bonus 32-page all-new comic mash-up starring Dog Man and Captain Underpants, bringing together two iconic characters in a never-before-told story.

Dav Pilkey’s Epic Comic Club

To engage and bring together its millions of fans worldwide, Scholastic also announced the official launch of Dav Pilkey’s Epic Comic Club, a new global online platform where kids can create their own comics. The COPPA-compliant site, www.EpicComicClub.com, opens up with a special message from Dav Pilkey encouraging kids to have fun making comics, and features a place where kids can upload their stories in a safe and moderated environment, along with an “Epic Comic Club Wall” to showcase their comic creations. The online hub includes free monthly downloadable activities including comic starters, customizable official membership cards, collectible character badges, special sneak peeks, exclusive book news, and more. The Epic Comic Club site also will serve as a destination for educators, booksellers, parents, and caregivers around the globe to access free resources including tips on how to start their own Epic Comic Clubs at home, in bookstores, classrooms, or libraries. Additionally, Scholastic has created a special section on its existing HomeBase platform as another portal where kids can submit their comics and access more games inspired by Dav Pilkey’s beloved characters.

DC reveals its new website focused on the entire brand

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DC has revealed its new website. It’s not just a new design but an entire new url to go with it. Out is dccomics.com and in is dc.com. The new site gives fans easy access to all things DC, from fan-first news to DC Universe Infinite, DC Shop, DC Community, and DC on HBO Max. The new homepage will feature weekly drops of new video content, editorial deep dives, fan discussions, digital experiences, and more, and fans will now access everything from DC Universe Infinite to DC Community with a single, unified user profile.

Already there’s crumbling of the drop of “comics” but for those who have paid attention, DC stopped using “comics” in its branding many months ago. It allows for potential better cross promotion and prevents information dropped into a silo. Now those who search for Sandman will hopefully not just learn about the upcoming tv show but be able to explore the same site and find comics, t-shirts, and more. At least, that in theory is how it should happen.

As said in the press release:

DC.com will be the home for breaking news and deep dives on the latest DC releases across comic books, film, TV, video games – all in one place!

DC.com will expand to include weekly video content ranging from trailers for upcoming releases to look backs at some of DC’s defining moments across all mediums, plus exclusive talent interviews that you won’t be able to find anywhere else, including:

  • Super Scenes – Videos highlighting fan-favorite moments and characters from across DC’s storied history in all mediums dropped every Tuesday & Friday.
  • Tuesday Trivia – Every Tuesday DC Community will host a themed trivia event where all fans are welcome, but even the most loyal DC fan may be stumped.
  • Riddler Wednesday – DC Community will post a riddle every Wednesday for members to try and solve either by themselves or together as a group.
  • DC’s House of Listery – Posted every Thursday, DC.com will curate a new list of essential moments, characters and content for fans to explore, add to and debate.
  • Monthly Deep Dives on everything happening with your favorite characters, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman across the DC Universe.
  • Digital Experiences, including My DC Origin Story, where fans can take part in an interactive story and discover where they belong among the super teams of the DC Universe.

DC Universe Infinite, DC’s digital comic book service, will be celebrating the launch of DC.com with new collections highlighting fan-favorite storylines, creators and tie-ins. DC’s Book Club offers curated selections each month with titles available as free to read for registered users, exclusive downloads, and discussions through DC Community. Fans can get ready for the upcoming August Book Club selection, the seminal The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes & Nocturnes, just in time for the streaming series debut on Netflix.

DC’s social accounts are also being refreshed to feature the @DC handle across most platforms to coincide with the DC.com launch. All DC branded social handles will continue to roll out new content from across the Multiverse for fans to engage with.

Accessible to all registered DC.com users, the DC Community hub will be unveiling a new live chat feature so that fans can connect in real time. Also added to the DC Community site are new badges and, soon to come, more flair options and avatars that community members can use to customize their user profiles, including options like Batman Fan, First Post, Top Fan, and more. Registered users can also enter to be featured as the Community Member of the Month, highlighting their favorite DC comic book picks. With “convention season” in full swing, the DC Community site will also be the place to show off fans’ artistic abilities in the new cosplay and fanworks gallery.

To celebrate the new website, DC Shop will introduce Premium Collectibles and Limited Edition items as well as new first to market apparel designs for Harley Quinn, Black Adam, and Shazam! Fury of the Gods and accessories including Batman themed LED Lights, Luggage Backpacks, Books and more. The improved Customer Experience will make it easier than ever before to find products featuring your favorite Super Heroes and Super-Villains with dedicated character pages.

SDCC 2022: From Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide to Overstreet Access

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Overstreet Access

The long-awaited online incarnation of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, the primary authority on comic book pricing, has launched along with a whole host of additional features — introducing Overstreet Access.

Overstreet Access is the ultimate evolution of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. Part price guide, part collection management platform, and 100% online, Overstreet Access marries the best of all worlds to provide subscribers with Price Guide values, personalized collection management, extensive search capabilities, a robust comic database, and more. As subscribers catalog their collections, they can leverage the Overstreet Access one-of-a-kind gap list technology to identify missing issues, create want lists, and match their lists with stock at local comic bookstores to complete their collection. The extensive search capabilities allow users to search by story arc, characters, publishers, contributors, titles and more.

Gemstone Publishing, best known as the home of the Guide, was founded by Geppi Family Enterprises President, Chairman and CEO, Steve Geppi, as a conduit for his efforts to preserve and promote the history and valuation of the comic book medium.

Overstreet Access serves as a collection-management platform, allowing users to catalog and manage their comics through developing a series of “Collections,” which function as digital long boxes. One highly anticipated feature is the creation of a “gap list.” Once a collection is established, subscribers can opt to generate a Gap List and see which titles are needed to complete series, story arcs, creator runs, or title sets in their collections. They can then decide which missing issues they wish to add to their Want List. Members will also be able to tether their account to local comics shop to find missing titles.

In addition to collection management, Overstreet Access provides an extensive database with hundreds of thousands of comic book titles and a robust search engine that gives users the capability to perform micro-searches using specific criteria including publisher, title, story arc, characters, creators, and more. Each search returns detailed information including Overstreet Price Guide valuation, additional variant covers, and number of characters featured in the issue. This allows users to quickly and easily locate any titles they want to add to their digital collection or create “Want List” of titles they hope to track down.

Overstreet Access is releasing during San Diego Comic Con with demos available at the PREVIEWSworld Booth #2401 at the convention. The subscription-based service will offer three tiers – Bronze, Silver, and Gold – with each tier allowing users to catalog larger collections and access specialized editorial content.

DC Universe Infinite Expands its Service

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DC Universe Infinite

DC Universe Infinite is going global! DC today announced that its premium digital comics subscription service has launched in Canada and will soon be available in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and Mexico. Fans will be able to access over 25,000 of their favorite comic books starting on:

  • Canada: LIVE NOW!
  • Australia: March 29, 2022
  • New Zealand: March 29, 2022
  • United Kingdom: April 28, 2022
  • Brazil: Summer 2022
  • Mexico: Summer 2022

Stay tuned as DC will continue to announce and launch in additional countries throughout the year!

DC Universe Infinite subscribers will have full access to the same in-depth library of comics, including both classic stories and recently released comics.

Subscribers will also have early access to new Digital First comics that include titles such as the smash hit Harley Quinn: The Animated Series: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour, Suicide Squad: King Shark and more.

With new comic books being added to DC Universe Infinite six months after they hit retail store shelves, the expansive library is constantly being updated. Recent additions for premium subscribers include Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn, The Nice House on the Lake, Superman: Son of Kal-El, I Am Batman, Superman and the Authority and many more.

DC Universe Infinite is also home to a fan-favorite community area full of in-depth discussions on the latest releases, Q&As with talent and more. The community is free to all registered and premium subscribers and will be available, alongside a web reader, soon in each of the new countries.

Fans who sign-up for an annual subscription to DC Universe Infinite during the first 30 days of each country’s launch are able to subscribe for $59.99 CAD (+tax), $64.99 AUD, $64.99 NZD and £36.99 BPS a year. Anyone that utilizes the introductory pricing will be able to renew at the same price, as long as they maintain their paid subscription. After the first 30 days, annual subscriptions will be available for $89.99 CAD (+tax), $99.99 AUD & $99.99 NZD or £54.99 a year. Monthly subscriptions are also available for $9.99 CAD (+tax), $9.99 AUD, $9.99 NZD and £6.99 BPS. Pricing for Brazil and Mexico will be announced at a later date.

Creator-Owned Comics Publishing Platform Zestworld Raises $9.37 Million in Series A Funding

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Zestworld

Zestworld, a creator-first digital publishing platform focused solely on comic creators, has announced it has raised $9.37 million in growth capital to “fracture the Marvel and DC duopoly” by providing top-tier comic creators a centralized platform that combines business, community management, digital publishing, NFTs, metaverse events and IP rights management. Zestworld’s goal is to provide a platform that provides a fully stacked product tailored to the comics format and industry.

The round was led by General Catalyst, with participation from Alexis Ohanian’s Seven Seven Six, Polygon Technology, former TaskRabbit CEO Stacy Brown Philpot, Shari Redstone’s Advancit Capital and Twitch founder Kevin Lin. The Series A funding will allow Zestworld to provide the best toolkit for comic creators to build a successful independent business.

This funding round allows Zestworld to launch the ultimate platform for comic creators to build their business and manage their community. Looking forward, Zestworld plans to continue building its platform and explore additional ways creators can express themselves and engage with fans.

Zestworld’s launch lineup includes comic veterans such as Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, Peter J. Tomasi, Eric Canete, Phil Jimenez, and Alex Segura. Creators on the platform are able to directly reach their audience through comic-optimized digital newsletters on their own schedule, without having to work against everchanging algorithms or potential shadowbanning that creators often face on other platforms. Additionally, creators will keep full IP rights to their content with Zestworld’s IP management tool.

Readers can look forward to a variety of comics from Zestworld’s initial roster of top-tier talent. Upcoming titles include:

  • Arc Athena by Eric Canete – “Neon Gods” to their adoring public, ARC ATHENA is the super powered team that the world is desperate for. Curated by the global tech and entertainment giant known as ARC, each member represents the most aspirational hero that public polling data can provide. Athena’s roster consists of characters whose powers are bombastically perfect for their obsessed audience but yield very low stopping force- everything is for “The Show.”
  • The Awakened by Alex Segura, Michael Moreci, Dean Kotz, Jason Wordie – A dark, noir-ish superhero murder mystery that explores what the true definition of power is, and who should wield it. 
The Awakened
  • Blood Tree by Peter J. Tomasi, Maxim Šimić, John Kalisz, Rob Leigh – Follows two obsessed NYPD detectives on the hunt for a vicious butcher called the Angel Killer, a sociopath who preys on the innocent family members of known murderers in order to “purify” the rest of society.
  • Boom Pow! by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti – An immortal is awakened from her eons-long slumber by the doughnut-slinging daughter of a nuclear physicist. Together, BOOTY POW POW and KAY BOOM take on the modern world in their own unique and special way.
Found
  • Found by Jimmy Palmiotti, Juan Santacruz, Alex Sinclair – On a deserted island in the middle of the pacific, a volcano erupts and expels an alien object that has potential to change the world. When this event is shared live by the family of scientists already on the scene, global governments see the potential of owning the technology and scramble to see who can get to the object first.
  • Otherworlds by Phil Jimenez – A reimagining of the Eisner-nominated Otherworld series, a sci-fi/fantasy epic about a war in another dimension, OTHERWORLDS tackles themes of family, identity, faith, and purpose, exploring whose voices will rise to shape the future and create the Earth anew, and how we all navigate a world where being “great” so rarely means being “good.”

Zestworld will empower fans to interact with creators directly in an array of ways, including private livestreams, exclusive discord communities, access to behind-the-scenes opportunities and the ability to commission art from their favorite artist directly.

David Steinberger Leaves comiXology for a New Amazon-wide Initiative

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comiXology

ComiXology CEO and co-founder David Steinberger announced he’d be leaving the digital comic platform for a “new Amazon-wide initiative”. ComiXology was purchased by Amazon in 2014.

Steinberger will continue to advise comiXology with Tom Ashley and Jeff DiBartolomeo taking over and managing the team.

Steinberger Tweeted:

It’s been a few big weeks, and I have personal news: I’ve been asked if I’d like to lead a new Amazon-wide initiative that is too good an opportunity to not take. It was a tough decision, but I’m ready for a new entrepreneurial challenge. I will love comics forever and I will continue to be an Advisor to @Comixology. Two long-term Comixology leaders, Tom Ashley and Jeff DiBartolomeo, will be managing the team moving forward. Tom and Jeff have been by my side for 9 years, and I can’t wait to see them execute their ideas for Comixology.

I’m extremely confident in Jeff and Tom, the rest of the Comixology leadership team, and the many passionate, comics-loving employees that strive day-in & day-out to make everyone on the planet lifelong fans. To all Comixologists: I’ve learned so much from you. Thank you.

can’t leave this thread without thanking the creators, publishers, and fans — many of whom are also dear friends — that make what we do possible. There are too many to thank personally here, but without you there is no Comixology, so: thank you.

For me, it’s been an amazing 15 years. It’s hard to leave the company I helped start with @johnnystorm0 & Peter, and still love, but I’m excited for the opportunity to explore another passion in my new role. My congratulations to Tom and Jeff! The best is still ahead.

GlobalComix Announces Reader v4

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GlobalComix Reader v4

GlobalComix has announced a new update to its reader, Reader v4. The new update was driven by the reading preferences of the comic community.

Reader v4 introduces a Double-Page Reading Layout. The new reading experience is ideal for widescreen devices but is available on any type of device.

The update includes an algorithm to match internal pages together to create a two-page spread seamlessly together.

The double-page reader will be the default for browsers that are wider than 1600 pixels.

GlobalComix Double-Page Spread

Also launched is an Improved Single-Page Reading Layout. You can now see information like crowdfunding alerts, comments, reactions, and more.

Single-Page navigation also gets upgrades allowing you to click or tap to the previous or next page. You can also do that in the Double-Page layout as well.

For mobile users, Single-Page reading uses native browser zoom for a fluid gesture experience.

There’s also now a Reading Direction Indicator as not all reading is left-to-right. This also helps the Double-Page layout reading experience by placing pages on the correct side.

The Comic Info Panel gets an improvement. It includes information about the creator and publisher, credits, releases with a progress indicator, and related titles.

Reader Settings get an upgrade. For non-vertical series you can toggle between Single-Page, Vertical Long-Strip, and new Double-Page layouts. There’s also options for preferred image sizing for traditional pages: auto, fit-to-height, and fit-to-width. Additionally, you can now invert horizontal swipe navigation on touch devices (prev./next page) from left to right and right to left in Single-Page and Double-Page layouts.

Panel-to-Panel Reader has temporarily been turned off for readers by default for interactive comics. Creators can still configure and set up panel-to-panel reader. Readers can re-enable it through settings.

New tracking data points have been added for creators. The data is being collected and will be available at a later date.

Unlock over 10,000 Comics at GlobalComix

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GlobalComix

GlobalComix is one of the fastest growing platforms for digitally reading comics, graphic novels and manga and the platform has announced their end of year sale. On the heels of their newly launched annual subscription, they are offering the ability to give the gift of unlimited access to their full digital library at a massive markdown to encourage new readers to see what the independent comics world has to offer. Beginning December 21st, 2021 at 12:01 AM EST and running through January 3rd, 2021 at 2:59 AM EST, a yearly subscription to GlobalComix Gold will be available to purchase as either a gift card or standard purchase at the low price of $49.99 — 40% off the regular price of $89.99. The discounted subscription is now available on the GlobalComix Gold page. 

As graphic novels, comics, and manga are capturing more readers than ever before through the digital space, the demand for more stories has skyrocketed. GlobalComix is meeting this demand with a growing library of 10k+ books from the industry’s biggest up and coming talent, paired with a discovery engine that’s designed to bring readers their next favorite series. Borrowing from the binge model of streaming services, GlobalComix elevates the best work coming from the smaller independent studios and creators, but has created an ecosystem in which the artists both retain their rights and monthly payments are split only between the creators whose stories a subscriber reads. The company keeps just a fraction of subscription fees and donations.

Gift recipients and regular subscribers have the ability to read iconic titles, ranging from Mœbius (with stories now being adapted for the big screen by Academy Award-winning director Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit, Thor: Ragnarok)), to the entire library of pioneers of sci-fi-horror-fantasy known worldwide as Heavy Metal Magazine.

Readers will be pleased to also find premium contemporary content from the ex-Marvel leadership at contemporary upstart AWA Studios, which are led by names like J. Michael Straczynski of Babylon 5, Michael Morici, Benjamin Percy, and Jason Starr. Reads will also find up and coming storytellers like UK-based BHP Comics with its critical darling Killtopia currently being adapted into a full animated series by Studio Voltaku. Heavily present are the leaders of crowdfunding revolution currently happening in comics, with Netflix’s Adam Lawson and his Failed Superheroes imprint to USA Today Best Selling multi-talent Russell Nohelty.

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