Category Archives: Technology

Neon Ichiban unveils Patent-Pending Remarques and Commissionable Remarques

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Neon Ichiban

Following its successful late-summer debut, Neon Ichiban—the recently launched digital comics and manga platform—is announcing its first major post-launch innovation: Neon Ichiban Remarques. This patent-pending feature revolutionizes how fans connect with creators and how creators earn in the digital economy.

Time Waits Remarque

With Remarques, creators can sign and sketch directly onto digital comics, transforming each issue into a one-of-a-kind collectible authenticated by Neon Ichiban. Unlike traditional signatures, resold editions continue to generate royalties for participating rights holders such as creators or publishers—ensuring artists can share in the long-term value of their work while fans gain a personal connection to the comics they love.

How It Works:

  • Fans show a QR code tied to an issue or volume in their Neon Ichiban library.
  • Verified creators scan the code with their device and add a digital signature or sketch.
  • The collectible is instantly authenticated, permanently tied to that edition with provenance of the signature or sketch on that date, 
  • Remarques can be resold in the marketplace—with royalties for each resale to rights holders

As part of today’s launch, Neon Ichiban is fulfilling its promise to early adopters: every fan who joined the pre-launch waitlist gets to pick a free digital collectible comic from a select group, which includes 350 unique Remarqued covers created by celebrated artists including Tula Lotay, Becky Cloonan, Natalie Andrewson, Joshua Hixson, Patrick Horvath, and more. These editions can be treasured as keepsakes or resold on the Neon Ichiban marketplace, ensuring early fans are part of both comics history and its future.

Building on this debut, Neon Ichiban will soon roll out Commissionable Remarques—a Cameo-style model for comics. Instead of requiring fans and creators to meet live, artists can accept signature and sketch requests on their own schedule, from anywhere in the world. For fans, it means global access to their favorite creators; for artists, Commissionable Remarques creates a new revenue stream where creators can set their own prices, work on their schedule, and connect without convention constraints.

Check out some examples below:

Mad Cave Studios Expands Digital Ecosystem With Full Imprint Integration

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Mad Cave Studios

Mad Cave Studios has expanded its digital ecosystem, now fully integrating all four of its imprints, including: Maverick, Papercutz, and Nakama Press. This Version 2 rollout marks the next step in the company’s ongoing digital strategy, first revealed earlier this year, and sets the stage for continued innovation heading into 2026.

The platform now offers:

  • Mad Cave Digital Reader & Shops: Browse, purchase, and read comics and graphic novels from every imprint in a seamless, browser-based reader, with select titles available in advance of print.
     
  • Retailer Hub: A streamlined portal where shops can create accounts to manage orders, track history, reorder, access discounts, and collaborate on exclusive store variant covers.
     
  • Ambassador Hub: A centralized space for reviewers and influencers to access advanced digital review copies (ADRCs).
     
  • Featured Creator Spotlight: A monthly showcase highlighting the talent behind Mad Cave’s publishing line.
     
  • Personalized Recommendations: Optimized backend algorithms curate reading suggestions by genre, creator, and reader engagement.
     
  • Expanded Product Offerings: New digital & physical bundles, including deluxe edition packages pairing digital issues with hardcover collections.
     
  • Promotions & Rewards: Current campaigns include but are not limited to free Gatchaman slap bracelets with Gatchaman purchases, Smurfs bag clips with Smurf orders, and Miraculous Chibi notebooks with Miraculous Chibi titles.
     
  • Faster Performance: Upgraded servers for improved browsing, shopping, and reading experiences.

Anthropic’s $1.5 billion Copyright Settlement Gets Preliminary Approval

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Anthropic

The $1.5 billion settlement by Anthropic over the use of the works of authors to train AI is back on the table. In early September, the record setting agreement was announced by Anthropic and lawyers representing authors but that agreement was rejected by the judge for the case due to multiple concerns.

Now, U.S. District Judge William Alsup has called the class-action settlement “fair” during a hearing that took place on Thursday.

The next step is to notify the affected authors and give them a chance to file claims.

Anthropic is accused of using millions of pirated of books to teach its AI assistant Claude to respond to prompts.

The case has been interesting as Anthropic had been cleared from some of its wrongdoing with the judge ruling that training their model on purchased work was “exceedingly transformative.” Where Anthropic ran into issues was its use of pirated material in that training. About 7 million pirated books were saved to a “central library.”

As reported earlier, the settlement would cover anything done before a certain date but any new infractions after could lead to further lawsuits. Anthropic would also destroy the datasets used in its models. The settlement would amount to about $3,000 per class work.

A trial was set to begin in December over the piracy. Potential damages would have been in the hundreds of billions of dollars.

IDW Publishing joins Neon Ichiban

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IDW Neon Ichiban

IDW Publishing has announced that its library of original series and upcoming slate of new releases will be available on Neon Ichiban, the digital platform redefining how fans discover, buy, read, and collect digital comics and manga. Neon Ichiban recently rolled out its invite-only beta, with a public beta launching soon.

Comixology veterans David Steinberger and Chip Mosher co-founded NEON ICHIBAN in 2025 as the definitive digital destination for fans, creators, and publishers. IDW’s partnership brings its acclaimed portfolio—including licensed properties such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Star Trek, Sonic the Hedgehog, Godzilla, and much more alongside creator-owned essentials like Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees and Locke & Key—to a global digital audience in one seamless platform. IDW will also include its library of critically acclaimed graphic novels and periodicals from its Top Shelf imprint.

Neon Ichiban serves readers and collectors alike with same-day-as-print comics, manga, collections, and graphic novels, including always-available standard editions alongside limited-edition variants and sketch covers. Fans enjoy seamless digital control, choosing to read online or offline and even downloading a local copy when enabled. With participating publishers, digital comics can be transformed into one-of-a-kind collectibles through digital signatures and remarques from top creators—unique pieces that can be cherished or resold with provenance intact. A built-in secondary marketplace allows fans to buy and sell digital comics while ensuring publishers and creators benefit.

Game Gather Launches to Be the Place Tabletop Gamers Can Connect

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Game Gather

Game Gather is a newly launched platform to connect tabletop gamers, local game stores and collectors. This free platform allows fans of Magic: The Gathering, Warhammer and other tabletop games to deepen their connection with their favorite games as players and as merchants.

The site allows individuals to find other local players, stores, events, and more, centralizing and bringing the classic “looking for players” bulletin boards from stores to the digital space. The platform also allows individuals to share content, buy, and sell, without being at the mercy of algorithms, a standard on social media that makes it difficult for shops to break through to their local audience without shelling out dollars.

While there has been other attempts, Game Gather is rolling out to the public and brings together features that have been found in pieces through other platforms. Some have great catalogues of games, discussions, and marketplaces but lack the ability to connect with players and stores. Others have offering for stores, but lack the social aspects. Game Gather is attempting to bring it all under one roof.

For players, Game Gather offers:

  • Local event discovery
  • Real-time “matchmaking” to connect with players by game, availability, proximity and skill level
  • Consumer-to-consumer sales with built-in visibility across the platform, with a five percent seller’s fee
  • Follow stores, publishers, creators or game tags to stay in the loop

For local game stores:

  • Verified store pages
  • Event tools
  • Organic customer engagement to post updates, answer questions and grow in-store community
  • No algorithm barriers, so posts show up in the feeds of players who match the target audiences, and no ad spend required to reach the right people

Titan Comics joins Neon Ichiban

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Titan Comics and Neon Ichiban

Titan Comics has announced that its acclaimed library of original series and upcoming slate of releases will be available on Neon Ichiban, the recently launched digital platform for digital comics and manga. Neon Ichiban recently rolled out its invite-only beta, with fans already diving into its catalog. A public beta will launch soon.

Comixology veterans David Steinberger and Chip Mosher co-founded Neon Ichiban in 2025 as the definitive digital destination for fans, creators, and publishers. Titan’s partnership brings its acclaimed portfolio—including licensed properties including Conan the Barbarian, Doctor Who, Blade Runner, and much more alongside creator-owned essentials like Tank Girl and Lenore—to a global digital audience in one seamless platform.

Neon Ichiban serves readers and collectors alike with same-day-as-print comics, manga, collections, and graphic novels, including always-available standard editions alongside limited-edition variants and sketch covers. Fans enjoy seamless digital control, choosing to read online or offline and even downloading a local copy when enabled. With participating publishers, digital comics can be transformed into one-of-a-kind collectibles through digital signatures and Remarques from top creators—unique pieces that can be cherished or resold with provenance intact. A built-in secondary marketplace allows fans to buy and sell digital comics while ensuring publishers and creators benefit.

Titan Comics joins launch publishers (in alphabetical order) Dark Horse, DC, DSTLRY, Dynamite, Kodansha, Mad Cave Studios, Marvel, Oni Press, and Vault Comics, further cementing Neon Ichiban as the one-stop shop for comics and manga in digital form. Titan Comics  will make available both its extensive backlist and same-day-as-print digital releases of upcoming titles.

Mad Cave Studios joins Neon Ichiban

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Mad Cave Studios Neon Ichiban

Mad Cave Studios has announced today that its library of original series and upcoming slate of releases will soon be available on Neon Ichiban, the new digital platform. Neon Ichiban rolled out its invite-only beta last week, with fans already diving into its catalog. A public beta will launch soon.

Comixology veterans David Steinberger and Chip Mosher co-founded Neon Ichiban in 2025 as the definitive digital destination for fans, creators, and publishers. Mad Cave’s arrival brings its award-winning catalog, including award-winning titles Nottingham, Pop Kill, and It Killed Everyone But Me, alongside fan favorites such as Speed Racer and Gatchaman.

Neon Ichiban serves readers and collectors alike with same-day-as-print comics, manga, collections, and graphic novels, including always-available standard editions alongside limited-edition variants and sketch covers. Fans enjoy seamless digital control, choosing to read online or offline and even downloading a local copy when enabled. With participating publishers, digital comics can be transformed into one-of-a-kind collectibles through digital signatures and remarques from top creators—unique pieces that can be cherished or resold with provenance intact. A built-in secondary marketplace allows fans to buy and sell digital comics while ensuring publishers and creators benefit.”

Mad Cave Studios joins publishers (in alphabetical order) Dark Horse, DC, DSTLRY, Dynamite, Kodansha, Marvel, Oni Press, Titan Comics, and Vault Comics, further cementing Neon Ichiban as the one-stop shop for comics and manga in digital form. Mad Cave will make available both its extensive backlist and all future same-day-as-print digital.

Judge Recuses Himself in Warner Bros. vs. Midjourney

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In September, Warner Bros. Discovery along with Hanna-Barbera Productions, Turner Entertainment, DC Comics, and The Cartoon Network sued AI startup Midjourney claiming the tech company “brazenly dispenses its intellectual property as if it were its own.” The filing was submitted September 4. The case was assigned to District Judge Percy Anderson and Magistrate Judge Charles F. Eick. Now, one of those judges, Percy Anderson, has recused himself from the case.

The reason in the document is listed as 28 U.S.C. section 455 which is basically a bunch of conflicts like impartiality, personal bias, a financial interest, some connection to the case, and many more.

The case has been reassigned to Judge John A. Kronstadt.

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Dynamite joins digital platform Neon Ichiban

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Neon Ichiban x Dynamite

Dynamite Entertainment has announced that its celebrated library and upcoming slate of releases will be available on Neon Ichiban, the newly launched digital platform. Neon Ichiban rolled out its invite-only beta last week, with new fans joining daily. A public beta will launch soon.

Comixology veterans David Steinberger and Chip Mosher co-founded Neon Ichiban in 2025 as the definitive digital destination for fans, creators, and publishers. Dynamite’s partnership brings its powerhouse catalog—including iconic licensed series such as Supernatural, Project Superpowers, The Terminator, Peter Cannon, ThunderCats, Red Sonja, James Bond, Army of Darkness, Space Ghost, Disney titles, and Vampirella—alongside modern creator-driven phenomena like The Boys to a global digital audience in one seamless platform.

Neon Ichiban serves readers and collectors alike with same-day-as-print comics, manga, collections, and graphic novels, including always-available standard editions alongside limited-edition variants and sketch covers. Fans enjoy seamless digital control, choosing to read online or offline and even downloading a local copy when enabled. With participating publishers, digital comics can be transformed into one-of-a-kind collectibles through digital signatures and remarques from top creators—unique pieces that can be cherished or resold with provenance intact. A built-in secondary marketplace allows fans to buy and sell digital comics while ensuring publishers and creators benefit.

Dynamite Entertainment joins launch publishers (in alphabetical order) Dark Horse, DC, DSTLRY, Kodansha, Marvel, Oni Press, and Vault Comics, further cementing Neon Ichiban as the one-stop shop for comics and manga in digital form. Dynamite will make available not only its extensive backlist, but also same-day-as-print digital releases of upcoming titles.

Judge rejects the $1.5 billion Anthropic AI Settlement with Authors Due to Lack of Details

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Anthropic

It was a record setting settlement by Anthropic to authors and it has been rejected by Judge William Alsup with much more to be done. The federal judge has concerns with a $1.5 billion settlement deal and it’ll be forced “down the throat of authors.”

The judge reportedly felt misled by the deal and that it was “nowhere close to complete.” The judge said he was disappointed that counsel have left important questions to be answered in the future.” Questions include some key ones like the list of works involved in the case, the list of authors, the process of notifying members of the class and the claim form members can use to get their settlement payment.

Anthropic was sued for using the works of authors to train its AI model. In the case, U.S. District Judge William Aslup ruled that Anthropic’s use of the books in training models was “exceedingly transformative,” a factor to determine if the use was under legal “fair use.” It was a major decision, the first concerning the issue. But, there was still a question of Anthropic pirating books from the internet to train its models, which would still need to settled in a trial.

In short, they were covered with what they purchased but there was all of the other stuff they pirated that was left to be decided if that was legal or not.

Anthropic in the settlement would have paid $1.5 billion and destroyed datasets used in its models.

About 500,000 authors were involved and they’d have received about $3,000 per work.

The lawyers need to give the class members “very good notice” about the settlement as well as design as claim form where those authors can opt in or out. Anthropic also can’t be sued for the same issue in the future as part of all of this.

The lawyers have until September 15 to submit a final list of works involved in the lawsuit. A class members list and claims form need to be examined and approved by the court by October 10.

After all of that, the court might grant preliminary approval.

(via Bloomberg Law)

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