Tag Archives: itunes

ComiXology: iTune’s #3 Top-Grossing iPad App of 2012

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ComiXology is ending the year strong with a slew of announcements we’ll be covering. The first of which is the Comics by comiXology iOS app charted as iTunes’ #3 Top Grossing iPad App of 2012 and is the only app repeated in the top ten in both 2011 and 2012, showing remarkable power in the fickle world of apps by moving from #10 to #3.

ComiXology also revealed that they have served over 2 billion pages of comics since the inception of the platform just three short years ago.

David Steinberger, comiXology co-founder and CEO had to say:

We started comiXology because we believe that – with a great digital experience – graphic novels and comic books will be much more widely enjoyed. Actually climbing the top ten year-over-year – and the only app to do that, no less – speaks volumes to the quality of work both the comiXology team and our amazing publishers and creators have done this year. We’re not anywhere near done yet but we’re clearly off to a good start.

ComiXology co-founder John D. Roberts said:

This is a spectacular way to end what has been a spectacular year. It’s clear that people want to buy where they want and read what they want, and only comiXology delivers this amount of amazing content with a consistent shopping and amazing reading experience on every major platform.

2012 marked a year of records for comiXology, including both the 50 millionth and 100 millionth downloaded comic from comiXology, and many additions to the comiXology store, including many graphic novels and collections, from literary fiction to biographies, science and superheroes. It also marked the addition of Windows 8 to the buy once, read anywhere platform.

ComiXology’s top ranking digital comics platform has over 30,000 comics and graphic novels to read from over 75 of today’s hottest publishers, comiXology offers the widest selection of digital comics anywhere. ComiXology’s availability on the iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire, Windows 8 and the Web makes it the best digital comics platform for newly interested, current and lapsed comic and graphic novel fans.

The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Elvis, Led Zeppelin Graphic Novels Now on iTunes!

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Throughout the 90’s, “Rock ‘N’ Roll Comics”, was a popular staple on the newsstands. The newly packaged graphic novels through Bluewater Productions in partnership with the original creators Revolutionary Comics are now available digitally through iTunes, Kindle & Nook.

More than seventy biographies of notable bands and rock legends are featured in the “Rock & Roll Comics” graphic novel series. They include The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Who and dozens of others.

The list of titles now available digitally are:

  • Rock & Roll Comics: The Beatles Experience by Stuart Immonen and Mike Sagara
  • Rock and Roll Comics: The Pink Floyd Experience by Spike Steffenhagen, Jay Allen Sanford and Ken Landgraf
  • Rock & Roll Comics: Led Zeppelin by Spike Steffenhagen and Jay Allen Sanford
  • The Elvis Presley Experience by Jay Allen Sanford and Aaron Sowd
  • The Runaways (Joan Jett & Lita Ford) by Spike Steffenhangen and Jay Allen Sanford
  • Rock & Roll Comics: Hard Rock Heroes by Jay Allen Sanford, Todd Loren, Spike Steffenhagen & Christie Maconnell featuring: Guns N’ Roses; Metallica; AC/DC; Black Sabbath/Ozzy Osbourne; Motley Crue; Poison; Van Halen; Black Crowes; Motorhead; Pantera; Megadeth; Sammy Hagar; Anthrax; Joan Jett/Lita Ford; Skid Row
  • Orbit: John Lennon by Marc Shapiro

Each one is sold separate digitally from $1.99 to $9.99.  Bluewater who is known best for their biographical comics, such as Fame, Female Force and Political Power.

You can still get the print versions of the books at national bookstores throughout the US as well as through online stores such as Amazon & B&N.com.

Comics Top Grossing iPad App Six Wednesdays Running

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Official Press Release

What Has Been The Top Grossing iPad App For Six Wednesdays Running?:

Comics by comiXology

Same Day As Print Releases Turns “New Comic Wednesday” into an iPad Event!

“This isn’t just a huge milestone for comiXology, but a huge milestone for comics as a medium.”

– David Steinberger, co-founder & CEO of comiXology

October 27th, 2011 – New York, NY – Yesterday marked the sixth Wednesday in a row that the Comics by comiXology appcharted as the top grossing iPad app in Apple’s entire App Store — beating out Apple’s own Pages and Keynote applications. Long known as “new comic book day” to print comic fans across the nation, Wednesday has now become an online comic book event thanks to more and more publishers going digital same day as print with new releases available on the Comics by comiXology iPad app.

Created by comiXology, the leading distributor of digital comics, the Comics by comiXology app on iPad is just one part of the Comics by comiXology ecology — also available on the iPhone, Android, and the Web — offering more than 14,000 comic books from top-selling publishers.

“When have comic books, not comic book movies, not comic book merchandise, but the actual comic books been #1 in anything, much less high tech?” asked comiXology co-founder and CEO David Steinberger. “Being the number one grossing iPad application six Wednesdays in a row isn’t just a huge milestone for comiXology, but a huge milestone for comics as a medium…and we could not be prouder.”

Through a quirk of history and economics, comic books for the last thirty some odd years have been a destination item, sought out by a hard-core fan following and serviced by a dedicated group of independent retail brick and mortar stores. And while this network of stores rescued the comic book industry from near oblivion as newsstands disappeared in the 1970s, the unfortunate byproduct was that if you didn’t live near a comic shop or actually go to a comic shop, you would most likely be denied the experience and enjoyment of comic books — one of the great American art forms.

But this has all changed with the debut of Comics by comiXology.

“Our main goal since day one was to expand the audience for comic books. The medium has long been the inspiration for movies and imagery from comic books can be seen on everything from t-shirts to toothbrushes — but most people have not experienced the actual source material,” said comiXology co-founder and CTO John Roberts. “ComiXology was created to correct that wrong. David and I saw the opportunity to use digital distribution as a way to “unleash” this great medium on a largely unsuspecting public — and being ranked #1 for the last six weeks shows that we have met that goal.”

Comics by comiXology rose up the top grossing iPad apps chart beginning early September with the 3.0 release of the Comics by comiXology app. This was immediately followed by the launch of DC Comics – The New 52, where leading comic book publisher DC Entertainment released 52 all-new number one issues that became top sellers in both print and digital. Other major publishers have quickly followed suit, committing to a same day as print release schedule.

ComiXology most recently announced the addition of IDW Publishing, one of the top independent comic book publishers in North America, to their platform.

And while September has seen record sales of comics through the iPad, September has also seen record print sales — bucking the conventional wisdom that “print is dead” and showing that print and digital can both grow the comic book reading market standing side-by-side.

“It’s great to take a moment and reflect that one of our big goals of being a leader in the comic book industry has been met,” David Steinberger reflected. “But that doesn’t mean we can rest on our laurels. All I can say is…you ain’t seen nothing yet!”

About comiXology
Since 2007 comiXology has been developing the technological infrastructure to bring comics into the digital mainstream and expose new audiences to the rich history and culture of the industry. Through partnerships with top comic book publishers including Marvel Comics, DC Comics, IDW Publishing, Archaia Entertainment, BOOM! Studios, Dynamite Entertainment and Image Comics as well as their own mobile and web apps which host over 14,000 digital titles, comiXology has become a leader in digital comic book proliferation. Also focused on creating strong ties with retail stores through its technology solutions, comiXology continues to transform the previously fragmented comic ecosystem into a vibrant and cohesive marketplace.

Graphic.ly, iOS 5 and Newsstand Could Be a Raw Deal For Comic Book Fans and Publishers

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This week saw the latest update to the Apple operating system dubbed iOS 5.  The latest software update brought numerous software improvements and new features like the magazine subscription feature called Newsstand.  Graphic.ly, one of the numerous digital comic services out there was quickly to hop onto the latest technology.

Graphicly is proud to announce that many of its leading digital comics titles, including The Walking Dead, Invincible and Irredeemable are now available on Newsstand, a key feature of the newly released iOS 5. By working with leading publishers, including Image Comics and BOOM! Studios, Graphicly is making it even easier to subscribe to some of the best comic books on the market.

Utilizing Newsstand in iOS5, Graphicly is able to deliver comics directly to readers without the need for downloading additional applications and searching for titles. Now readers can easily browse for and subscribe to their favorite titles in the Newsstand, and have new issues delivered to their devices immediately. New titles will be released the same day as print and delivered seamlessly to users. This is a bold new way for readers to discover and enjoy stories, making it easier than ever to never miss an issue.

“The leading publishers and creators understand that developing a relationship with their fans is the most important thing,” said Micah Baldwin, CEO of Graphicly. “Newsstand ensures that relationship continues and grows each time a comic is released.”

The titles launched on the Apple Newsstand, powered by Graphicly, and available immediately include such hit comic books as:
• The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard from Image Comics
• Savage Dragon by Erik Larsen, from Image Comics
• Irredeemable by Mark Waid and Peter Krause from BOOM! Studios
• Invincible by Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley from Image Comics
• Morning Glories by Nick Spencer and Joe Eisma from Image Comics
• Near Death by Jay Faerber and Simone Guglielmini from Image Comics

Graphicly has partnered with the top publishers to ensure individual comics are released for purchase on a regular schedule.

It’s that last part that gave me pause.  Let me highlight it:

Graphicly has partnered with the top publishers to ensure individual comics are released for purchase on a regular schedule.

That’s a rather odd item to throw into a press release and why is it important?  Here’s how the service works.

  1. Purchase the App – this is new.  While old comic book programs were free and PDFs on iBooks is free, the apps right now.  As you can see, currently that’s $2.99 out of your pocket JUST FOR THE APP.  Though Irredeemable from BOOM! Studios is listed as $1.99 for the APP.
  2. There’s a $1.99 a month charge (yay cheaper than print) and back issues are available without $1.99 and just with the initial $2.99 purchase.  But there’s mention of $8.99 for bundles.  That’s a bit confusing right there.  So, what’s included in a bundle?  Not quite sure but it sounds rather odd.
  3. Each month, you will be charged another $1.99 for the newest issue and you must cancel the subscription at least 24 hours before the end of the current period.

So here’s where I see this all going bad with the current production habits of comic book publishers and how comic book digital readers may get screwed.

  • A publisher misses a month – remember that quote about them working the make sure issues come out on time?  That $1.99 monthly auto-charge is why.  They miss a month, tough shit, as a reader, you’re charged.  Now, they can fix this by always being a month behind to “bank” an issue.  But, if 11 issues come out in a year, you’re still missing out on one and there goes your $1.99. – Loser – Customer
  • Currently there is no way to “own your purchases” – remember, most digital comics are licensed.  You want to use that new HP tablet, no porting the purchased comics for you! – Loser – Customer
  • A publisher double ships – there’s now no incentive for a publisher to release two comics a month.  They’d lose out because all you’ve purchased as a customer is the $1.99 a month. – Loser – Publisher
  • Special $1 issues – A publisher decides to sell a comics for $1, congrats you just bought it for $1.99. – Loser – Customer
  • A steal at $1.99 – Comics today are a bit more than $1.99, remember DC holds the line at $2.99.  So will all of these be cheaper? – Loser – Publisher, Winner – Customer
  • A series is cancelled – Do I still have to pay $1.99 a month to access my comics?
  • Yet more apps to manage – More apps = more space. Each time an app service is made for a specific company or series, I die a little inside – Loser – Everyone

The terms of service for Graphic.ly even muddles the idea of subscriptions further.  From their website:

Certain Products may be available for download on a subscription basis. A subscription includes all currently available (if any) and future issues of a Product (“Subscription”). Not all Products may be available by Subscription. We will charge you the full price of a Subscription when you subscribe. Such Subscription is non-refundable; except that, if a publisher delivers fewer issues for a Subscription than specified through the Service at the time of your payment transaction), we will credit to your Account an amount equal to the pro-rated price of the Subscription.

So, do I get the back issues with the App purchase?  Seems like a bad deal for publishers.  And what’s with the mention of $8.99 and $9.99 bundles in the description of the App?  Though the terms for BOOM!’s entry for Irredeemable is different, with no mention of back issue bundles.  Looking around a the various Apps available, some mention the amount and others don’t.

While I applaud the overall move and quick implementation of the new technology, there’s still a lot of questions to be answered.  We’ll be following up with Graphic.ly at New York Comic Con this weekend to hopefully get answers.

What a Difference a Year Makes: Apple Welcomes Gay Comics Publisher

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Official Press Release

Northwest PressWhat a Difference a Year Makes: Apple Welcomes Gay Comics Publisher

All Full-length Northwest Press Titles Available on iBooks

Last year, there were numerous reports of comics with gay subject matter—most without even any nudity—being rejected by Apple for inclusion in its App Store, and many had concerns that selling comics for the iPad would not be an option for independent lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender comics creators. That appears to be a thing of the past; last month, Apple approved all three full-length graphic novels from Northwest Press, an LGBT comics publisher, for sale on its iBooks store. One of them is even a steamy adaptation of a classic erotic gay novel.

“Anyone trying to start a publishing business in this day and age needs to factor digital distribution into their business plan,” says Northwest Press publisher Charles “Zan” Christensen. “When it looked like we wouldn’t have one of the biggest marketplaces for digital comics open to us, it was a major concern. We explored a lot of alternatives but found nothing else that matched the experience readers have viewing books on the iPad. We’re relieved that we’re able to finally bring our books to iBooks.”

The iBooks versions of Northwest Press books feature easy browsing of chapters and pages, elegant page turn animations, and zooming to view detail. Each books is optimized for display on the iPad screen, but can also be viewed in pan and zoom on the iPhone.

The approval process for Teleny and Camille, Glamazonia: The Uncanny Super-Tranny, and Rainy Day Recess: The Complete Steven’s Comics started in early July, and was still underway as Northwest Press exhibited with LGBT comics nonprofit Prism Comics at Comic-Con in San Diego. By the end of the show, all three books were available for purchase through iBooks in the US, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Australia.
Many decisions to reject gay content by Apple have been reversed over the course of the past year. For example, Tom Bouden’s adaptation of The Importance of Being Earnest—rejected multiple times and only ultimately approved after censoring images most readers would find tame—is now for sale in its uncensored form. Christensen credits the change in Apple’s stance to the public pressure on the issue and Apple’s improvement in balancing free speech with concerns over adult material.
“Plus, I think the Lambda nominations and awards helped,” says Christensen, referring to the Lambda Literary Award nominations for its first two books, Glamazonia and Teleny, and its win for the latter. “Steve Jobs has said that he wants the iPad and iPhone to be ‘free from porn’, but it’s a pretty good defense to point to a literary honor to remind people that an explicit book still has artistic merit.”
In addition to continuing to release digital versions of its printed books—such as Rick Worley’s A Waste of Time, due in October—Northwest Press will soon be releasing digital editions of popular LGBT titles like Tim Fish’s Cavalcade of Boys and Tommy Roddy’s Pride High.
# # #
Web Links:
“iPad Publishing No Savior for Small Press, LGBT Comics Creators” on PrismComics.org: http://prismcomics.org/display.php?id=1858
Northwest Press: http://northwestpress.com

Apple’s iBooks: http://www.apple.com/ipad/built-in-apps/ibooks.html

Around the Tubes

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We’re mid-week and that means new comics!  What’s everyone getting today?  While you contemplate what you’re going to spend your hard earned dollars on, here’s the news you might have missed.

Around the Blogs:

You Think You Care – Using Comic Books To Illustrate Political News – A pretty fluffy and basic story, but for those new to this, might be good.

ICv2 – Underground Comix Censored for iPhone – Interesting that the same company accepted and rejected it for two different devices.  Sad to see any type of censorship.

Bleeding Cool – Action Comics #10 Goes For Record $258,000, Family To Use Auction Proceeds To Pay Off Mortgage, College Funds – Good to see the money going to some good.

Bleeding Cool – Forbidden Planet In Manchester Attacked By Rioters (UPDATE) – Sad to see this happening, but absolutely crazy at the same time.

Around the Tubes Reviews:

IGN – Detective Comics #881

Arcana Studios And MoBaD Media Join Forces To Launch “The Gwaii” 3D Mobile App

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Official Press Release

ARCANA STUDIOS AND MoBaD MEDIA JOIN FORCES TO LAUNCH “THE GWAII” 3D MOBILE APP

First –Ever Interactive 3D Graphic Novel Goes Mobile

VANCOUVER (July 29, 2011) – Arcana Studios, one of the world’s top graphic novel producers, has partnered with MoBaD Media, a mobile app developer, specializing in 3D children’s storybooks and comics, to launch Arcana’s The Gwaii as an interactive mobile 3D App. The award-winning graphic novel was adapted into a mobile app, featuring thirty interactive 3D pages, which can be experienced without any visual aids. The app is available now on iTunes in the iPad App Store for $1.99.

The Gwaii app features vibrant, animated 3D environments, lively original characters, atmospheric sound effects and voice-over performances by some of the biggest names in the VO industry. Now the story can be read like a book while simultaneously entertaining readers like a game or a movie.”

“Kids comics sure have come a long way since their early days of single black and white colored panels publish on newsprint in the Sunday paper,” said Sean O’Reilly, CEO of Arcana Studios, Inc.  “The Gwaii 3D graphic novel is visually stunning and a technical work of art.  It represents a new digital story type that is not just a book or game or animation, but a true multimedia offering that delivers something more than the sum of its parts.”

The Gwaii 3D mobile app is rated E for Everyone. The app visually transforms the original tale of Tanu, a young Sasquatch lost in the Canadian wilderness in search of his mother and trying to make his way back home.   Through his adventures, Tanu befriends fellow Sasquatch, Jaadaa and together they uncover hidden clues to help battle the most fearsome mythological creatures ever whispered about in the wilderness.

Part 1 of 3 of The Gwaii 3D graphic mobile app is immediately available for the iPad in the App Store on iTunes for $1.99, and future versions of the app will be available for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and Mac in August 2011.

Key iPad App Features:
– Uses the same 3D technology as The Penelope Rose, a Mom’s Choice Award Gold Medal Storybook Mobile App
– Emotionally inspiring, active adventure plot line
– 30 beautifully illustrated 3D pages
– User-activated animations and sound effects
– Charming animated characters with unique quirks and personalities
– Intuitive and educationally meaningful reading tools for young readers
– Light sense of humor with valuable moral messages
– Suitable for the whole family!
Website
iPad version ($1.99) app store link
Video teaser

About Arcana Studios:
Since 2004 Arcana Studios has established itself as an innovative leader in developing content in numerous mediums. Arcana owns one of the world’s largest libraries of graphic novels and comics, and has adapted this library into live action feature films, stereoscopic 3D animated features, episodic television series and toys. Arcana focuses on a transmedia approach to the scaffolding process of developing brands and intellectual properties.

About MoBaD Media:
MoBaD Media is a Los Angeles based mobile app publisher specializing in interactive 3D storybooks, comics, graphic novels, and choose your own adventure digital stories. Utilizing a 3D gaming engine and proprietary app development tools, MoBaD Media seeks to advance the art of storytelling through interactivity, gaming elements, sound, animation, and educationally meaningful reading tools. Engaging and entertaining mobile readers of all ages…that’s our mission.

Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers Episode One Behind the Scenes

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Get an all-new look at the critically acclaimed Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers animated mini-series! The animators from Magnetic Dreams take you behind the scenes and show fans how this epic tale came to life. Adapted from the acclaimed story by superstar creators Robert Rodi and Esad Ribic, Loki finally has a chance to tell tale of his brother’s crimes…and inflict the punishment he has craved for eons. It’s the series that has everyone talking so don’t miss how this Marvel classic  came together  from the studio that brought it to life. Don’t forget to download the fourth and final episode of Marvel Knights Animation’s Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers, a best seller on iTunes (Animation, Animation Season Pass and Television categories), Xbox LIVE, and PlayStation®Network – on sale today!

Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers Thunders To Number One

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Official Press Release

Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers Thunders To Number One

Marvel Knights Animation’s, Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers, is taking the sales charts and critics by storm! Inspired by the acclaimed story of the same name from creators Robert Rodi and Esad Ribic, the four-part animated epic is dominating iTunes’s Animation and TV charts, and ranking as a top seller for both the PlayStation®Network and Xbox LIVE. With Episode 3 on sale today, now is the time to catch up on the series’ stunning first two installments!

Discover why Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers is being hailed as a beautifully rendered and resonate take on Asgard’s mightiest icons!

“This is a must watch series for not just comics fans, but anyone who wants to watch a rich, character driven story unfold.” – Kimberly Houston, The Daily Blam

“The painted Esad Ribic artwork being used as a basis for the whole thing is gorgeous, and entirely fitting to the story…” – Josh Flanagan, iFanboy.com

“I can’t say I’ve enjoyed an animated comic as much as I’ve enjoyed this one. The story was entertaining and more introspective than I’d anticipated, the score, effects and voice acting were all impressive…” – Matt Adler, Ain’t It Cool News

“[A] spectacular leap forward for Marvel.” – Alex Zalben. MTV.com

Delve deep into the eons-old war between the Mighty Avenger and the Prince of Lies only in Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers – available on iTunes, the Playstation Network and Xbox Live!

Learn more about Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers right now at www.marvel.com/thorandloki!

Thor and Loki

Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers

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Official Press Release

Get an all-new look at the second episode of the critically acclaimed Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers animated mini-series, on sale today! The animators from Magnetic Dreams take you behind the scenes and show fans how this epic tale came to life. Adapted from the acclaimed story by superstar creators Robert Rodi and Esad Ribic, Loki finally has a chance to tell tale of his brother’s crimes…and inflict the punishment he has craved for eons. It’s the series that has everyone talking so don’t miss how this Marvel classic  came together  from the studio that brought it to life. Don’t forget to download the second episode of Marvel Knights Animation’s Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers, a best seller on iTunes (Animation, Animation Season Pass and Television categories), Xbox LIVE, and PlayStation®Network – available now!

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