It’s new comic book day! What are you all excited for? What do you plan on getting? Sound off in the comments below. While you wait for that, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web to start the day.
CNET – FCC Wants to Bring Back Net Neutrality: What You Need to Know – This is good. Net Neutrality is a good thing especially for websites and startups.
Reviews
The Beat – Eden II
CBR – X-Men Annual 2023
It’s new comic book day! What’s everyone excited for? What do you plan on getting? Sound off in the comments below. While you wait for shops to open, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web in our morning roundup.
Newsarama – Michael B. Jordan Launches Naruto-Inspired Fashion Line with Coach – Intriguing.
Engadget – Court rules the FCC can’t block state net neutrality laws – That’s a good thing for some.
Reviews
Comic Attack – Neon Future Vol. 1
Talking Comics – Powers of X #5
Newsarama – Skies Over East Berlin #1
The FCC has announced they plan on ending Net Neutrality and that spells doom for a free and open internet. We have always supported Net Neutrality and are asking you to do so as well. A vote is set for December 14, but we have the ability to make our voices heard to Congress who might be able to prevent what will be a disaster and corporate giveaway.
There are many different definitions of what exactly Net Neutrality is, but it’s basically the ability to the go where you want and do what you want on the internet without extra charges, artificially slow accessibility or blockages.
Net Neutrality protects us the consumer as well as benefits creators. It stops internet providers from slowing down, degrading, or even blocking content or access to online content. It also prevents deals where those with deep pockets can pay to be heard over start-ups or other competitors. When over 70% of Americans have only one option for internet providers in their area, this is a big deal.
But here’s possible scenarios in a world without Net Neutrality, and outlines why this is important:
We don’t need to imagine what it’ll be like, we can just look towards Portugal to see our future.
Comic creators too should care about Net Neutrality.
I can go on and on with these types of scenarios, and Comcast and Verizon have been fighting to end Net Neutrality and the internet as we know it. And with the consolidation of of internet service providers and content the scenarios become even more bleak.
The idea of Net Neutrality is to keep the internet a free and open platform for innovation and expression.
The FCC has announced they plan on ending Net Neutrality and that spells doom for a free and open internet. We have always supported Net Neutrality and are asking you to do so as well. A vote is set for December 14, but we have the ability to make our voices heard to Congress who might be able to prevent what will be a disaster and corporate giveaway.
There are many different definitions of what exactly Net Neutrality is, but it’s basically the ability to the go where you want and do what you want on the internet without extra charges, artificially slow accessibility or blockages.
Net Neutrality protects us the consumer as well as benefits creators. It stops internet providers from slowing down, degrading, or even blocking content or access to online content. It also prevents deals where those with deep pockets can pay to be heard over start-ups or other competitors. When over 70% of Americans have only one option for internet providers in their area, this is a big deal.
But here’s possible scenarios in a world without Net Neutrality, and outlines why this is important:
We don’t need to imagine what it’ll be like, we can just look towards Portugal to see our future.
Comic creators too should care about Net Neutrality.
I can go on and on with these types of scenarios, and Comcast and Verizon have been fighting to end Net Neutrality and the internet as we know it. And with the consolidation of of internet service providers and content the scenarios become even more bleak.
The idea of Net Neutrality is to keep the internet a free and open platform for innovation and expression.
The FCC has announced they plan on ending Net Neutrality and that spells doom for a free and open internet. We have always supported Net Neutrality and are asking you to do so as well. A vote is set for December 14, but we have the ability to make our voices heard to Congress who might be able to prevent what will be a disaster and corporate giveaway.
There are many different definitions of what exactly Net Neutrality is, but it’s basically the ability to the go where you want and do what you want on the internet without extra charges, artificially slow accessibility or blockages.
Net Neutrality protects us the consumer as well as benefits creators. It stops internet providers from slowing down, degrading, or even blocking content or access to online content. It also prevents deals where those with deep pockets can pay to be heard over start-ups or other competitors. When over 70% of Americans have only one option for internet providers in their area, this is a big deal.
But here’s possible scenarios in a world without Net Neutrality, and outlines why this is important:
We don’t need to imagine what it’ll be like, we can just look towards Portugal to see our future.
Comic creators too should care about Net Neutrality.
I can go on and on with these types of scenarios, and Comcast and Verizon have been fighting to end Net Neutrality and the internet as we know it. And with the consolidation of of internet service providers and content the scenarios become even more bleak.
The idea of Net Neutrality is to keep the internet a free and open platform for innovation and expression.
The FCC has announced they plan on ending Net Neutrality and that spells doom for a free and open internet. We have always supported Net Neutrality and are asking you to do so as well. A vote is set for December 14, but we have the ability to make our voices heard to Congress who might be able to prevent what will be a disaster and corporate giveaway.
There are many different definitions of what exactly Net Neutrality is, but it’s basically the ability to the go where you want and do what you want on the internet without extra charges, artificially slow accessibility or blockages.
Net Neutrality protects us the consumer as well as benefits creators. It stops internet providers from slowing down, degrading, or even blocking content or access to online content. It also prevents deals where those with deep pockets can pay to be heard over start-ups or other competitors. When over 70% of Americans have only one option for internet providers in their area, this is a big deal.
But here’s possible scenarios in a world without Net Neutrality, and outlines why this is important:
We don’t need to imagine what it’ll be like, we can just look towards Portugal to see our future.
Comic creators too should care about Net Neutrality.
I can go on and on with these types of scenarios, and Comcast and Verizon have been fighting to end Net Neutrality and the internet as we know it. And with the consolidation of of internet service providers and content the scenarios become even more bleak.
The idea of Net Neutrality is to keep the internet a free and open platform for innovation and expression.
Today we’re standing in support of Net Neutrality here at Graphic Policy. You might notice the site acting weird, taking a bit to load for example, in an effort to show you what a world with Net Neutrality might be like.
There are many different definitions of what exactly Net Neutrality is, but it’s basically the ability to the go where you want and do what you want on the internet without extra charges, artificially slow accessibility or blockages.
Net Neutrality protects us the consumer. It stops internet providers from slowing down, degrading, or even blocking content or access to online content. It also prevents deals where those with deep pockets can pay to be heard over start-ups or other competitors. When over 70% of Americans have only one option for internet providers in their area, this is a big deal.
But here’s possible scenarios in a world without Net Neutrality, and outlines why this is important:
I can go on and on with these types of scenarios, and Comcast and Verizon have been fighting to end Net Neutrality and the internet as we know it. The idea of Net Neutrality is to keep the internet a free and open platform for innovation and expression.
I began “The Comics Are All Right” feature to explore the inner workings of the comic book industry and give a take that’s focused more on data, facts, and examples, not opinion. And for the most part I’ve succeeded diving into actual sales numbers and trends, throwing out hypotheses as to the direction of the industry, giving examples of publishers and stores that are breaking the marketing mold, and more. And, I think I’ve done a decent job of staying away from opinion (Yes that is an opinion. The irony is not lost). But, this one is going to be opinion, sort of. Here we go:
Now, this particular column isn’t what you think it is. I’m not going to debate that politics and comics go hand in hand (they do and have a long history together). No, this is a call for the industry and publishers to become aware of possible legislation and policy changes over the next years and how it’ll impact them.
For almost seven years I worked as the Online Advocacy Director for the Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA). During that period we monitored legislation and built campaigns to allow video game consumers to have a voice in the political process about legislation and proposals that directly impacted them. At times those campaigns overlapped with the needs and wants of the video game industry itself. We tackled issues ranging from censorship, broadband expansion, a Supreme Court case, video games and health, Net Neutrality, broadband caps, and more. I’m proud to say, we never lost a battle.
The comic industry will face legislative issues (they always do beyond censorship) and it’s time we recognize this, and do something beyond it. Here’s just a sampling of what we’ll likely have to deal with in the years to come and why it’s important.
Repeal of the ACA aka Obamacare – The pay for comic creators can be pretty low and add on top of that a lack of benefits and it’s clear that eeking out a living as a creator isn’t the easiest or most rewarding career there is. Freelance creators are forced to purchase their own healthcare through the ACA, from a union, a spouse, or through another job. That first option is currently at risk with threats of a repeal which will cost an estimated 18 million people their insurance in the first year.
Our insurance system is flawed, that’s not what this is about, this is about ensuring an easy way for self-employed individuals to gain insurance, not be discriminated against due to pre-existing conditions, and benefiting women and helping with their choice of birth control.
A repeal would increase costs by either putting some individuals in a high cost “risky pool,” deny coverage outright, or increase out of pocket benefits. It’s estimated that women will have to pay $1.4 billion in copay for birth control for instance.
That’s less money in the pockets of creators. More freelance jobs needed to take. Possibly greater cover prices due to the need to charge more by freelancers. Decreased health. Less money means less traveling for conventions. Less interaction because time spent online is time not spent earning money.
Quality of life will decrease for those in the industry.
What this means is the industry needs to start thinking of solutions. A guild through which freelancers could purchase insurance or publishers offering ways for creators to buy into their offerings are both solutions. Now is the time to think this through before it’s too late.
Import Tax – The Trump administration has threatened to create an import tax, the theory of which is it’ll force manufacturers to produce items in the United States. I’m not going to go into the legality of this or how flawed the economic theory is (that’s for another post). Instead, if it goes through, the import tax won’t be paid by corporations, it’ll be paid by the consumers. That $3.99 comic will now be $4.99 or $5.99. Nothing changes except higher retail prices which equates to fewer items sold, stores struggling further, and publishers cutting back or going out of business. No one gains in this scenario, from the consumer through to the publisher, we’re all screwed.
Repeal of Net Neutrality – If you sell digital comics or use the internet to market, you should care about this issue. At it’s basic core, Net Neutrality is the concept that like content online should be delivered at like speeds (it’s more complicated than that, but we’ll stick with the basics). If Comcast offers you internet and voip phone and another service offers voip, Comcast wouldn’t be able to slow down the competitor to benefit their service.
If Net Neutrality goes away the internet becomes pay for play with content producers shelling out money making it more difficult for upstarts to get noticed. It would allow internet providers to outright block content and websites. It could slow down connections making it more difficult for creators to talk to fans, their publishers, or fellow creators to work on projects.
That’s not even getting into data caps.
The Return of SOPA/PIPA – SOPA/PIPA is online censorship. The legislation was first put forth in 2011 and threats of new versions rear their ugly head every year. We beat it once. It doesn’t mean we will definitely beat it again.
European Rules on Copyright Infringement – Lets not focus on a “what if” and instead focus on the now. A current proposal by the European Commission would adopt new rules requiring platforms to scan and filter user uploads for copyright infringements.
Want to share that cool art? Yeah, not happening. Want to upload a gif? Nope.
SOPA/PIPA was a similar plan and was defeated here in the US, but this is one that’s being discussed, today. As is, the copyright system and its tools are broken. The DMCA is used in ways it wasn’t meant to and the one hand doesn’t know what the other is doing. A rule like this is an affront to the rule of law and freedom of expression and if you’re in Europe, this should concern you.
Immigration and Travel – The Trump administration that has put out an Executive Order that has thrown our immigration and border system into chaos. Individuals are being asked to hand over their phones and unlock them even if they are US citizens. Not to mention the disturbing questions being asked and social media being mined. The EO threatens all of us, but if you’re a foreign creator or US creator (citizen or not) who has to return from overseas, I’d be nervous right now. Do you enjoy creators being flown from overseas to conventions? This could impact that, at a minimum.
Publishers, creators, and we the fans, need to organize and be aware. These issues will impact our enjoyment within the industry and the ability for publishers and creators to deliver. Now is the time to band together. Now is the time to build an apparatus to lobby and help speak on our behalf. Now is not the time to sit on the side and watch it all pass us by.
The weekend is almost here! What’s everyone doing to enjoy it?
Around the Tubes
Newsarama – MARVEL To Preview Upcoming Films At August’s D23 EXPO – Guesses as to what will be shown?
Fosters – Legion to distribute anti-bullying comic books at parade – Cool!
GamePolitics – FCC: stop complaining about net neutrality and start competing – So nice to hear.
iO9 – The Entire Marvel Cinematic Universe Has Been Cast In Civil War – Hopefully it’s better than Age of Ultron.
Around the Tubes Reviews
IGN – Batman: Earth One Vol. 2
CBR – The Fox #2
Talking Comics – Secret Wars #1
Along with over 100 tech companies, Amazon has sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) demanding Net Neutrality protection. What does this have to do with comics? Amazon will be acquiring comiXology, the leading digital comics platform, and since the parent company supports the position, there’s a good chance everyone under the umbrella has that position now. Amazon is joined by companies such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, Netflix, Ebay, Reddit, Automattic, Yahoo, Kickstarter, and more.
But, what is Net Neutrality?
There are many different definitions of what exactly Net Neutrality is, but it’s basically the ability to the go where you want and do what you want on the internet without extra charges, artificially slow accessibility or even blockages.
Net Neutrality protects us the consumer as well as the content creators themselves. It stops internet providers from slowing down, degrading, or even blocking content or access to online content. When over 70% of Americans have only one option for internet providers in their area, this is a big deal.
If you still don’t understand what this is all about, here’s a handy video explaining it all.
Why should comic consumers, creators, and publishers care?
Lets start with why consumers should care. We already pay content providers for content (either directly or through ads). We also pay internet service providers (ISPs) to deliver that content. We pay ISPs more than much of the world for slower speeds. If the internet becomes pay to play with fast lanes, and slow lanes, costs will increase, service will decrease. Us consumers will be foot the bill one way or another. It’s only been a few months since the FCC’s original Net Neutrality rules were struck down and ISPs are already play games with throttling speeds and extorting demanding cutting deals to increase speeds, see exhibit A, and exhibit B.
The comics digital world is still relatively new. There are a handful of really solid services, with only a few standing out. To make sure innovation continues, we need an open internet so that new services have a chance to flourish, not be killed by fees, or becoming unusable due to throttling. Comic publishers, and creators need Net Neutrality to ensure what they create can get to consumers unfettered. If costs were to increase due to this (or even broadband caps become common and prohibitive) consumers will watch what they do online, killing a growing important segment for our industry and hobby. The next digital platform might not happen and creators and publishers might need to spend more to deliver content to consumers.
This goes beyond just the comics we read, but all online content surrounding our community. Marvel has new television series that have yet to debut on Netflix, there’s numerous movies based on comics that are streaming, or ready to download. Websites like ours, forums where many discuss the latest news, sites like DeviantArt, or YouTube, these are all at risk in an internet that’s not protected. Our community might be drastically altered, our communication tools crippled, and costs increased to enjoy the same things we enjoy today. And that’s not even thinking about the new technologies, websites, and communication tools that haven’t even invented or launched yet.
Net Neutrality is needed to keep the internet a free and open platform for innovation and expression.
What can we do?
There’s a lot you can do to help, and anyone who cares needs to take action and speak out.
1) Take action on make your voice heard by emailing Congress, the President, and the FCC. You can do that through this handy form here.
2) Tell your friends, family, coworkers, fans. Share that action above, and get them to speak out too.
3) We’re putting together a coalition. Like the letter sent to the FCC by tech companies, we want to deliver a letter to the FCC saying how without Net Neutrality, speech, and creativity will be stifled. If you’re interested in participating, please contact us.
Senator Al Franken has said it best. Net Neutrality is the “free speech issue of our time.” Without it, the next big tech idea might never happen, and the internet as we know it will cease to exist.
Full disclosure: I act as the Advocacy Director for the Entertainment Consumers Association
