I think we’re going to see a lot more announcements like this before the end of the year. The press release contains a lot of market speak and sales pitch pull quotes, but it is interesting regardless.
Press Release
Today at Comic-Con International, Iconology Inc. announced the launch of its Comics by comiXology App on the App Store. The Comics by comiXology App is a digital comic store, library and reader for iPhone and iPod touch that is launching with over 100 titles available from twenty popular comic publishers and many independent comic writers.
“The stunning display and innovative multi-touch user interface of iPhone and iPod touch have finally made comics appealing in a digital format,” said David Steinberger, CEO of Iconology, Inc. “By combining great comics with iPhone OS 3.0’s In-App Purchasing and location awareness features we are creating a revolution in the way comics are sold and read which could only happen with iPhone and iPod touch.”
The Comics by comiXology App heralds an entirely new comic book publishing and connected commerce model. With the Comics by comiXology app, comic book enthusiasts can not only read their comics in a format designed to preserve the comic book experience on an iPhone or iPod touch, but also locate and connect with local retailers to purchase the printed version of the titles. Through relationships with comic book retailers, Comics by comiXology will increase both digital and print sales of comics and deliver a powerful mobile marketing tool for comic book publishers and retailers.
Comics by comiXology offers a “guided view” that keeps the entire page of a comic intact, unlike other solutions where the page is cut into individual pictures the user browses like a photo application. Comics by comiXology is a reader app that contains all a user’s comics and offers its own digital comics store that supports multiple publishers.
Among the twenty publishers that have already signed up to deliver their titles through Comics by comiXology are many well-known industry icons including:
* AdHouse Books
* Arcana Comics
* Asylum Press
* Bluewater Comics
* Com.X
* Creative Impulse Entertainment
* Digital Webbing
* eigoMANGA
* Evil Twin Comics
* First Salvo
* Image Comics (Active Images, Allred, Kirkman, Wagner, Brunswick, Revel and more)
* Markosia
* Moonstone
* Red 5
* Slave Labor Graphics
* Th3rd World Studios
* Zenescope
Additionally, popular comics writer Robert Kirkman has agreed to deliver his titles exclusively through Comics by comiXology making it the only place to get “Walking Dead” and “Invincible” for iPhone and iPod touch.
The Comics by comiXology App is now available, including over 30 free comics, for $0.99 from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/.
About Iconology, Inc.
Since 2007, Iconology, Inc. has been working to expose more people to the world of comics through comiXology.com and related applications. comiXology.com, comic book retailer tools, iPhone and Blackberry apps and digital comics are all connected through the comiXology platform. For more information, visit www.iconology.com.
1 Comment
This is a major game changer. With WALKING DEAD and INVINCIBLE, two major-sellers from Image, readers like me will jump at the chance to read it now, buy it later (trade or HC in my case). With the rising cost of comics, it will soon be digital or nothing for me. I have yet to try this app, but I have ComicZeal and it is wonderful. It will be interesting to see how this compares.