Digital Re-visit
Hi-Fi — By Kristy Miller on November 3, 2009 5:18 PMWe’ve already spoken about this briefly but I think it’s time to revisit… digital comics. Now I’ve mentioned many times that I’m an avid reader and I read all types of things (the last thing I read was History of Cannibalism and it rocked!)
It seems that books, in general, are going digital. Barnes & Noble just announced their new Nook, Amazon has Kindle, you can already read on your iPhone and now Apple is talking about getting into the mix as well.
So, the question is no longer SHOULD comics go digital but WHEN will they go and will it be successful. Now, I have never actually held a Kindle or a Nook in my hands but I’ve held many books, magazines, newspapers, etc. Call me old-fashioned but I can’t seem to get excited about this new medium. Yes, it will be easy to carry one more little devise than to tote 4 books and 3 magazines on plane, train, or automobile. Yes, your fingers will no longer turn black due to ink. Yes, it (in theory) will be cheaper.
What I worry about is those of us who are esoteric bibliophile’s. I love the smell, the feel, the weight of actual books. I collect first editions and rare books (ok collect is a strong word but I would collect them if I could.) I still have some of the first books I ever read. (Mouse House also rocks btw.) If I’m ever super rich the first thing I’m buying is a big house that has an 18th century library. I want the little ladder on wheels, shelves that go from floor to ceiling and sections of leather bound classics. I want it to be so big I have to hire two people to maintain it–one to dust and one to catalogue. (I’m sure those of you that know me best would assume my first super-rich purchase would be a shoe room but alas no, a library is truly my first wish.)
Also, how do you accidentally find the next great thing? I worked for Barnes & Noble for awhile (yes for the discount) and found literally hundreds of new books and authors simply because I had the chance to browse and flip through things I never would have normally. How am I supposed to do that on-line?
And another thing, I read really quickly. Brian thinks it’s a bit freakish but I read LOTS of words a minute. The trick is you don’t really read all the words. I “absorb” words that are a given (i.e. an, that, then, the, a, it) sometimes if I’m in a hurry I absorb words that are descriptors (I mean seriously do I care what color the drapes are! Oh wait, of course I do I co-own a color studio… totally different and not what I was referring to!) 
My point is that on those little screens I can’t scroll fast enough to keep up, I make myself sea-sick trying to read on my iPhone!
What does all this have to do with comics you ask–well not too much yet–but it will. Marvel and a few others already have digital comics available for subscription or individual downloads. Marvel currently has free download of Ironman to get you hooked. Josh Blaylock’s Devil’s Due Publishing has their comics on iTunes. More are jumping on the bandwagon. Soon it will be easily available and, if done well, lots of people will be trying it out.
Aren’t there esoteric comicaphiles (I don’t think that’s a word) out there? What about holding a comic in your hand? What about going to your local shop to peruse the new stuff and maybe stumble across a new read? Hell, what about your local comic shop at all! What about first editions? What about slowly pouring over that new comic with a friend while laying on the floor? (Ok, that one might be a little 1950ish but you get my meaning.)
Does digital mean the end of the printed word? Or is it just another medium to enjoy your favorites? Will you read some digitally but also purchase some?
This actually could lead into another genre as well… TV & movies… but that is another column for another day.
Kristy Miller
VP, Development
Hi-Fi Design
Share on Facebook
Digg This
Bookmark
Stumble
3 Comments
i don’t like it one bit. comics are ment to be on paper, it gives a exitment turning the pages rather then have one page being the whole comic.
I have to admit to being a bibliophile too; I love the smell and feel of books too much to get a kindle or similar. The husband would love it if I went electronic because the books are taking over the whole house and he thinks that getting new bookshelves just feeds my addiction, which may or may not be true, I admit to nothing. I do think printed word is slowly coming to an end. The book industry has been shrinking for a while now. We live in a world where our days are summed up in a 140 character posts; attention spans are shrinking at an alarming rate. People would rather watch the movie than bother with the book. But I think comics could bridge the gap; they’re fast to read, visually exciting. The reasons people don’t read books don’t apply to comics in my mind. I think comics just aren’t accessible to lot of people, perhaps going digital will change that. I know quite a few people who read online comics but would never step foot inside a comic shop. I would hate to see comics go out of print, but I would love to see people reading more of them.
I hear ya Sapphire, we have more bookshelves than wall space. I’ve resorted to storing books in decorative trunks. Others keep heirloom quilts or whatever in them, I keep books!
I also think comics could bridge the gap but like you said you have to get them to masses first.