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NOCC: Portent of Peril for Printed Pulp?

Company: Wizard World
Product: Printed Comic Books

In a convention that played host to fans of comic books and science fiction, a certain duality - almost a contradiction, some might say - became the topic of conversation more than once, as modern day technology catches up daily with the science fiction of yesteryear. One device that was mentioned more than once was the much celebrated iPad. Specifically, what effect will (or has) the iPad and other digital forms of media have on the comic book industry?

In Art School with Stewart, Maguire and Paquette, the question was the effect that the "digital age" has changed storytelling mechanics in comics. Cameron Stewart (Batman & Robin) explains that "double page spreads" don't work when read digitally, since you only have the size of the one screen/page. You could scroll around or flip back and forth, but you lose a lot of the grandiose and the feel achieved from the "double page spread." And, if you zoom out, you loose a lot of the detail, with such a smaller image. He further stated that double page spreads were something that has traditionally worked, but that has diminished. He mused that eventually, the "paper" comic will change into the digital format, which will affect how artists approach layouts. Kevin Maguire (of Justice League International) indicated that, while he hasn't done anything digital, yet, he thinks it will have an effect on the way storytelling is done.

Stewart pointed out that digital comics can be more interactive, controlling when word balloons appear, for example. He says digital will have an impact, but it needs to become more common.

During Art School with Phil Jimenez, the question of iPads, specifically, was brought up, when an audience member asked Phil what effect he thought iPads and digital distribution would have on printed comic books... would printed comics cease publication?

Phil was actually quite excited about comics on iPads. He explained that with iPads and a digital format, you can "tell a story in a thousand ways." He hinted at new ways to tell stories, such as a "Choose your own adventure"-styled comic where you could follow a storyline and then, if you found some character in the background interesting, you could branch off and follow their story, instead, returning to the original story later, seeing the same story through different points of view.

As for the double-page spread, Phil Jiminez says the iPad hasn't "killed" it, but it will modify it. He's curious to see how people will take to a new form of double page spread which fits the iPad.

Another effect of fast-paced, high-tech times, Jiminez stated, is that long-form storytelling is going to be harder, as audiences are less patient in a world where they're used to everything being instant. "People like things fast and in smaller chunks," Jiminez explained, "This opens up opportunities."


In a Q & A with Victor Gischler, the impact of digital media on the comics industry was brought up again. Gischler's take is that there is no good answer or ability to predict. He remembered Rick Remender saying that the iPad will have an impact, but he explained that he, himself, was not really a "tech guy," as he put it. He explained that, "Some people still like the ritual of going into the comic book shop on Wednesdays* and talking to people." He went on to state that he, "Doesn't see paper books going away anytime soon."

While I'm sure the camaraderie and ambiance of the local comic book store and the excitement of the countdown to Wednesday is important to some, as Gischler states, I think the collectible nature will play a big part in the future of printed comics. The great value in a particular comic book is rarely that the story itself was fantastic or that the artistry was amazing; usually it has more to do with the scarcity of original printed issues of a comic book, combined with the popularity and longevity of that book over the years. There will only be so many copies of the first (or second) issue of a comic book printed, and many will be purchased by children and devalued within the week, others will be stored improperly in an attic, under a bed... there are many ways to devalue a comic book, but every time you do, you're merely increasing the value of that one mint condition issue in a collector's vault somewhere.

Digital comics, on the other hand, don't fade or bend. Worse yet, as they gain in popularity, more and more people can end up with a digital copy that is indistinguishable from the original. Because of this, there is no "collectible" nature to digital comic books. And, quite frankly, "collectible" plays a large part in the popularity of many comic books. At the very least, it pushes some to "catch them all" instead of picking up certain storylines here and there. I am sure that digital media - and iPads, in particular - will have an effect on the layout of comics, but I don't fear for the future of the comics / collectible shop. And, hopefully, the "next big thing" in the way of digital media devices will be akin to a dual touch-screen laptop, allowing us to view books in a two-page format and allowing the "double page spread" to stay more-or-less unchanged in its format. *Wednesdays are the day that comic books are released in stores.



-Geck0, GameVortex Communications
AKA Robert Perkins

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