IDW announced this evening that digital versions of Ben Templesmith's creator-owned comics are headed for the iPad, iPhone, and IPod Touch. Not only that, he's got his own app!
Look. There's the button.
The free application comes with three books and an in-app storefront where you can purchase thirty additional titles ranging in price from 99 cents to $1.99 each. Templesmith Comics joins other in-app storefronts: G.I. Joe Comics, Transformers Comics, Star Trek and IDW Comics.
Here's what IDW has to say:
“Ben’s work deserves to be featured on it’s own. The custom designed app includes several of Ben’s biggest series – Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse, Singularity 7, Groom Lake, Shadowplay, Welcome to Hoxford, and even a special G.I. JOE story featuring the Baroness. These books have been top sellers on other platforms such as Sony PSP, so we wanted to bring them to his iPad and iPhone fans as one complete library.”
A new way to freak people out on the subway, one iPhone screen at a time.
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No android love? 🙁
IDW Comics on the IPAD are impossible to read. They need to get rid of the stupid side bars and add compatibility for double spreads.
So that’s why Choker has taken so long. Templesmith has been coding & designing this app the whole time.
@j206: LOL! I was just about to say the same thing … I’m tempted to say I’ll never read another Templesmith comic, but know that wouldn’t be true. But the delays on Choker have been inexcusable.
@ EgonSpengler as of Feb. 10 will there even be a need for Android phones anymore???
I wonder if this is some sort of response after what Mark Millar said about digital comics and why it isn’t that great of a deal for creators?
I know IDW is publishing this, but I can see this be the future of digital right here. Have creators create their own app so we can only buy THEIR work and no one else.
@TheNextChampion –what did Millar say about digital? I’m drawing a blank on that.
yeah i agree this could be big for indie creators. Forget Direct Market…how about Creator Direct???
@j206 I can only draw what I have script for alas. Waiting on that for Choker right now, though I have a FELL script in hand to start on shortly.
@cahubble09 Sometimes, life happens. Wasn’t your usual “oh this book is late because creators are lazy” type deal.
@thenextchampion Nope. I have no idea what Mark Millar said but let’s face it, it was Mark Millar. I came up with the idea for the having an app with IDW quite some time ago. Things just take time to implement. And IDW are thinkers when it comes to the digital landscape.
It’s true that the most savvy of us in the future technically don’t need a publisher but middle men will always make things go smoother…and I don’t exactly want to learn all the coding myself, much the same way I don’t want to run an actual printing macine myself for the physical comics…or drive the truck to the stores!
I think this sort of thing is a nobrainer for creators with some sort of recognition and back cataloge of work they own that can be put into it.
I love that more and more comics are going digital, and every time a new way to view comics on my iPad is announced, I jump on it, but I am really not loving the one-application-per-title/publisher/creator format. I just want to open up my comics collection and read my comics, not first determine who drew it and who published it and what are the control layout differences between this comic and one I just closed. I don’t have an Aerosmith app ; I have an app for my music. I don’t have a Neil Stephenson app (oh, wait, maybe that’s a bad example) ; I have an app for my books. Longbox promised to be the One App To Rule Them All, but it seems to be dead. Comixology and Graphic.ly have tried, and each have their up sides, but neither provide access to all the available digital comics. I’m glad to see the selection of digital comics increase, but this fragmentation seems to me like a disservice to creators and readers. At last count I had 15 comic book apps to use to read my digital comics. That’s too many, but this trend assures that there will be more, and what I really miss is discovering books by serendipity: Just browsing the shelf and seeing what catches your eye. This app brings more content out, which is great, but it seems unlikely that it’s going to bring Ben new readers because first you have to know about his work and his app before you take it for a spin. I feel like we need a universal file format that can be sold in and moved to different applications. But pardon my grumpiness. It really is great to have more digital comics out there. If anyone needs me, I’ll be looking for my Bone Issue 3 app…
@Templesmith Grats, dude. Ive never read Singularity 7, but now i can with this app. Who cares what anyone says, do what you gotta do to get the comics to the people, man.
@Templesmith – Nice of you to reply to our snarky comments. lol. Just to clear things up, I was just making a joke about the book itself. Not taking a shot. Regardless of wait time, I’m highly looking forward to the return of Fell! Cheers.
@Templesmith I like your “T” logo design. Also, Fell is a standout book on any shelf. Thanks.
@Templesmith: Well you deserve an app! (Never thought I would say that when I was a kid) You do amazing work in everything you draw and you deserve to have a place to have people buy your work. Also, cannot wait for Fell #10.
Basically Millar is saying that digital may not be the really godsend for creators like some people lay it out to be. Here’s the article where it has his quote and further explaining it. By the way I didn’t think it was a direct response by Templesmith, it just felt a good way to contend with what Millar is thinking about digital.
http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2011/01/quote-of-the-day-mark-millar-on-digital-comics/
@TheNextChampion I think Millar’s quote is why we’re going to see more one-app-per-creator situations. I expect/hope that @Templesmith gets a much bigger chunk of the profits then creators going through a publisher. It is certainly disheartening to see Millar’s breakdown which seems to show that the smallest percentage of the purchase price of a digital comic (at least via Comixology) goes to the creator. It seems that the reverse should be true because every other facet of the process: publishing, distribution, etc. should be able to make profits on shear volume of sales, whereas a single creator can only do so much.
It seems like almost every day another publisher or creator finds a way to distribute their product digitally- convenietly and economically for the consumer.
How Are they doing it with so many “cost and contractural barriers”
It would seem if there is a genuine interest in getting it done and less worry about upsetting the political landscape- it isn’t actually quite as hard as some might think.
Here’s hoping Marvel and Dc follow the tide of example happening now and see the potential in the profit of volume.