[Disclaimer: iFanboy is owned by Graphicly so any reporting here is going to be a little slanted because, hey, we're excited too!]
This morning, iFanboy holding company and leading digital comics & entertainment platform, Graphicly announced that it has raised $3 Million in funding. Now, we've got some inside information and we can assure everyone that this is some great news. Behind the scenes at Graphicly, everyone's been working super hard to make the best digital comics experience they can and this funding will go towards that. When additional financial assistance is needed for the comic, visite site of vamoola.co.uk since they provide a free credit brokering service. 2011 is going to be fast and furious with the amount of cool stuff that Graphicly and iFanboy have in the works, so get ready for an exciting year. And of course, as loyal iFanboy readers, we want to to know what you think and want, so be sure to leave your comments in this post to let Micah Baldwin, CEO of Graphicly know what you'd like to see in 2011!
Below is the full text of the press release containing the announcement:
GRAPHICLY ANNOUNCES $3 MILLION IN SERIES A FUNDING
DFJ Mercury, Dundee VC, 500 Startups and Individual Angels Invest In Innovative Digital Entertainment Platform
Boulder, CO (January 25, 2011) – Graphicly, one of the leading digital entertainment platforms, announces that it has raised a Series A financing totaling $3 million dollars. The financing was lead by DFJ Mercury, with participation from 500 Startups, Dundee VC, Ludlow Ventures and several angel investors.
With the additional funding, Graphicly plans to create a true digital entertainment experience by providing audio commentaries, video, music and interactive panels. “Our community is looking for more than just an online digital comic store. They know that comics are not just colorful stories for children, but beautiful art, with deep story lines that are best experienced socially and interactively that extend beyond the page. 2011 is the year we bring that into existence.” stated CEO Micah Baldwin.
“In 2010, we focused on bringing our community to as many digital comic publishers and creators we could, on every platform in existence, and they responded by downloading more than 600,000 copies of our applications in less than 5 months, and spending more than 20 minutes per visit.” said Baldwin. “In 2011, we are taking what we excelled in and combining it with our new funding to bring a greater immersive social experience and new ways to engage with the story and characters.”
Graphicly ended 2010 leading the industry with more than 150 publisher and creator relationships, including industry leader Marvel Comics, Archie Comics, Archaia Entertainment, IDW Publishing, Top Cow and BOOM! Studios, and was the only company to release applications for the desktop with Windows 7 and Adobe Air; mobile with iPhone, iPad, Windows 7 Phone and Android; and the web as a featured partner with the Google Chrome Web Store.
About Graphicly
Graphicly is a cutting-edge entertainment digital content delivery system and community platform, providing an immersive social experience and marketplace around digital comics and associated entertainment.
For more information, please visit http://www.graphicly.com
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WOW. Congrats guys. That’s incredible.
So iFanboy member packets now include stock options, right?
Congrats to you guys and to graphic.ly! This is good news, I’ve been enjoying the Desktop App a lot – I think it looks and works great. You guys need to make some improvements to the mobile apps though, they seem pretty stagnant and bare, not on par with the desktop version.
What I’d really like to see is more things like the audio commentary track you did on Irredeemable #1. That was worth the money. Doing these enhanced features to the books will set graphic.ly apart from the others. And we need to get dc and image to provide books on graphic.ly – plus more marvel books on there – the pickings have been slim… the selection needs to grow in 2011!
Came across this article that talks about the investors.
http://venturebeat.com/2011/01/25/graphicly-dave-mcclure-funding/
One thing that stood out to me was a quote from the top dude at Graphic.ly:
Users have downloaded the Graphicly app 600,000 times and spend an average of 20 minutes per visit, Baldwin told me yesterday. With the new funding, he plans to expand the application beyond just being a store and a reader: “Imagine clicking on a spot within a comic and launching a casual game or video that truly extends the story.”
So comic books are going to become interactive hubs for video games, movie trailers, and viral marketing? I’m guessing I’ll be able to click on ads as well, and be able to “like” Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark on Facebook.
Don’t get me wrong. It makes total sense from a business standpoint. That’s a whole other level of revenue that will make a lot of money for the company as well as the comic book industry. So kudos to anything that helps keep everyone afloat, not to mention prosperous. But the old curmudgeon in me hears this and groans slightly.
Sorry if that came off negative. Just commenting on what I read. Thought it was interesting. Regardless, still awesome news for our friends who run this site! Congrats Ron. I think you made the right choice in ditching revision3. 😉
Wanted to clarify something. I didn’t mean to imply that the quote was saying that the things I was talking about. Clearly, the guy was referencing giving readers bonus material that many of them will enjoy. That’s awesome. My thoughts were more projecting down the road a bit. What types of ideas and revenue possibilities that companies will have from such a format. It’s not a negative. Just a reality, imo. No different than Hulu or any other cool thing that starts off user oriented, then slowly goes the way of how to get the most money out of it. Hell, that’s the internet and technology. No griping. Just the way the world is. I got absolutely zero problem with that. We live in the digital age. It’s just one of the reasons I really hope physical books don’t totally go the way of the dinosaurs and VHS.
Heres to all the best!
I really do get allot out of the Ifanboy website and podcasts. Hope it never changes and this news makes it easier for you guys!
Congrats gents, this is great news indeed. Having McClure involved is a nice get.
Does this mean higher end whiskeys during the “drinkin’ podcasts”? Some Johnny Walker Blue perhaps?
Anyway, congratulations! Anything that allows you guys to keep doing this is good news.
Awesome. Congratuations. Keep up the good work.
(I assume this means you can start paying Paul, Jimski, and the rest of the staff in actual dollars now.)
I want Day and Date as soon as publishers allow it.
Lets get going with the Android Graphic.ly app 🙂
That’s so great! All I want is more of the great stuff you’ve been churning out!
Good news. I’m really happy, especially if this means improvements to the site/ podcasts. Maybe you could hire that Katers guy full time now.
Can’t wait to see them provide more comics for us to buy.
@spaceghost15 It exists (in very rough form). I used it today (rather slowly).
iPhone app for europe please ? We only have the iPad version available here.
@stuclach I can’t find it in marketplace and their website still says “coming soon”. Are you on Beta?
@j206 I like how you think! 🙂 One of the things that our community and folks we have spoken to have told us again and again, is that the comic book experience doesnt begin and end with the comic, but rather has become a much larger, more rich experience.
Think about it in terms of the real world. Why should I have to go to comic store to enjoy the books? Stage one was making them digital; but stage two is really bringing the comic experience to everyone wherever they are. What will those interactions look like? I have some idea but not a complete picture.
Much like we did when we started the company, many of those decisions will be driven by the community.
But what I can guarentee is that creators will be able to be as creative as they want to be. The infinite canvas concept is antiquated, participation, engagement, expansion is the future. We are excited to be part of a community that really wants to be innovative and push the industry forward.
Want to buy a digital version of a comic? There are dozens of places. Chose your favorite reader and go for it. We have no intention of just being a comic book store online. How is that innovative?
A couiple of additional things:
1) There will be no changes to the podcasts – other than what Ron, Conor and Josh decide.
2) Our mobile apps are subpar at best. We are about a week from an update to the iPad app, and (I hope) the Android app release (its been a bit delayed as we get our developer’s visa situation worked out).
3) We love the web and plan on really doubling down there. Cant wait to get that stuff out the door!
4) Our staff is paid, in dollars. Even American dollars (Josh had trouble making the conversion into Pescos.).
5) We have three publishers looking to go day and date, and we are going to work with many more to do the same. I think publishers are warming to the idea, and soon, we will forget the days of 30day old digital comics.
6) Last year we spent the year trying to figure out what we want to be when we grow up. Now we know. We want to be Tom Katers.
Great news guys. Can’t wait to see what new things Graphic.ly will bring us.
that’s a lot of money, especially to a man crawling across the desert without water
@spaceghost15 Sorry I missed your response last month. Yes, it is the beta.