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At iFanboy, Friday means it’s letter column time.
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You guys often allude to digital comics being more that just running pages through an industrial speed scanner, but I’ve never seen anything breaking down exactly what goes into a digital comic. Do you have an article or video you could point me too? I’m especially interested in the difference between recent and older comics, since I assume that with anything printed in the past 15 years or so the final assembly for printing was done digitally, so the assets are already in some kind of digital form.
Jonathan
It’s a common misconception that there are little or no costs involved with making comics available digitally. It’s not a well documented process because there are only a few companies doing it, and most of the specifics of how they do it are proprietary. So while I can’t spill the techniques of how Graphicly converts comics for digital consumption, I can go over some of the things that most people don’t think about.
Many assume that if there’s a digital file available of a comic book, then the publisher can just “put it up,” which is a very simplistic version of what happens. For a large scale digital distribution, a significant infrastructure must be set up, as well as a workflow process, often involving several people. There’s overhead right there, just to start. Computers and office space aren’t free. A backend must be set up, comprised of storage and a database, so that all the metadata is available searchable. Not only that, but it has to work, and it has to work well. That takes smart talented people, and those people come with a price. Then there’s a front end. A store, digital or physical has to be attractive and functional. Apps have to be built. If you’re working with Apple, every piece of content must be submitted to them for approval.
There’s also no single file format for how comics can be made. I’m sure Marvel, DC, and Dark Horse have a way they do things, but if you’re dealing with lots of indie creators, there are many ways to skin a cat. In my own experience, the files used to send to the printer have very different specs than the files used to post on the web. And while those conversions aren’t difficult, they are time consuming, and time is money. Sure, an indie creator can do it themselves, but when you’ve got a company doing it on a mass scale, that takes man hours, which much be paid for. On most of the major digital services, they offer a panel view (we call ours Graphicly Flow), and most of the time, that’s done by people, one page at a time. It can take a while. Newer comics are often saved in layers, so if the lettering has to be moved around or resized, it’s very easy. They’re saved at high resolution. Older comics? Maybe they’re lower resolution. There’s only one layer, because the letters were on the page itself. Those hours must be compensated.
Then, suppose you’ve gone through all that, and built a store, and converted a massive amount of comics for consumption. It isn’t going to do you much good if no one knows about it, so someone’s got to do promotion, on an ongoing basis. Then imagine you’re lucky enough to actually sell some books. Then you’ve got money that needs to be dealt with, including taxes that need to be paid, as well as creators who get paid. I could go on, but I hope the point is getting made. Companies need staff for this, and all that costs money.
Of course, if you’re a one man comic studio, you could accomplish a lot of this on your own, and it might cost you very little in terms of actual money, but it would take up a lot of time, without guarantee of reward. As soon as you begin to scale this to even a moderate sized publisher, the costs begin to mount exponentially. I can immediately begin to see why so many of the smaller publishers, and even the larger ones, operating on thin margins weren’t hurried, or possibly weren’t able to get into digital early on. It’s a significant investment to do it right. It’s a bigger investment to do it wrong.
Josh Flanagan
In the past 5 years, there have been a decent amount of memory-altering event in the Marvel Universe. Between Mephisto’s deal with Peter, and the Age of X incident, Wolverine has been subject to at least two of them. So my question stems from all this: Does Wolverine know Spider-Man’s real identity? With his enhanced senses, was it really ever secret? And if he can deduce secret identities using his senses, shouldn’t all of the other characters with enhanced senses be able to do the same? The more I think about it, the more having a secret identity seems wholly outdated in the modern comic world.
Nathan (Peteparker) from Albuquerque , New Mexico
You know, Nathan, that’s a really good question. When there’s so much mind altering and alternate realities and what not, it’s really hard to keep track. Now, admittedly, I don’t read every comic published, so this could have been handled in an issue I didn’t read, but I do read the majority of books that Wolverine and Spider-Man appear in (X-Men, The Avengers, The Amazing Spider-Man etc.), so I’m pretty sure that my answer is as close to accurate as we’re going to get.
Before I address whether or not Wolverine knows Spider-Man’s identity, I want to touch upon your theory that given Wolverine’s enhanced senses, he’d be able to discern a secret. I think you’re close there, but missing one major factor. While Wolverine does have enhanced senses, including smell, which allows him to identify people based on their scent, he has to know that scent. Meaning that unless Wolverine has met Peter Parker, and noted and picked up his scent AND THEN met Spider-Man and connected the dots, then he’d be able to figure it out. But I’m not sure when or how Wolverine would find himself in a room with Peter Parker, even in the Marvel Universe. So by that logic, Wolverine does not know Peter’s secret identity. Except…
Except for the fact that most excellent Astonishing Spider-Man and Wolverine book by Jason Aaron and Adam Kubert, where Spider-Man and Wolverine get sucked into a time travel story that lasted years of their lives and forced them to become as close as can be. During that time and that series, I’m positive that Spider-Man revealed his identity to Wolverine and now Wolverine knows he’s Peter. As to where that story (which was mainly stand alone) exists on the continuity timeline? I have no idea. But if you accept that it happened within the canon of their characters, there you go — Wolverine knows that Peter Parker is Spider-Man.
To wrap things up, I can’t disagree with you more about your assumption of secret identities being outdated in the modern world. While the 1960s approach as set forth in Marvel Comics back in the day may be outdated, I think the concept has potential given a good writer with a modern take on it. The idea of hiding a secret is timeless and the identity secret is one of the best ones to keep and increase tension. I just think we’re due for a more modern take on the concept.
Ron Richards
I just read Justice League: Subway Famous Fans #2. I’d give the story a 4 out of 5 and the art a 5 out of 5. I’d have to say that this comic was short, but really gave some insight into what is going to go on with Gorilla Grodd in the Flashpoint series. I’m a sports fan who enjoys dunking over cars, so I like that Blake Griffin was part of the team that discovered that Subway sandwiches with avocado are the key to defeating Grodd’s mind control power. I assume that the Amazonians will discover this first because from their build it appears that they frequent Subway restaurants and eat a healthy diet full of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, which are all found in Subway’s fresh fit meals.
The only problem is I’m not sure which character in the Flashpoint Universe will be able to hit Grodd in the head with a basketball to knock out his powers completely. I assume it will have to be Deadman as he appears to be a loner with incredible dexterity and calmness in the face of danger as he puts on a very impressive high wire act.
My question is which Subway sandwich do you think Deadman will eat before he defeats Grodd by bouncing a basketball off his noggin’? I think Deadman will eat something like a turkey sub with lots of veggies so he can stay in high wire form, but he might be saving his money to get back to the states and just go for whatever is on the $5 foot long menu. Congrats to the DC creative team for keeping me wondering.
Paul W.
I have no answer for you, Paul. But I would like you to know that this is the greatest email we’ve ever received.
UPDATE! However, we decided you deserved an answer and went to Josh Williamson, writer of Subway Famous Fans #2. What do you say, Josh?
Great guess, Paul! But actually in the Flashpoint universe, Subway doesn’t have a turkey sub, something to do with Professor Zoom not killing Barry Allen’s mom… anyway… so instead Deadman would be forced to eat a chicken bacon ranch, but yes with a lot of veggies… and of course the secret weapon… avocado.
But really this answers the age old question… why don’t Gorilla Grodd and Sportsmaster get along? Now we know it’s because Grodd is afraid that at any given moment Sportsmaster could turn on him and launch a barrage of jump shots and floaters that could destroy Grodd’s control over his kingdom.
Josh Flanagan
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I all seriousness, my first comic was a Superman and Batman story that had something to do with Zellers (a canadian target type store). You never know what may bring in new readers.
But that is ridiculous!
Peter revealed his identity to the New Avengers following the BND erasure. It happened when Jessica Jones somehow figured it out and remembered that she knew Pete from high school and said she had a crush on him.
Of course it cost money to produce a comic digitialy or physically.
But the real question is how much digitially vs physically.
What is a cost comparison?
That is the Real question.
But citing examples like office space and computers as overhead – Well that’s just part of being a business period not indicators of the unique cost breakdown of making comics digitially vs paper production.
Trucks that haul paper copies take gas and require maintainence- pay tolls on highways- delivery people need wages-etc etc What about those costs that digital doesn’t need-
Yeah server space costs money but what do you think is more expensive right now a gallon of gas in this country or a mageabyte?
Also when these questions pop up I don’t think anyone is asking what it’s like for go between companies like Graphic.ly or even Comixology to do business.
They are asking about the essential cost requirments for publishers to sell their books in a tangible form or a 0101’s
And yes right now DC use Comixology but the don’t have to- it’s not Diamond the digital distribution world is totally open.
And it’s also a Very different question if your a comics “distributor” like Graphic.ly vs an established company with established resources that can be reallocated and with control over production guidelines and marketing where these are all in house decisions.
@medz Those subway ads are amazing if you ask me. Because they’re fun, which makes them good comics. I actually wouldn’t mind more ridiculous product placement in my comic books.
“Alfred, turn on the Lenovo/IBM slice server data center. Let’s track some bad guys.”
“Not until you’ve had this balanced breakfast, Master Wayne.”
“Cookie Crisp, Alfred? But its mascot is a burglar!”
“We were all out of your favorite Count Chocula.”
et cetera, ad inifinitum. Tell me that isn’t fun comics
Okay, I have to object to the premise of the last e-mail. If Deadman is to eat any sandwich, it’s gotta be a cheeseburger. It’s been long established in DC continuity – or at least since Brightest Day – that Boston Brand must be a sucker for the Whopper. And I can’t believe that Didio and Johns are ruining the character by having him eat any turkey sub like that, in the DCnU.
</snark>
Whenever I read a digital comic using “Smart Panel” technology, I think about the poor shlub who had to sit there at the computer determining how it was going to zoom in for each and every panel in sequence. However much he gets paid, it should be more.
Do the Avengers know Peter’s identity? I really didn’t think they did. He never, ever takes his mask off in the book, and they did a whole talking-head sequence about how he can’t get paid because they don’t know who to make the check out to. That Jessica Jones encounter, I remember, but I’ve been thinking it was pre-Brand New Day… now I don’t know what to believe. My fragile world is shattered until I clear this up.
Yea, I’m pretty sure the Jessica Jones encounter was pre-Brand New Day.
I’m much more interested in if this is a general problem with the array of powers out there. Sure Wolverine’s only got his senses, but surely Iron Man’s tech (or any other advanced tech) would be able to analyze the voice prints of the people he works with and keep them on file.
Peter Parker himself does not often interact with any super people on a regular basis, so that probably is the main reason no one knows who he is (maybe). But with all of the networking and security cams going on these days, you’d think it’d be easier than ever to connect someone’s secret identity with their real one.
It seems like the Ultimate universe has handled this better, since SHIELD found Peter early on and always knew and tracked his situation.
re: The last question.
I love you guys. That is all.
Re: sandwich.
Deadman is dead, ergo the name.
The dead crave but one thing: the flesh of the living.
It then follows that Deadman would not want a sandwich but would, rather, prefer to dine on a sandwich artist. Q.E.D.
@Jimski I always think the same thing about the panel zooming.
No no no, the Jessica Jones encounter was post-BND. The whole reason it happened was that the Avengers told Spidey “We don’t know who you are, we can’t trust you” which would only happen after Mephisto wiped Civil War #2 out of people’s brains. The reason his ID is such a big deal right now is because he doesn’t want people like Victoria Hand and government bureacrats knowing who he is. Wolverine knows.
And Jessica / Peter was Post-BND. The Avengers are all “We can’t have any more secrets between each other” and Peter’s all angsty and “But, I dunno, this is, like, what I DO, being all secret and all” and Clint is all “That’s the way it is, son” and Peter looks like he’s going to bolt but then takes off his mask then Jessica is all “OMG! Peter effing Parker? I used to have the BIGGEST CRUSH ON YOU” and Luke is all “He’s a skinny little white boy is all” and, and….
Yeah, Wolvie’d’a figgered it out.
Why are all the Subway Famous Fans wearing bicycle shorts on the cover?
Also, did anyone else ever own the Charleston-Chew send away issue of Marvel Comics Presents? It had a sweet Wolverine vs. out of control Danger room story!
i love how Blake Griffin dunked with his eyes closed and said “here comes the dunk!”….thats exactly how it happened during All Star Weekend. haha
Thank you Paul Wade.
@RobAbsten could he have a manwich?
Pre-Brand New Day Wolverine knew Spider-Man’s identity. It was established in the EXCELLENT one shot Marvel put out called Spider-Man vs Wolverine. Wolverine and Spider-Man had met up earlier in the story in costume. Later on, they were in germany, Peter with the Bugle, Logan on personal business, but both tracking the same woman. Logan walks by Peter and thinks to himself “senses don’t lie….that guy is Spider-Man.” he then goes to peter’s hotel room and finds his Spider-Man costume, and the two team up for some action, before having a great fight scene in a graveyard, where Spider-Man ends up accidentally killing a woman when he punches her in the face as hard as he can. thinking she is Wolverine coming up behind him. It’s a really great story that i am not doing justice too. When i was a kid, i read that comic over and over and over again. it was one of the early issues that made me absolutely fall in love with comics.
Also during SECRET WAR, Logan stepped out of a bathroom on the plane to Latveria (very drunk) and saw Peter sitting next to Matt Murdock, he quickly smelled him and recognized the scent.
Mmmmmm, Manwich. It’s not just a sandwich – it’s a meal.
@JohnVFerrigno – I was convinced that you were making that up until I googled the title. Spidey killed someone? Yikes!
For some reason I was convinced wolverine’s memory couldn’t be altered because how he remembered everything in house of m when everyone else couldn’t, but yeah, NA#51 then.
@JohnVFerrigno – and I just saw a reference to that somewhere. Was it mentioned in “Kraven’s Last Hunt”? Or was it in the recent Marcos Martin dream sequence? I read that and thought “When the hell did this happen? ‘Cuz that seems like a really big deal for Spidey to kill someone, even on accident.”
My intense hatred of Subway has now diminished slightly.
in Amazing Spiderman #648 aka Big Time #1 When Spiderman is leading the Avengers into battle Wolverine remarks “Taking orders from Parker…i’ll never live this down” (or something to that effect) and then gets scolded that not all of the Avengers know Spiderman’s secret identity. So Wolverine is aware of his identity at this point in time..unless there is some continuity wormhole space time anomaly thing that is happening that i’m not aware of….
For over a decade i have been stumped by the Combos ad where they had composed a hero using its of like 20 different characters and i could always name like 2 but a couple parts were so obscure i couldnt tell who it was. Anyonelse remember that? If you answered right you got some prize or something.
http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix2/combomanpromo.htm
haha well i just answered my own question now by googling it.
@MaxPower I had a ghost rider comic I got from charelston chew, it took like 2 years for it to show up too.
also chareston chews were disgusting…
@Josh: There is a great deal of cost overlap when converting a printed piece to ditigtal. And, unlike a printed piece of work, once the upfront expense of a comic being made digital had been paid there is very little variable cost associated with the comic. I would imagine publishers are making all their new books digitally compatible even if they don’t get published digitially immediately; making it easier and cheaper when the time comes that they want to publish the work digitally.
@devildog That’s simply not true. Most big publishers are in the business of making their books ready for print publication. Digital conversion is done by different people for a different purpose. That comes from my experience in the industry so far, not guessing.
@EJ Right now, it’s a fairly manual process, because comic pages aren’t standardized. For the sake of the artform, I hope that never happens.
@Josh: Agreed, I hope it doesn’t either. But the way business is run these days it does get pretty scary. The same job that took 50 employees to do just 12 years ago at one of the places I worked now takes 4…across 3 shifts. Technology is a cruel bitch.
@BC1 You got it, the dead woman was alluded to in the dream sequence in the funeral issue.