Late on this…. apologies. But it’s always fun to read what Warren Ellis thinks of the current goings-on in the comic industry (even if he wrote them a couple of weeks ago.

Round One: DC…… wherein he makes a good point about DC’s digital strategy being all about attempting to reach out to those potential comic buyers who are nowhere near a comic shop. They used to be, back in the 80s/90s – but because the industry contracted, the number of stores is massively reduced.

“The gamble here is this: that hypothetical lost fan base is older, has credit cards and disposable income, and an internet connection that can bring the DC Comics section of a notional comics store right to their desks. That, in fact, digital comics services will do the work of those eight thousand stores that don’t exist anymore.”

And then he goes on to compare Marvel & DC’s relationship with retailers, in a way only Ellis can:

“It was in DC’s core DNA to protect and serve physical comics stores. To the point where every 18 months or so they’d pay for a hundred comics retailers to attend a special DC conference, where the retailers could moan at them for two days and then go home and order more Marvel comics. (In broad and crude terms, DC were the attentive suitor, while Marvel Comics treated retailers mean to keep them keen.)

Now, there is a fascinating situation where DC will polybag special issues of JUSTICE LEAGUE #1 with a digital-comic download code, a book that will cost an extra dollar. Comics are done on firm sale. Which means, as far as I can see, that the retailer is being charged extra money on each copy of that edition too. Maybe I’m wrong, and comics retailers aren’t being offered a reacharound while getting an mild yet unwelcome pegging. But it’s an interesting kind of support.”

Round Two: Marvel….

Where, in a reversal of structure from the DC post, he goes off funny:

“Marvel Comics’ digital-comics strategy is that… they don’t seem to have one, really. Full disclosure — I’m on work-for-hire exclusive to them until the end of the year. But they’re all used to me moaning at them anyway.”

And then starts analysing:

“Their digital store, then, is a big back-issue bin, with the occasional experiment in day-and-date simultaneous release in print and digital. They’re unlikely to go line-wide day-and-date like DC unless DC’s numbers are explosively successful and stay that way for six months — in digital AND print. Right now, Marvel own the comics stores in terms of dollar sales and market share, and probably see no compelling reason to risk a dilution of those figures. Those figures look good on quarterly reports. And that’s not a knock against Marvel, just an observation of the reality of their business life.”

Always interesting to hear Ellis’ ideas on the medium and the industry. I’ve always liked the manner in which he just spends time thinking about the mechanics of both making comics and the business end of making comics.

Mirabilis, the fantasy serial by Dave Morris, Leo Hartas and Martin McKenna that remained unfinished when the weekly DFC comic was cancelled, is making a return – to the iTunes store:

“The epic opening instalment of an exciting new ongoing graphic novel adventure. The first 8 issues collect the entire Mirabilis: Winter season into one 200-page comics blockbuster, the first of four fabulous seasons that will build into an essential modern classic. Start collecting now with the FREE first issue!”

I did enjoy the early episodes of Mirabilis – it had a nice bit of mystery, dark fantasy and a very Bryan Talbot-esque art style. Hopefully, maybe, we’ll be seeing this find it’s way into print at some point. Episode 1 is available on the itunes store link, and at the Mirabilis website for free. Here’s a quick recap:

“The series tells of a lost year “sometime between Victorian and Edwardian times” when a green comet appears in the sky. As the comet grows brighter, the barriers between reality and fantasy begin to break down, unleashing a tide of mystery, wonder and supernatural danger. Against this backdrop, a 17-year-old grocer’s delivery boy named Jack Ember and 15-year-old baron’s daughter Estelle Meadowvane will find it is their destiny to discover the secret of the green comet and save the future of the imagination. The series unfolds in 5-page episodes which will later be collected …. as the four seasons of the Mirabilis year. The whole story will run to an epic 280 pages and is written by Dave Morris, illustrated by Leo Hartas, and colored by Nikos Koutsis, with covers and interior paintings by Martin McKenna.”

Well, Apple have changed their minds. The full story and interview is here on Robot 6, but essentially it means they’re able to put their Ulysses Seen comic onto the iPad in it’s original form.

It also gave Berry a chance to clear up one potential point of confusion:

“Apple’s restrictions are based upon app development, not size of the company or the amount of content carried on an app. We submitted our comic as an “app developer” because no one, really and truly no one, had developed an immersive method for explaining the novel and linking to its annotations as we had. If we worked with a publisher, particularly a big one like Marvel as you’ve mentioned, we wouldn’t have the same problem as authors that “app developers” encounter. But our interface to a Readers’ Guide is  a completely unique feature of how to read comics on the tablet so we wanted to showcase that.

The “big players” have many options for market rewards that we don’t have as small book developers or on-demand, desktop publishers. But the energy of self-publishing, something that has been really important to the artistic growth of American comix, is still very possible through the iPad. Now, with some of the restrictions removed, self-publishing there is an even stronger option.”

It’s good news, but it’s still a tricky issue. For example Apple will still not fully detail their policy on this sort of material. They asked anyone who had an app rejected on the no nudity policy to re-submit. But the exact nature of the no-nudity policy is muddy to say the least. More as it develops.

(© Lucy Knisley)

This has been all over the net this week, but I got it from Wim.