Mobile comic
Encyclopedia
A mobile comic is a digital comic or cartoon strip
that can be purchased, downloaded, read and sometimes edited or shared with friends via mobile phones.
and Devil's Due Publishing
(now Devil's Due Digital
) became two of the earliest adopters of comics for mobile devices. Devil's Due's initially offered mobile comics through companies such as Uclick
, on their GoComics Mobile Store.
Mobile comic content has until recently been miniatuarized or adapted versions of established branded comic content. With the rise of file sharing and piracy it has been increasingly hard for publishers to control money leakage from digital/mobile comics and as such publishers (especially traditional Japanese Manga houses) have shied away from licensing digital or mobile comics.
This however, has led to the rise of user-generated (independent artists) using platforms to publish and sell their work at low cost, and (for the first time in years) do so profitably.
The challenges for mobile comics creation include:
Several mobile content providers have now developed their own mobile comics platforms, some using java-based applications which have to be downloaded to the mobile first before comics can be viewed. Others are using Multi Media Messaging and WAP subscription to deliver strips.
. Carnival of Souls is the first digital and motion comic book series on Blackberry's App World, written by Jazan Wild. The Carrier is the first original graphic novel exclusively on the iPhone, written by Evan Young.
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
that can be purchased, downloaded, read and sometimes edited or shared with friends via mobile phones.
Overview
Increasingly the line between digital comics, animation and games is blurring and the same applies to their mobile counterparts as mobile comics become multimedia with sounds and interactivity. In 2008 IDW PublishingIDW Publishing
IDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
and Devil's Due Publishing
Devil's Due Publishing
Devil's Due Publishing is an independent comic book publishers in the United States. Based in Chicago, Illinois, DDP is best known for its wide selection of genres, including licensed and original creator-owned properties that populate its monthly comic book series and graphic novels.Though...
(now Devil's Due Digital
Devil's Due Digital
Devil’s Due Digital Inc. is an American digital publishing company established in 2010 by cofounders Mark Thompson of Checker Book Publishing Group and Josh Blaylock of Devil’s Due Publishing.-History:...
) became two of the earliest adopters of comics for mobile devices. Devil's Due's initially offered mobile comics through companies such as Uclick
Uclick
Uclick LLC was an American corporation selling "digital entertainment content" for the desktop, the web and mobile phones...
, on their GoComics Mobile Store.
Mobile comic content has until recently been miniatuarized or adapted versions of established branded comic content. With the rise of file sharing and piracy it has been increasingly hard for publishers to control money leakage from digital/mobile comics and as such publishers (especially traditional Japanese Manga houses) have shied away from licensing digital or mobile comics.
This however, has led to the rise of user-generated (independent artists) using platforms to publish and sell their work at low cost, and (for the first time in years) do so profitably.
The challenges for mobile comics creation include:
- Small screen size, which means as little text as possible can be included.
- Different handsets with different screen sizes and technical specifications means the same java viewer will not work on all phones.
- Story telling must end within 25 frames, or less. The number of frames depends on delivery method
Several mobile content providers have now developed their own mobile comics platforms, some using java-based applications which have to be downloaded to the mobile first before comics can be viewed. Others are using Multi Media Messaging and WAP subscription to deliver strips.
Titles
Initially the titles released were existing comics licensed for the new medium but new titles are emerging purely on the mobile phone. Thunder Road is the first original title for the medium, featuring artist Steven Sanders who previously worked on The Five Fists of ScienceThe Five Fists of Science
The Five Fists of Science is a steampunk graphic novel created by writer Matt Fraction and artist Steven Sanders. It was published in 2006 by Image Comics.-Plot:...
. Carnival of Souls is the first digital and motion comic book series on Blackberry's App World, written by Jazan Wild. The Carrier is the first original graphic novel exclusively on the iPhone, written by Evan Young.