Fantastic interview with Mark Waid on the future of comics and the Digital approach. Lots to think about:
http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/12/20/mark-waid-digital-comics-interview-digital-december/
Insights into Marvels inner workings with digital:
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Ribu - that is a good point - and I thought of it too :) Just didn't mention it...
The concept has been bandied about...
I'm surprised that for a group of Christian publishers and creatives, no one has mentioned the obvious yet in defense of print.
In the future, when Christianity is made illegal -- oh yes, I just went there! -- no one will get away with digital ministry. All code can be monitored. Paper will be the only way to spread the gospel without it being traced to you.
And in the future, where attention spans are even less than they are today, comics will be the best form of printed gospel media.
-Ribu
Yup, been following that story for about 2 weeks.
NOW - the one thing in all this that may or may not be a factor that may or may not have been commented on is the actual business practices/management of the company in question. It could be a matter of bad management - but then again, maybe not.
Anyway - the point of Digital vs. Print are: There are options, find the most cost effective method, and figure out how to get whatever you produce into the hands of people.
Calvary Comics said:
Diamond has already stopped shipping comics to Borders - one of the largest U.S. bookstore chains - which is apparently to file for bankruptcy next week:
http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2011/01/borders-secures-loan-c...
I wholeheartedly agree with this statement.
Hm. Definitely food for thought here. Isn't there something in history about how difficult it is to destroy the printed word? And the pen is mightier than the sword...
Hm...now, is there a way to make the printed word more portable? Why yes, yes there is: The Outdoor Bible
Bob Luedke wrote:
"which is why we should never put all respective distribution eggs in one basket."
Exactly, Bob. Imagine that bible publishers gave up on print, and the only bibles going forward were digital...or even if the vast majority were digital, leaving print bibles as a nostalgic throwback. Then, imagine one of the many ways the internet can be turned off occurring.
I see somewhat of an analogy between "digital vs print" and "cash vs credit/electronic purchasing" (Or insert gold instead of cash). The hard cash ( hard copy) has more value in many ways. Whereas I can envision (given the increasing access to and control of information by a few) the pushing of a single button sometime in the near future resulting in certain unwanted (politically incorrect) texts/e-books being erased around the world. Call it, "Fahrenheit 451 at Room Temperature and the Speed of Light". Or imagine the street evangelist handing out download codes instead of tracts! (actually, this itself could be a fun cartoon!!)
The obvious advantages (at least short-term) of digital are ease of use/acquisition and it finding favor in our current and evolving economic world system. But, both of those could prove to be quite ephemeral.
God bless you, Bob!
In Messiah,
Lee
"Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall
give you the desires of your heart." --Psalm 37:4
that's a good point, Lee (as Egyptians are finding out this week).
which is why we should never put all respective distribution eggs in one basket.
RJ Luedke
Here's a new L.A. Times article on print vs. digital:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2011/01/books-sales-goin...
In brief: Print book sales were down, the Assn. of American Publishers reports, in all the major trade categories. Year-to-date hardcover sales in 2010 are down 6.1%; mass market paperbacks have fallen off even more, by 14%. Adult paperback sales fell by a whopping 19%. E-book sales in 2010 accounted for about 10% of traditional book sales revenue.
A demonstration of the fragility of the digital age.
The Day a Nation Turned off the Internet
There are many reasons to remain print-able in an increasingly digital world -- not just in comics, but in every manner of distribution of information. The internet infrastructure is fragile -- susceptible to a burst of electromagnetic radiation (from the sun or from a atmospheric nuke, neither of which is a crazy consideration today), hacking, glitches, and even susceptible to some person or persons who've acquired or been given the necessary power to simply ....
...turn it off.
Additionally, there are parts of the world that are a long way from entering into the digital age -- and those people need to hear the gospel as much as anyone who owns a computer. I suppose we just need to be ready to use whatever means we have available -- including digital -- but also be cautious not to forsake the more tried and tested means of getting out the message.
I personally don't think print -- or the need for print -- is going anywhere. It's just changing shape.
In Messiah,
Lee
Thank you Bob too!
To be honest I prefer the digital format for my books than traditional printings. I've gone through many headaches with printers, but when I began to place my book on Wowio, Scrib and DriveThru(Thanks again Bob for bringing that site to light) I was like, man this is an easy set-up compared to the wait and frustration of the printer screwing up my stuff. You have more control and it will reach more people.
Now I love books and personally prefer having a book in my hand than reading it on screen and I know many people like books, but if I could go straight digital I would. One thing I also want to do is placed my work on CD's to give away and sell.
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