Comics And The iPad

What will Apple's new toy mean for the comics industry?

"We, like all publishers, are excited about this new format, and all of the possibilities which come along with it. We have already experienced great success with our existing iTunes program, and are excited to see just how this new interface will fit into our company's overall digital strategy."
---from Neil Hankerson, Executive Vice President of Dark Horse Comics 

"I think there's tremendous potential for the iPad to make comics available to a much wider audience than we're currently reaching. Paper comics will no doubt around for a long time to come, but I think this is an important step in making comics more accessible than they've ever been."
-- from Eric Stephenson, Publisher of Image Comics

want

I want an iPad really really really bad!

I can totally see myself in front of the chimney in a cold winter night, with a mug of hot cocoa, sitting in my comfortable ornate sofa, all while reading my X-Men comics in the iPad. How awesome, and what an active imagination. LOL jajajaja

I'd like to have traditional comics and digital comics....traditional that I could read at home and digital so that I can take a few with me and not have to worry about messing up my traditional comics

" I'd like to have traditional comics and digital comics....traditional that I could read at home and digital so that I can take a few with me and not have to worry about messing up my traditional comics "

" @danhimself said:

" I'd like to have traditional comics and digital comics....traditional that I could read at home and digital so that I can take a few with me and not have to worry about messing up my traditional comics "

I agree with you. The thing that blows me away is the opportunity to read comics in high resolution. No more creased pages, either. This thing is amazing. "

This sounds intriguing. I might get this once it comes out. What's the total price of this?

how great would it be if publishers started up digital subscriptions where you could subscribe to any comic you wanted and your iPad would download them automatically every Wednesday at midnight

" how great would it be if publishers started up digital subscriptions where you could subscribe to any comic you wanted and your iPad would download them automatically every Wednesday at midnight "

do want it...... dont need it....wont buy it.....
 
but still want it, though....

Nothing will ever compare to having a tangable comic between your fingers.

I'll probably buy it, if i have enough money that is.

I would never give up traditional comics. but iPad...RAAAAWWWWHH! :D

Hmmm interesting. i knew this product was due for release soon but i wasn't really expecting this. i was expecting a very thin tablet mac running on osx portable or something. This is a different direction.  
 
Now, i'm pretty vocal about my like and interest in the Digital comic. This is a good thing for that and i don't argue that it will increase the number of people reading digital comics. That said i'm not sure how much. I can't see this product being quite as popular as the iPod. Maybe but I think it's big appeal will be as a wok related tool. Students, for example would then be able to get hold of expensive text books at a much lower cost and not have to carry so much weight around with them. Print comics probably won't lose out too much with this product. Librarys probably will.

Given the choice, I would stick with the actual, physical comic books. There might be some comics - some artwork - that would look better on an iPad. I would probably like to see either George Perez' work, or Jim Lee's or Alex Ross' or (fill in your favorite artists here). For instance, I liked the artwork for Ross' Justice, but his work tends to spread out across the fold. Babs mentioned something above about no folds and better picture resolution. I'll go with the full page without a fold, but if I'm watching a comic, to me that's usually called a cartoon - ha! - I can maybe see myself maybe reading a book this way, but not a comic book. Now, my wife wants to get one to cut down on the clutter of hardcover and paperback books around the house - I can see that. But, there is something unique to me about the experience of having a comic book in my hands and flipping the pages. It's going to take some time to adapt that experience to an iPad... 

i dont need it but i want it lol

I hate these "all-in-one" products. Am I the only person on the face of the planet that still carries a notepad, a pen, and actual books... in my man-purse? (Yes, I do have a man-purse, but it's really big, so it doesn't look that awkward) 
 
Plus, why would I want to read a book on a backlit screen? It's exactly like trying to read a book on my old computer monitor. The idea of this is very intriguing, but it's nothing new. We've been using computerized tablets like this in the English department for two years now. They are not this sleek though... And don't have an "app" for (insert stupid app). 
 
I get riled up about this. You put "i" in front of any word and people go nuts and buy it, no matter what it does. The whole idea of the "iLife." It's a waste of money, even if the cheapest one started at $400. (I think that's what it said). Notepads still cost 50 cents, pens around the same, and books around $10. Lastly, books look cool on your shelf. 

Absolutely useless

@robbiesol: having just watched half the preview video. Yes, yes it is. It looks to me to be an iPod touch XL. 

I'd say this might make digital comic book readers more accessible (and so increase the number of people putting money into the industry (good thing)) but its pretty much a dead certainty that this will not be replacing the comic book. It's a good idea/concept but it has a long way to go before the codex book is replaced by something like this. 
 
and @uncanny89: you are correct. the codex book has always been there since they moved on from scrolls and loose leaf paper but all things come from there. The internet (in it's earliest form) was created as a resource sharing network that stopped researchers/developers from having to look through books and librarys for information. That has since evolved into what we have now. Same goes with the computer as we know it today. A place to store information that isn't a book. So yes we will always(in our life times at least) have the codex but these things need to happen to further the species. As i say it's a good thing but it will never REPLACE the book. You'll always be able to get your comics in a tangible form. This is just going to bring even more people to the world of comics that we love :)

Personally I am shocked.  I thought for sure it was gonna be over a grand.  The price is actually bearable!  I have a Kindle though and love the e-ink display that is so comfortable on the eyes.  I can't see myself reading huge books on some backlit display for hours on end.  However, for short, full colour reads like comic books, this is basically what I was waiting for!
 
I am really interested to see what the iBook store is going to be like.  If DC gets on board and you can start buying subscriptions to their content I may need to go out and get one.  Unfortunately DC is so far behind the times with electronic comics it's ridiculous.  The only way to read DC comics is if you want to download them illegally.
 
Ideally what I would like is a subscription based service like how iTunes has podcasts.  You'd buy subscriptions at a fraction of a comic book subscription cost... and then when new issues come out they are automatically downloaded into your iBooks program ready to go!  Wednesdays would be awesome to wake up to!

I'd still prefer physically holding a paper comic and owning my collection that way. For so long companies were going with the "smaller is better" approach when it comes to portable items like cell phones, Mp3 players, and Ipods, so it's kind of strange to see something like this. The complete opposite.  Don't get me wrong, I do want this, but Id miss burying myself in my comic collection like it was a pile of leaves.

I guess it all comes down to if you are a comic reader that has no interest in collecting them, like myself.  If it's a heckuva lot cheaper to read em, on this, I'll be happy.  I'd rather not have comics lying around my place... I just give em away anyway.

" @Babs: The idea of the book is a classic idea and its not been tampered with in well over 200 years, so why do we have to change it now? i very much doubt i will be buying one of these, i still prefer to have the physical book in my hand than on a tablet. "

I'm an Apple Fanboy so I'll probably be picking this up.  I really like the idea about this for comics as I can use it in conjunction with my physical collection.  I'll continue to collect certain comics for quite some time, but I find there are more and more books in my pull list that I only want to keep current on, not collect.  For instance all of the GI Joe books I get I don't feel like I have to have physical copy of.  I just want them for the story, not for my love of putting things in plastic sleeves and organizing them.  Also I moved recently, which meant moving my collection.  It was hands down the hardest thing to move out of all my stuff and I know my collection is tiny in comparison to some peoples.
 
We've already seen a push for digital books with the Kindle, Nook, Sony e-Reader(s), etc.  I have a Sony PRS-505 and I love reading on it, I don't see any difference between that and a physical book.  That being said the iPad will give me eye strain, so I don't plan to read prose books on it.  The biggest reason I'm for digital books/comics is that with people buying less physical copies there should be less printing, which in theory is good for the environment.  

I like having the physical thing as well. Plus, the Ipad looks like a glorified Iphone, great job their Apple design team! Way to go for originality! It isn't practical at all I think, and I really hope, I doubt it highly, but I really hope companies don't strictly go digital.

The ipad looks pretty sweet, and maybe i'll buy one in a couple of years (when my ipod and laptop are both a little older) but right now im good. 
 and while i do think comics will one day be digital, i think it'll take a few more decades to fully click over. I know i'm not quite willing to ditch tangible books, and pretty much every comics reader over 50 wont want to either. 
 bottom line is right now technology still isnt as sure as it needs to be for people to ditch these classic ways of doing things. There have been e-readers for a few years now, but not nearly enough of them have been moved to start a revolution. And we all know kids these days who('s parents) can afford an ipad wont be getting it to read books.  
 e-comics are a good way to read comics when a comic shop isnt available to you. I think that on these next few years, we may see a handful of "straight to digital" comics durring events, or if the comics in question need a push in sales, but im honestly not worried about loosing my comic shop anytime soon.

Wow to have the ability to read your comics in HD that sounds so awesome and yet theres the side of me that says no stick with the traditional comics. I don't know it sounds cool but is it really worth it.

I wonder if people shared the same sentimental thoughts for stone tablets when paper was introduced? Or movable type press? Or paper money? I'm not meaning this in a mocking way. I think it's a very interesting question. Are there always purists, averse to new technology? Have even the tools we take for granted as ancient today once faced the same criticism? I do wonder.

I'm good with my books on my PSP.

The way I see it now is our chance to revive anthology and subscriptions in comics.  Cut down on all the junk that gets printed and save printing for series that are digitally popular.

Cool idea! Just what well the price be?

I enjoy reading comics to much to care what format I'm reading them on...seriously look at the weekly comic book release thread and you'll see how much I enjoy reading comics....they could be printed on the inside of gum wrappers and as long as the story was good then I would read it

you should have warned me about posting the pics. I looked to fast and now I have a mess to clean up over hear. lol jk In all seriousness I cant wait to get this and the fact that it could hold comic books too is less like putting the icing on the cake and more like giving me the bakery with the cake.

holy balls of crap! it's a new iProduct which everyone from Apple seems iHyped out of their minds about! I probably need like... 5 of them!