Type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Publishing |
Founded | 2007 (launch) |
Key people | Paul Levitz Richard Bruning Ronald Perazza Kwanza Johnson Nika Denoyelle Dave McCullough |
Products | Webcomics Comic books |
Parent | DC Comics |
Website | Official website |
Zuda Comics was DC Comics' webcomics imprint from 2007 until 2010. It featured comics for Flash player instead of in a web page. Announced in a press release on July 9, 2007[1] and the first ongoing series and competing comic entries went live October 30, 2007.[2] Zuda removed the competition aspect in April 2010[3] and in July 2010, soon after the launch of DC's digital comics service, it was announced that Zuda would close and be folded into the new digital publishing arm.[4] Zuda comics series have won awards and nominations from comic industry's Glyph Comics Awards and Harvey Awards. Bayou, Volume 1 was also named one of the 2010 Great Graphic Novels for Teens by the American Library Association.
Contents |
Zuda had competitions that were open for comic creators to submit their own eight-page comics. Each month ten were selected to compete by editorial. Users could vote for their favorite and the winner received a contract to continue their comic on Zuda with 52 more screens. When the contract was filled, if the comic was liked enough it could be renewed for an additional "season". Occasionally an "instant winner" was chosen to receive a contract without having to compete. In July 2008 an "invitational" was held where some well liked comics that had not won were invited to back to compete with an additional eight pages apiece.
The Zuda staff consists of:
Instant Winners
Competition Winners
Jeremy Love's Bayou was the first Zuda Comic to be printed (June 2009). High Moon was printed in September 2009. The Night Owls saw print in March 2010. Celadore was printed in October 2010.
Although greeted with interest by the webcomics community,, concern arose over contracts and copyrights. The initial announced line-up of talent included no prominent webcomics creators, prompting Todd Allen at Comic Book Resources to opine, "[T]he vast majority of the initial creators here have already done print comics. Multiple print comics for the most part, and the majority go back a few years. ... This does not look like ushering in a new generation". He conceded, however, "that they’ve lined up some strips with professional pedigree for the first batch".[11]
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