ComiXology

ComiXology is a cloud-based digital comics platform with over 200 million comic downloads as of September 2013^[1] It offers a selection of more than 40,000^[2] comic books and graphic novels across iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, Windows 8,^[3] and the Internet.^[4][5]

ComiXology's digital platform and Guided View reading technology is used in the company's own branded applications, and is the engine used by most major comic book publishers in the United States, including Marvel and DC Comics for their privately branded digital services.^[6] With the release of the third generation iPad and its Retina Display, ComiXology released a high-definition comic format dubbed CMX-HD.^[7] The company also provides tools for brick-and-mortar comic book retailers to participate in digital comic sales.^[8]

Products

• comiXology.com (launched July 2007), an online community for comic book fans, the website allows readers to identify upcoming releases and develop Pull Lists (individual pre-orders) from local brick-and-mortar comic shops. The website displays weekly listings of new titles that can be viewed by issue: displaying cover art, credits, description, price, page count, and other information. Users can rate and comment on individual comic books. The site also includes weekly columns, blogs, news, and podcasts.
• Pull List (launched December 2008), a mobile comic book store locater providing readers with a digital Pull List tool, allowing fans to pre-order comics for pick up from local stores through the app. Comics by comiXology for the iPad and the web have the comiXology retail locator built in.
• Retailer Tools (launched February 2009), a suite of out-of-the-box web solutions for brick-and-mortar comic book retailers to optimize their presence online. Numerous retailers worldwide have integrated comiXology's Retailer Tools into their operations, representing about 2% of all pre-orders in the market.^{[citation needed]}
• Comics by comiXology (launched July 2009), a digital comic book reader and store for mobile devices, including iOS (launched April 2010), Android, Windows 8 (via the Windows Store), and the Internet (web reader launched June 2010), that allows users to access their digital comic collection across multiple devices.

History

The company was founded in 2007 by CEO David Steinberger, CTO John D. Roberts, and Peter Jaffe. Subsequent to winning the business plan competition at New York University, the company received seed financing from New York Angels and Rose Tech Ventures.^{[citation needed]}

Patent

comiXology's patent-pending Guided View technology allows readers to read through comics in full screen or from panel-to-panel, mimicking the natural movement of the eye as though readers were experiencing reading a print comic book.^[9]

Reception

In September 2011, comiXology's Comics application was the highest-grossing application in the App Store, and together with the branded applications for other comics publishers, accounted for a majority of the five top-grossing iPhone apps.

Having consistently ranked as one of the top-grossing iPad apps on the App Store, comiXology was called the "iTunes of comics" by The New York Times in May 2012.^[10] In 2011, comiXology ranked as number 10 in the top 20 grossing iPad apps for year and also powered two other apps in the top 20 — Marvel and DC.^[11] In 2012, comiXology was ranked as the number 3 top grossing iPad app — the only app from 2011 to stay on the top ten list.^[12]

Controversy

In March 2013 during SXSW, there were some issues when Marvel attempted to distribute over 700 comics for free via comiXology for Marvel #1 promotion.^[13] The comiXology servers were unable to keep up with user demand, preventing users from obtaining the promotional comics as well as reading comics they had purchased. This led to a formal apology and the promotion being delayed.^[14] Soon after, the promotion was offered again and was reported to have "worked flawlessly"^[15]

On April 9, 2013, writer Brian K. Vaughn issued a statement^[16] on his blog that Apple Inc. had prohibited the sale of Saga #12 through iOS. This statement was quickly reported by the media, and was speculated the "ban" was because two panels that depicted oral sex between men in a small, in-set image violated Apple's restrictions on sexual content. The issue was available on through the comiXology and Image Comics digital comics webstore. This resulted in criticism by artists and writers, who pointed to similarly explicit content in previous issues and in other works sold through iTunes. William Gibson and others suggested that the restriction could have occurred specifically because the drawings at issue involved gay sex.^[17] A day later, Comixology announced that it had been they, not Apple, who had chosen not to make the issue available based on their interpretation of Apple's rules, and that after receiving clarification from Apple, the issue would now be sold via iOS.^[18] Brian K. Vaughn then issued a statement^[19] apologizing for the miscommunication.

Content relationships

• comiXology currently holds exclusive distribution rights on iOS to DC Comics digital content through branded apps and comics by comiXology.^{[citation needed]}
• comiXology holds exclusive digital distribution rights to two titles from Rob Liefeld, original co-founder of Image Comics. Exclusive titles include Youngblood and Armageddon.^[20]
• comiXology holds exclusive digital distribution rights for all of Robert Kirkman's titles - including The Walking Dead^[21]
• comiXology is the exclusive distributor of zuda comics for the iPad and iPhone^[22]
• comiXology’s first original digital title, Box 13, has been acquired by Red 5 Comics for print distribution. comiXology also commissioned a sequel to the comic titled The Pandora Project. Both Box 13 titles were created by the Harvey Award-winning team behind the Zuda Comics title High Moon - David Gallaher and Steve Ellis^[23]
• Moon Girl is an original comic published by comiXology based on a public domain comics character. It is by Tony Trov, Johnny Zito and Rahzzah.^[24]

Publishers available on comiXology

• 12-Gauge Comics ^[25]
• A wave blue world ^[26]
• AAM/Markosia ^[27]
• Aardvark-Vanaheim ^[28]
• Abrams ComicArts ^[29]
• Abstract Studio ^[30]
• Action Lab ^[31][32]
• Adhouse ^[33]
• Aelement ^[34]
• Akileos ^[35]
• Alterna Comics ^[36]
• Alternative Comics ^[37]
• Amigo Comics ^[38]
• Amulet Books ^[39]
• Andrews McMeel Publishing ^[40]
• Ankama ^[41]
• Antarctic Press ^[42]
• Ape Entertainment ^[43]
• Arcana Studio ^[44]
• Archaia Studios Press ^[45]
• Archie Comics ^[46][47]
• Aspen Comics ^[48]
• Astronaut Ink ^[49]
• Asylum Press ^[50]
• Avatar Press ^[51]
• Back Row Comics ^[52]
• Banana Tale Press ^[53]
• BLAZE COMICS ^[54]
• Blind Ferret Entertainment ^[55]
• Bluewater ^[56]
• Bongo Comics ^[57]
• BOOM! Studios ^[58]
• BughouseComics ^[59]
• Çà et Là ^[60]
• Cartoon Books ^[61]
• Colring Book Press ^[62]
• Com.x ^[63]
• Comixheroes Universe ^[64]
• ComixTribe ^[65]
• ComiXology ^[66]
• Con Artist Entertainment ^[67]
• Creative Impulse Entertainment ^[68]
• Creator Owned Comics ^[69]
• Cryptozoic Entertainment ^[70]
• DC ^[71][72][73]
• Delcourt ^[74]
• Devil's Due ^[75][76]
• Digital Webbing ^[77]
• Disney ^[78]
• Digital Manga Publishing ^[79]
• Dynamite ^[80]
• EigoMANGA ^[81]
• Evil Twin ^[82]
• Fantagraphics ^[83]
• Fifth World ^[84]
• First Salvo ^[85]
• Galaxie Comics Studios ^[86]
• Glénat ^[87]
• Graphitti Designs ^[88]
• Graphix ^[89]
• GT Labs ^[90]
• Harlequin Comics ^[91]
• HarperCollins ^[92]
• Hermes Press ^[93]
• Hexagon Comics ^[94]
• I CAN FLY Comics ^[95]
• Icon ^[96]
• IDW ^[97]
• Image Comics ^[98]
• Indeez ^[99]
• Ishimori ^[100]
• Keenspot ^[101]
• Kickstart ^[102]
• Kid Beowulf ^[103]
• Kingstone Comics ^[104]
• Legendary ^[105]
• Los Brignolés ^[106]
• Marvel ^[107]
• MAX ^[108]
• MonkeyBrain ^[109]
• Monsterverse ^[110]
• Moonstone ^[111]
• MTV Comics ^[112]
• NBM ^[113]
• Oni Press ^[114]
• Panini Comics ^[115]
• Papercutz ^[116]
• R-Comics ^[117]
• Radical Comics ^[118]
• Raw Studios ^[119]
• Red 5 Comics ^[120]
• Red Circle Comics ^[121]
• Sandawe ^[122]
• Seven Seas ^[123]
• Shadowline ^[124]
• Silverline ^[125]
• Skybound ^[126]
• Slave Labor Graphics ^[127]
• Small Press ^[128]
• Soleil ^[129]
• Studio 407 ^[130]
• Teshkeel ^[131]
• Th3rd World Studios ^[132]
• They Did This! ^[133]
• Thrillbent ^[134]
• Titan ^[135]
• Todd McFarlane Productions ^[136]
• TOKYOPOP ^[137]
• Top Cow ^[138]
• Top Shelf ^[139]
• Trajectory - Classics Illustrated ^[140]
• Udon ^[141]
• Valiant Comics ^[142]
• Valve ^[143]
• Vents d'Quest ^[144]
• Vertigo ^[145]
• Viper Comics ^[146]
• Virtual Graphics ^[147]
• Wanga Comics ^[148]
• WEBellipses ^[149]
• Zenescope ^[150]

References

External links

• Official website