The next era of comic book fiction came the day Marvel was formally sold to the much larger Walt Disney Corporation — but that’s really just a detail and not the reason for a new age.
Ask yourself this one question, then reexamine how everything would play out: Did Marvel know about Apple‘s iPad as early as 2008?
If the answer is yes, then it would absolutely change the entire scope of Marvel’s business decisions going forward.
If you look at the digital presence Marvel had from about mid-2008 until present day, you can see a decline in relevant digital content strategies. Marvel is one of two powerhouse comic book companies which have creative properties that are ridiculously valuable (Mickey Mouse valuable). So for them to be lacking in innovative ways to utilize these assets digitally just doesn’t make much sense — unless Marvel knew that the iPad could be a game changer in the midst of a dying print publication industry, an economy in depression, and more and more small comic book retailers going out of business.
If that’s the case, then it makes perfect sense that they never bothered producing an iPhone application when it was the trendy thing to do for companies. It also makes perfect sense as to why they decided to continue to develop their digital comics reader in-house rather than making a large investment to outsource to a specialty firm.
The mere existence of a Digital comics subscription service is a good thing because it provides legitimacy towards the practice of reading comic books online. The music industry’s failure to offer any kind of option to sell their goods online was the reason piracy became so common. So even if the service to sell comics online wasn’t the greatest, any option is better than no option.
Plus, if the Marvel/Disney deal fell through for whatever reason, they could always revise their business strategy and make the investment to outsource their digital offerings to a specialized developer.
So fast forward until the present day. The iPad is scheduled to hit the homes of early adopters starting this week. Marvel has released their own branded application for the iPad that will scale to both the iPhone and iPod Touch. They now have a virtual marketplace to allow customers to purchase comics digitally and on Marvel’s terms.
Right about now the average fanboy reader is probably wondering why we hadn’t heard anything about the iPad (or a push to put comics on a media tablet computer) from Marvel until recently. And honestly, you don’t have to search very hard to understand why. Steve Jobs is notoriously militant about unreleased products and so a comprehensive Non Disclosure Agreement was most certainly signed by all parties involved.
Furthermore, this would indicate that Apple was interested in acquiring Marvel as part of it’s master plan, which works perfectly since it is conglomerated with the Walt Disney Corporation — a company that takes great care of their creative properties to ensure they stay timeless.
So when I say that this is Marvel’s master plan to ensure the comic book industry that currently exists survives the digital age, I really mean the plan that was presented to them by Apple a year and a half ago… and deciding it was a good fit… and that this was actually going to play out the way Apple intended it to.
Either way, the iPad and Marvel Comics are a perfect match.
*This article was created without a single urge to use an Excelsior! reference. Unless the previous sentence counts, in which case: sonuvabitch
The next era of comic book fiction came the day Marvel was formally sold to the much larger Walt Disney Corporation — but that’s really just a detail and not the reason for a new age.
Perhaps, but ipad really wont fly, to easey to break and a pain in the ass to use, you need attachments to use it unless you enjoy staring staight down at it. The arcade booth attachment looked cool but was just an april fools joke.
Comment by korollocke — April 3, 2010 @ 12:22 am
I’d have to take a closer look at the I pad but I doubt I’ll be going to get one. I hate having to recharge products every time I want to use them or even worse having to stop half way through using them. I refuse to pay good money for products that break down every time I use them and need to be recharged. Yes, you can plug them in but why would I buy an I pad just to plug it in when I already have a computer.
I admit comics going onto them is a great idea but the hardware is less than acceptable so far.
Comment by ttandc — April 3, 2010 @ 7:19 am
It also lacks any usb ports, so you can’t hook up a cell phone,camera,printer ect..,doesnt support flash so you won’t see a lot of internet video, the key board doesn’t work very well,either, so whats the point it doesn’t do anything we already can’t with what we have and can’t do alot of what older devices do.
Comment by korollocke — April 3, 2010 @ 12:52 pm
Tech devices are cool in that they can support digital comics. BUT the future of comics is the ability to sell them as hard copies in the real world…if not on paper or a paper substitute..then on disc..like a CD. An object you hold in your hand makes more sense than info sent to you that you just store.
Tech devices will come come and go as they become obsolete..I will buy a cd comic book but not digital information that can be lost or damaged by the technology we are using at this time…
thanks for your time….
Comment by Bruce Joyner — April 3, 2010 @ 1:24 pm
How do you get the IPad to sit up? It’s hard to believe people will want to look down at it for a long period of time.
Comment by MelodyJ — April 3, 2010 @ 7:57 pm
@Bruce Joyner I agree that it’ll be a hard sell, but if anyone can transition them into a digital market place, it would be apple.
Thanks for commenting.
Comment by Tom Cheredar — April 3, 2010 @ 11:02 pm
I think the future of comics is purely digital. Even before the iPad, Marvel was putting out digital comics. Other publishers should follow suit and create online subscription services. The printed comic will always be there, but the future of comics is digital, and compiled graphic novels.
Comment by The Insomniac — April 4, 2010 @ 5:17 am
I know that when I read books I’d prefer to hold the book in my hand because then I can shelf it when I’m done and collect the entire series. I can look at the cover art whenever I’d like, look up a certain page number, chapter, quote, sentence, speech or passage, etc. and if I want to share the book with a friend all I have to do is hand it to them. My friends and I all share books like most girls our age share clothes. My mom thought of getting me the Kindle because I enjoy reading so much but I would rather have the book to hold in my hand. Something about flipping the pages when reading is timeless. Anyway, that being said I might like to have a couple of “virtual comics” on my i-pod (I have one, right now) but when it comes down to it owning a hard copy is what I prefer. There are comic apps. out there but since this method is cheaper than buying the comic/books themselves how do the companies benefit? Also, I never used to read Marvel comics (I was always into Superman of DC. comics) but I started reading the Runaways Graphic Novel series now and is it just me or does it seem like Marvel is now trying harder to accomidate their teen readers too? I saw a graphic novel (that’s what one calls longer comics, right?) series about this X-man girl’s younger years that perked my intrest and a series about Mary Jane, Spiderman’s lady love. Anyway, this is my take on the subject and some other off topic stuff but… I haven’t even looked up any information about the I-pad becasue I’m 1) happy with my I-touch and 2) I’m sure when these things first come out on the market they are going to be super expensive and if I decide I want one it would be smarter to wait until the hype dies down a little and they’ve been out a while longer. Hearing some of the Geeks of Doom member comments they seem buggy anyway. I guess I’ll put researching the I-pad on my to do list.
Comment by Animalover95 — April 5, 2010 @ 7:48 pm
Digital comics is the end of comics. NOBODY, I repeat, NOBODY will pay for a subscription. Only an idiot and fool would. People want comics in their hands, as with other objects. If comic companies were serious about being a true success, let’s go back to pulp paper and wild stories. When a bad comic sold 1,000,000 copies in the 1980s and a good comic today sells, if lucky, 1,000 copies, the industry is the one fighting itself. The readers already left.
Comment by Totally Paranoia — May 19, 2010 @ 10:32 pm
guys At Marvle & I hate to Say It But Screw them Disney I have An idea for some new comic book universe You guys Could create for a new generation Volcanic red/lord red ruler of Planet Volcron A Warrior Type alien planet And his Girlfriend later wife Space women also ruler Of Volcron And black knight Evil Brother of Lord red/volcanic Back on Earth theres Falcon Man who gotten His powers By Galactus Devoure Of worlds And Hes also A herald of Galactus And theres the protectors Something like shield But they deal with Wars Space & evil superhumans 7 Mutantss Like Agent Seven 1st Protector Agent Slixon & Agent Sniper and also agent blackcop then theres the leader Agent D Other heroes Black Hulk Created By Gamora & Gamora & Nova Is the Black hulks Parents Then theres spidercon Who conned the Original Spiderman before spiderman became Iron spiderman And secondary heroes Basket Ball King king Who have power to control Basket balls And Last G-Fly A secrect CIA Agent wo Works For The Protectors Oh Yea he also Owns a Jet Pack. Teamsa And Events The Uniteds The Proteges A Teenage Version Of the Uniteds and The phenominals Who Were trained By the fantastic Five And Last Young uniteds Which combines my Heros and New Marvle Universes Heros Into One teenage team version Of the Uniteds and the events Dark Times You Guys could Think Of The Rest
Comment by Just A Marvlefan With Ideas — January 25, 2011 @ 2:43 pm