Comments on: How many comics does it take to get to the center of the internet? http://readcomics.org/2009/10/28/how-many-comics-does-it-take-to-get-to-the-cente-of-the-internet/ ...we do. Fri, 02 Jul 2010 17:14:52 -0400 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Martin http://readcomics.org/2009/10/28/how-many-comics-does-it-take-to-get-to-the-cente-of-the-internet/comment-page-1/#comment-1191 Martin Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:10:07 +0000 http://readcomics.org/?p=1316#comment-1191 Hmmm... yet another reason to lust after an apple tablet. I've been talking about the possibility of such a device for over a year now, and it's still exciting to me. I think the <a href="http://www.suntimes.com/technology/ihnatko/1835595,ihnatko-longbox-comics-apple-tablet-102009.article" rel="nofollow">original article that gizmodo summarizes</a> is interesting in that it basically ignores the existing comic book distribution channels for the iPhone, assuming a new player (this "longbox" company) would be brought in by Apple, presumably to perform some kind of content middle-man role. And while it might be cool to buy comic books directly from iTunes, rather than having to download a 3rd party app, that would probably run the existing players completely out of the market. At present, I think there are dozens of ways to buy comics for your iPhone (which of course I'm assuming would also be available on any new tablet device, because frankly, if the "apps" aren't there, it seems unlikely to me that the market will be). Probably the most popular one is called <a href="http://panelfly.com/" rel="nofollow">Panel Fly</a>, (but honestly I have no idea which of these is most popular, and I fully admit I could even be missing the most popular ones), but there is also <a href="http://www.clickwheel.net/" rel="nofollow">ClickWheel</a> (whose name, at least, has been around since the original iPod), and <a href="http://www.bitolithic.com/ComicZeal/comiczeal.htm" rel="nofollow">Comic Zeal</a>. Incidentally, here is <a href="http://www.newsarama.com/comics/090227-e-books-apple.html" rel="nofollow">an article over at Newsarama from back in February</a> talking about this same possibility. Hmmm… yet another reason to lust after an apple tablet. I’ve been talking about the possibility of such a device for over a year now, and it’s still exciting to me.

I think the original article that gizmodo summarizes is interesting in that it basically ignores the existing comic book distribution channels for the iPhone, assuming a new player (this “longbox” company) would be brought in by Apple, presumably to perform some kind of content middle-man role. And while it might be cool to buy comic books directly from iTunes, rather than having to download a 3rd party app, that would probably run the existing players completely out of the market.

At present, I think there are dozens of ways to buy comics for your iPhone (which of course I’m assuming would also be available on any new tablet device, because frankly, if the “apps” aren’t there, it seems unlikely to me that the market will be). Probably the most popular one is called Panel Fly, (but honestly I have no idea which of these is most popular, and I fully admit I could even be missing the most popular ones), but there is also ClickWheel (whose name, at least, has been around since the original iPod), and Comic Zeal.

Incidentally, here is an article over at Newsarama from back in February talking about this same possibility.

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