The TfC Ramble is a weekly buffet of content from the intersection of comics and technology.
Digital Comics
GlobalComix previewed their app this week, and it is my opinion that this could be a game-changer for independent comic creators. “Every comic; every language” is the mantra of the company, and of all the projects out there, it is my opinion that GlobalComix is the most likely to make that happen.
I’ll do a deep-dive review of the app once the release version has officially launched. In the meantime, check out the recording of the live-streamed reveal. You can jump to the 21-minute mark to get to the meat of the presentation.
The other big digital comic announcement came from DSTLRY. David Steinberger and Chip Mosher are launching a new publishing platform that has attracted a ton of talent, including James Tynion, Scott Snyder, & Becky Cloonan. This Comicsbeat article is a good introduction. The emphasis on the importance of digital is encouraging, and the recognition of “Drop Culture” is a great take. There is a lot to like here, but ultimately it is less about opportunities for independent creators and more about the emergence of a new publisher who is willing to give digital a serious go in a custodial environment. I’ll be watching this one carefully.
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(If you read the article, you’ll recognize a lot of the frustrating NFT myths and tropes I talk about in my book. *sigh* I clearly have more education to do. Ha! )
NFTs
#NFT_NYC2023 was held this week (April 12-14), and several comic projects made appearances. Search “#NFTNYC2023 comics” for examples.
Why would someone buy your Comic NFT? It isn’t just about collectibility. If you are planning an NFT drop for your comic, you need to consider utility. Read New Report Reveals Utility As Top Motivator For NFT Investors. A metaphorical definition of utility is on page 180 of Comic NFTs - An Ethical Approach. The study referenced in the article has a small-ish sample size, but the data matches my anecdotal observations.
“In Q1, the WAX chain was dominated by Funko, highlighting the importance of major IP licensing for blockchains and showing that licensed collections backed by Web2 have not been significantly affected by the downturn in the NFT market.” WAX Blockchain Q1 2023 Report. Scroll to the Top Collections table.
Notable Drops
Oof. It was a tough week to be a collector, with demand far exceeding supply, especially with the Wonder Woman and Todd McFarlane drops.
Sensation Comics (1942–1952) #1 Edition Size: 5,000* at $9.99 Sold out.
*I did some digging and confirmed what I thought about the edition size not matching the “Sale Total” on the site. In this instance, it is showing 4,450. Here is the explanation.
“Total collection size will be limited to 5,000. 4,450 will be available for public sale. 500 (10%) will be reserved for early access for Bat Cowl Holders, and 50 for team and comp distribution. The rarity for all 5,000 comics will be randomly assigned.”
(Early access for Bat Cowl holders is an example of NFT utility.)
Fantastic Four #4 - first Marvel Age appearance of Namor. Edition size: 7500 @ $6.99 Sold out.
Uncanny X-Men #58 -The first appearance of Havok. Alex Summers, the long-lost brother of Scott Summers. Edition size: 7500 @ $6.99
This sketch by Todd McFarlane included variants, including a video version that records Todd drawing the image! This collectible was only open to OCT holders… a community token that individuals earn through holding certain NFTs (staking, to be technical) and engaging, especially in the community discord.
Translation: You could own a rare digital collectible simply by being a fan who shows up to interact in an intimate comics-focused setting. If you’ve ever wanted to ask Mr. McFarlane a question in person, I can’t think of an easier way to get an audience. If Todd’s con appearances are stadium concerts, the ODDkey discord is the legendary small venue performance.
Social Media
Notes, Substack’s Twitter-a-like social media feed rolled out this week. My first impressions have been good.
So far, I am enjoying:
the ability to edit notes,
longer format posts,
posting guilt-free links,
having new people discover Tech for Comics! (Welcome new subscribers!)
Given that Substack is itself a platform for posting longer text, there are no threads. That said, the Notes stream does still feel a bit like a fire hose. I am hoping that one day we’ll be able to adjust the amount of content we receive.
Not everyone is on board with this new addition to Substack. For a contrarian view, see the following post from Russell Nohelty. Be sure to read the comments as well.
Eureka! Did you know that if you update a post on Substack after it has gone out to subscribers full of pesky spelling mistakes, it updates automatically for readers in the app?! Only your e-mail subscribers will still have evidence that you needed more coffee.
Crowd Funding
So Wes Hartman, someone I know from his space related title, SAVAGE SASQUANAUT, is at it again with Sky Sharks Remastered. This is the first campaign I’ve looked at that uses the new pledge level images. Frankly, it looks gorgeous. I believe this is the last week of the campaign, so I recommend having a look ASAP.
Writer Accountability
This week was shortened due to Easter weekend. It was great having both of our kids home, and they brought awesome-human-type friends. One of my son’s friends happens to be an award-winning wedding photographer, so we had some great discussions about his perspective on AI and how it will affect his career.
The GlobalComix app reveal reminded me that I wanted to get “Alfie’s Tale” up on the platform. This short was something I created with cohort friends artist Sterling Martin
and letterer Tom Lynott. You can read it for free here. I recorded the process of getting the pages onto the platform and hope to show you that soon (hopefully Tuesday).It had to happen. Comic NFTs - An Ethical Approach is a step closer to being available as a free NFT. More details when I have more details.
The Shopify store is coming along slowly.
It will be another short week. Monday, I’m finally taking the car in to repair the dents from this December disaster. Better late than never. Ha!
Just for Fun
EEEEEEee!!! The first orbital test launch of Starship could happen as early as April 17th! This is one of the feeds this space nerd will be watching.