CBR: Archie Comics Goes Day-and-Date Digital

[CBR News]

Archie Comics CEO Jon Goldwater spoke with CBR News about the publisher's just-announced initiative that sees them releasing their titles both in print and digitally on the same day.


Full article here.

[weeji]

So, yet another "Apple-only" day-and-date initiative? Once again, I want to support these moves, but have an Android tablet. Oh well. Maybe in a few years they'll figure it out.

[MarvelMaster616]

Every time a title goes to day-and-date digital release, I applaud it. When a whole company does that with their line, I can't help but get a little excited because this is what I've been waiting for. It's been years since I've lived close enough to a comic shop. I'm a long-time comic fan and have been clamoring for a better way to get comics. It's been agonizing seeing companies like Marvel and DC resist at every turn. So when Archie actually beats them to the punch, I'm excited yet weary. If Archie is a step ahead of Marvel and DC, then something just ain't right.

[n8twing]

Look like I'll be buying some more Archie Comics! :)

[mistergoodman]

Archie comics have become really a guilty pleasure for me on my iPad. The current stuff is actually quite good. It's lead me to get some of the old stuff in PDF format. You can get 120 seventies-era issues of Archie for $4 on Amazon!

May the record show that Archie is the first major company to announce they'll be releasing more comics in digital form than on paper. They won't be the last, giving how few copies many Marvel and DC comics sell.

My only question: will Archie comics also be available day and date for ComiXology? I kind of prefer ComiXology's software.

[maxwellchris]

No one should launch an initiative on April 1st.

I just can't shake the (hopefully silly) impulse that anything announced for
April 1st is actually just a joke.

Immature? Heck, yes. Still something that I can't get out of my head? Also, yes.

[MartinRedmond]

Blah, I'm not buying an iPhone, w/e.

[Anthony D]

I applaud Archie going same-day-digital (not redundant-phrase "day and date"), even if some comic shop retailers (many of whom never even carried Archie to begin with) are grumbling about it...

I don't applaud that none of the comic companies have learned anything from the music industry in how to sell digital comics online. I don't own an iPad (or an Android device), and would rather pay money to download a file I get to keep, vs. being forced to read it via a Flash-based site (or proprietary app). I'm thinking of giving Comixology a go anyway (to see what it's like), but think the current model is stubborn/defective...