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| Comixology tells customers their comics are safe after Amazon acquisition | Comixology tells customers their comics are safe after Amazon acquisition |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Amazon has purchased digital comics firm Comixology for an undisclosed sum, the companies announced on Thursday night. | Amazon has purchased digital comics firm Comixology for an undisclosed sum, the companies announced on Thursday night. |
| Comixology is the biggest provider of digital comics, selling content from four of the big five US comic publishers – only Dark Horse holds out – through its own app, as well as more than 70 other publishers and many more self-published creators. | Comixology is the biggest provider of digital comics, selling content from four of the big five US comic publishers – only Dark Horse holds out – through its own app, as well as more than 70 other publishers and many more self-published creators. |
| The company produces its own app, Comics by Comixology, which is available on iOS, Android, Kindle Fire and Windows Phone. It offers the same comics through its website, with an HTML5 comics reader, and it produces white-label apps for a number of major publishers: the Image Comics, Boom! Studios Comics, Marvel Comics and DC comics apps are all made by Comixology. | The company produces its own app, Comics by Comixology, which is available on iOS, Android, Kindle Fire and Windows Phone. It offers the same comics through its website, with an HTML5 comics reader, and it produces white-label apps for a number of major publishers: the Image Comics, Boom! Studios Comics, Marvel Comics and DC comics apps are all made by Comixology. |
| After the acquisition, Comixology will continue to be run separately from the Amazon, the firm tells the Guardian. "Amazon has a long history with subsidiaries like Goodreads, Zappos, Audible and IMDb, of helping them grow and, over time, learning from each other and improving together." | After the acquisition, Comixology will continue to be run separately from the Amazon, the firm tells the Guardian. "Amazon has a long history with subsidiaries like Goodreads, Zappos, Audible and IMDb, of helping them grow and, over time, learning from each other and improving together." |
| In a statement on its website, the company's CEO and co-founder, David Steinberger, reiterated the message. "Comixology will retain its identity as an Amazon subsidiary and we’re not anywhere near done 'taking comics further'. We are confident that – with Amazon by our side, who shares our desire for innovation and a relentless focus on customers – we’ve only just begun." | In a statement on its website, the company's CEO and co-founder, David Steinberger, reiterated the message. "Comixology will retain its identity as an Amazon subsidiary and we’re not anywhere near done 'taking comics further'. We are confident that – with Amazon by our side, who shares our desire for innovation and a relentless focus on customers – we’ve only just begun." |
| The firm also sought to reassure users that their comic collections, some of which are in the thousands of dollars, were safe after the acquisition. "Of course [they are safe]! Our goal is to build on each other’s strengths and create the best service for all comic and graphic novel customers." But it declined comment on whether it would "guarantee" that customers would always be able to read the comics they had purchased. | The firm also sought to reassure users that their comic collections, some of which are in the thousands of dollars, were safe after the acquisition. "Of course [they are safe]! Our goal is to build on each other’s strengths and create the best service for all comic and graphic novel customers." But it declined comment on whether it would "guarantee" that customers would always be able to read the comics they had purchased. |
| Although the biggest provider of digital comics, Comixology is by no means the only player in the space. It faces competition from a number of publishers who offer their comics direct to the consumer: Dark Horse has its own application, while Image and 2000 AD both sell PDFs of their comics, without copy protection, on their websites. 2000 AD also offers its latest releases through an in-house iPad app. | Although the biggest provider of digital comics, Comixology is by no means the only player in the space. It faces competition from a number of publishers who offer their comics direct to the consumer: Dark Horse has its own application, while Image and 2000 AD both sell PDFs of their comics, without copy protection, on their websites. 2000 AD also offers its latest releases through an in-house iPad app. |
| A number of smaller companies are also attempting to hold their own against Comixology's dominance. Comics Plus, by iVerse, lacks Marvel and DC's content, but still sells books by IDW and Boom! Studios, whose licensed content includes popular niches such as Transformers, Magic the Gathering and Adventure Time. | A number of smaller companies are also attempting to hold their own against Comixology's dominance. Comics Plus, by iVerse, lacks Marvel and DC's content, but still sells books by IDW and Boom! Studios, whose licensed content includes popular niches such as Transformers, Magic the Gathering and Adventure Time. |
| London and Tokyo-based Sequential is attempting to dominate the top-end of the market, selling literary graphic novels by creators like Alison Bechdel, Eddie Campbell and Jeff Lemire. It's also the only digital comics seller to secure a deal with Jonathan Cape, the comics-publishing imprint of Random House. | London and Tokyo-based Sequential is attempting to dominate the top-end of the market, selling literary graphic novels by creators like Alison Bechdel, Eddie Campbell and Jeff Lemire. It's also the only digital comics seller to secure a deal with Jonathan Cape, the comics-publishing imprint of Random House. |
| Madefire has another approach again: the company sells comics by a number of creators with motion features added on top. It also has exclusive work by creators including Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons and Lucifer writer Mike Carey. | Madefire has another approach again: the company sells comics by a number of creators with motion features added on top. It also has exclusive work by creators including Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons and Lucifer writer Mike Carey. |
| “Amazon and Comixology share a passion for reinventing reading in a digital world,” said David Naggar, Amazon Vice President, Content Acquisition and Independent Publishing. “We’ve long admired the passion Comixology brings to changing the way we buy and read comics and graphic novels. We look forward to investing in the business, growing the team, and together, bringing comics and graphic novels to even more readers.” | “Amazon and Comixology share a passion for reinventing reading in a digital world,” said David Naggar, Amazon Vice President, Content Acquisition and Independent Publishing. “We’ve long admired the passion Comixology brings to changing the way we buy and read comics and graphic novels. We look forward to investing in the business, growing the team, and together, bringing comics and graphic novels to even more readers.” |
| • Amazon bags Game of Thrones author for its Jet City Comics imprint |