Superheroes Need Saving

For fans of Superman and Batman, September will be a momentous month—Time Warner’s DC Comics is clearing years of superhero continuity by resetting the numbering on all of its titles back to 1. More significantly, the company is acknowledging that the future of the comic books may not be on paper. Like its rival Marvel, DC has been working with startup comiXology to bring its comics to Apple’s iPad and other devices. And now DC has gone completely “day-and-date” with its digital releases, issuing the physical and digital issues on the same day. (DC announced this plan in the spring; Marvel followed up with the news that it will take some of its top titles day-and-date as well.) DC executives pitch this as a move to save a struggling industry. The top comics sold millions of copies as in the early ’90s, but now only the most popular titles sell more than 100,000 copies. DC senior vice president of digital Hank Kanalz and comiXology CEO David Steinberger both point to the reduction in comic book stores as one of the culprits. Steinberger says that only 60 percent of the United States is currently within 50 miles of a store. Thus the move by DC to find new ways to reach its audience. Kanalz says wherever they looked, the answer always seemed to be “digital, digital, digital.” Kanalz says that in DC’s day-and-date digital tests, sales have actually gone up. That doesn’t mean the digital releases increased physical sales, but they don’t seem to have hurt them, either. “People... Continue reading at 'AdWeek'

[ AdWeek | 2011-09-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #comic books #apples ipad #struggling industry

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Superheroes Need Saving'


Patrick Ness's Fundraising Appeal Raises $1M for Save the Children

American-born English author Patrick Ness's fundraising appeal for Save the Children, instigated last week with his offer to match up to £10,000, has now raised more than half a million pounds. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #patrick ness #fundraising appeal #million pounds


Ness's Fundraiser Raises Half a Million Pounds for Save the Children

American-born English author Patrick Ness's fundraising appeal for Save the Children, instigated last week with his offer to match up to £10,000, has now raised more than half a million pounds. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #million pounds #fundraising appeal


Florence the superhero: the comics giving pop stars superpowers

The comic-writing duo behind Marvel’s Young Avengers are giving pop stars the superhero treatment. Enter the gorgeous, fantastical worlds of Phonogram and WicDiv“We often say Phonogram is music criticism,” says Kieron Gillen, shaking off jetlag, having just flown back from San Diego Comic... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-08-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Bristol libraries could be saved after council u-turn

Bristol City Council could keep six of seven libraries which were facing closure open, following public protests. A consultation on the future of the city’s library service closed at the beginning of July, with more than 4,600 responses being received. The council wanted to save £1.1m from its... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #public protests #library budget


Barnes & Noble Looks to New Leader to Save NOOK

Ronald Boire, a man with plenty of electronics experience, is taking over as CEO of Barnes & Noble, as the bookseller spins off its education division. The post Barnes & Noble Looks to New Leader to Save NOOK appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #barnes noble #ronald boire #education division


ALA 2015: Gloria Steinem Says 'Librarians Saved My Life'

Steinem talked about her how her nomadic childhood and read from her upcoming memoir Diary of a Nomad: My Life on the Road. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-06-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #gloria steinem


ALA 2015: The Battle to Save the New York Public Library

At the end of 2014, after a groundswell of media attention and public protests, New York Public Library officials abandoned a controversial renovation dubbed the Central Library Plan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-06-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #media attention #public protests


Can mobile save the world from a dystopian ad future?

Google’s buy button and other mobile tech can allow advertisers to leave behind the “spray and pray” approach of days gone byLike many children of the 1970s, I spent many hours immersed in the futuristic visions of the comic book 2000AD, whose Judge Dredd stories were compellingly dystopian. One... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-06-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #comic books #news feeds


Comic books get super boost from superhero movies

Comic book-inspired films such as The Avengers have increased interest in comics in general, Christchurch comics fans say. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2015-05-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #comic books #superhero movies #increased interest


Mark Pincus tries again to save Zynga, stepping in as CEO

Zynga founder Mark Pincus is rejoining the gaming company as CEO effective immediately, replacing Don Mattrick, who led Zynga for less than two years.The executive shuffle comes after the company struggled in recent years to maintain its early growth rate. It hired Mattrick in 2013 to help... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2015-04-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #company struggled #user base #found success


TV review: Netflix's dark 'Daredevil' takes the superhero origin story to new heights

Daredevil can't see you, but he knows you're coming. His new show is so good, it might catch comic book fans by surprise. Continue reading at Baltimore Sun

[ Baltimore Sun | 2015-04-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


HarperCollins India Tries To Save Hindi Pulp Fiction

The Times of India recently examined the problems facing Hindi pulp fiction in the era of ebooks, which may be killing off cheap pocket editions. The post HarperCollins India Tries To Save Hindi Pulp Fiction appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-01-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #harpercollins india


Can Open Access Save the Scholarly Monograph? ALA Midwinter Spotlight

Scholarly monographs, long the gold standard for scholars in the humanities and social sciences, have been in a downward spiral for some time. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-12-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #scholarly monographs #gold standard #social sciences #downward spiral


Marvel unveils huge new slate of superhero films

 Marvel has unveiled plans for a slate of new superhero films, expanding its already wildly successful comic book universe — and breaking ground with its first solo black and female hero movies. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2014-10-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #unveiled plans


Report: Superman Is the Most Toxic Superhero Online

If you're seeking out Superman online, be on alert. A new study by Internet security firm McAfee shows that those who search for the Man of Steel on the Web have a 16.5 percent chance that they'll land on a website that has malware including spyware, adware, spam, phishing or viruses. The data... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2014-07-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #free download


Powers, The First TV Show Made Exclusively For PlayStation, Is About Superhero Detectives

The new series is based on a comic book and graphic novel imprint of the same name.At E3 yesterday, Sony announced a new TV show produced exclusively for the PlayStation Network. The new animated show, Powers, is "based on the comic book and graphic novel series of the same name," said its... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2014-06-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #comic book #detective duo


Petition to save Kew Bookshop

The owners of West London independent Kew Bookshop have launched a petition to stop the planned... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-04-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


PW Talks with G. Willow Wilson: A Marvel-ous Muslim Feminist Superhero

Marvel has released the Ms. Marvel comic book #3, Side Entrance. PW spoke with its author, G. Willow Wilson, about her unique superhero. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-04-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pw spoke