Titan Launches Wallace & Gromit iPhone Comic

Britain's Titan Publishing has just launched its first digital comic for iPhone and iTouch - featuring Aardman Animations' inventors extraordinaire and Oscar winners, Wallace & Gromit.

Launched as the animated pair celebrate their 20th Anniversary, each comic is a complete Wallace & Gromit adventure and is packed with bonus features on the inveterate inventor and his faithful canine companion - and one of them is free-to-view.

“It’s really exciting to see Wallace and Gromit at the forefront of such a cracking new technology," commented Wallace & Gromit Digital Comic editor Ned Hartley, "although I secretly suspect that Wallace would be more comfortable with the type of apple that comes with cheese.”

• For more general information visit: http://titanpublishing.com/iphone/ and to keep up to date on new W&G phone releases visit this Facebook fan page


• Wallace & Gromit Comics are available from Apple’s App store now. Initially there are four comic stories to download...


• The W-Files Download now: US ($free) | UK (£free)

When strange shapes and flashing lights are seen in the night sky, there are only two paranormal investigators that can solve the problem. Sadly they aren’t available, so Wallace and Gromit might as well have a crack at it. After all, what could possibly go wrong?

• Parts & Labour Download now: US ($0.99) | UK (£0.59)


Where does he get those wonderful toys? Ever wondered where Wallace gets the parts for his eccentric, wonderful (and occasionally useful) inventions? Find out here!

• Big in Japan Download now: US ($0.99) | UK (£0.59)


Wallace and Gromit take time out to visit Wallace’s biggest fan in Japan, Hiro Worship. It turns out all is not well in the land of the rising sun, and it’s not long until Gromit has to deal with some monster problems!

• Where there’s Muck there’s Brass Download now: US ($0.99) | UK (£0.59)

Nothing gets Wallace as worked up as the disbanding of the local brass band, despite the fact that they aren’t very good, no-one wants to see them and they don’t really want to play anyway. This calls for... an invention!

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Alpha Gods Released on Android, iPhone

British independent comics publisher Orang Utan Comics have extended their presence on mobile phones with the arrival of its Alpha Gods title on Android (and soon, iPhone and iTouch) via Robot Comics.

Written by Ian Sharman with art by Ezequiel Pineda, Alpha Gods is set in the year 2086, when humanity faces the new threat of the Extra Humans. The government is struggling to cope with the growing number of mutants, aliens and supernatural beings who are living amongst us. People are beginning to panic and so, in 2050, the Department for Extra Human Affairs was established with a remit to try and contain the problem. By 2086 the situation has escalated, so they have formed a new rapid response strike force, the Alpha Gods. Who better to police the Extra Human community than Extra Humans themselves?

A standalone Issue 0 is available free, introducing cyborg Paladin and super-powered Impact and other members of the Extra Human Department Affairs. The app offers their first mission in this exclusive prelude to the new superhero comic. Issue 1 now also available as a paid app, containing the free Issue #0 preview plus the entirety of the original Alpha Gods #1.

Alpha Gods was originally released for mobile via ROK Comics and is one of a number of comics now being delivered as part of WAP services in India on platforms designed by the same company for Airtel and other mobile networks there.

• Alpha Gods #0 and #1 will be available for download on iPhone/iPod touch soon


• Alpha Gods #0 is available for free in the Android Market. Scan the QR code right with your Android to receive its url.


• Alpha Gods #1 is available in the Android Market. Scan the QR code left with your Android to receive its url.<


Alternatively, search ‘Alpha Gods #0″ on the Market.

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Marvel Comics Come to iPhone

Marvel Comics has just released several titles for iPhone and iTouch through four apps makers: Comics by Comixology, iVerse, Panelfly and Scrollmotion.

We believe this is the first time Marvel has dipped its toes into mobile comic delivery for mobile phone, although the company has recently launched two "motion comics" sold directly via iTunes: Spider-Woman and an adaptation of Dollhouse creator Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men.

Marvel, which also recently released a new version of their web-based Digital Comics Reader, announced on Thursday that, effective immediately, several comics will be available for purchase via in-app purchase from the free Comics app.

The Marvel comics available initially from Comixology are Joss Whedon’s 24-issue run on Astonishing X-Men, Robert Kirkman’s five-issue Marvel Zombies miniseries, Ed Brubaker’s first 30 issues of Captain America, and two other X-Men-related books: X-23 and X-Men: Age of Apocalypse, each six issues long.

Panelfly is offering Amazing Spider-Man #1-25; Amazing Spider-Man #519-523; Astonishing X-Men #1-24; Invincible Iron Man #1-16; X-23 #1-6; and X-Men: Age Of Apocalypse #1-6.

iVerse is offering Amazing Spider-Man #519–524; Astonishing X-Men #1–12; Captain America #1–7; Invincible Iron Man #1–6;
X-23 #1–6; and X-Men: Age of Apocalypse #1–6.

We don't yet have details on ScrollMotion's line-up: thehas published a large number of books for the iPhone, including titles by Stephen King and Stephanie Meyer, among many others. The company is set to release a new ereader before Christmas.

• Each individual issue is priced at $1.99 on Comics and iVerse, and 99 cents on Panelfly, the latter's price perhaps a loss leader.

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In Review: How to Make WebComics

The Book: Finally, a book about how to make Web comics from some guys who actually know how to do it.

For years, young, creative men and women have dreamed about making a living from their comic strips. But until recently their only avenue of success was through a syndicate or publisher. Now, more and more cartoonists are doing it on their own and self-publishing their comic strips on the web. With the right amount of work, knowledge and luck, you can be one of them.

Dave Kellet (Sheldoncomics.com), Brad Guigar (Evil Inc), Kris Straub (Starslip Crisis), and Scott Kurtz (PvP) take you on a guided tour of everything you need to know to make, post and profit from your own online comics.

The Review: How To Make WebComics has been out for a while (two years, in fact), but I've had so many people asking me for information on this subject via downthetubes and as the Editor for ROK Comics that I thought it high time I direct would-be creators to the real experts.

While the book skewed more toward US comic creators than international, I'd argue the bulk of How to Make WebComics is relevant not only to web comic creators but all comic creators working in the digital age, especially those thinking about self publishing both online and in print.

Partly tyled in a similar fashion to the "Dummies" HowTos, it not only talks about the editing and creation of comics, with ideas for story creation and plotting, but offers masses of tips and tricks on the practical aspects of creating your comics for web delivery in the first place. More importantly, I felt, were the useful guides on how to promote and sell your comics beyond creating a web site to show off your new creation.

The writers - well experienced in creating their own successful webcomics - pull no punches when it comes to advising on just how much work you need to put into your comic if you really want to gain the success of webcomics such as PVP and others. It's not just talent and great comics that will get you noticed - it's what you do to promote them too, that might just put you on the road to success.

This is a fabulous guide to creating webcomics and should be part of any comic creator's library in our digital age.

The only lack is a chapter on mobile comics creation and distribution (for iPhone, WAP subscription service etc.) but that new element of getting your comics out there is still young, and indeed, even on the book's official web site, there's still not much about creating for these new delivery systems. Perhaps this will be covered in a revised edition or a separate book at some point.

For creators looking for something more about actual comics creation for the web, the ILEX title Webcomics: Tools and Techniques for Digital Cartooning is more detailed, but both books complement each other nicely.

• How to Make WebComics is available from all good bookshops and amazon.co.uk and amazon.com

• WebComics.com, by the books authors, offers regular additional guides to creating and distributing web comics - grab the RSS feed or book mark it now

More Reviews


• Comics Worth Reading

"This is *the* book to read about making webcomics, because the four co-authors are creators of well-known webcomics... who know what they’re talking about. Their works cover the most popular genres of web strips: video games, humor, and science fiction... In almost every chapter I read something valuable that I either hadn’t thought about before — for instance, with restricted text space, you should keep character names short — or knew but wish more people paid attention to — such as the vital importance of sticking to your update schedule."

• ComiXtreme Review by Blake M. Petit


"The guys from Halfpixel Studios have come together to share their combined expertise in what it takes to make a successful webcomic. This easy-to-read volume dishes on practically everything you could want to know about what it takes to make a successful webcomic, and they do it in a way that’s both informative and entertaining."

• Sinister Squid Studios


"It is full of relevant resources, links included, and is written in four ‘voices’ that don’t always necessarily agree with each other all of the time. However, despite their different takes on webcomics and different processes in making them, the one thing they seem to all agree on is that you have to be dedicated, and that you have to love what you do...."

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Keith Page Launches New Web Comic

Commando artist Keith Page, who's also working on a new steampunk comic, Iron Moon, for Spaceship Away, has just started a new web comic, Dennis the Donkey on a dedicated blog entitled "Witchcraft Street".

This is the backstory to his mobile comic strip, Charlotte Corday, published on ROK Comics, revealing just how French resistance fighter, Parisian gangster and occult enthusiast Jean Corday got turned into an invisible crime fighter that looks like a donkey.

"I've drawn the first phase of the story already (54 strips) and will be posting regularly up to around 150 in total," he told downthetubes. "Each strip is one-third of a standard art size."

• You can view the strip here: dennisthedonkey.blogspot.com

• Keith's personal blog, featuring his latest work, is at keithpageukcomicsartist.blogspot.com

• Read a downthetubes interview with Keith here

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Kahn, Griepp join Comixology Board

comiXology, makers of the Comics by comiXology digital comic app for the iPhone, has added comic book industry icon and former president and editor-in-chief of DC Comics Jenette Kahn to its Board of Advisors.

The company has also announced the addition of Milton Griepp, president of pop culture publishing and consulting company ICv2, to the Board of Advisors and Directors.

Both are impressive additions to the company which has been adding several new strips to its iPhone catalogue lately, including David Gallaher and Steve Ellis' Box 13 (as we reported yesterday), as well as developing comiXology.com and related applications including comic book retailer tools, iPhone and Blackberry apps. Their Comics by comiXology app for iPhone and iPod touch (http://itunes.com/apps/Comics) has a much-recommended guided-view, allows for in-app purchasing, and Retailer Locator which enables users to find nearby comic book retailers.

Jenette Kahn was president and editor-in-chief of DC Comics for 27 years and during her tenure championed creators' rights, introduced the Vertigo and Milestone imprints, and published such ground-breaking titles as Ronin, The Dark Knight Returns, Watchmen, V For Vendetta (which began in British anthology title, Warrior), Preacher, Fables and Y The Last Man. She is currently a movie producer and partner in Double Nickel Entertainment, whose most recent film is Gran Turino, directed and starring Clint Eastwood.

She is also holder of the accolade of "Living Legend" from the US Library of Congress, an award selected by the Library's curators and subject specialists to honour artists, writers and others who have made significant contributions to America's diverse cultural, scientific and social heritage. Other holders include Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese.

Milton Griepp has over 30 years of experience in the comics business at all levels (publisher, distributor, retailer), including 15 years at the helm of one of the most successful distributors of comics, entertainment, and licensed products, with over $1 billion worth of pop culture products sold. He is currently the CEO of ICv2, the leading business publisher in the comics, anime, and hobby game businesses.

"I'm excited about comiXology's approach to the business, including its cutting edge technology and its involvement with the direct market comic store, a critical factor in the growth of comics over the last several decades," Griepp said.

"With the additions of Ms. Kahn and Mr. Griepp to our team, we now gain the unique and powerful perspectives of two people who have created value in the comics marketplace," said David Steinberger, CEO of comiXology. "Jenette moved comics into film and mature titles, and Milton has many years of successful industry experience and analysis he brings to the table. I couldn't be more thrilled to work with each of them."

More info: www.comixology.com

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Made-for-iPhone comic Box 13 Launches

Mobile comics company comiXology continues pushing forward digital comics revolution with their first original comic, Box 13, created by Harvey Award and zuda.com winning team of writer David Gallaher and Steve Ellis.

Available for free exclusively on Comics by comiXology, Box 13 is a re-imagining of the popular radio serial of the same name.

It follows the harrowing adventures of author Dan Holiday as he unlocks clues to his past and his very identity. Holliday has spent the last several years of his life researching the secrets behind the MKULTRA project. His latest book has brought him a degree of notoriety around the country and around the world. And, during his recent book tour - Dan discovers something that will change his life forever. Join him as he leans what lurks inside Box 13.

The series will run in seven-page installments weekly for 13 weeks, with the first installment already available. The following 12 chapters will be released on Thursdays, when comiXology traditionally releases all the new releases to the Comics app.

Baltimore-based Gallaher's credits include work for Marvel Interactive, developing textbooks for McGraw-Hill and Sylvan Learning Centers, as well as developing advertising for companies like Verizon. His comics projects include High Moon, published via Zuda Comics, also drawn by Ellis.

Steve Ellis' credits include Tranquility, a hard sci-fi thriller released in 1998 and The Silencers, a critically acclaimed supervillian-mobster mélange. In addition to his personal projects, Steve has co-created and designed comics for just about all of the major comic publishers, including Jezebelle and Crimson Dynamo.

"David and Steve created an innovative and exciting comic at zuda.com with High Moon," said David Steinberger, CEO of comiXology. "They are a perfect choice to explore the possibilities of great storytelling on our platform, too. The first chapter starts with a bang, and we fully expect it to be a reason for people to check in with the app every Thursday, at least for the next 13 weeks!"

Comics by comiXology is the top selling comics app on the iPhone and iPod Touch, with over 350 comics from nearly 30 publishers, including over 60 free to download after the initial $0.99 purchase. Wired.com wrote that "comiXology may have solved the problem of reading comics on the small screen."

• Comics by comiXology on iTunes: http://itunes.com/apps/Comics. The company's website is www.comixology.com.

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