ComiXology
Encyclopedia
comiXology is a digital software and services media company that delivers comics and graphic novels through mobile applications and the Internet.
comiXology's digital platform and reader technology is used in the company's own branded applications, and is the engine used by most major comic book publishers in the United States, including Marvel Comics
and DC Comics
for their privately branded digital services. The company also provides tools for brick-and-mortar comic book retailers.
competition at New York University
, the company received seed financing from New York Angels
and Rose Tech Ventures. By September, 2011, comiXology's Comics application was the highest-grossing application in the Apple iPhone App Store, and together with the branded applications for other comics publishers, accounted for a majority of the five top-grossing iPhone apps.
comiXology's digital platform and reader technology is used in the company's own branded applications, and is the engine used by most major comic book publishers in the United States, including Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
and DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
for their privately branded digital services. The company also provides tools for brick-and-mortar comic book retailers.
Products
- comiXology.com (launched July 2007), an online community for comic book fans, allowing readers to identify upcoming releases and develop Pull Lists (individual pre-orders), from local brick-and-mortar comic shops. comiXology.com displays weekly listings of new titles that can be viewed by issue: displaying cover art, credits, description, price, page count, and other information. Users can rate and comment on individual comic books. The site also includes weekly columns, blogs, news, and podcasts.
- Pull List (launched December 2008), a mobile comic book store locator providing readers with a digital Pull List tool, allowing fans to pre-order comics for pick up from local stores through the app. Comics by comiXology for the iPad and the web have the comiXology retail locater built in.
- Retailer Tools (launched February 2009), a suite of out-of-the-box web solutions for brick-and-mortar comic book retailers to optimize their presence online. Numerous retailers worldwide have integrated comiXology’s Retailer Tools into their operations, representing about 2% of all pre-orders in the market.
- Comics by comiXology (launched July 2009), a digital comic book reader and store for mobile devices, including the iPhone, iPod and iPad (launched April 2010), as well as the internet (web reader launched June 2010) allowing users untethered access their digital comic collection across devices.
Company History
The company was founded in 2007 by CEO David Steinberger, CTO John Roberts, and Peter Jaffe. Subsequent to winning the business planBusiness plan
A business plan is a formal statement of a set of business goals, the reasons why they are believed attainable, and the plan for reaching those goals. It may also contain background information about the organization or team attempting to reach those goals....
competition at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, the company received seed financing from New York Angels
New York Angels
New York Angels is an organization of business angel investors based in New York, New York, US that provides equity capital for early stage companies, primarily in the field of technology and new media...
and Rose Tech Ventures. By September, 2011, comiXology's Comics application was the highest-grossing application in the Apple iPhone App Store, and together with the branded applications for other comics publishers, accounted for a majority of the five top-grossing iPhone apps.
Intellectual Property
comiXology's patent-pending Guided View technology allows readers to read through comics in full screen or from panel-to-panel, mimicking the natural movement of the eye as though readers were experiencing reading a print comic book.Content Relationships
- comiXology currently holds exclusive distribution rights on iOS to DC ComicsDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
digital content through branded apps and comics by comiXology. - comiXology holds exclusive digital distribution rights to two titles from Rob LiefeldRob LiefeldRob Liefeld is an American comic book writer, illustrator, and publisher. A prominent artist in the 1990s, he has since become a controversial figure in the medium....
, original co-founder of Image ComicsImage ComicsImage Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
. Exclusive titles include YoungbloodYoungblood (comics)Youngblood is a superhero team that starred in their self-titled comic book, created by writer/artist Rob Liefeld. The team made its debut as a backup feature in the 1987 one-shot Megaton: Explosion before later appearing in its own ongoing series in 1992 as the flagship publication for Image Comics...
and Armageddon. - comiXology holds exclusive digital distribution rights for all of Robert Kirkman's titles - including The Walking DeadThe Walking DeadThe Walking Dead is a monthly black-and-white US comic book series published by Image Comics beginning in 2003. The comic was created by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Tony Moore, who was replaced by Charlie Adlard from issue #7 onward, although Moore continued to do the covers through issue...
- comiXology is the exclusive distributor of zuda comicsZuda ComicsZuda Comics was DC Comics' webcomics imprint from 2007 until 2010. It featured comics for Flash player instead of in a web page. Announced in a press release on July 9, 2007 and the first ongoing series and competing comic entries went live October 30, 2007...
for the iPad and iPhone - comiXology’s first original digital title, Box 13, has been acquired by Red 5 ComicsRed 5 ComicsRed 5 is an independent comic book publisher, known for producing a combination of creator-owned and internally developed titles, including their best known title, Atomic Robo...
for print distribution. comiXology also commissioned a sequel to the comic titled The Pandora Project. Both Box 13 titles were created by the Harvey AwardHarvey AwardThe Harvey Awards, named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman and founded by Gary Groth, President of the publisher Fantagraphics, are given for achievement in comic books. The Harveys were created as part of a successor to the Kirby Awards which were discontinued after 1987.The Harvey Awards are...
-winning team behind the Zuda ComicsZuda ComicsZuda Comics was DC Comics' webcomics imprint from 2007 until 2010. It featured comics for Flash player instead of in a web page. Announced in a press release on July 9, 2007 and the first ongoing series and competing comic entries went live October 30, 2007...
title High MoonHigh MoonHigh Moon is an award-winning werewolf western webcomic series, developed in 2004 with a debut in 2007 as a part of Zuda, DC Comics' webcomic imprint. The first season concluded on July 8, 2008. Season two ran from August 16 to November 25, 2008...
- David Gallaher and Steve EllisSteve EllisSteve Ellis may refer to:*Steve Ellis *Steve Ellis *Steven Ellis *Steve Ellis *Steve Ellis , World Managing Director of Bain & Company... - Moon GirlMoon GirlMoon Girl is a fictional character published by EC Comics. Created by Max Gaines, Gardner Fox and Sheldon Moldoff. Moon Girl is a character from the Golden Age of Comic Books and has since slipped into the public domain...
is an original comic published by comiXology based on a public domain comics character. It is by Tony TrovTony TrovTony Trov is an American writer, film maker, musician and artist best known for the serialized comic Moon Girl.-Early life:Tony Trov is a native of Philadelphia PA and graduated from Girard Academic Music Program in 2001...
, Johnny ZitoJohnny ZitoJohnny Zito is a writer, film maker and artist best known for his serialized comic Moon Girl.-Early life:Johnny Zito is a native of Philadelphia PA and graduated from Saint Joseph's Preparatory School in 2000...
and Rahzzah.
Publishers available on comiXology
- A wave blue world
- Adhouse
- Alterna Comics
- Antarctic PressAntarctic PressAntarctic Press is a San Antonio-based comic book publishing company which publishes "American Manga" style comic books.Founded by Ben Dunn in 1984, Antarctic Press has produced over 850 titles with a total circulation of over 5 million...
- Arcana StudioArcana StudioArcana Studio is a Canadian comic book publisher and art studio founded by former Coquitlam, British Columbia school teacher Sean O'Reilly in 2004.-Overview:...
- Archie ComicsArchie ComicsArchie Comics is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the Village of Mamaroneck, Town of Mamaroneck, New York, known for its many series featuring the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Jughead Jones. The characters were created by...
- Asylum Press
- Bluewater Comics
- BOOM! StudiosBoom! StudiosBOOM! Studios is an American comic book company headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States. The "BOOM!" in BOOM! Studios is always capitalized by the company.-History:BOOM! was founded June 22, 2005 with Zombie Tales #1....
- Com.xCom.x-2000-2002:Com.x wwas founded in 2000 by Eddie Deighton, Russell Uttley and Neil Googe. Deighton later described how the group came together in 1999:...
- Creative impulse
- Creator owned
- Dark Horse ComicsDark Horse ComicsDark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
- DC ComicsDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
- Devils Due
- Digital WebbingDigital WebbingDigital Webbing is an American comic book publishing company founded by Ed Dukeshire.-History:Digital Webbing's core publication, Digital Webbing Presents, begun in 2001, is a 32- to 56-page anthology title featuring stories from new creators generally culled from Digital Webbing's website community...
- Dynamite EntertainmentDynamite EntertainmentDynamite Entertainment is an American comic book company that primarily publishes licensed franchises of adaptations of other media. These include adaptations of film properties such as Army of Darkness, Terminator and RoboCop, literary properties such as Zorro, Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, Alice in...
- EigoMANGAEigomangaeigoMANGA is a comic book publishing company that produces original Japanese-influenced comics as well as develop business and marketing projects geared towards the anime industry. eigoMANGA has been underway since its conception in 2000...
- Evil Twin ComicsEvil Twin ComicsEvil Twin Comics is a small comic book publisher in Brooklyn. The company was founded in late 2004 when comic book creators Ryan Dunlavey and Fred Van Lente received a grant from the Xeric Foundation to publish the comic book series Action Philosophers...
- First Salvo
- Icon ComicsIcon ComicsIcon Comics is an imprint of Marvel Comics for creator-owned titles, designed to keep select "A-list" creators producing for Marvel rather than seeing them take creator-owned work to other publishers.-History:...
- Image ComicsImage ComicsImage Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
- KeenspotKeenspotKeenspot is a webcomics portal founded in March 2000 by cartoonist Chris Crosby , Crosby's mother Teri, cartoonist Darren Bleuel , and Nathan Stone.-History:...
- MarkosiaMarkosia-History:Markosia was founded by Harry Markos in 2005. Markos has already published Harry Gallan's The Lexian Chronicles and the initial plan was to produce comic adaptations of books, like The Lexian Chronicles and G.P. Taylor's Shadowmancer. They secured the license to adapt Starship Troopers,...
- Marvel ComicsMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
- Moonstone BooksMoonstone BooksMoonstone Books is an American comic book, graphic novel, and prose fiction publisher based in Chicago focused on pulp fiction comic books and prose anthologies as well as horror and western tales....
- NBM PublishingNBM PublishingNBM Publishing is an American publisher of graphic novels. The company specializes in non-superhero comic genres and has translated and published over 150 graphic novels from Europe and Canada, as well as several works by Americans...
- Red 5 ComicsRed 5 ComicsRed 5 is an independent comic book publisher, known for producing a combination of creator-owned and internally developed titles, including their best known title, Atomic Robo...
- South FelliniSouth FelliniSouth Fellini is an American intellectual property studio established by Tony Trov and Johnny Zito in 2010.-History:Starting in the comic book industry with DC Entertainment's Zuda Comics, South Fellini has also developed series for Comixology, Ford Automotive and Red 5 Comics, High Treason...
- Slave Labor GraphicsSlave Labor GraphicsSlave Labor Graphics is an independent American comic book publisher, well-known for publishing darkly humorous, offbeat comics.-Company history:...
- Studio 407
- Th3rd World Studios
- Top Cow
- Viper ComicsViper ComicsViper Comics, based in Dallas, Texas, has been an independent publisher of comic books and graphic novel trade paperbacks since 2003. Viper comic books are distributed by Diamond Comic Distributors and their graphic novels are distributed through Diamond, Ingram Books, Baker & Taylor, Inc., and...
- Zenescope Entertainment