http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2010/06/23/for-immediate-release-dc-comics-launches-digital-publishing/

I have mentioned on the show many times that I am a fan of comics reaching out to a digital audience. I don’t feel we need to get so worried about this as a replacement for paper copies but as an opportunity to reach out to a new digital crowd.

Comics as a storytelling medium have much in common with today’s Video Game and digital media culture. Video game storytelling is becoming more and more complex and this is not longer restricted to role playing game. I think many video game fans that have never been exposed to comics are comic fans in the making. The type of serialized deliver they expect from the best in video game sequels is exactly the type of storytelling they will get in comics.

I don’t think this is the only crowd that will be attracted to digital comics for the first time but it is certainly an audience base that is much larger than even the top selling comics of today. I am hoping we see advertising initiatives to reach this audience base and draw them into the wonderful world’s that we have been loving for so long.

My big frustration with digital initiatives is the fear that it will hurt the comic retailer. The only way that will happen is if fans of the paper product prefer the digital. I just don’t see that being the case. As long as there are collector’s, there will still be a paper product. While I am an advocate of digital comics, it won’t be a replacement for my paper comics. I look at this the same way as I looked at the birth of the trade paperback. It’s just another avenue of content delivery to increase exposure. I firmly believe that digital deliver should target an new type of potential comic fan vs. the current audience.