Cerebus To Go Digital In 2012 - If Dave Sim Can Get Some Answers

[Rich Johnston]

On the new Cerebus TV episode, premiering on Bleeding Cool, Dave Sim first talks about Darwyn Cooke and his work, with a Cerebus TV interview with Darwyn, where he talks about the potential of digital comics.

And, as Dave Sim reveives copies of the Zootanapuss variant cover of Glamourpuss to sign, we see Cerebus artwork being scanned for a new printing of Flight and as Dave Sim says "possibly, possibly for digital download sales" although he despairs at the possibility of losing the very physicality of the comic. And how he can protct and promote comic books tores at the same time.

He shows us a copy of the press release that was to be released with iVerse that confirmed that Cerebus go digital in 2012. Except that negotiations have stalled with Dave Sim worried about auditing over the number of downloads - and whether or not Dave Sim can trust Apple to tell him the truth.

Can anyone provide him with answers?

[D Bell]

Sim seems a bundle of contradictions to me.

When he satrted selling the phone books direct to consumers, he responded to the uproar from the retailers by stating he made more from a few thousand print run on the phone books than all the single issues sold in the DM because of all the pieces being taken out by the middle men.

Now he's thinking about using another middle man - apple - when he could go direct and he's concerned about damaging the DM by going digital.

While I don't completely agree, I understand DC and Marvel wanting to keep the DM healthy. But for publishers and creators that move a thousand (if they're lucky) copies in the DM, or those that Diamond won't even consider including in their monthly catalogue, why make the DM a concern?

[Adam]

Ooooh.

I really would like a digital version of Cerebus put out. I'm a bit of a gypspy, so collecting physical comic books is something I stopped doing quite some time ago, before I'd finished the series (which I realize in another two volumes or so becomes practically unreadable for a while; nevertheless, having invested as much time in it as I have, I'd like to give it a shot).

But I can pretty easily see Dave Sim's concerns being essentially unanswerable, or at least impossible to assuage. He has an understanding of contracts and so forth that puts him at odds with "the way things work" at corporations, right or wrong.

[tbdeinc]

it's not rocket science...

Rich contact me by email regarding this.

G

[Joe B. Pangrazio]

Sim seems a bundle of contradictions to me.

When he satrted selling the phone books direct to consumers, he responded to the uproar from the retailers by stating he made more from a few thousand print run on the phone books than all the single issues sold in the DM because of all the pieces being taken out by the middle men.

Now he's thinking about using another middle man - apple - when he could go direct and he's concerned about damaging the DM by going digital.

While I don't completely agree, I understand DC and Marvel wanting to keep the DM healthy. But for publishers and creators that move a thousand (if they're lucky) copies in the DM, or those that Diamond won't even consider including in their monthly catalogue, why make the DM a concern?

1. He's very luddite-ish. While he could learn enough to go to sale directly (or simply tap into the avenues he already has set up to sell directly) he either doesn't view it as a useful use of his time or those that help him are advising him to go app (which may or may not be good advice).

2. His point was that the DM was not supporting him, not that he didn't care about the DM. Obviously only he knows how much Diamond orders phone books from him anymore, but I would hazard that after the kerfluffle, the DM started to support him a bit more. So he doesn't want to slit their throats (plus, even when selling the phone books direct, it would still potentially send new customers into the DM).

That being said...Dave Sim is a bundle of contradictions. Just trying to explain what might be his thought process.

Ooooh.

I really would like a digital version of Cerebus put out. I'm a bit of a gypspy, so collecting physical comic books is something I stopped doing quite some time ago, before I'd finished the series (which I realize in another two volumes or so becomes practically unreadable for a while; nevertheless, having invested as much time in it as I have, I'd like to give it a shot).

But I can pretty easily see Dave Sim's concerns being essentially unanswerable, or at least impossible to assuage. He has an understanding of contracts and so forth that puts him at odds with "the way things work" at corporations, right or wrong.

Depending on what volume you're on, your mileage may vary. I actually just sold the Last Day because I know what it says and it's unimportant (to me) to the overall story. When Cerebus starts to read the Bible that's also unimportant to me. However, that is also in a volume that I actually quite like. So part of me wishes I would just take a straight razor and remove the pages I don't (but I won't because...I just won't).

And Rich, I have some indie guys I might be able to put Dave in contact with if he likes regarding this stuff. PM/e-mail me if you want to play messenger.

[Les Dennis]

It's not down to Apple is it? It's the vendor, be it Comixology or Graphicly, I have an Android tablet so I buy comics digitally and Apple have nothing to do with it. Neither do Google really because mobile apps don't support a shopping cart and I'm not doing a dozen micro payments for every book so I buy on the PC, download and read on the tablet.

Alex De Campi was on Word Balloon a few weeks back and knew exactly how many copies had been downloaded of her creator owned book from Comixology so I guess it would be the same for Sim.

[Joe B. Pangrazio]

It's not down to Apple is it? It's the vendor, be it Comixology or Graphicly, I have an Android tablet so I buy comics digitally and Apple have nothing to do with it. Neither do Google really because mobile apps don't support a shopping cart and I'm not doing a dozen micro payments for every book so I buy on the PC, download and read on the tablet.

Alex De Campi was on Word Balloon a few weeks back and knew exactly how many copies had been downloaded of her creator owned book from Comixology so I guess it would be the same for Sim.

Might be a Comic + thing then (which appears to be the app that Sim was signing on with).

[Oliver]

@Joe My understanding is that any app that goes through Apple receives their sales figures from Apple.

[Yorick]

Does he want the answers to go with all the question marks in the attached picture?

[ChastMastr]

Has he become, erm, more sane than before?