Posted in: Comics | Tagged: amazon, comixology

Comic Book Folk React To ComiXology Layoffs

ComiXology is to lose a lot of staffers, and service changes are expected to follow. Here's how a number of comic book industry folk reacted to the news.

Yesterday saw the news of anywhere between 50 and 100% of ComiXology employees being laid off by Amazon, with reports of three planned waves of redundancy this year, as Amazon further integrates the operations of the digital comic book publisher and distributor into its standard Kindle system, and at an operational level. A number of comic book folk reacted to the news on social media and shared their own stories working with the service.

Jonathan H. Gray: Still thinking about Comixology & how Amazon bought a thing that worked, gutted it, shat in its bed, and then threw it away because they didn't want to play with it any more. Jobs lost, livelihoods upended, & a fresh digital horizon that was opened up is now gone on a whim. My last RT compared it to HBO Max and called it "unsolving a problem" and man I can't get that out of my brain. I want to lament the loss of it as a whole but also I had many friends who worked at CX since my SVA days and I can't help but think of them struggling in NYC instead. The start of this year has taught me intimately & personally how fragile our livelihoods are & how the slightest thing going wrong can set off a catastrophic domino chain that leaves you destitute and reliant on the kindness of others no matter how hard you plan for contingencies Things shouldn't be this way but instead they get worse. Companies line their pockets and the poor get poorer. I sincerely hope those affected by Comixology's nuking will be able to bounce back and maybe we can someday be allowed to have a nice thing again.

Eric Reynolds: If only Amazon hadn't acquired comixology in a hostile, bloody takeover that nobody could have prevented. "We are confident that – with Amazon by our side, who shares our desire for innovation and a relentless focus on customers – we've only just begun."

John Allison: So sorry to hear about the huge Comixology layoffs. If not for Comixology, I don't think Giant Days would have survived in single issues. I don't know that it would have survived at all. I know many other creators who would say the same about their series. Comixology was a digital comics service that worked – for the big publishers, for self publishers. It wasn't perfect – nothing is – but what Amazon has done is corporate cultural vandalism. Incredibly depressing. If you worked there, thank you for helping me keep the lights on.

Zack Davisson: Comixology was once the greatest comic service of all times. I used it every day. After Amazon's destruction I rarely touch it.

Matthew Wilding: The comixology news is another in a long list of reasons where buying physical media, or at least files you own outside of apps and websites, is super important. Buy direct where you can. These companies don't care about you.

Brian Clevinger: We were with ComiXology since before day 1. The very first file they ever uploaded was an issue of Atomic Robo. And it's been agony watching Amazon kill them with slow motion corporate malfeasance. Today's news was inevitable, but it didn't have to be.

John D. Roberts: Product ID #1 in the Comixology database was Atomic Robo #1 way back in 2009

Alex de Campi: Welp, RIP @comiXology , I guess. You had a good run. Love to everyone who got laid off and I hope you find new jobs quickly… With the amount of people that got laid off I have no idea how it can stay operational.

Christian Ward: It's an absolute travesty what's happened to ComiXology and all the good folk that work there.

Fraser Campbell: I'm so sorry for all the staff let go by Comixology/Amazon. For a while, it felt unstoppable. I actually stopped buying print comics for a while because it was so good and then…well, a terrible shame to see what's become of it.

Matthew Rosenberg: So sorry for everyone hit in the comixology layoffs today.

Brett Booth: Wait. I'm just seeing this, is Comixology gone now? Is it getting folded into Amazon? Is there an article?

Ryan Kelly: Thank you Comixology staff for all your good work. Sorry you're being sacrificed so Amazon can "remain profitable", confront challenging times, corporate speak, etc.

Mark Sable: Really gutted to hear about all the layoffs at Comixology. Comixology – and especially Originals – has been a great place to work as a creator thanks to the behind the scenes work of too many to name. If you're a former employee don't hesitate to reach out for a reference etc.

Megan Kearney: I'm so sorry to see the layoffs at Comixology. They were very good to me when I was just starting out. They gave me a book, paid me a fair wage & royalties, took me to San Diego, SPX, Emerald City and TCAF. They quietly warned me about a predatory publisher I was in talks with. They also made a very generous offer on BATB, which I turned down because I wanted to redraw it if it was getting wider distribution, and the time wasn't right.

Jonathan Baylis: Oy vey, Comixology.

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