Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, comixology, digital comics, entertainment, new york comic con

ComiXology's Evolving Role In Conventions And The Industry – Talking With Chip Mosher At NYCC '15

Published Fri, 16 Oct 2015 15:00:23 -0500

It would have been impossible not to notice the role that ComiXology played in New York Comic Con this year if you're someone who is at all interested in comics, from several panels (one of which essentially kicked off the convention), to their very pronounced role in Artists Alley, both in sponsorship and tabling, to their very accessible and welcoming party on Saturday night of the convention. The role in Artists Alley was the biggest development, from my observation, and reminded creators of the embedded presence of Submit as an option for publishing their work.

Speaking first about the many announcements that ComiXology had made during the week of New York Comic Con concerning their relationship with different publishers, I asked how ComiXology handles the delicate timing of these changes, since they often mean an upgrade in status or function have to roll out during a convention.

Chip Mosher, VP of Marketing for ComiXology, said: "It works very well. There are a couple of things to take into consideration, including PR and marketing impact, but we try to do the launches when we feel there will be the most impact, and the customer always comes first. We time these things, if we can, around shows, where the word will get out. We take advantage of that. It's helpful for customers who are learning about new publisher deals from the press".

I commented that the announcement of single issue availability from Dark Horse was not exactly surprising, since previously in the summer, ComiXology had announced that Dark Horse graphic novels had launched on the site, however, it did feel like a big impact once announced. Single issues are a major part of experiencing Dark Horse books because of the prevalence of one-shots and small arc series.

Mosher said: "To be able to sell Hellboy, and Fight Club, as well as Denis Kitchen's imprint at Dark Horse, means a lot. To have Comix Book, with the first appearance of Maus by Art Spiegelman is a big deal. It's so fantastic to have their content and to have all the top 10 direct market publishers right now. Looking back, 2015 has been a great year for increasing the diversity of content on ComiXology. We started the year with Humanoids, then there was DC Thompson, the Dark Horse Trades, the deal with Delcourt, Kid Can Press, out of Canada, Lion Forge, Black Mask, Viz, Kodansha with Attack on Titan. Right before SPX, we debuted Drawn & Quarterly. This week we had the Oni renewal, and Image renewal, as well.

Our mission statement for the company is that we want to make everyone on the face of the planet a comics fan. When we were just alone, that looked like a tall order, but now with Amazon, fairly doable. Part of fulfilling on that mission statement is having a comic book for everyone. There are still some publishers out there who are not available digitally, and we are working on that very diligently, but the tipping point we've hit with manga alone this year has been incredibly gratifying, as well as exposing the English-speaking world to Bande Dessinee".

I added that the features inherent in ComiXology make "exploration" a major feature. If you're new to comics, or new to a particular type of comics, the site will help recommend further reading, and especially important to me as a reader, offer fairly large-scale previews of works before you choose to purchase them. That helps utilize diverse content.

Mosher agreed that the recommendations on the page, as well as their e-mail newsletter are geared to help readers explore. He also pointed me toward their "ComiXologist" podcast for recommendations.

Mosher was pleased with the turnout to the ComiXology panels at the convention, and was particularly impressed by the "amazing" crowds at the opening "Ask Me Anything" panel, early on the first day of the convention, where the questions were mainly about the Submit feature of the site.

Of course, Submit was taking pride of place this year as ComiXology took their booth off the main show floor and into Artists Alley, flanking a row near the entrance and also welcoming attendees with large, hanging sponsorship banners. They also gave out print copies of several Submit-originating comics to fans.

Mosher said: "We felt that Artists Alley at New York Comic Con has become the gem in the crown of the show. We really wanted to be where we could interact with fans and feel their energy. We wanted to introduce them to new talent from Submit and also get the word out to up and coming creators and also established creators that Submit is a viable avenue to get your work out into the world".

I admitted that the signage and presentation was impressive, and that it was certainly a change from the office-like space on the main floor they have traditionally occupied. I also observed that given the record numbers of attendees in Artists Alley this year at NYCC, they hadn't missed a bit of foot traffic, by all appearances, through making the change.

Mosher agreed. He said that he has enjoyed being on the main floor in years past, but that being in Artists Alley was more "impactful" and would help spread the word about Submit.

I observed that attendees might find an Artists Alley presence a little more approachable and engaging in its informality, particularly if the tables had plenty of outreach, and they did.

Mosher said, "Yes, it's a little more scrappy, isn't it? It's a little bit more in keeping with our entrepreneurial roots to have a table drape. It feels very much in line with our brand and what the company is about".

I asked if ComiXology had plans to do Artists Alley at New York Comic Con again, and Mosher said: "I never like to pre-announce what we're doing, but after I get a couple of days of sleep after New York Comic Con, we'll be regrouping and thinking".

Mosher listed the many conventions they'd been involved with in the past year, and said they'd be considering Angouleme coming up in the winter, too, he said, since ComiXology has had a presence there the past 3 years and would be taking part in Paris Comic Con as well.

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