Posted in: Comics, Comixology | Tagged: DSTLRY, Neon Ichiban

Neon Ichiban Introduce Downloadable PDF Comics, But Drop Engineers

Neon Ichiban Introduce Downloadable PDF Digital Comics, at the same time that they drop engineering staff #dstlry #neonichiban

Published Tue, 16 Dec 2025 09:57:06 -0600

by Rich Johnston

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Article Summary

Neon Ichiban launches downloadable PDF comics, giving readers full ownership and offline access to titles.
Some comics offer DRM-free options, but availability depends on each publisher's specific settings and permissions.
The new PDF download feature arrives as Neon Ichiban and Dstlry reduce their technical engineering workforce.
Key engineers, including the VP of Engineering and lead developers, have departed or are now open to work.

Neon Ichiban, the new Comixology killer for digital comics from the people who also bring you Dstlry Media, has introduced something that was once much more common than it is now: select digital comics as downloadable PDF files, not reliant on internet connections, or issues that might force the company to pull the comic, go bankrupt, get viruses or downtime when someone hits a cable with an axe. Which is handy, as Neon Ichiban and Dstlry have just let a number of their technical engineering workforce go.

Neon Ichiban Introduce Downloadable PDF Comics, And Drop Developers — Dstlry Neon Ichiban logos

Neon Ichiban says, "whether you're building a bulletproof digital vault or just want the freedom to read in your favorite PDF viewer, downloadable files put full control in your hands. Your collection isn't bound to the cloud — it's yours forever. Your downloaded comics are backed-up and 1000% under your control. And nothing can change that. Prefer your own file organization? We love that for you. Need a DRM-free copy? Some titles allow that too — it's publisher-specific, and we always keep it transparent. Offline reading? Obviously. Though we'll be supporting offline reading in our forthcoming iOS and (soon after) Android apps. Just look for the "Download" tag on eligible titles. With a single click, you'll get a personal-use file you can store, read, and re-read forever. (One heads up: downloads are for you — once you download, you will not be able to resell that item in the marketplace. You'll always be able to read your purchases on Neon Ichiban!) Not all titles are downloadable yet. Publishers choose which books are enabled. But our library's growing, and our library of downloadable titles will only get bigger."

Just as their engineering team gets smaller. Rolando Garcia, the Lead Frontend Engineer, is now listed on LinkedIn as "open to work" as of this month, as is Joseph Skinner, their Lead CMS Developer and Bada K, their Full Stack Developer. Their VP of Engineering, James Jackson, also left in the summer.

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