DC Comics has announced that it will launch a new web comics imprint called
Zudacomics.com. The site will launch in October, 2007, and will feature new and unique content, according to DC comics. The company has a teaser site online now, but after the formal launch in October, visitors will have a strong say in which new comics are featured online by voting for their favorites. The winners of the comics competitions will receive commissions to create a year's worth of their web comics for the site, and will have their work published in print formats as well.
"There is an explosion of creativity in web comics," said Paul Levitz, DC Comics President and Publisher. "We want to build a great stage for this new generation of creators to perform on, a solid system for their work to reach audiences online and in print, and for the creators to share in the profits their creations can generate. In this time of rapid technological and cultural change, DC wants to be a good publisher for the evolving and growing community of online comic creators, so that we can be their partner for showcasing new kinds of works to entertain future generations." The official release explains how it will work:
Creators will be encouraged to send submissions that run the full gamut of comic book genres -- from humor, romance, science fiction, fantasy and superheroes. Editorial for Zudacomics.com will be handled by Ron Perazza, DC Comics Director of Creative Services and Kwanza Johnson, DC Comics Online Editor, and overseen by DC Comics SVP-Creative Director. Richard Bruning. Johnson and Perazza will be charged with selecting the submissions for the site's competitions; additionally, the editors can declare as many as six submissions as instant winners during the calendar year. All Zudacomics.com creators who are instant winners, competition winners and competition finalists will be paid by DC Comics.
Zudacomics.com's official tagline is "click here to continue." The site will have numerous variations of a site logo that reflects the scope and ambition of the imprint. "In designing the Zuda logo, it was important to echo back to the interactive nature of the web, the creativity of our medium and the diversity of the comics community," said Richard Bruning. "We soon realized that there shouldn't be just one logo. We wanted to reflect the different 'faces' of web comics that we are looking to publish. It's all about the diversity of the readership and the medium."
Unlike a traditional comic book page (which traditionally measures 6 5/8" X 10 1/4"), a Zuda web comic will consist of a series of 4:3 aspect ratio screens, so that users will be able to read a web comic installment without opening an additional window in their browser or excessive scrolling. Ongoing Zuda web comics will run for at least 52 total installments, in addition to the initial submission.
DC Comics has announced that it will launch a new web comics imprint called
Zudacomics.com. The site will launch in October, 2007, and will feature new and unique content, according to DC comics. The company has a teaser site online now, but after the formal launch in October, visitors will have a strong say in which new comics are featured online by voting for their favorites. The winners of the comics competitions will receive commissions to create a year's worth of their web comics for the site, and will have their work published in print formats as well.
