Digital comics in the age of webtoons

In the article "When Comics Created Weekly Suspense" I said, but without elaborating, that the arrival of digital had transformed the economic model of comics (although classic albums remain very numerous on the shelves of our bookstores!). This deserves to be addressed here. So let's go!

This is direct online publication, which does not only mean a change of medium: these creations, from the end of the 90s of the 20th century, would influence major elements, such as graphic style or fragmented narration. And this for the better (rich and unforeseen innovations) or for the worse (facilities, inconsistencies, immediate correspondences with advertising concerns). See Maliki, XKCD or The Oatmeal. The link with the reader was also disrupted: possibilities of immediate reactions generating a new form of interaction. Apparent distancing of publishers in the usual sense of the term, although traditional publishing houses are also evolving by offering digital versions of their collections... While conversely, digital comics can give rise to... Paper editions!

Applications were going to correspond to these new trends: Izneo, Tapas or Webtoon. We talk about scrolling format, namely the fact of scrolling content on a computer screen (scroller), including vertical reading (we know!).

It is difficult to fully describe a fluid universe, by nature unstable, capable of doing without the famous text bubbles or of suddenly integrating elements of augmented reality, hyperlinks or even video games! Note, financially, for the actors, the new role of participatory financing !

What conclusion should we draw? But... should we draw a conclusion? This is a new stage still in progress: I have already mentioned, in my opinion, what are its clearly visible characteristics.

Here at our Duanju site, we'll be keeping an eye out! As always...

Article written by Jean-Marie Sanjorge

#JeanMarieSanjorge