Digital Delivery
phansford
Posts: 221
I am re-reading the Scott McCloud's Reinventing Comics. Its a bad habit I have - HaHa. Basically - I focus on the second half of the book discussing digital production and delivery. My interest lies in how architects could utilize McCloud's theories - or maybe be inspired by his excitement - in creating our work.
For architects, the production side is pretty much off and running. We have been using CAD, photoshop, paint, and 3D modeling programs for years. Although, most of the software is still just an electronic version of a hand-drawn process. ie: 2D CAD is still about drawing circles and lines.... but using the computer rather than pencil and paper. BIM is moving production into a different direction where you actually design/construction the building in virtual space creating a digital model of the building that eventually goes to the contractor.
Sidenote: While I still have a drafting board in my office for certain tasks I still like to do by hand, drafting boards are no longer found in design offices. We still sketch ideas on paper (freehand), but then move quickly to the computer.
Digital delivery is basically sending PDF's to clients and contractors. Which is basically electronic paper. Although one could start to hyperlink items with the PDF that would open product websites, manufacturer specifications and so on. However, this never seems to happen - although I have done it here and there in a project manual. This is where I am most interested and spend most of my time thinking.
So digital comics......... As some of you know, I sold my entire collection and I honestly have not read a comic since 2008. However, since Digital Comics seem to have come into there own since the publication of Reinventing Comics (2000), I thought I would dip into the Digital world with Batman '66 to see what advancements have been made. Its interesting.... basically layering the verbal content over the image in a delayed process to facilitate reading the story (and dialogue) in the proper order. The visual content is also layered or field of vision is expanded as the camera moves through the story or scene.
So my question...... after this long winded blathering....... Is Batman '66 basically a standard digital comic? Or is it something new. I did pick up a few early Ditko ASM issues - both those were nothing more than electronic paper. I've seen the "movie books" of Watchman on iTunes. (Read a sample - not impressed). I would be interested in knowing if there are any other digital comics that are different than Batman '66 so I could continue my research.
Thanks for any suggestions or comments....... and for taking to read this meandering question. (I think I have the start to an article about digital delivery in architecture - haha)
For architects, the production side is pretty much off and running. We have been using CAD, photoshop, paint, and 3D modeling programs for years. Although, most of the software is still just an electronic version of a hand-drawn process. ie: 2D CAD is still about drawing circles and lines.... but using the computer rather than pencil and paper. BIM is moving production into a different direction where you actually design/construction the building in virtual space creating a digital model of the building that eventually goes to the contractor.
Sidenote: While I still have a drafting board in my office for certain tasks I still like to do by hand, drafting boards are no longer found in design offices. We still sketch ideas on paper (freehand), but then move quickly to the computer.
Digital delivery is basically sending PDF's to clients and contractors. Which is basically electronic paper. Although one could start to hyperlink items with the PDF that would open product websites, manufacturer specifications and so on. However, this never seems to happen - although I have done it here and there in a project manual. This is where I am most interested and spend most of my time thinking.
So digital comics......... As some of you know, I sold my entire collection and I honestly have not read a comic since 2008. However, since Digital Comics seem to have come into there own since the publication of Reinventing Comics (2000), I thought I would dip into the Digital world with Batman '66 to see what advancements have been made. Its interesting.... basically layering the verbal content over the image in a delayed process to facilitate reading the story (and dialogue) in the proper order. The visual content is also layered or field of vision is expanded as the camera moves through the story or scene.
So my question...... after this long winded blathering....... Is Batman '66 basically a standard digital comic? Or is it something new. I did pick up a few early Ditko ASM issues - both those were nothing more than electronic paper. I've seen the "movie books" of Watchman on iTunes. (Read a sample - not impressed). I would be interested in knowing if there are any other digital comics that are different than Batman '66 so I could continue my research.
Thanks for any suggestions or comments....... and for taking to read this meandering question. (I think I have the start to an article about digital delivery in architecture - haha)
Comments
If I understand correctly, Batman '66 was also released in print.
You don't get the "Guided-View" with the printed version. "Guided-View" is nothing like Marvel's motion comics. In Guided-View, the picture "morphs" into the next sequence (SFX, dialogue, action, panel/page, etc.) instead of a 3D animated conversion of a 2D image, which is what Marvel's motion comics are (see below).
Here's a quick critique of digital books vs. print books using comiXology's Guided View technology:
You have the option to turn on/off the Guided View if you want. Sometimes it works well (I use it if I'm reading on my iPhone on the bus or something and don't have my iPad/Kindle), and sometimes I just want to read the whole page like a printed book. It's nice to have the flexibility.
Here's a quick review of the first comic to employ the advanced Guided View technology, Marvel's Avenger's vs. X-Men #1 Infinite Comic (much like Batman '66):
There's also a video out there where Joe Quesada talks about Infinite Comics, and the creation process, but I couldn't find it.
Unfortunately, the majority of digital comics right now are simply "electronic paper." What I enjoy about them is the fact that I can essentially carry an entire shelf of trades or an entire long box of comics with me wherever I go and I can read them whenever and wherever I want. ComiXology has $0.99 sales all the time (and here's a thread that shares those sales). I've read a lot of great books for a fraction of the printed MSRP. A lot of people gripe about the fact that you don't "own" the books and that there is no opportunity to sell them later on. Sure, okay, if that's your M.O. in reading and collecting books then don't go digital. But for many people, it's a great way to keep up with the hobby.
Here's a couple of preview episodes for Mavel's motion comics. Both are fun, but as you could probably tell, quite the departure from actual comics and more in the vein of full on animation.
The Motion Comics are pretty disappointing. Compare them to the 1966 Marvel cartoons, which basically took the images from the comic and added the slightest amount of animation. (40 years later - all this technology - and not much advancement) HaHa.
Put simply: Kirby made motion comics. On paper.
Others may prefer different, and I respect that, but personally I say let animation be animation and let comics be comics. While I am all for technology helping to aid the distribution and availability of comics (as well as technical tools that make the means of production more affordable to those who would make comics), I don't see the need for the actual storytelling of the medium to become more technical or virtual. For me, sound and animation are better off in a different medium. Comics don't lack them, for me this is not aster of comics not keeping up with technology, rather they communicate sound and motion their own way. And, often, very very well.
What could be interesting is if there were hyperlinks within a comic story...... let's say when there is that little editor's note (* See last issue), it could open a small text description outline the back story..... with a second hyperlink to the actually issue you could download and read. Or maybe to a forum discussion linking readers to a common place to discuss that particular issue. The link could have a defined life.... say 30 days until the next issue comes out. Then the thread is locked and is read only and a new thread is started linked to the next issue. (Sort of a letter's page on steroids)