2000AD, the UK Premier Sci-Fi comic is pioneering 21st century comic book distribution with the launch of its full digital online service on Wednesday 19th March.
The site, the first to enable customers to download full copies of the comic, forms part of Tharg's Newsround (//?zone=news&page=newsimage&choice=clickwheel%22%20target=%22_blank)
Congratulations to all involved and I'm sure we all wish this to be a staggeringly successful venture.
Bolt-01
You know what? I'm going to switch from my paper subscription to an online one.
I don't have the room in my London flat for a collection and this will make it easier to go back and read.
What can read CBR files and is it worth the extra effort of downloading such a programme?
This is what I tend to use. It's free, only about a 1MB download and does the job, although there's *bound* to be more polished ones about that you have to pay for.
CDisplay
Yay :)
Only thing missing from that release is the cost of subscribing online.
I'll have to see how being out of the UK makes me hunger for 2000ad to see if I'll buy any more online. Great to have it as a choice though.
I think if theres any particular artwork that jumps out at me I'll buy the digital version. Especially if I can then get it printed out as a poster!
Cheers Wils, but is it worth the extra effort? What does it add that a pdf won't bring to the party?
Hmmm. I prefer paper comics. I'm uneasy about this sort of malarkey.
- Trout
I hope it's a success..and it's probably the way forward
but I just don't like reading comics off a screen
This is a good idea if i like the art in a particular issue and want a digital scan of it.I dont want to subscribe to a digital comic but will buy individually as and when the need arises.
I am particularly interested in a complete digital archive or more specifically a full digital archive of progs 1 to 250 ,then perhaps 250 -500.I hope it happens.
I'm tempted - if only so that I can search back issues for reference. But I would miss my paper copies.
-pj
Great news for those who don't have access to conventional Progs, but as I do, I'll stick to the paper versions-still anything that spreads the word is a good thing.
Hmmm. I prefer paper comics. I'm uneasy about this sort of malarkey.
I'm with Trout.
I know its the future and everything but I do prefer the paper option, easier to read and take to the bog!
Huffruff
I prefer the paper version too but there is something appealing in having an entire 2000AD collection on one hard drive rather than in tons of boxes in the attic. Any chance of a cut price digital sub for people who want to add it to thier existing subs for hard copies?
2000AD on Click Wheel has been a godsend since its launch in January. Already I've dropped buying paper 2000AD in favor of it, because its such a convenence. I'm sure I'll be doing the samething witht he Meg once it goes live.
I will still be buying (most? ALL?!) Trade collections in the future. For posterity.
Also, will Meg digital releases be a month latter too its paper release?
I think this is all very sweet and touching, seeing as we could steal scans of every single Prog in one torrent dowmloaded over a single weekend, and Piratebay offers the digital prog for free before Clickwheel does.
Not that I could be arsed with that personally, House of Tharg gets my money week in and week out and that's it - some things are worth paying for.
I already have 1 pirated archive which is rubbish.I will never buy another so if 2000ad do digital archives i am expecting much better imaging and scanning as the pirated archive is scanned from 25 yr old progs.
I dont approve of piracy especially in the case of 2000ad.
I'm well aware of the pirated digital archives and the ease of getting hold of them, and I'm not ashamed to say I have a few - but as the few I have are not likely to ever be released officially again (Zenith, which I have in the original progs in boxes in the attic, and the banned Cursed Earth episodes which I had bought at the time but which were among the first 300 progs or so which got thrown out by my parents who have yet to be entirely forgiven) and I actually have an almost complete physical bought legally collection of 2000AD and Megs, as wll as TPB's, and the fact I'd rather pay for an official download than have a pirated one, I don't feel too guilty about that.
I found this quite amusing on one of the ebay ads that is selling the complete collection of 2000ads:
"Note to eBay: the contents of these discs are in the Public Domain and are available from different sources. These discs have been compiled by myself from those sources. Nothing on these discs breaks any copyright."
Note to eBay: this is bullshit.
I dislike lying more than thieving. actually I love thieving :-)
I got me subscription though, and I think that People with subs should get access to a digital copy too.
Hey ho.
jb
I'm getting deja vu here.
This is nice, but not as nice as my second favourite UK publication, the London Review of Books which makes the online service free for subscribers to the peper edition and which make much larger archives available too (everything back to 1998, I think)
I'm still tempted to subscribe in case it encourages them to expand the archive
Isnt that pathetic that excuse.Its available in different places etc.Yes it is but the material is still under copyright.
Which bit about copyright dont they understand ?
I dislike stupidity just as much as lying.
And Ebay don't do anything about it, even if you keep telling them about it.