The document discusses the decline in print comic and graphic novel sales and the rise of digital publishing, particularly through platforms like Comixology. It highlights how webcomics have become a versatile medium, allowing for niche topics and community engagement while facing challenges related to independent versus mainstream creators. Overall, it emphasizes the evolving landscape of comic storytelling in the digital age.

1. Interactive Graphic
Storytelling
“How the Internet Impacts the Graphic Novel”
Shane Tilton twitter: @silnan
Assistant Professor tiltons@ohio.edu

2. Why should we care?
• Decline of 20% in print comic and graphic
novels over the past ten years. (Berger, 2009)
• Mainstream comic publishing companies
(DC, Marvel) are putting a strong emphasis
on digital publishing and web content (i.e.
Comixology.com)
• The tools of production are accessable to
most comic fans.

3. Web comics
are primarily
textually driven

4. Web comics
have “natural”
points of
distribution

5. Web comics act
as a platform of
remixing pop culture

6. Web comics help escapes
the restrictions of a
traditional publication
structure

7. Web Comics help
develop communities
of commonality.

8. A webcomic of romance,
sarcasm, math, and
language.
Web Comics can
focus on niche
topics and
materials.

9. There are no
limits to how
web comics can
be presented.

10. Content can be
more dynamic in
the web comic
format

11. Content can be
more accessible
in the web
comic format

12. Web comics can
act a one platform
in a multi-platform
media system

13. Web comics are
becoming more
“mainstream”

14. Several issues exist in
this space
• The difference between independent &
“mainstream” artists/companies.
• Mainstream comic publishing companies
(DC, Marvel) are putting a strong emphasis
on digital publishing and web content (i.e.
Comixology.com)
• What is web content now? (“The Death of
the Web”)