Hot on the heels of launching its iPhone/iPad app, DC Comics is shutting down Zuda.com, a website originally started to solicit and launch original Web comics, some of which were turned into print editions. DC v-p of creative services, Ron Perazza announced the closing on the Zuda.com blog.
Perazza said Zuda’s comics series will continue to be available through the new DC Comics app as well as Comixology’s general comics storefront app and through the Sony PSP network. In addition, Perazza said Zuda’s comics as well as comics from all the DC Comics imprints will also be available through the DC Comics Website.
The site was launched in 2007 to spotlight original web comics through competition. Members of the Zuda.com online community voted on the comics they liked best and those were given extended runs on the Zuda site. The site also began turning some of the Web comics into print books, among them. Jeremy Love’s Bayou, Dave Gallagher and Steve Ellis’ High Moon and Peter and Bobby Timony’s Night Owls.
In April Perazza announced that Zuda’scompetition format would be suspended, citing a number of “shortcomings,” among them, “accusations of cheating, confusion about the process, spamming in the name of promotion and argumentative, dismissive or even aggressive behavior.”
Submissions have been on hold since then. But Perazza said DC co-publishers Dan Didio and Jim Lee, “plan to expand submissions beyond just Zuda Comics and the Online group into a larger, more comprehensive system that covers all of DC Comics’ wide variety of needs, skills and interests. Jim and Dan are very excited about bringing in and developing new talent so look for more information about that from them as plans develop.”
While there had been been some criticism of the Zuda.com contract at its launch, the site attracted both novice cartoonists and highly regarded veterans like Jeremy Love and Dean Haspiel (Street Code). This year Love’s Bayou won multiple Glyph Awards and the book has also been nominated for an Eisner Award. And Zuda Comics Supertron, High Moon, the Night Owls and The Black Cherry Bombshells, received a combined total of seven Harvey Awards.
