Humanoids, the famed French comics house now based in Los Angeles, has released the Humanoids Comics app for the iPad. The app is available now and offers users the ability to preview more than 60 Humanoids titles. While the app does not offer in-app purchasing just yet, consumers can purchase titles via the Humanoids web site and synch them to their iPads to read.
Humanoids director of marketing Jo Witherington said the app is available for the iPad only and that support for the iPhone and for Android devices is coming. Witherington said that digital editions can be purchased through the Humanoids web site and synched to the iPad. In-app purchasing for the iPad is not yet available. Witherington also noted that any physical graphic novels purchased via the Humanoids web site come bundled with a free digital copy, that can be synched to the iPad or read online via their Humanoids accounts. “Order a print volume and you get the digital version for free,” he said.
In addition, for the first month of the app's release, Humanoids is also offering a $25 credit to anyone downloading the app to use to purchase the first volume of any Humanoids series. Witherington also said to look for deals, sales and special offers through the app.
Witherington notes that fans can buy Humanoids graphic novels in the Apple iBookstore and at Google Play, but once downloaded the e-books can only be read using the iBooks e-reading software and Android software respectively.
New releases of Humanoids graphic novels will be released in print and digital editions simultaneously, according to Witherington. Digital editions of Humanoids print works will be split into two and three volume works—Witherington explained that Humanoids combines the print volumes into a single edition for U.S. release—and digital editions via the app will be priced from $2.95 to $5.95 per volume.
Originally launched in France in 1974 as Les Humanoïdes, the comics house is best known as the publisher of French comics giants Moebius and Alexandro Jordowsky. It’s first U.S. office was launched in 1998 under the name Humanoids, and the house moved its headquarters from Paris to Los Angeles in 2010 (where it is in the process of developing films based on its titles), and opened an office in London this year.
Alex Donoghue, Humanoids director, said the $25 credit is intended “to give people the chane to get a real ride through our many universes,” and added, ‘This will be a great opportunity for our readers to discover new titles, as well as explore the Humanoids App as not just a graphic novel and comics reader, but also a useful and easy platform to browse the Humanoids catalog on the iPad.”
