One of the less hyped but most crucial uses of the smart phone and the digital tablet has been that of babysitter. It’s common to see kids playing Angry Birds, and there’s the widely reported story from December about kids racking up large fees on power-ups for “The Smurfs’ Village” game.
Where video games venture, comics are never far behind. Kids’ comics have also entered the digital world. Graphic.ly’s Micah Baldwin recalled watching “the 7 year old son of a friend sit for an hour reading through the webcomic Hot Mess (about a girls first day at school) on various platforms, and it was amazing at how the visual storytelling really helped support his reading effort.”The digital comics for kids market is suddenly the subject of much activity. This month Comixology launched its “Comics4Kids” app, combining kid-friendly offerings from 15 publishers for Apple’s iOS platforms. Graphic.ly is currently working on a kids' app. Marvel has flown under the radar for some time with their MarvelKids site featuring comics and video, among other types of content.
Perhaps the biggest player in digital downloads for kids is Archie Comics. While sometimes considered an old fashioned franchise, it’s a toss-up between Archie and IDW for which traditional publisher has hit digital more aggressively. Archie co-CEO Jon Goldwater says Archie has content online with iVerse, Comixology, and Graphic.ly, as well as on the Sony PlayStation. There have been 2 million downloads of Archie comics, according to Goldwater, although that includes free downloads. Archie has had their biggest success with their dedicated Archie app, which is operated by iVerse. The success of dedicated apps for brands recognizable by mainstream consumers has been a very consistent theme in the iPad era.
Comixology’s David Steinberger cited Archie and Sonic the Hedgehog as big titles on the Comics4Kids app, though he cautioned that he had only very preliminary data. Graphic.ly’s Baldwin, while not yet having a formal kids app, said “We have a lot of kids material that sells well. Mouse Guard continues to be one of our top 5 sellers, as does some of the more independent material like Arachnid Kid.”
With children’s material, there’s always the question of who actually selects it, and the tale of “The Smurf’s Village” raises the question of who actually presses the buy button.Opinions vary on who actually selects a comic to download, kids or parents. Baldwin hoped “parents are taking a more active role in the selection of reading material, much like they should be with any content their kids view,” though he thought the child’s age was a factor. Steinberger said, “Parents will likely be the instigator of the app downloader, and the kids will be the selectors of content. Undoubtedly parents will be involved with content selection simply because they're paying for it!” Goldwater thought it’s a split between kids and parents, noting “people are very comfortable when they buy an Archie comic.”
As to who actually hits the buy button, Steinberger offered “Parents at first, kids with parental approval after the first couple of downloads.” Baldwin found child purchases unlikely on Graphic.ly, as they require an age verification, in addition to the credit card.
Digital downloads aren’t the only method of comics distribution online. Digital music has two different models. Downloads following the iTunes model (indeed a lot, if not most digital comics are run through iTunes) is the norm, but there are also programs like Marvel’s Digital Comics Unlimited that follow the Rhapsody model of a library subscription. Readers pay a monthly fee and use whatever content they access that month. Archie also has a site using this model, Archie Digital Comics, which is currently being overhauled and that Goldwater is looking to start pushing in the near future.
While all parties agree that the iPad has been the driving force in digital comics growth, Goldwater is quick to point out that the digital market is still young and not yet set in its ways. “I’m not afraid of new formats,” he said, explaining that he sees new technologies as new opportunities and that he looks forward to expanding further into the international digital world.
Although print kids’ comics are a growing category in bookstores and comics shops, they aren’t as subject to traditional comics retailer watchfulness as comics for older readers. Archie recently switched to offering simultaneous release of comics in both print and digital format. The so-called “day and date delivery” system has traditionally been a source of much complaining from direct market retailers. How many complaints has Archie gotten? “Not one,” said Goldwater.
[Todd Allen is a technology consultant and former adjunct professor with Columbia College Chicago's Arts, Entertainment & Media Management department. Allen's book, The Economics of Web Comics, is taught at the college level. He also writes the Division & Rush webcomic. The opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of PW Comics Week.]
