Having already won over the web, webcomic CTRL+ALT+DEL, or simply CAD to its fans, is invading the bookstore market on April 29 with the release of its first trade paperback through Blind Ferret Entertainment. Already a big hit on the web, CAD features video game fans Ethan, Lucas, Lilah and a supporting cast as they deal with life both behind and away from the computer screen. Ongoing since 2002, the series has developed a significant fanbase, with approximately 1.5 million unique hits to the site each month.

Although creator Tim Buckley has been self-publishing collections of his book for years and selling them online; the new retail editions are aimed at a broader audience. They will retail for $12.95, as opposed to the $19.95 that the online trades sell for, and omit artist commentary or bonus content and have smaller page counts,—the self-published trades run 168 to 176 pages, and the retail trades run 136 pages.

Based in Montreal, Blind Ferret has been around for a few years as a multimedia entertainment company, and previously worked with Buckley on an animated CLT+ALT+DEL series which comprises some of the content on a Premium subscription service for dedicated CAD fans. Blind Ferret's Randy Waxman notes that the company is easing into the publishing market so that they don’t grow too quickly to effectively manage their new endeavors. The company already published print versions of the two established webcomics, Least I Could Do and Looking For Group.

“We are very selective about who we work with. I know too many publishers who take on every and any piece of creative work, hoping that some work,” said Waxman.

Waxman said that it doesn’t hurt for the trades to have the built-in-interest of CAD's huge online fanbase, but “the goal with the retail-version of the trades is to reach out to an audience that hasn't already bought CAD trades online, and wants to buy it for a lower price, as well as reaching out a larger audience that is less familiar with CAD,” he continued.

According to Buckley, he’d always been interested in moving CAD into bookstores but didn’t have the resources to solicit the books himself. Eventually, Blind Ferret approached him with an offer and he decided to allow them to publish the new line of trades. Since the new line is very distinct from his self-published trades, Buckley noted that they be more accessible for bookstores.

“I think that a more straight-forward book with a lower price point will be more appealing to people who aren't already familiar with the comic strip, but may want to check it out when they see it in a book store,” he said.

Despite a difficult economy and continuing troubles in the retail environment for books, both Buckley and Waxman feel that taking CAD to bookstores is a logical decision and a fairly safe venture. Buckley noted that having trades available in stores is something his fans have been asking for since day one, and not all of his readers will feel comfortable making purchases online.

“There's a large untapped market potential,” he said.

Both Waxman and Buckley are already looking toward the future of CAD’s new line. Volume 2 is set for release before Christmas and Volume 3 is set for sometime in 2010. Buckley will also continue to self-publish his more comprehensive trades and offer them online through the Split Reason store. To date, he estimates sales of the self-published trades to be at roughly 10,000 per volume, perhaps higher for the earlier volumes.