Trajectory, a Cambridge, Mass. e-publishing technology and distribution vendor, is releasing the Trajectory Classics App and relaunching its iconic line of Classics Illustrated digital comics as an app through the Apple app store. The Trajectory Classics App offers the original full color comics for $3.99 and $1.99 for Classics Illustrated Junior issues via in-app purchase, in addition to offering free previews and a new navigation system.
Trajectory acquired the digital rights to the Classic Illustrated Comics, the well-known series of comic books adaptations of classic literature originally founded by Albert Kanter in 1941, and released the series as e-books earlier this year, available through iTunes. The series has about 123 titles and includes such classics as Snow White, Hamlet, The Count of Monte Cristo, and Alice in Wonderland. Trajectory is also collaborating with digital distributor iVerse Media to deliver the series across all device platforms.
Now Trajectory is releasing the digital comics via the Trajectory Classics App, which can be downloaded for free. Additional issues can be purchased through the in-app purchase system. The Classics Illustrated App will offer about 30 Classics Illustrated titles initially and more will be added every Wednesday. The app will also offer the Classics Illustrated “Special interest Series” and an introductory “discovery pricing” of 99 cents for featured Classic Illustrated issues.
Trajectory publisher Scott Beatty told PW, “some people are ‘app’ people, others are ‘e-book’ people. We wanted to appeal to multiple channels and have a format for both.” The new app offers extended previews of several issues for free, Beatty said, in addition to an upgraded navigation system. Readers can view the comics in landscape mode, or tap the screen to zoom in and read two panels at a time or rotate the device to portrait mode to read an entire page.
Trajectory CEO Jim Bryant said, “we are at the dawn of a digital revolution as a new generation of children from around the world engage with the myths, legends and great stories on their digital devices. We are thrilled to make these titles available through the Apple App Store worldwide.”
