Reinventing Comics

The Future of Comics & Content Delivery

By Jiffy Burke
April 1, 2007

Stop right here if you are a dyed-in-the-wool Scott McCloud fan. I'm not here to praise or criticize his overall body of work or his efforts on behalf of comics as an art form, print media or web-based phenomenon. I'm here to deal specifically with Reinventing Comics, a work created as a continuation of and a sequel to the groundbreaking graphic novel Understanding Comics. I have just recently re-read this book and feel the need to share my opinion, in light of recent developments concerning Bitpass and online comic content delivery.

Scott McCloud begins Reinventing Comics solidly by explaining the economics of the comics industry and lays out the basis for his theories. He presents the history of comics content delivery and the perception of comics by society at large. I respect the work and research that went into this. The early chapters of this graphic novel pick up exactly where Understanding Comics left off and continue in the same vein. They form an enjoyable read and I wish they had appeared as part of Understanding Comics because they really feel like the rest of the story, so to speak.

Where Reinventing Comics begins to unravel for me is where Scott begins to expound on his theories for the future of comics. This book was published in 2000, so keep in mind that this book was written long before broadband and high-speed DSL internet connections were widely available. Powerful personal computers were still very expensive for the average user. Now that these factors have leveled off and most of us are viewing this web site on a decently powerful machine connected to the internet via a respectably fast connection, many of Scott's predictions for the future seem quaint. He pulls it all together very neatly in the end and displays a hope for the future that is astonishing in its purity.

To share a present day perspective, I have been a fan and member of the micropayment service Bitpass, supported and promoted by Scott McCloud. I have used the micropayment system to purchase content of varying quality online, just as I have used my hard-earned money to buy comics of varying quality at my local comic shop. The ability to pay small amounts for content without involving all the middle-men of traditional content delivery is appealing. However, I use PayPal to buy many times the amount of content that I ever did using Bitpass.

I am a firm believer that quality content can be produced, promoted to an audience and sold for a decent price. I am willing to take a chance with at least $1 of my money, meaning that I could use PayPal to complete my purchase with ease, just as Scott McCloud explains in Reinventing Comics. In fact, I'm willing to pay $2.95-$3.95 for a printed comic in a shop, even if I'm relatively unfamiliar with the creator or content. I'll take that chance based on a first impression just flipping through the book. I would risk somewhat less money to try something new online, but not so little that micropayments would be my only option. This discounts Scott's arguments for micropayments. Free preview pages are all it would take to tempt me, and in fact I would view them from the convenience of my own home computer, rather than thumbing through a comic in a shop while the owner glares at me ("This ain't a library, lady!").

Bitpass has been an interesting realization of Scott McCloud's theory of micropayments. I would be very interested in hearing what levels of success and income were achieved by early adopters compared to traditional methods (i.e., t-shirt sales, paper-and-ink comics, etc.). In general, when I am actively looking for something new to read or experience online, I find such a wealth of free content that paying for anything seems frivolous to me.

PayPal is safe, secure, and widely used by a majority of content creators. I am willing to pay for extra content from a creator who already provides a free comic. In fact, the comic is the attraction that in effect advertises the site itself. However, most online
creators have PayPal "tip jars" and are generous with thank you content they send via email for fan contributions via PayPal. Does this mean micropayments can't catch up or won't catch on? Was Bitpass worth the hassle of managing yet another online account? I was willing to wait and see what else popped up as a possibility before making a final decision.

The micropayment concept has faced an uphill battle, however, as shopping online becomes more secure and easy. The economics of online shopping are more fluid than brick-and-mortar methods, but the principles remain the same. As sellers learn what buyers want, they go the extra mile to provide it. I never could have predicted that PayPal would become an eBay company, thereby streamlining my ability to find, buy and pay for print comics and graphic novels as well as a crazy variety of merchandise.

Before Bitpass recently suspended its service, I was an early adopter (spender) and used Bitpass from time to time as I watched the service grow. I think a lack of exclusive content and widespread adoption by well-known vendors and content providers was part of the problem that kept Bitpass in the minor leagues.

The history of comics and content delivery and even the development of computers, the internet and the World Wide Web (pre-Web 2.0, of course) are nicely rendered and admirably presented in Reinventing Comics. In general, I feel that the theories presented by Scott McCloud have not aged well in comparison to his admirable work in Understanding Comics. McCloud's strength lies in his ability to present an insightful argument and stick to his guns from start to finish. I began to see weaknesses as I read further. As of 2000, his hopes for the future of micropayments and his theories of online content delivery limited his ability to see all available options. From McCloud's perspective pre-2000, I can imagine that the digital realm appeared on the verge of many amazing revolutions and he simplified all that he perceived so that he could make a strong case in Reinventing Comics.

Again, no one could have predicted PayPal would become so secure, trusted, and easy to use. Against such strong competition, Bitpass has not diversified enough nor has it promoted itself enough as an alternative payment method. It also did not reach out to well-known and trusted sellers and online personalities to offer popular content that would lead to widespread adoption by buyers and draw in more sellers. The auction site eBay started out very simply with few sellers and buyers. I signed up for that in 1998 and have watched it grow and offer more services (and fees, sadly) while developing a community and a solid reputation worldwide.

Personal desktop computers have become relatively cheap and increasingly powerful. Connection speeds have improved by leaps and bounds and ISPs offer many options to users for relatively reasonable fees. I sometimes marvel at current technological advancement in the form of web cams, MP3 players, scanners, and other convenient personal devices. I'm continually amazed by the explosion of online cultural growth via YouTube, blogging communities and podcasts. Really, it is no surprise that Scott McCloud's Reinventing Comics might have missed the mark in a few places. This does not discount its value as a work about the history and development of comics. In fact, where it may have been intended as a view on the future, it will always mark a point of view on a specific point in time, right on the precipice of Web 2.0.

Scott McCloud — Scott McCloud's home page
PayPal — Send and receive payments online