Stela cover cropped Interviews 

Talking The Digital, Mobile Future of Stela With Jim Gibbons

By | February 9th, 2016
Posted in Interviews | % Comments

Digital comics are constantly trying new and different things. Comixology is steadily gaining ground as both a delivery platform and a sort of publisher with Submit, Thrillbent has played with the digital format more than most places, and plenty more names have done interesting things with digital comics. But now there’s a new name on the scene and one that promises some very interesting tweaks to the way we normally read our comics.

Stela is a new digital comics platform, one that is going to be focused on mobile. Rather than giving us the largely horizontal comics that we’re used to in our floppies or on our computer screen, but a vertical format more suited for a phone screen. It’s a bold move, one that makes this digital comics fan excited to check it out. With the hype building around Stela and the creators and comics that make up the lineup slowly being announced before their very imminent launch, we chatted with senior editor Jim Gibbons about the format, the comics, the payment model, and a whole lot more.

For those that don’t know, what is Stela? What are you and the rest of the team trying to do with Stela and how will it set itself apart from other digital comics apps?

Jim Gibbons: We’re a digital comics publisher, a new mobile reading experience, and an app delivering high quality, brand new, curated creator-owned comics directly to your mobile device.

As to what we’re trying to do, it’s as simple as working with talented creators to develop dope new comics and as bold as trying to revolutionize comics by creating a new delivery method—beaming comics to your phone daily—that will make reading comics more accessible than ever.

Increasingly, mobile is the way the world is moving. We all have cell phones, we’re all constantly using social media and reading articles on our phones. But there aren’t many comics made for a mobile experience, so it’s interesting to see Stela put such a singular focus on it. What made this the right approach for Stela?

JG: Our founders come from the mobile gaming industry. At a certain point that mobile mentality crossed paths with their comic book fandom and the idea of launching a publisher that delivered comics seamlessly to, potentially, millions of smart phone users was born. Webcomics, and later Webtoon and Comico, showcased the delivery method and storytelling format—vertical scrolling comics—can work, so then the evolution became partnering with creators and paying them good page rates for a curated lineup of creator-owned comics that we think will make us the premier reading experience and publisher for mobile comics reading.

But, I think in simpler terms, what made this the right approach for us was the desire to take a love of sequential storytelling and to make that a much more easily accessible and digestible method of entertainment for the masses. We love comics, but as any longtime comics reader who has tried to help a friend get into comics knows, it’s a hard process to explain to people. Preordering, solicitation, finding a direct market retailer, or even where to start reading when it comes to a particular series or character… It can be a daunting realm to enter. We’re making it simple. You just pop into the app store, download the app, and then start reading.

Stela is going feature vertical comics, rather than the mostly horizontal comics that we’re used to. While many are talking about the format in terms of limitations, what does the format allow creators to do that’s new and exciting? What does it make them do different than a traditional comic?

JG: It’s been incredibly exciting to see our roster of talented creators play around with this format. The vertical format is intriguing because, as opposed to traditional comics, the creator can dictate exactly what the reader sees. There’s no wandering eyes or sneaking glances a few panels ahead each time you flip to a new spread of pages. So, pace-wise, the vertical format allows, potentially, every panel to hold a reveal. There’s a ton that creators can do to play with suspense, pacing, and of course, cliffhangers and surprises! I think that also leads to more consideration being placed on every panel. It breaks down a comic to a series of panels, in a sense, instead of a series of pages. So, sequences become about this image and then the next, not necessarily this page full of images. It’s a very pure form of sequential storytelling: one panel and then the next and then the next.

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I think every time there’s a new way to present a comic, it’s easy to see that certain comics and creators take to the new formats easier than others. How have the creators at Stela taken to the new format so far?

JG: Honestly, it’s been an embarrassment of riches. Whether taking a more traditional approach with panel breaks or really playing around with vertical format with panels that bleed seamlessly together as they scroll, there’s going to be a lot of unique and diverse storytelling available to readers. There’s also the delivery method of our stories, 32 phone screens—the equivalent of about 8 traditional comic pages—a week for five to sometimes 13 to even 20 weeks is a very different delivery method than 22 pages a month. There’s a lot that creators are doing with this new type of serialization that I think is going to keep readers interested and, in many case, on the edge of their seat.

Stela is going to use a subscription model, splitting the profits between the various creative teams. Why go this route, rather than being ad supported or offering things for free?

JG: Well, ads are definitely my least favorite pages in a comic book, so we figured we’d cut those first!

But seriously, we’re a streaming service, so we wanted to go with a model that made sense to us and to our audience. The comparison I like to draw is with HBO Now. A monthly fee gets you access to the premium content developed by a celebrated and award-winning network. We’re aiming for that.

But also, it goes back to accessibility again. A good comic book shop or digital comics retailer has plenty of options, sure. But, where do you start? And with each series, issue, or collection you take a chance on, you have to shell out cash. It’s not necessarily an easy way to get into comics. We’re providing a bunch of new content, diverse series from diverse creators, all available for a low monthly fee. Try one or try them all, it’s the same price. And next month, there’s brand new content for that same low price, so all the more reason to stick around and get access to new kick ass comic each month!

As for cost, we want to be able to continue offering our creators great page rates and competitive and rewarding profit split money on their series. And, how’s that old saying go? “If you do something well, don’t do it for free.” A low price for new, high quality content each month seems a fair trade off to have your new favorite comics beamed to your phone every day.

From the creative teams and stories announced so far, it’s easy to see that Stela has a mix of both established and relatively new talent, and a diverse group of creators and genres. How did you decided which creators to approach? What was their initial reaction?

JG: Well, the top priority was locking down content we believed in and enjoyed, so we went to creators whose work we personally loved first and foremost. That included chatting with well-known creators and new talents alike, which was the balance we wanted to have. Our audience, right now, is undefined. So, why hold back on what kind of comics we’re working on? We’ve got creators with decades of comics experience and brand new people who have huge careers ahead of them working on stories that cover genres like sci-fi, fantasy, horror, queer romance, comedy, crime, and historical drama to name a few. Going back to accessibility, it’s not just about ease of reading, but the inclusivity of our content making Stela a welcoming pace for current comic fans and new readers as well.

The reaction from creators has been overwhelmingly positive. Excitement seems to be the feeling that permeates the pitch process. I think we’ve been a bit like kids in a candy shop, excitedly signing up creators who we’re thrilled to be working with on projects they are passionate about and excited to find a venue for. It’s been kind of an infectious atmosphere of creative enthusiasm!

Jim, I know you have previous experience at Dark Horse. In your experience so far, is there a difference in the kind of stories Stela will be publishing versus the kinds of stories that might find a home at publishers in the direct market?

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JG: Absolutely. I mean, I love print comics, but in a time where there are dozens of new series launching every month, it’s hard for each book to find the shelf space it needs to build a readership. So, instead of trying to use internal marketing to figure out whether we can get retailers excited about a book in hopes they get their customers excited for it, or whether we can get readers psyched enough on social media to go preorder a comic, our process is much more simple. It isn’t about prior sales numbers in comic shops or what we think Amazon might do to promote the collection. It’s as straightforward as: “Do we think this is good enough to entertain people? Do those people have phones? Yes and yes? All right, let’s do this thing!” After years of trying to figure out the best way to find success for a title in the direct market or book market, it’s incredibly liberating and invigorating to be in a position to sell comics directly to the readers who want them.

And that’s allowed us to partner with creators on stories that, quite frankly, you might not see coming from other publishers. Combined, the series that form our lineup are going to form an undeniably awesome Voltron of new comics reading that people aren’t going to be able to ignore or, I think, live without. As a whole, it’s an amazing lineup thats incredibly strong and engaging. And even if we’re only as strong as our weakest link, we’re very, very strong and way, way more affordable to boot!

You’ve all be steadily announcing and teasing titles here and there, but when can people expect to be able to read comics on the Stela app?

JG: The future is now!

But seriously, that “early 2016” launch date we announced with is no joke. You’ll be enjoying Stela comics very, very soon.


Leo Johnson

Leo is a biology/secondary education major and one day may just be teaching your children. In the meantime, he’s podcasting, reading comics, working retail, and rarely sleeping. He can be found tweeting about all these things as @LFLJ..

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