Having lived in Alaska now for fourteen years I understand the idea of being in a place just far enough to be considered remote. Being remote in Alaska means some of the culture that the Lower 48, as we like to call it, gets to enjoy we miss out on. We don’t have pro sports and we don’t get a lot of concerts. While the concerts have gotten better in recent years some of the other culture issues really haven’t advanced in any way. One thing we do get on time like the rest of the United States is Comics!
Now, I find myself on vacation in Maui and the remoteness of Anchorage seems like a joke. They have all of the problems we have and then on top of it they don’t even have a comic shop. This was something that really surprised me as I assumed, incorrectly, that at least one shop would exist to cater to fans. Turns out though that the last remaining shop here in Maui had to close because of the economy. The website for the closed shop states that the economy combined with freight costs to the island made it too financially costly to maintain the store.
So this got me thinking. What does one do when they live in a remote spot and wish to enjoy the wonderful world of comic addiction? I suppose a reader could use online methods of ordering but that doesn’t do much for those fans who want their books on time like everyone else. As a fan I find half the fun of reading comics is being immersed in the community.
The interactive nature of new comic day and discussing what’s happened to our favorite characters makes the characters that much more important and relevant in my opinion. So to lose out on this would be disastrous to my comic reading experience. It’s really put a damper on this week for me. Well, as much as being in Hawaii without new comics can really be a damper. I mean it is Hawaii right?! Having said that, I’m on vacation while others live here and find this to be more than a one-week inconvenience.So you’re asking what the hell is my point right? Well, this whole thing has made me appreciate the need for digital comics. While not all remote places will have internet there are places like where I am now that do. If digital and print comics released simultaneously on Wednesdays this would solve at least a portion of these remote locations predicaments. Allowing more people to gain access to the comics might even help to relieve some of the issues with pirating comics. I could see why, but not condone, some people in remote locals would download comics illegally. What other option do they have? Again, not condoning this just playing devil’s advocate.
Digital comics often times are thought of as a great cheaper alternative to print comics but I feel the help it would provide remote readers is overlooked. I know I personally overlooked it until this week. Now I’m craving and I’ve got no comic dealer to get me my fix. The closest thing I have is my Comixology iPhone app and it doesn’t have new stuff so that doesn’t help on that front.
So to sum it all up the move to a digital medium will be a great advance for the comic culture. It will help to get comics to places that currently can’t get them. It will open up windows to new readers and fans. It could also help to bring back older fans who’ve moved where they don’t have access. Overall it’s a fairly cheap setup for the industry that will pay itself off without a doubt. If only it was active this week.
