While there may have been bigger comic new stories this week (i.e. Wonder Woman changes, Spider-Man being cast), it is hard to argue that anything affects more creators and has created more non-fanboy controversy than yesterday’s announcement about Zuda Comics going away.
As Ron Perazza shared, ZudaComics.com is now dead and some of the titles that were under that umbrella (how many is uncertain) are now being moved into DC’s new digital initiative. Details are still sketchy, but the point is Zuda is gone, and many of the creators from that now defunct world are shell shocked.
I’ve spoken with a number of Zuda’s creators about these changes to gauge their feelings on the announcement and what it means for themselves and the industry as a whole. Check out after the jump for talks with David Gallaher, Peter Timony, Caanan Grall, Brock Heasley, James Fosdike, Niki Smith and more as we get them in.
Also, I do want to encourage iPad/iPhone/Playstation 3 owners to pursue reading these comics. Zuda Comics has housed some incredible creators and comics in its short span, and deserves your attention. Books like Bayou and the just launched High Moon are definitely worth your time as a discerning comic reader.
What was your first reaction to hearing the news about Zuda?
Peter Timony (The Night Owls): I was a little upset. It was great to have the website where I could direct people to check out my comic, and read some of the other great comics too. Zuda was home base for us for roughly three years. Zuda gave my brother and I our first break in comics. Also, I was a little worried that I might never get to finish reading some of my favorite comics.
James Fosdike (Deadly): Well, it’s still pretty fresh, I’m in Australia, and I just woke up to it. I’m up and down on this. It’s good to finally have a definitive answer of what’s going on, after Zuda stopped the competition aspect, but sad that it’s at the cost of Zuda and so many cool comics. I love Zuda.
Brock Heasley (writer of February 2010’s winner Monsterplex): I felt like I’d been kicked by a mule. I got word via official email (like the rest of the dispatched creators) about a half hour before the rest of the world found out and it was…not what I was hoping for. I mean, I’d be lying if I said that it was completely unexpected. I had my suspicions something was coming after the competitions were shut down in April, but to shut us down so completely before we even got a chance to produce more pages (Monsterplex won the February competition and had been in a holding pattern since then), that’s what really stung at first. I don’t expect the world to be fair, but by any reasonable estimation we got handed a raw deal. That said, we were luckier than most and I recognize that. We did win and that will always be so.
Caanan Grall (Celadore): Just sadness. I’m not surprised at all, just sad.
David Gallaher (High Moon): It wasn’t entirely unexpected. Certainly Zuda was always a bit of an experiment to begin with. I think whenever you get a new executive team, things are bound to change and evolve.
Niki Smith (In Maps and Legends): Surprise. And then worry about how large an impact this was having– I went to Twitter immediately and you could already see cryptic reactions coming in all over. None of them were good.
Ray Nayler (writer of March 2010’s winner Night at the Western): I just put my head down on my desk for a minute and counted to twenty. After that, I was fine. I saw this coming a long way off.
When it finally sunk in, what was your take on the changes?
Peter Timony: I think Zuda was a great experiment, and I think rather than pulling the plug on it, they should’ve let it evolve. On the positive side, the move is going to attract new eyeballs to our comics. Sharing an app with folks like Batman and Superman is bound to attract a little attention. I do feel bad for the creators who got cut though. Being a part of Zuda is like being a part of a team. Our unofficial motto was, “High tide raises all ships”, meaning what was good for one of us was good for us all. I think that that feeling of camaraderie will stay with us all, even if we no longer have a home base. I hope so, anyway.
Continued belowJames Fosdike: Hmm. It hasn’t yet. Let me go make a coffee and have a ciggarette and I’ll get back to you…
Okay, I’m back. Still sad it’s gone. Sad for all the guys and girls who had their stories cut short, sad for the staff who put in so much effort.
I’m also sad I no longer have a comment wall of people telling me I’m awesome. That comment wall was the best pick-me-up ever…
Brock Heasley: I know that the official line is that Zuda lives on, but just in a different form on Comixology. I’m not privy to the details of the future plans, but I really don’t understand that line of thinking. An argument could be made that Zuda ended back in April when the competitions were stopped. The essence of what people thought of when they thought of Zuda–the competitive and voting aspect–was no more. Now, a lot more has been chipped away. The website is gone, they’ve let go of many of the creators and comics and the comics that do remain won’t even be on the web–you can only read them on an app. At least, that’s my understanding of things. All that being the case, we’re really looking at Zuda in name only, aren’t we? I’d be interested to see if any new titles are added under the Zuda banner or if it’s a brand that will just fade away when the new, slimmed down lineup of comics have run their course.
I’m sure this all makes good business sense on some level, but I do think this is a sad day for webcomics. Whatever else, Zuda inspired a lot of wonderful creators to produce their very best work. It’s sad to see it go.
Caanan Grall: I feel really bad for those guys who aren’t getting the chance to either finish their story, or even begin to tell it. That must be a horrible situation. But, depending where the trademarks fall, there may be nothing to stop them doing it their own way, the old way, anyhow. Making a site. Making mini-comics, whatever they choose. That Zuda cheque will be sadly missed in that case, but if you’ve got the will, there is always a way.
David Gallaher: I’m saddened by the comics that new had a chance to debut, but I am excited for the new direction DC has taken.
Niki Smith: think it’s the direction we all wanted to go in– with the new apps being promoted, it seemed like the perfect place to read Zuda comics without the Flash interface that casual readers complained about. I think it’s the best thing that could happen for Zuda; it’s just a shame there were so few chosen to take part in it.
I really feel for the creators who won but never got a chance to debut. We were the last to launch our “season 1” pages, and we were only able to run for five weeks. I’m sure it’s even tougher for those who were only a few pages away from the end of their runs.
Ray Nayler: This is a changing medium. it’s a strange time to be in comics – but, I think, a promising one. Print is shifting, new media opportunities are opening up, and occasionally, in such an environment, the ground drops out from under you. Think of it as a tectonic shift.
Have you heard anything yet about what the future of your respective title is?
Peter Timony: The Night Owls is coming to an iPhone or iPad near you, very soon. Also PSP. It is being divided into 9 issues, 20 pages each. The first issue will be free. Subsequent issues will be 99 cents. To own the whole thing, you will have to invest $8, which, as it turns out, is cheaper than the print edition, which retails for $15 (and is available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, or your local comic book shop!)
James Fosdike: I think I’m one of the lucky ones. I think Deadly will be ending up on the iphones and pads an whatnot, which I’m happy about. I’m not sure if it will continue beyond the 60 screens I’ve already done, I hope it does, but we’ll wait and see what happens.
Continued belowBrock Heasley: Right now, that’s something that’s under discussion. We’d like to get the rights to Monsterplex back and all signs point to DC being amenable to that. My team and I produced well beyond the 8 pages in our initial submission and we have a firm outline for what would have been our first season, and some great, colorful characters to tell our story with. The emotional blow of this is such that I still don’t know yet if David, Mike and myself want to continue telling our story under these new circumstances, but it’s something I’m hopeful about. I know we have a lot of fans that want to see us rise up out of this. One thing I have no doubt about: we’ve got one heckuva story to tell.
Caanan Grall: I don’t know anything for certain, but right now, I think Celadore is making it to the digital roll-out. The book that was planned for October, I’m not so sure about. Maybe digital sales will be driving the decision for a book as of now, in which case, watch me promote Cel like crazy and get me that book anyway.
David Gallaher: High Moon will continue at Zuda on the iPad, PS network and through Comixology’s website.
Niki Smith: We got the same email most teams seem to have gotten. We’ll talk to them soon about rights.
Ray Nayler: We’ve been cut along with the website. I’m not sure if Night has a future – it’s really too soon to tell. But our team, certainly, has a future in comics, whether individually or together.
From your perspective, what does Zuda ending mean for the comic industry and to aspiring creators?
Peter Timony: If you are an aspiring comic creator, and you never submitted anything to Zuda, you missed a great opportunity. Open submission policies are hard to find.
James Fosdike: If you’re good at what you do, and you’re determined to do comics for a living, you’ll find a way. Simple as that.
Brock Heasley: Too early to tell at this point, I think. It does feel like a step back for webcomics and for the hope that all of us out here in the trenches have to rise up and do some quality work that can been by more people than just our Aunt Bessie and Cousin Irwin. But I don’t know. Let’s see how it shakes out.
Caanan Grall: It’s only one door closing. There are tons of doors. Doors no-one knows about, even. The key is to know your craft and do the best work you can. Armed with that key, no door will be closed to you.
David Gallaher: Zuda lives on – both as an imprint — and as a community of innovation professionals that embrace ‘no fear’. For aspiring professionals and the industry as a whole I think it should be q wake up call to not hold back with your art and storytelling. Be bold, be fearless — find like-minded creators and go forward!
Niki Smith: I think it’s the loss of a big opportunity. Even if you didn’t win, if you were in an exciting month you could get thousands of new eyes on your work, leaving you feedback. You could draw in any style, you could write in haiku, and you were still considered. No one tried to conform to a house style; what I loved was the variety available.
Ray Nayler: Zuda is just one of many outlets for creative people in the industry, and just one of many ways to break in. It may have eventually broken under the weight of its own enormous, and enormously optimistic, plans. This is the end of Zuda, not the end of the world.
What’s next for you?
Peter Timony: Bobby and I have a website where we post comics on occasion, it is www.twincomics.com. We might have something brewing with Comixology soon, too, but it is too early to spill beans on that. Also, we will be at San Diego Comic Con, so look for us at the DC Booth again. We will answer any question on any topic guaranteed, or your question back.
James Fosdike: Comics-wise, I’ve got a short one called ‘Licked’ written by Josh Tyler, coming out on a new comics website that I’m not too sure how much I can talk about at this stage.
Continued belowI’m also working on a little horror/comedy called ‘GrumbleGuts’ that I hope to have printed in an anthology somewhere. It’s nearly finished, and you can find a sneak peak of it, and ‘Licked here.
There’s a few more projects on the boil, and I’m always doing gig posters and album covers, you can check them out here.
Brock Heasley: The first immediate concern is to decide if Monsterplex has a future. Anyone who’d like to keep apprised of updates should go ahead and bookmark our Monsterplex blog. Soon as we know anything, it’ll be posted there first.
Of course, you can always find me writing and drawing my first webcomic, The SuperFogeys for Th3rd World Studios every Tuesday and Thursday. SF is in its fourth year right now and the story is really heating up. It’s a great time to hop on board and see what it’s all about. Like Monsterplex, SuperFogeys is about taking the fantastic–in this case, superheroes and villains–and setting it among the mundane–a retirement home. Hilarity and evil plots ensue. I can’t imagine a fan of Monsterplex not digging the heck out of it. Plug over!
Caanan Grall: I’ll just keep plugging away with my comic strips on occasionalcomics.com.
Squirrels & Pigeons is running right now, but Max Overacts will be back in a week or two for another four week run. People seemed to really take to Max, and I’d like to have enough strips done to be able to have a book to sell at both Toronto Fan Expo, and NYCC.
David Gallaher: Outside of High Moon on the DC app, I’m working with Steve Ellis on Box 13 with Comixology and we have the second issue of our Marvel mini-series ‘Darkstar and the Winter Guard’ hitting stores next week.
Niki Smith: I recently parted ways with my literary agent, so right now I’m looking for a new one to represent my graphic novels, which I write and draw myself. Not yet sure if Mike (Michael Jasper, writer of IN MAPS & LEGENDS) and I will team up again, but the future is open. 🙂 My site’s at http://www.niki-smith.com/ and I’m @niki_smith on Twitter if people want to keep up with my work now that IM&L is gone.
Ray Nayler: I have two serious projects in the works, but for now I’m going to hold those cards very close to my chest. I don’t like to talk too much about projects in development – maybe my time in the East has made me superstitious. But let me put it this way – they will break far more ground, and are far more ambitious than Night at the Western was.
