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Post by Nowhere Man on Jun 25, 2014 3:42:36 GMT -5
I was an early convert of digital -- I guess since around the time those Marvel DVD ROMS came out -- but now I find myself growing tired of it. Part of it, I believe, is the simple physical fact that staring at a computer screen wears on the eyes. I'm not sure if trying to read massive runs in a library program or on Comixology is good for the eyes or the sanity. I think what I might do is use digital for single issues and new series I want to try and focus on building my TPB and hardcover library.
Has anyone else been experiencing this?
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Post by Spike-X on Jun 25, 2014 4:06:01 GMT -5
Yeah, I can only read an issue or two on my iPad before I have to have a break. Whereas I can breeze through a tpb or two in print with no problem.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2014 4:12:31 GMT -5
I very rarely pay for digital comics. I did pony up the subscription fee for Mark Waid's Thrillbent went it went from free to a subscription model (it's only $3.99 a month the price of a single comic for all the content I want to read). I do redeem the digital codes of the Marvel books I purchase in print, and ditch the physical copy after I have read it usually (though the few things I want to keep long term I eventually plan on getting in trade).
I find reading digital comic content to be tolerable-though I will say the Thrillbent stuff, designed for digital presentation reads much better on screen than do print comics even in guided view-but I still prefer reading it in print. Part of it is the eyestrain you mentioned, part of it is I spend so much time at the computer working/writing/editing/surfing that I just want to get away from it for a time and a physical comic or book is a nice alternative. I can't stand trying to read on a small screen, so reading via phone is right out, and I don't even have a cell phone (I know Luddite) though my wife has an Iphone-we just don't need a second phone and cannot justify the cost of a second. Laptops are ok but we don't have a serviceable tablet (my wife has a Nook she no longer uses once she got the Iphone, and I have a very old tablet that barely does anything let alone be actually useful), so for me a physical book or comic is actually more portable and if I want to read somewhere other than my desk, it actually works better than digital for me.
I get the perks and conveniences of digital, and god knows I read enough other stuff delivered digitally, but I just prefer to read my comics(and books)in print.
-M
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2014 5:32:35 GMT -5
I'm trying to get into digital, just haven't done it yet. I'm a cheapskate and a lot of my reading is second hand copies bought from paperbackswap.com at two bucks plus shipping. The rest is nice (but still cheap) fancy hardcovers I want to own anyway. I like a good affordable slipcase set. Newer comics are priced the same digitally as they are for the physical copy, and I actually get my hard copies at a 20% discount so there is zero incentive to switch to digital there. And I don't like Comixology in general. Just like some people don't like iTunes. Doubt I'll be a Comixology subscriber ever. But I've bought a few digital comics directly from the creator, mostly because a print version was not an option.
I just heard about the web comic Spacegirl and the first thing I did was look for a print copy. Found one, but it's in French, so I may give that web series a try. I read a few web comics, or did, I don't check them as often anymore. The single page humor comics are easier to read, I've tried Freakangels and can't get six pages deep without feeling like giving up. I'm thinking I may try a Kindle edition TPB off Amazon some time. I actually do read an e-book here and there and love it.
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Post by Icctrombone on Jun 25, 2014 6:06:03 GMT -5
Just like Trebor I bought the DVD-Rom of the FF and the Avengers years ago. I just downloaded the Comixology app onto My tablet a week ago It's a quick read. So far, I'm just reading the freebies. I just can't see paying money for comics I can't keep.
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Post by The Captain on Jun 25, 2014 6:53:38 GMT -5
I haven't gone to digital yet, and I'm not sure if I ever will. I stare at a computer screen all day long at work, so there is something refreshing about reading printed pages instead of just more computer time. Also, I own 85% or more of the comics in floppy format that I am actually interested in reading, so there is little need for me to buy digital versions of them other than for portability.
Also, and this is something my wife laughs at me about, is that I love the smell of old comics. I will take one out of a bag to start reading it, and the first thing I do is hold it up to my nose; I know it's weird, but between that and physically holding the book, it makes me feel like I'm actually reading something instead of just having more time on the computer.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jun 25, 2014 6:56:39 GMT -5
I pretty much only go digital for comics I can't easily locate in floppy copies. Specifically, I have digital copies of the early Grendel and Nexus stuff.
I really don't enjoy the experience. It bothers me that, if I want the image large enough, it means having to scroll to see what's on the rest of the page rather than just allowing my eyes to move there. Incredibly obtrusive.
Plus I enjoy the sense of history one experiences from touching the actual comic and flipping through those authentic ads from days gone by. I find it an added bonus when I see the inscribed name of an original owner, or a crossword puzzle completed within as it gives the whole experience a sense of legacy.
digital media is efficient, but it's cold, and it rarely makes for as quality an experience.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jun 25, 2014 6:57:33 GMT -5
Also, and this is something my wife laughs at me about, is that I love the smell of old comics. I will take one out of a bag to start reading it, and the first thing I do is hold it up to my nose; I know it's weird, but between that and physically holding the book, it makes me feel like I'm actually reading something instead of just having more time on the computer. You're not alone in any of this  |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2014 7:06:57 GMT -5
If comics become digital only then I will be done buying comics. Like others I get fatigued reading from a computer, etc. I can still find great deals on back issues. I always will prefer print because I like to own the product & I like to be able to have the physical copy in my hands.
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jun 25, 2014 7:09:05 GMT -5
I have no interest in paying money for digital content, nor do I have the time or inclinination to punch in ridiculously long codes for comics I own.
I've sometimes considered selling the codes (I hear lots of people do that), but again, seems more trouble that it's worth.
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Post by The Captain on Jun 25, 2014 7:13:40 GMT -5
Plus I enjoy the sense of history one experiences from touching the actual comic and flipping through those authentic ads from days gone by. I find it an added bonus when I see the inscribed name of an original owner, or a crossword puzzle completed within as it gives the whole experience a sense of legacy. This is it for me. Even though it bothers me when I'm reading through a book and I find that the Marvel Value Stamp was cut out, I remember that it's missing because the original owner (probably) was trying to complete a collection of the MVS and that's kind of cool. There's history to what I have in my hand, rather than it just being a story on a screen.
I love the letter pages. Seeing names like Ralph Macchio, Kurt Busiek, Frank Lovece and any other number of folks who wound up in the industry eventually is just great, because you can see from their passion and detail in what they were writing as fans that they "got" the medium, so that their future roles in creating comics should not have been unexpected.
As for the ads, whenever I come across one that stands out as being really dated ("Van painting as a career!" "Sell Grit!" "Electronics is the future!"), I read them out-loud to my wife in my best "cheesy announcer" voice and we have a great laugh out of it.
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Post by Cei-U! on Jun 25, 2014 7:18:07 GMT -5
My "career" as a comics historian would be impossible without digital but when I'm reading for pleasure it's paper-and-ink all the way.
Cei-U!
I summon the best of both worlds!
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Post by Nowhere Man on Jun 25, 2014 7:55:17 GMT -5
I'm glad to see that I'm not alone with the fatigue thing. It's frustrating wanting to read more, but not being able to physically maintain it. Ugh. I've recently started rebuilding my Marvel Masterwork's line and getting any of the interesting Bronze Age Batman collections DC releases. I'm just happier holding these things in my hand. I'm probably going to get a few more omnibus' as well. The FF Vol.2 I have is superb.
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ironchimp
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Post by ironchimp on Jun 25, 2014 7:59:19 GMT -5
I stare at a computer screen all day - the idea of staring at a screen again in my free time ... i just can't do it. I can see advantages of digital - with today's hi res screens you are going to get the artwork really vivid and sharp - far more than printing - plus no endless clutter in the house. But just like i prefer to buy a record than an mp3 - to just distance myself away from computers for a period of each day (regardless of sound quality debates etc) - i feel same way about print. I also suspect comics havent really pushed the boundaries of what print can actually do yet which would be impossible in digital. Ok issues might cost a zillion pounds each with experimental printing techniques, paper stocks, etc but there are still a lot of relatively untapped techniques in print for comics.
digital would definitely be cool though if you are a researcher or a heavy reader of the obscure, rare or cripplingly expensive. Swopping mp3s of rare 7"s that arent comped, available to find or only come up for sale once in a blue moon has definitely enriched my life.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jun 25, 2014 8:27:43 GMT -5
The other problem with digital is that it can all get wiped out -- easily.
In the early days of the iTunes store, I dutifully purchased all my songs, albums, and even television show episodes. Then my computer was fried by a virus. The iTunes store lost track of the bulk of my purchases, and I could not get those files back for free.
It's a lot harder to wipe out someone's physical comic book collection.
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