Dstlng the Future of Comics
Let's talk about a new fangled idea, shall we?
One of the things that bugs me the most about the direct comics market is the fact that everyone is having problems, but no one is trying to come up with solutions.1
While I’m sometimes part of this problem, I try to approach things from a positive light. I see the current industry, and I try and offer ways that it can work, or need to adjust. That’s why when I see others trying something interesting, I’m pretty easy to get on board. Which brings us to this thing:
Brandishing a name that will be mistakenly carbon dated to 2020, former ComiXology bigwigs David Steinberger and Chip Mosher announced DSTLRY - a genuinely intriguing new approach to producing and releasing comics into the wild.
At the molten heart, is the idea to give creators a stake in the company itself. In fact, the “Founding Creators” have been given an equity stake in the company, and the list of founders is a murderer’s row:
Scott Snyder (Batman, Wytches), Tula Lotay (Barnstormers), James Tynion IV (Something Is Killing the Children, The Joker War), Junko Mizuno (Pure Trance, Ravina the Witch?), Ram V (Detective Comics, The Many Deaths of Laila Starr), Mirka Andolfo (Sweet Paprika, Mercy), Joëlle Jones (Lady Killer, Catwoman), Jock (Batman: One Dark Knight, Wytches), Becky Cloonan (Wonder Woman, Batgirls), Brian Azzarello (100 Bullets, Joker), Elsa Charretier (Love Everlasting, November), Stephanie Phillips (Grim, Harley Quinn), Lee Garbett (Spider-Man, Skyward), Marc Bernardin (Adora and the Distance, Star Trek: Picard), Jamie McKelvie (The Wicked + The Divine, Captain Carter), and Founding Editor Will Dennis (Y: The Last Man, Snow Angels).
Outside of that, creators whose work is released in the first three years of the company’s run will be given a chunk of equity as well, with 3% distributed among all creators based off of title performance. Which is more than “nothing”.
The result is something my partner described as a “comics union” of sorts, with the workers getting a stake in the larger structure.
In an interview at The Beat, co-founder David Steinberger stated:
We think that by treating creators this way, they’ll bring their best commercial work and we think that it can be profitable on the print and digital, just hit book level.
And I don’t think he’s wrong about that.
A few weeks or months ago, I stumbled upon a retailer gripe thread about people talking about how characters have been popping up at Marvel and DC that seem derivative of previous characters. The supposition by the group was the current crop of talent didn’t have what it takes to produce the next big character, instead just rehashing old ideas - but in making this assumption, I believe they mixed up cause and effect.
Modern creators realize that what they create for Marvel and DC has a hypothetical cap of $5,000 and a plane ticket in compensation for the billion dollar properties that they are feeding, beyond the work-for-hire rates they’re contracted for. Why would creators put their best ideas into a pot they will inevitably only get a taste from? By offering a bigger taste if the company succeeds, it stands to reason that creators won’t only be more invested in what they’re creating, but in potentially recruiting other folks who might add to the business in general. This is a good thing.
Digital Scarcity
A more interesting aspect of this new company comes from the idea of digital scarcity. While the founders claim that DSTLRY was founded as a print comics company first, they admit the digital aspect is a huge focus. But they’re not just going to stick to the same digital game plan as other companies.
Print comics and digital comics will be released day-and-date, but the digital comics will only be available for purchase from the Wednesday release date, to the following Tuesday. After that, the amount of digital copies that exist will be capped, and available for sale from the folks who purchased said titles, with the creators of the books getting a cut of each and every resale.
Steinberger compares this scarcity to what happens with print comics:
Comics have that built in, simply by being released on Wednesday. The retailer’s bought what they bought, you have to have a pull list or you have to be there on Wednesday if you want to make sure you’re getting that book, particularly a popular one.
The idea is to build a sense of urgency to the proceedings once more - much like the popularity of sneaker drops.
While folks are concerned this sounds a bit too much like NFTs, the company isn’t producing the digital content in such a way that it burns through small countries worth of power - they’re simply turning off a tap, and allowing a limited stock to circulate within the community.
I have to admit, it is quite a neat trick. Because Steinberger is right - the digital scarcity wouldn’t be much different than a person trying to get their hands on a print single issue. A limited quantity is produced, and once they don’t multiply once they ship from the printer. And while I’m not personally a fan of limiting releases or reading things digitally, I can’t argue that single issues exist as limited releases as is, and a good amount of folks read and enjoy digital for a myriad of reasons. This company seems to be identifying this and taking it to a reasonable conclusion - all the while making sure creators see a taste of increased demand in the long run.2
While we’ll have to wait until the fall to see things gear up in full measure, the summer will see the release of an anthology featuring work of all the founding creators, with their first series to start in the fall. Each release will run in the 48 page magazine format that DC has recently been utilizing in their Black Label line, making the print items durable objects. I’m a big fan of this, as I think a huge problem the modern single market has is how disposable the product feels like for the price point.
Between the creative team, and the creative ideas at the core of this new venture, I’m excited to see what happens with them next. My gut says this will be successful, the only question being a matter of scale. As with all things, we’ll have to wait and see.
Until then, what are your thoughts on this new company and how they’re releasing their books? Hit up the comments if you have something to say.
I’ll be back here on Monday for more.
Talk with you soon.
-B.
No, yelling “make better books” doesn’t count. If you can’t find good books right now, you’re doing this wrong.
In addition to this, digital “collected editions” will be available in perpetuity, mirroring how graphic novels are usually available far longer than single issues are.
Let's talk about a very old idea. I promise I will get positive at the end, just as I was excited for a new idea in digital comics, but this doesn't sound like a new idea at all.
1. People making comics that own a piece of the profit even if they don't do any creative labor (the 3% going to an upper class of initial creators.
2. "Digital scarcity" is just faux scarcity. Either there is a highly complicated way to protect those digital originals (e.g. blockchain) or they are easily copied. Easily copied is the whole point of digital files.
3. Faux scarcity is just creating a demand for something that doesn't have an organic demand. It's the same old bullshit of variant covers or NFTs applied to something that didn't need it.
There is an inherent value in editors. I believe that editors, when doing their work well, make creative works better. Gatekeepers are necessary because not every artist wants to handle the business side of making a living from art.
I believe there are legitimate markets unexplored for digital art. Look no further than Panel Syndicate, which quietly celebrated its 10th anniversary recently. There's also itch.io and gumroad.com, and on the big money side there's Webtoons and Zestworld, and of course, Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
I believe that someone will continue to improve on the digital pipeline that will include real world spaces to engage with art, whether that's eventual print editions or stores that become a community hub and bring in the work of digital artists.
Maybe DSTLRY is it, but this sounds suspiciously like old-school owner-class capitalism and about the farthest thing from a union.
I'm interested to see what kind of books the founding creators will be releasing and I like the higher-quality print format. The digital scarcity thing doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. The drop culture they reference in their interviews is for physical products. People like showing off those products by wearing them.
How are you similarly going to show off a digital comic you bought? Relatedly why would I care if a digital single issue is in limited supply if it is the same content as the superior print format of the book and if I can later buy a digital trade that includes that issue? And if I'm paying a premium for the print version, I think it would be reasonable to get a digital copy thrown in for free.
There needs to be some extra "something" other than "we only made 5 of them!" Maybe like an interview, sketches, extra content, a Livestream only available to people owning the issue, or maybe the chance to win original art? Like everyone who owns a digital copy (or all copies of a mini series) will get something cool or get a chance to win something cool.