On Digital Comics: An Unreasonable Man

I love print comic books. Sure, I don't read new ones much anymore but I still consider myself a fan. In addition to pure reading fun I enjoy the tactile and, in vintage comics, even the aromatic quality of old paper. It's very comforting. Having said that, I think that digital comic books are vital to the health and growth of comic books both as a business and as an art-form. Even more importantly, I see digitized comics as a wonderful way to preserve and share the history of the medium as well. However...

I've been reading the latest gnashing and grinding of teeth regarding comic book scanning and torrents (for more see here). I come to the debate as someone who is both a creator of Intellectual Property (my comic It's Science with Dr. Radium for example) and someone who relies on the Fair Use provisions of U.S. copyright law to comment on existing Intellectual Property (as I do here on my blog and, previously, in my Comic Book Heaven magazine). My main interest currently is how digital copies of Public Domain paper comics can be used to create an archive of out of print publications for the benefit of researchers and readers. There are some interesting things being done in this area that I want to talk about in a future post but first I want to address some of the justifications scanners and related parties have been using recently regarding their copying and use of copyrighted intellectual property.

With all due respect, I call bullshit. Here are just some of the justifications I've read recently:

Justification #1: “I'm just sharing what I've bought. That benefits the creator too!”
It's not sharing, it's making exact digital copies. I didn't have as much money to spend on comic books when I was a kid as I would have liked. Occasionally, a friend or neighbor would loan me comics to read. It was while reading a loaned comic that I discovered that Jack Kirby lived close by and I eventually was able to meet him (he was listed in the phone book -- I was stunned). That loaner comic literally changed my life. But, and here's the main thing here, I didn't own the comic and it ultimately had to go back to the neighbor. Jack Kirby got a fan for life... and a pretty steady customer after that. Of course I had to buy the comics I wanted, there was no other reliable way to get them. Making digital copies changes that equation to the detriment of the creator because it removes a major impetus to buying the physical comic book (and remember the physical comic book is the source of the income). You could give vital and necessary financial support to the creator of comic books you read but with everything you could possibly want a mouse click away you don't have to. There is no hard evidence that creators significantly benefit from this passing around of digital content. Consequently, it's disrespectful and unfair to the creators.

Justification #2: “I'm just sharing and showing my passion. Isn't that what fans do?”
Again, it's not sharing, it's making exact digital copies and distributing them. And again, there is no hard evidence that creators significantly benefit from this. Writing fan fiction, making fan art, websites, custom toys, and all that stuff is sharing and showing your passion. That's positive creativity and that's really great.

Justification #3: “Most comic books suck, why should I pay for them?”
I'm sorry, but this is just infantile. There are numerous message boards and blogs where you can get reviews of new comics. Lots of folks put up free samples of upcoming projects. Just google away. I hate paying for something that stinks too but it's a problem that can be easily minimized with a tiny bit of research done from the comfort of wherever your computer is located. Finding out what's good in a way that's creator-friendly is just not that hard.

Justification #4: “There are too many comic books to buy. I can't afford them all.”
I feel your pain, but so what? I understand that it's easy to get whatever you want in unlimited quantities without fear of serious repercussions. I get that. Satisfying your comic book fix for free with no strings attached is a powerful siren's call. And, yeah, okay all your friends do it. Fine. But look, it really doesn't get more simple than this: taking something -- that somebody else created -- without permission and without any recompense and then passing it around is a crap thing to do. You have a brain and can make a choice. You like comics? Then respect the hard work that goes into making comics and pay for them.

Justification #5: “This is all about the money. That's all anyone cares about.”
Yeah, you don't want to spend money on comics and the people who make those comics want to spend money on, oh, food maybe? I can't speak for the people who work at Marvel or DC but anyone who toils in the small press world is not in comic books because of the money. I made way more money optioning my Dr. Radium character to the Fox Kid's Network than I did actually making comic books that year (I had a better deal than most but still). Especially in the small press world, you make comic books because you really, really want to. Respect these people.

Justification #6: “ What about libraries? What if I just want to browse through a comic like I do in a comic shop?”
Graphic novels in libraries is just one of the coolest things I've seen happen in comics. Seeing kids sitting around the library reading manga and graphic novels is great. I just love it. Sure, not every reading leads to a sale but it also doesn't lead to physical ownership of a copy either. And thumbing through comic books in a shop under the watchful eye of a retailer is a fleeting, temporary experience. “Browsing” through a comic book on your computer is only remotely similar if you briefly glance at the pages and trash the file.

Justification #7: “The consumer wants digital comics.”
Great. I agree that digital comics are useful and inevitable. But anything you do that has an adverse impact on the finances of the people who make comic books make it that much more difficult to pursue a digital program. Suck all the air out of a room and you extinguish the fire. Don't be an enemy of the people who make what you love. Respect their effort. Give them a chance to figure out how and if they want to enter the digital realm. Not everyone will do what you want when you want it. Sorry.

Justification #8: “But it's my copy and I can do what I want with it.”
I'm a consumer too. When I buy a piece of entertainment I want to feel as if I own that copy and can freely do anything I'm entitled to do with it. I hate DRM. Just hate it. I understand that you might want a copy of your favorite comic book at work, a copy at home, and a copy for your rustic vacation cabin. Good. Great. That said, unless the creators give the thumbs up you simply should not be spreading copies around to parts unknown. Copying is just not simply innocent sharing in the digital world.

This doesn't cover everything surrounding the issue -- and deals essentially with recent, not vintage, comic books -- but I wanted to get some of these thoughts off my chest as this stuff has been bouncing around in my head for the last couple of days. I really think that digital comics are, in the main, an excellent development. As it always seems to happen with technological progress, it's the human element that stumbles a bit.

NEXT: A look at getting public domain comics online including a review of Wowio.com.