There's been a lot of speculation about what comiXology veterans David Steinberger and Chip Mosher would do next after they departed from the digital comics service last year. Well, now we have the answer: meet DSTLRY.
A new publisher of print and digital comics, DSTLRY is launching with an impressive roster of creative talent onboard. The aim is to create a company that offers artists and writers fairer deals and company ownership, while also prioritizing eco-friendly digital comics that can be traded with other readers.
"Comic creators have historically received the short end of the stick when they create great characters and storylines for traditional publishers," said Steinberger and Mosher in a joint statement about the new project. "DSTLRY is truly a creator-owned endeavor, with creators co-owning the company their creations fuel. It just makes sense that as creators help build the brand, they receive equity."
The ace up DSTLRY's sleeve is the roster of talent they've secured - a genuinely impressive selection of some of the best creators working today, including (deep breath): Scott Snyder, Tula Lotay, James Tynion IV, Junko Mizuno, Ram V, Mirka Andolfo, Joëlle Jones, Jock, Becky Cloonan, Brian Azzarello, Elsa Charretier, Stephanie Phillips, Lee Garbett, Marc Bernardin and Jamie McKelvie. More creators will be announced throughout the year.
DSTLRY’s titles will be published both in print, as oversized, premium-format single-issues, and digitally at dstlry.co. Indeed, the company's approach to digital comics sounds very intriguing indeed.
Digital single-issues will be available for purchase for up to one week after release, and will be resaleable on DSTLRY's marketplace (described as "Stub Hub for digital comics) at a price of the owner's choosing, with a percentage of each resale going back to the creators. Benefits such as discounts, exclusive drops, and meetups with creators will also be offered.
Jock described the new publisher as, "aggressive and progressive," before stating that, "It's no surprise that the team that heralded comiXology is approaching digital collectibles ethically and smartly in a way that should grow the comics market, while still embracing our local comic stores." Becky Cloonan, meanwhile, described the publisher as a "bold new opportunity [that] celebrates the medium while keeping its eye on the future of sequential storytelling."
Founding Editor Will Dennis has the final word on the new project, for now, stating: "I've based my entire editorial career on bringing together the best talent and helping them to do what they do best, so joining up with Chip and David seemed like the natural culmination of that ethos. They are building an incredibly innovative company where creators can really have fun making the comics they want to make, and I couldn't be more excited about the amazing projects we have cooking. Watch this space!"
More on DSTLRY as we get it.
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