asafager

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Why the iPad and comicbooks will never work.

I'm sure this has already been covered somewhere in the threads, but I'm just gonna go ahead and share my personal opinion on the matter. While I've got a few beers in me. 
I say no to this whole internet generation of comicbooks. Not just as a purist of the medium, but also because I never see it working out. When I first got into comics, back in the early 00s, Marvel and DC were attempting to have some kind of online publishing. They clearly thought it would be a huge, groundbreaking event in their publishing racket, and it obviously never stuck. 
Such a huge part of this industry is the tactile sensation of the books themselves. Not simply the flipping of pages and catching the light in just the right way, but the friend to friend exchange of the books. My friends and I swap comicbooks back and forth on a weekly basis. We all read each others books and then spend hours drinking beers and shooting the shit about them. But more than anything, what I love about the physical books is the Shelf. The bookcase they occupy in my living room, for all the see, whether they care or not. Showing off to the world that I love comicbooks and I always will. 
How, I ask you, does this work when the medium goes digital? 
While I don't know this for sure, it seems logical that the publishers would have some kind of encryption on their files to ensure that people aren't just emailing them to each other. The same way iTunes manipulates it's music. But more importantly, your collection never looks anywhere near as impressive tucked away in a folder on your hard drive as it does sitting on a shelf for all to see. Any true music lover still buys their CDs or LPs for the simple tactile pleasure of showing them off. 
And that, friends, is why comicbooks will never take on a digital medium. 
I know, I know, the whole torrent files of books are out there. But seriously? Who wants to read a stack of gif files on their computer screen? There is nothing pleasant about that experience at all.
But also, and this is important, let's not discount the existence of the comicbook store. I think we can all agree that these gathering places are not simply for purchasing our latest titles, but also to feel closer to those who share our passions. Who hasn't debated with the guy behind the counter? It's half the fun! 
However, on a separate note, I've learned to stop taking the comicbook store guy's advice on titles. I've been burned one too many times. Ultimates 3? Are you fucking kidding me!? 
Word.

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Suck on that, Quest!

Apparently if I write something here I complete a quest. 
This whole quest thing is both obnoxious and fun at the same time. 
It encourages me to do things I would otherwise never bother with.

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