What Are Digital Comics?

In recent years, digital comics have emerged as an alternative to conventional comic books. Digitalcomics can be most narrowly defined as comics which are not only created solely by digital means -that is, using computer software instead of pen-and-ink drawings - but also distributed in the sameway.

But defining digital comics is not always simple, as there are a number of types of comics which areconsidered digital comics - to varying degrees. These can include scanned comics, webcomics, andmotion comics.

Digital Comics Scanned From Comic Books

Many digital comics are simply digital versions of regular comic books, scanned so that they can bestored and read on a computer. Scanned digital comics are often illegal copies, though comicspublishers have taken to releasing comics in supplemental digital versions as well.

Digital comics are available in common file formats like .pdf, though they can also come in formats,such as .cbr or .cbz, designed for comic book reader applications. More recently, publishers havespecifically been reformatting and reissuing comics for the iPhone and other mobile devices.

Webcomics and Other Paperless Comic Books

During the current decline of print media, comic strips and editorial cartoons are finding new life aswebcomics.

These are comics meant to be read exclusively in a web browser. Yet webcomics need not be purelydigital. Much like their comic-book counterparts, many cartoonists still favor conventional media fordrawing their comics, preferring only to publish digitally.

Webcomics often have some sort of interactive feature, such as only revealing speech balloons whenthe reader moves his or her cursor over a panel. Sam and Max: The Big Sleep, by Steve Purcell, isone such webcomic, which went on to win the Eisner Award for Best Digital Comic in 2007.

Motion Comics in the Digital Age

The most technologically sophisticated digital comics are motion comics, which bridge the gapbetween conventional comic books and cartoons. Motion comics can have voice acting, music, andsound effects, but (like flash games) have limited animation. They're simpler to produce than fullanimation and, with smaller resulting file sizes, easier to distribute online.

Motion comics are often adapted from conventional comics. Marvel's much-hyped new Spider-Woman series comes in both formats, for instance, though there are some slight content differencesbetween the print issues and motion comics releases.

However, motion comics actually predate digital media. Good examples of what are now calledmotion comics can be found in the documentary Comic Book Confidential (1988), directed by RonMann. The film features a number of semi-animated versions of seminal comics, from Stan Leevoicing the origin of Spider-Man to macabre vignettes by artists Shary Flenniken or Charles Burns.

Digital Comics Serve Different Purposes

Digital comics can encompass a number of different comic book forms. What scans, webcomics, andmotion comics all share is that, whatever they may have been adapted from, they are published forviewing on a computer or other digital device.

Ultimately, different kinds of digital comics each serve a unique purpose. Scans are an alternate wayto distribute and read conventional comics, webcomics provide a venue for comics which mightotherwise not reach a wide audience, and motion comics translate comics directly into a cinematicform.