10 Questions with one of the minds behind the new Mobilia app!
- Who are you and what are you working on right now? (2 questions in 1, I know!)
My name is Sam Gardner Jr. and I’m the founder of Cape Fear Comics UK . The company has just launched a brand new digital platform called Mobilia complete with a singing/rock opera first issue.
- What drew you to digital comics?
I think the potential was the biggest draw. There were so many things that we wanted to do in paper that were either too costly, or defied the laws of physics. With the digital medium however, your constraints are reduced and you can really let your imagination run wild.
- Webcomics or digital comics?
I’ve always been attracted to digital comics over webcomics. I think it might be because of the shelving systems that you get with digital comics, and that sense of building a comic collection, that’s always been very appealing to me as a long time collector of paper comics.
- What do you think works with digital comics?
I’ve been to quite a few conventions with my paper comics and what’s a real breath of fresh air is that you’re not just getting your stuff to the folks that walk down artist’s alley, it’s now for the whole world to see, so I think the exposure that digital brings is quite revolutionary and the concept that anyone who can write or draw can pitch to the world and not just keep their fingers crossed at a con for a talent scout.
- Can digital comics replace print comics?
I hope not. I don’t think that digital comics should replace paper, but rather evolve into their own sub-media. I’m a fan of Swamp Thing, and there’s a wonderful moment in The Saga of the Swamp Thing when our hero has been trying to hold onto his humanity in body and mind, but then he finally realises the potential of what he actually is. I think the same can be said for digital comics, I love that we adopt the ideas that make paper comics so enjoyable, but at the same time, I think we have this exciting new platform for telling stories which has so much potential still to be unlocked.
- How can print comics work with digital comics?
I’ve seen quite a few mainstream paper comics that now have augmented reality encoded in them, and I really, really love that as a concept. It’s sort of the best of both worlds, you have something solid, that you can hold in your hands, but also the flashy special features through your tablet or phone.
- What don’t you like about digital comics?
There’s something very permanent about having a paper comic and that’s something I don’t think digital has just yet. In the coming months, we want to do as much as we can to bring that psychology of physical collecting to our digital shelving system, but I think in certain cases, we’ll just have to accept that digital is an entirely different creature, and shouldn’t necessarily be a complete shadow of paper.
- What digital comics/webcomics do you read?
I’m a big DC fan, so any of those hard to get back issues are always a must for me.
- Where do you see digital comics going from here?
For me personally, I want to push the very way that stories are told. In a medium that is so inhabited by superheroes, I want to use super powers themselves as a device for telling stories. If a guy has ex-ray vision, why can’t the reader see through buildings with him? If a guy is invisible, why can’t the reader use a heat signature layers to track him through the story? That’s the sort of questions we’re asking ourselves. I also think social media is a very important breakthrough, and that’s something we want to use as a tool in the coming months to help our audience create this world with us.
- Who do you think we should look out for in digital comics?
Anybody that’s utilising the medium. The ones that are taking risks and trying new stuff out. I really like what Madefire are doing and I think it’s great that some of the big comic companies are utilising the technologies that these guys are creating. If we all get inspired to push the envelope a little more, it can only be a good thing.
