MOBILE MANGA
In Japan where manga and doujinshi (usually amateur, self published comic works) are huge, the mobile content market has opened entirely new doors of liberation. First, there's the elimination of printing costs, a serious obstacle for the indie artist. This also opens the door to full color works. Second, the issue of distribution is quickly solved because the works become only a click away as opposed to the difficulty of retail outlets, which are nearly impossible for the indie to get in. Limited shelf space becomes a thing of the past.
In the American comics market this becomes an even greater possibility. The American comic market is a world where distributors rule, retailers suffer, many going out of business at steady pace, and the publishers and creators are forced to play whatever hand they are given. All of this can be swept away in an all digital and mobile world.
Of course I don't expect this huge transformation to happen anytime soon. It's going to start small. With devices like the iPhone, though, featuring a revolutionary touch screen and beautiful color rendering, a new space is opening for mobile manga. New creators can get in, creating even specific iPhone manga, and have a huge and ever growing audience awaiting their work. The cost of color is no more. The cost of print extinct. Distribution is under control of the creator if that is the desire. With iPhone manga, or mobile content in general, it's a whole new world.
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