Roman Dirges’ indy classic, LENORE, is now available from both Comixology and iVerse (Source: Comics Bulletin)

The line of Classics Illustrated comics have also gone the digital route and are now available through iTunes the iBookstore (Source: The Beat)

Comixology has IDW Publishing’s 28 DAYS LATER series on sale (Source: Comixology)

Amazon plans on launching new versions of its popular Kindle including a front-lit Kindle this July (Source: Reuters)

A PLACE LOST IN TIME, A new digital graphic novel from Adolf Navarro and Izara Masie has launched (Source: Zurvan Club)Similar Posts:

• Report: Comixology Has Had Over 50 Million Digital Comics Downloaded Since Launching
• Digital Comic News For May 11th, 2012 Includes The Possibility Of A Color Kindle, Get THE AVENGERS On Sale At Comixology, PHONOGRAM: THE SINGLES CLUB Now At Comixology, And More
• Digital Comic News For April 18, 2012 Includes DRAGON’S LAIR And FOX TROT On iOS Devices, MAX PAYNE 3 Digital Graphic Novel, And More
• The Daily Roundup For December 17: PREACHER Is Available From DC Digital Store, Comic-Related Apps Tops iPad And iPhone Book Apps Category For 2010, and King Features Makes Comic Strips Available For The iPhone
• The Daily Roundup for November 10th: Color Coming To The Kindle, New Digital Titles Available From IDW and Playstation, and ComiXology Is Hiring

Digital Comic News For May 15th, 2012 Includes CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED Now Available Digitally, 28 DAYS LATER Is On Sale, New Kindle Versions Possibly Coming In July, And More is a post from: Digital Comic News

Is Amazon going to release a color version of the Kindle later this year? (Source: Tech Digest)

The Huffington Post has an extensive article on Marvel Comics move into digital comics (Source: Huffington Post)

Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie’s PHONOGRAM: THE SINGLES CLUB is now available digitally at Comixology (Source: Comics Alliance)

Comixology has THE AVENGERS on sale for 99 cents till this Sunday (Source: Comixology)

IDW Publishing’s CEO Ted Adams says IDW’s digital sales account for 10% of their business, and their print sales have increased 25% with the move to digital. (Source: icV2)Similar Posts:

• Digital Comics Sales Tripled in 2011
• Marvel Monday Half-Off Sale Features SECRET WARRIORS And YOUNG AVENGERS
• Dark Horse Digital Has THE GOON On Sale This Weekend For .99 Cents!
• ComiXology Has FARSCAPE At Half-Off For 3-Days Only
• Comixology’s 3-Day Sale Has J. Michael Stracyznski’s RISING STARS At Half-Off

Digital Comic News For May 11th, 2012 Includes The Possibility Of A Color Kindle, Get THE AVENGERS On Sale At Comixology, PHONOGRAM: THE SINGLES CLUB Now At Comixology, And More is a post from: Digital Comic News

Barnes & Noble and Microsoft have partnered together to form a new eBook company called NEWCO (Source:Information Today)

All TRANSFORMERS comics are now available digitally (Source: TFormers)

Graphicly’s Micah Baldwin discusses the importance of storytelling (Source: Forbes)

Artist Alley Comics- a new group of comic creators working in digital comics- will be debuting their new digital comics at Heroes Con 2012 (Source: Comic Book Resources)

And in what appears as Marvel Comics further tightening its widening belt,  Senior Vice President, Integrated Sales and Marketing, Publishing and Digital Media at Marvel Entertainment, John Dokes, has been let go by the company (Source: The Beat)Similar Posts:

• DC Entertainment Teams With Lego On New Digital Comics App For Kids
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• comiXology Announces Beta Release of Android App
• Digital Comic News For April 17, 2012 Includes Avengers Storybook Apps, Nook Discount When You Buy Marvel, And Archaia And Comixology Team-Up

Digital Comic News For May 10, 2012 Includes Microsoft And B&N Form New eBook Company, Graphicly’s Micah Baldwin On Storytelling, Artist Alley Comics To Premiere At Heroes Con, And More is a post from: Digital Comic News

Australian comics legend, Glenn Lumsden, joins trailblazing Digital Comic, The Legend of Spacelord Mo Fo (Source: Ironclad Engineers)

Dark Horse Digital has Dark Horse’s Free Comic Book Day offerings for free for the rest of May (Source: Dark Horse Digital)

Marvel Entertainment signs exclusive single issue English language digital comics agreement with ComiXology (Source: Marvel Comics)

Comixology has CHEW on sale for the next three days (Source: Comixology)

In other Comixology news, they have joined the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (Source: Comic Book Legal Defense Fund)Similar Posts:

• The Daily Roundup for December 2nd: More Details on Dark Horse Digital Comics, Simon Pegg Gets His Own Digital Graphic Novel, Read Marvel Comics In Spanish, and More
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• Report: Dark Horse Digital Now Available On Barnes And Noble’s Nook Devices
• Dark Horse Makes Free Comic Book Day Offerings Available For Digital Downloading
• The Daily Roundup for September 9: New Digital Comics from IDW Publishing, DC Teams With NBC For Digital Comics Sponsorship, and Top Cow and Shadowline Digital Comics Are Coming

Digital Comic News For May 8, 2012 Includes Creator Glenn Lumsden Joins THE LEGEND OF SPACELORD MO FO, Dark Horse Digital Has FCBD Titles For Free, Marvel Comics Signs With Comixology, And More is a post from: Digital Comic News

Daniel Lieske’s THE WORMWORLD SAGA is a reminder on how innovative and powerful comics can be. For those of you not familiar with WORMWORLD, it is about Jonas, a small boy staying with his father and grandmother in the country, who discovers a passage to a fantastical world. The manner and technique Daniel uses to tell this story is what sets this comic apart from others like it. Instead of using the typical page format for telling the story, the reader has to scroll downward through the story as if they are going deeper and deeper into the story themselves. Also, the art technique Daniel uses gives it a very distinctive painted look which gives the story even more charm.

We recently spoke with Daniel about WORMWORLD including what we can expect in the recently released Chapter 3.

Before we dive into WORMWORLD, I like to talk about your digital art background. Did you have any formal art training or are you self-taught?

I’m completely self-taught. I planned to go to art school but my portfolio was rejected on my first try and I jumped onto an internship at a local game development studio instead. I stayed there after the internship and learned a lot by creating concept art and in-game graphics for computer games. I got strongly involved into online communities about digital art and even started my own online forum in German language. I think that anything you have to know about digital art is out there on the internet. What you need to make something out of it is curiosity and practice.

In regard to the work you do on WORMWORLD, is it 100% digital?

I would say so. I do all sketches, painting and layout in Photoshop. However, I own a little Moleskine notebook in which I write story ideas with pencil when I’m travelling. Larger pieces of writing are also done digitally but for little ideas I still prefer the notebook. Perhaps it’s the need to keep at least the very core of my story on something physical?

What is it about working digitally that draws you to it?

In certain industries it’s the only way to work economically these days. You have to be able to do quick changes and variations and you have to use the digital tools to create a certain look. In computer games it’s inevitable to work digitally so I got used to it while I was working in this field. And once you feel comfortable with it it’s a great way to work. I wouldn’t have a clue how to do the things I do on paper. I would even say that I prefer to look at artwork on a screen as opposed to paper because a screen shines with light. In my work I make strong use of the effects of light and being able to work on a screen and presenting my work on a screen feels very natural to me.

Is WORMWORLD your first comic-related work? 

At least on a professional level, yes. I started to draw comics in school and I even sold them on the schoolyard. When I took the turn into the games industry I lost contact with the world of comics for many years. When the story of the Wormworld Saga formed in my head I needed a medium to bring it to life and for that I somewhat returned to my roots. I kind of enjoy not being too familiar with the world of comics today. I think that helps me to keep a fresh look on things and bring some unique qualities to my work.

WORMWORLD does have a unique look and feel to it. One thing which struck me while reading WORMWORLD was how it differed in how it was presented. Most web comics are told in page format where a page is posted on certain days. With WORMWORLD, it’s presented in chapters and it’s presented in a continuous scrolling down format. What led you to present WORMWORLD in this format?

Scrolling is the way people experience the internet. You scroll through blogs and news sites, online stores and Facebook. With the new touch interfaces it’s even more comfortable. From a creative standpoint, the scrolling format presents a lot of exciting new ways to pace the story. The lack of page turns lets you concentrate on the story, it becomes more immersive. Pages are a concept derived from print media but they are not the only and let alone the ideal way to present a story. Especially on a screen.

What inspired you to do WORMWORLD?

The story started to build up in my head in 2003. It grew slowly and the whole thing was kicked up a notch when I created a painting called “The Journey Begins” in 2006 which shows the boy sitting in front of the magic painting. From that day on I had a story hook and I just couldn’t stop to ask myself questions about what would happen beyond the magic canvas. I collected more and more ideas and finally came to a point where I felt that I have to tell the story. I chose the comic medium because it is the closest thing to a movie that a single artist can handle in a reasonable time frame. In my head, a movie plays and the graphic novel is just a representation of that. That’s also more or less the reason why I chose an immersive scrolling format and a cinematic art direction for the project.

One thing which struck me in regards to WORMWORLD is the effort you put into making it available in different languages. What led you to do this, and has it helped you determine where WORMWORLD is more popular based on which language is picked?

As an artist from Germany I knew that I wouldn’t reach a lot of people if I would publish my story in German only. If you publish on the internet it makes sense to publish in English so that as many people as possible will be able to read your work.

Chapter 1 of the Wormworld Saga was published in English only and later I provided a German version. My wife is Spanish and she provided a Spanish version. After that fans approached me and offered translations in their mother language and I was happy to present them. Well, it didn’t stop and currently over 30 people are working on translations and I have not enough time to do the layout work on them.

There are a lot more translations ready than are presented on the website right now.

I’m really happy about all the translations because the Wormworld Saga is an all-ages story and especially younger readers often don’t speak and read foreign languages good enough to enjoy my story if it is not translated into their mother language. The fans are doing a great job to build a bridge to that audience.

As far as my web analytics tell me, the Wormworld Saga is especially popular in English speaking countries like the U.S., United Kingdom and Australia but also in Canada, Russia, Germany, The Netherlands Brazil and Mexico. I’m very happy about that.

What has influenced your work on WORMWORLD in both writing and illustrating it?

I was a kid in the 80s and the way I experience and understand story today was very strongly influenced by the movies. Of course I loved all the classics like Star Wars and Indiana Jones and all the great fantasy movies like Dark Crystal or Labyrinth. In the last ten years I was also influenced by the Anime films from the Japanese animation studio Ghibli which introduced me to alternative ways of building characters and telling a story.

I’m generally very influenced by Japanese animation. I study the way the backgrounds are designed in these movies and try to incorporate what I’m learning into my own work. I would say that cinema has a much stronger influence on me than other comics. I have to admit that I read very few comics but those that I read definitely had an influence on me. I’m a huge fan of Akira by Otomo and I love Hellboy by Mignola.

What is your overall plan for WORMWORLD in terms of how long you have it planned out for? We’re up to Chapter 3 which starts at the end of April.

The Wormworld Saga is quite huge in scope. The saga is a trilogy of three journeys into the Wormworld. I assume that each part of this trilogy will contain up to 20 chapters. My hopes are that I’ll be able to continue to work on the project full-time and if I manage to create at least 3 chapters every year, the saga will keep me busy over the next twenty years.

I realize that finishing the saga the way I imagine it is a very ambitious goal. However, I never thought I would get as far as I already got so I’m just going to continue my journey and see where I end up.

Are their any similarities between WORMWORLD’s main character, Jonas, and yourself when you were a little boy?

I would say that there are more differences than similarities. I grew up more or less in the country so I wasn’t a boy from the city like Jonas. Also, I didn’t have the family problems that Jonas has. My parents gave me all liberties to do what I wanted to do. But like Jonas I enjoyed playing in the woods and of course I also drew a lot as a child. Maybe I also share some character traits with Jonas, like being a bit stubborn and fixated my own goals.

Right at the moment I can sympathize very well with Jonas’ situation in the story. He’s left the save territory of his home behind and ventures into the unknown. That’s more or less my own situation after having quit my job and relying on the success of my graphic novel.

So far, there are two chapters with each chapter coming out once a year. Was it a business decision to release a chunk of story each year or is it more of a case of it taking a year to do the work involved in creating each chapter?

I created the first chapter besides my job in the computer games industry. That way it took me a full year to get the work done. Chapter 2 was created in the last quarter of 2011 on a full-time schedule and my plan from now on is to release at least 3 chapters every year. That, of course, will only work if I succeed in making a living from the project. This year will be very interesting for me because it will show if things work out the way I imagine.

With your ties to the gaming industry, have you talked to any game studios about the possibility of developing a WORMWORLD video game?

There have been talks but I can’t go into more detail just yet. I’d love to see a Wormworld game in the future and as the brand grows with every new chapter I think also the chances grow that someone will invest money into developing a game.

Can you give fans of WORMWORLD what they can expect in the upcoming Chapter 3 which began April 30th?

At this point I have finished 80% of the artwork of Chapter 3 and what I can already say is that it will be huge. At the end of Chapter 2, Jonas enters the Wormworld and we see a glimpse of it in the final panel. In Chapter 3 I’m able to unleash my visions of this place and I’ve put enormous effort into realizing that vision. Chapter 3 also is the starting point of a new story arc and it will introduce several new characters. I’m really looking forward to the release of Chapter 3 as it is exactly what is needed now after the first two chapters which merely are an introduction to the story.

Do you have an ending in mind for WORMWORLD?

There exists a plot for the whole saga already. I know where I’m going to land in the end. But as it’s often the case with writing you can never exactly say how you will get there. I expect to learn a lot about the characters by sending them through this adventure and I’m open to let them write their stories themselves. There will be events that they can’t avoid but how they will react to them will be up to them.

Are there any other projects you are working on or have on the backburner?

Currently I’m fully concentrated on the Wormworld Saga. There is no time left that I could invest into other projects. I already have some ideas for a story about ‘Captain Orion’ (who has a cameo in the Wormworld Saga) but I guess it will have to wait for quite some time before I’m able to develop it further.

As a way to promote comics, I like for creators to give us their recommendations. So what comics- print, digital, or web – do you recommend we check out, Daniel?

I’m a big fan of ‘Hellboy’ especially the issues Mignola illustrated himself. And maybe the biggest impact a comic had on me was ‘Akira’ by Otomo. You shouldn’t mistake it for a manga. It’s more like a movie. Yes, I would say that it was the first comic that felt for me like watching a movie. I’m very eager to evoke the same feeling with my work. As far as webcomics are concerned I really enjoy ‘Tune’ by Derek Kirk Kim and ‘Cucumber Quest’ by Gigi D.G.

Digital Comic News wants to thank Daniel for taking the time for this interview.Similar Posts:

• The Daily Roundup for October 10th: Stan Lee Creates Digital Comics, New Marvel Titles Available for Download, and The Wormworld Saga
• Ave! Comics Release GAME OVER #5 For The iPad
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• New Dark Horse Digital Comics For August 17th Include STAR WARS, R.I.P.D., CRIMINAL MACABRE / THE GOON, And More
• Playstation’s Digital Comics Store Update For June 8th Featuring THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, INFESTATION, TRUE BLOOD, & More

Interview With Digital Comic Creator Daniel Lieske Of THE WORMWORLD SAGA is a post from: Digital Comic News