Inkblazers
Inkblazers.com (formerly MangaMagazine.net) was an international comic platform helping to monetize webcomics and manga.[1] The company had offices in Boston, Massachusetts and Bangkok, Thailand. It was founded in 2011,[2] by Victor Chu and Bancha Dhammarungruang, and received $1 million in seed funding.[3] Inkblazers.com supported artists via paid subscription, merchandise sales, and ads sales. It also offered free online comic and manga hosting without requiring artists to give up rights to their works.[4]
In an interview, co-founder Victor Chu said that the company aimed to provide the technology behind online comics publishing, in terms of hosting, promotion of great titles, monthly sponsorship and print on demand book publishing.[5][6] The company was more a service provider to independent artists and this sets them apart from other e-comics initiatives.[7][8]
Crowdsourcing
Inkblazers.com took a crowdsourcing approach to publishing.[9] Key benefits of crowdsourcing drove the company’s decisions included:
1. Fan support for authors.
2. Data backing up decisions on marketing and content rights acquisition.
3. More sales resulting from content aggregation.[10][11]
Furthermore, the website created an environment in which authors and member contributors can interact and share advice as well as an area in which project collaborations become possible.
Inkblazers shut down on February 1, 2015 as the creators could no longer financially support the continuation of the site, causing many members to search for another webcomic site.
References
- ^ Aoki, Deb (29 Dec 2012). "Making a Living in Manga : Part 5 5 Ideas for Fixing America's Manga-Making Economy". About.com. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "MangaMagazine CrunchBase Profile". CrunchBase. 11 Dec 2012. Retrieved 25 Mar 2013.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Annear, Steve (6 Jun 2013). "Harvard Alum Plans on 'Disrupting' the Comic Book Publishing World". Boston Magazine. Retrieved 22 Jul 2013.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "MangaMagazine.Net Aims to Pay Contributors to Provide Free Comics Online » Comics Worth Reading". Comics Worth Reading. 21 Dec 2012. Retrieved 25 Mar 2013.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "292 Manga Magazine TGT Media". Two Geeks Talking. 11 Feb 2013. Retrieved 25 Mar 2013.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Raymundo, Neil (30 Jun 2013). "Toonbarn Feature: Interview with MangaMagazine.net's Victor Chu". Toonbarn. Retrieved 22 Jul 2013.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "An Interview With Victor Chu of MangaMagazine.net". Muse Hack. 8 Jul 2013. Retrieved 22 Jul 2013.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "An Interview With Victor Chu of MangaMagazine.net". Comics Bulletin. Retrieved 22 Jul 2013.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Manga Magazine takes a crowdsourced approach to publishing". Techie.com. 28 May 2013. Retrieved 22 Jul 2013.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Chu, Victor (8 Jul 2013). "How crowdsourcing turned a comic fan's fantasy into a reality". Nerd Reactor. Retrieved 22 Jul 2013.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Crowdsourcing: Why Publishers Should Rethink Content Acquisition". 1 Jul 2013. Retrieved 22 Jul 2013.