Additional Insights

Hi, I'm Jim Stikeleather, the chief technology officer here at CrossGen (which is a fancy way of saying that all of CGE's computers are plugged directly into my brain). While I can't tell you exactly what Chuck Rozanski saw nor some of the other projects under development that he didn't see during his visit to the CrossGen offices, I thought it would be useful to give you a personal tour through what we're working on for all of our comic reading friends around the world.

First, let's acknowledge what's going on. There is a natural and inevitable evolution of technology occurring that affects everything from transportation to education to entertainment. In particular, the printed medium is and has always been evolving. I mean, do you see books printed on vellum anymore? Nope, there just isn't enough sheep to go around...plus that gets a bit costly. Yes, we saw a shift from vellum to paper and a shift away from paper is occurring now, due to paper's lack of cost effectiveness. Society has been always been developing alternatives to print, but that doesn't mean that comic books are going to disappear not if CrossGen has anything to say about it.

You see, from day one of operation, CrossGen has been thinking ahead. Dreaming up ways we could prepare for the future and ensure the survival of comics for years to come. How could we protect comics from being lost in the technology transformation? How could we channel our love and respect for comics creators and readers into concrete steps that would guarantee that not only the next generation, but also the generation after that would have comics to read? In short, CrossGen set out to make sure that technology did not replace, but rather would help shepherd comics into the future.

So let's talk about a mis-conception: electronic media cannot (nor would we ever want it to) replace the physical medium of print. You cannot duplicate the resolution (well, at least not without requiring customers to trade in their car for a hi-res monitor). You cannot replicate all of the possible colors in a RGB world (actually probably less than a third). And there are many physical effects from the combination of inks, paper, printing techniques that are either algorithmically infeasible or economically ridiculous to attempt to reproduce in a digital world. In non-technical terms, there are some things that are just "better" in the physical world.

That being said, it would be a fool's errand to even attempt to "replace" the physical books with a digital delivery mechanism. But we could use digital technology to reserve a space for comics in this developing technological world. To do so, there must be some "value addition" that makes comics attractive and desirable for both current connoisseurs and new markets. What could some of these attributes be?

Well, the printed page is static, so perhaps the new delivery mechanism could be dynamic, and deliver not just flat animation, but a true art form that appeals to the senses. Currently, the printed page appeals to two senses - sight and touch (though I have heard some include smell). The digital page will loose touch (for the moment), so it must appeal to another sense - auditory. Yes, that could be as simple as providing a voice reading the graphic novel to you, though even with the ability to add drama and emphasis, accent, inflection, etc., that is not all that appealing to the current audience and their existing imaginations of the characters, but what is intriguing is that it would be attractive to new audiences, who are not currently used to reading comics. But since we are always thinking about the existing fans, something must be in it for them as well, and it turns out there is a lot that can be done. And while I can't give you a hint right now, you can use your imaginations.

Also, the printed page represents a point in time and stands alone. A digital page can be interactive, can address and be addressed by the world and consequently interact with all the people, information and things that exist out there. The imagination can just flow alternate endings; roll your own stories; databases of characters, planets, weapons, etc.; alternate histories the list is long and creative and very, very interesting&especially in the ability to extend and expand the community of "readers" and their interests.

Next, costs and timeliness also can improve in the digital realm. It's bad enough that printed comics cost $2.95 to $3.50 now, can you imagine how you'll feel when they cost $8.95 to $9.50? Digital delivery will offer you lower cost alternatives.

Finally, the printed page is two dimensional and progresses linearly, while the digital page can be multi-dimensional (3D adds space, 4D adds time, 5D adds ?) and the digital page can move in any direction and can move predicated on where you come from and where you are going in non-linear and situational paths.

Summing up, I just wanted you to realize that our intent is not to replace the printed page, but to create yet another entertainment medium that ensures that our beloved printed graphic novels have a place to call their own in the future. Many others, including myself, want to appreciate and collect this unique art form&and then pass it on to future generations. But we must also face the reality that all printed media have to deal with the inevitable progression of digital delivery and rendering. Society has decided what they want&and CrossGen wants to make sure that comic books are a part of society's choices. Better to have a family like CrossGen who loves and appreciates the medium do this than to have it done to us by short term, bottom line, corporate accountants who are just doing a job. It's more than a job to us, it's a calling and an honor.

So expect to see some of the projects that we're working on in our laboratory to arrive on store shelves near you this year and know that your kids future of enjoying comics is ensured.

Jim Stikeleather
Chief Technology Officer
CrossGen Comics