DC Comics Website wants online comic creators

Looking to unleash your inner cartoonist? DC Comics, home of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman among others, today announced Zudacomics.com, a Web site that starting in October will let 10 unknown comics each month submit their work and invite the cyberworld to vote for their favorite.

Each winner will be awarded a one-year contract to produce their online series (it will appear in print too) and DC Comics editors may also declare as many as six submissions to be instant winners during the calendar year.

Creators will be encouraged to send submissions that run the full gamut of comic book genres-from humor, romance, science fiction, fantasy and superheroes.

Zudacomics.com, unlike a traditional comic book page (which traditionally measures 6 5/8" X 10 1/4"), a Zuda web comic will consist of a series of 4:3 aspect ratio screens, so that users will be able to read a web comic installment without opening an additional window in their browser or excessive scrolling. Ongoing Zuda web comics will run for at least 52 total installments, in addition to the initial submission.

Through the use of open source technologies, the new site will enable collaboration and innovation as well as flexibility to let DC Comics continue to enhance the site over time, DC Comics executives said. The site will utilize a variety of Web 2.0 technologies such as blogging, commenting, rating and tagging to encourage maximum community participation and feedback on artists' submissions, DC Comics said.

IBM's Global Business Services will design and build the new Zudacomics.com site and the teaser site that will go live in July, timed to this year's San Diego ComicCon; the teaser site will allow pre-registration for the site and provide updates for the imprint throughout the summer.

According to a story in the New York Times: Having the marketing muscle of a major publisher and paying producers for their work sets Zuda apart from most online comics. A site such as Act-i-vate.com, a collective of by-invitation-only comics creators, is a place for the artists to hone their craft and one-up each other.

Closer to the Zuda model is DrunkDuck.com. The site, which was acquired last year by Platinum Studios, allows creators under contract to share in deals for things like downloadable content, comics-related ring tones or toys.

Verizon Wireless also helps you be a bit more creative with a service that lets its wireless customers create personalized comics and send them to other mobile phones.

Developed by AMA, Comic Creator will let customers write their own story and choose from a variety of backgrounds, settings and characters, each with customizable expressions. For example, characters include: various human and non-human characters including a robot, a panda, a martian and a monster among others.

It's no Wondermark.

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