With more and more people opting for digital comics they can read on the go, it’s no surprise that the platforms for webcomics have increased. Some of the popular ones include Tapas, Webtoon, and Lezhin, which are all South Korean based companies.
What’s the benefit? Since each of these platforms are available in app form, it makes it much easier to carry around your collection of comics wherever you go. Another benefit, perhaps more so for the companies than our poor wallets, is the tremendous ease at which you can purchase webcomics. In the Tapas and Lezhin apps, you can even set your settings to make purchases as simple as a single swipe. This takes out the time and thinking of waiting for a release, going to a comic store, and picking one out.
But accessibility for readers isn’t the only benefit. Through their ability to reach more people, these apps can also attract more creators. Webtoon and Tapas make it incredibly simple for your ordinary person, no expertise required, to publish their own work. This allows for people from around the world, writers and artists of any level, to get their work out there for people to enjoy, and even get the opportunity to make profit from their work. Even language barriers aren’t difficult to cross as they often release popular comics in different languages, or offer fan translations for everyone to enjoy.
With so many options, how do people choose? Well, for readers and creators, it’s best to try them all. Some creators publish on multiple platforms to reach more people and earn more money. Also, one thing people often are concerned with, is price. These platforms utilize coin-based systems, where you purchase a bundle of coins, ink, etc. and then can purchase the individual episodes of the webcomics, so you can quit anytime, that is if you aren’t too addicted to them! Prices per episode can vary depending on platform, and even the individual comics, so it’s always good to look around and compare to see if they’re worth the cost.
With the many apps are out there, and the increasing number of webcomics, it would be surprising to have not heard of them, or something related. If you haven’t experimented with webcomics yet, it’s never too late to try!