Ralph Kruhm
05.08.2002, 08:04
Da die Comics on the Web nun auch deutsche Comics beinhalten, ist es etwas schwierig, die News entweder D oder USA zuzuordnen, daher der eigene Thread für COW...:
CROSSGEN LAUNCHES COMICS ON THE WEB 2.0
Voiceovers, Spanish, French and German Languages Added, Still $1 per Month
In February 2002, CrossGeneration Comics launched its revolutionary distributed Web content library Comics on the Web and reinvented the way comics are delivered to new audiences. Today at Comic Con International in San Diego, CrossGen has reinvented that achievement by introducing CrossGen's Comics on the Web Version 2.0.
The new version features a completely overhauled front end that allows faster, easier access to a greatly enhanced set of features that include new audio content, three new language options and the ability to toggle between high res art and black & white inked images on the fly.
"I could spend hours talking about how amazing this site is now," said CrossGen CEO and Publisher Mark Alessi. "But really, what sense would that make? Just go to the site. There isn't anything I can say that will really do all the work our team has put into that site justice, anyway. Just visit www.comicsontheweb.com and see (and hear) for yourself."
The new features include:
• Interface Language support (English/Spanish/) – In preparation for Comics on the Web launch on one of Latin America's biggest Web portals, the primary interface of Comics on the Web has been translated into international Spanish.
• Balloon Language support (English/Spanish/French/German) – For the issues available, readers can toggle easily between each of the languages on the fly from any page of the comic. As time goes by, more languages will be implemented across a greater number of issues and titles.
• Book Audio support (English) – For starters, the first three issues of Meridian and Sojourn, and the first issue of Ruse, feature a full soundtrack, with music, sound effects and a complete voice track. This feature was developed as part of an overall educational market strategy, but was so cool, we had to get it online as soon as it was ready!
• Keyboard Navigation mode for the COW Player – For some, mousework can cause repetitive stress injuries, and many doctors recommend combining mousework with keyboard navigation, so we've provided such a mode for the added convenience of COW users.
• View the pages without coloring (just inks) – Part of CrossGen's mission is to re-energize interest in comics as a popular form of art, and giving COW viewers – many of whom are completely new to comics – a view of the artwork in its finished ink form can provide some insight into just how much goes into comic art. For longtime fans, this feature is also a great peak into how much the colorists at CrossGen contribute to the final product.
• Turn off balloons to view art – Again, many of CrossGen's proponents rave about our detailed art, so on COW, we've provided a mode to eliminate all balloons and captions from the pages, so readers can see the final art in all its glory.
• Zoom in/out tools – Rather than having to "right-click" the mouse, we've included a zoom-in and zoom-out tool right on the main interface. One click zooms you in, and one zooms you back out again.
• Read books sorted by title or date of release – This is for the CrossGen completist who wants to read every chapter of CrossGen's over-arching epic story as it was released in chronological order across all our titles.
• Faster download times – As if COW didn't download fast enough before, we've actually been able to optimize our files even more to shave a few seconds off our record speeds for 56K dial-up users. Broadband users will need a digital stopwatch to figure out how much faster we are now.
More importantly, Comics on the Web subscriptions are still available for about $1 per month.
"If you haven't tried Comics on the Web, now's the time to do it," said CrossGen Vice President of Product Development Tony Panaccio. "If you have tried COW before, but passed on it, you really need to see what CG's Web deities Gabo Mendoza and Courtland Whited have done with it. They've addressed some of the feedback from our first subscribers, and pulled a few extra rabbits out of their collective hats. You just have to see it."
CROSSGEN LAUNCHES COMICS ON THE WEB 2.0
Voiceovers, Spanish, French and German Languages Added, Still $1 per Month
In February 2002, CrossGeneration Comics launched its revolutionary distributed Web content library Comics on the Web and reinvented the way comics are delivered to new audiences. Today at Comic Con International in San Diego, CrossGen has reinvented that achievement by introducing CrossGen's Comics on the Web Version 2.0.
The new version features a completely overhauled front end that allows faster, easier access to a greatly enhanced set of features that include new audio content, three new language options and the ability to toggle between high res art and black & white inked images on the fly.
"I could spend hours talking about how amazing this site is now," said CrossGen CEO and Publisher Mark Alessi. "But really, what sense would that make? Just go to the site. There isn't anything I can say that will really do all the work our team has put into that site justice, anyway. Just visit www.comicsontheweb.com and see (and hear) for yourself."
The new features include:
• Interface Language support (English/Spanish/) – In preparation for Comics on the Web launch on one of Latin America's biggest Web portals, the primary interface of Comics on the Web has been translated into international Spanish.
• Balloon Language support (English/Spanish/French/German) – For the issues available, readers can toggle easily between each of the languages on the fly from any page of the comic. As time goes by, more languages will be implemented across a greater number of issues and titles.
• Book Audio support (English) – For starters, the first three issues of Meridian and Sojourn, and the first issue of Ruse, feature a full soundtrack, with music, sound effects and a complete voice track. This feature was developed as part of an overall educational market strategy, but was so cool, we had to get it online as soon as it was ready!
• Keyboard Navigation mode for the COW Player – For some, mousework can cause repetitive stress injuries, and many doctors recommend combining mousework with keyboard navigation, so we've provided such a mode for the added convenience of COW users.
• View the pages without coloring (just inks) – Part of CrossGen's mission is to re-energize interest in comics as a popular form of art, and giving COW viewers – many of whom are completely new to comics – a view of the artwork in its finished ink form can provide some insight into just how much goes into comic art. For longtime fans, this feature is also a great peak into how much the colorists at CrossGen contribute to the final product.
• Turn off balloons to view art – Again, many of CrossGen's proponents rave about our detailed art, so on COW, we've provided a mode to eliminate all balloons and captions from the pages, so readers can see the final art in all its glory.
• Zoom in/out tools – Rather than having to "right-click" the mouse, we've included a zoom-in and zoom-out tool right on the main interface. One click zooms you in, and one zooms you back out again.
• Read books sorted by title or date of release – This is for the CrossGen completist who wants to read every chapter of CrossGen's over-arching epic story as it was released in chronological order across all our titles.
• Faster download times – As if COW didn't download fast enough before, we've actually been able to optimize our files even more to shave a few seconds off our record speeds for 56K dial-up users. Broadband users will need a digital stopwatch to figure out how much faster we are now.
More importantly, Comics on the Web subscriptions are still available for about $1 per month.
"If you haven't tried Comics on the Web, now's the time to do it," said CrossGen Vice President of Product Development Tony Panaccio. "If you have tried COW before, but passed on it, you really need to see what CG's Web deities Gabo Mendoza and Courtland Whited have done with it. They've addressed some of the feedback from our first subscribers, and pulled a few extra rabbits out of their collective hats. You just have to see it."