Dynamite Offers DRM-Free Comics


Dynamite Entertainment has an idea up in mind. That idea is that readers want DRM-free comics. They also know that the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a very worthy cause and for the first month of action Dynamite will be donating 10% of all sales to the fund. Following today's launch, Dynamite plans to release its DRM-free comics on a weekly basis, every Wednesday, with new offerings announced via the company's Facebook, Twitter and website as they are made available for download. There will be a slow, focused roll-out over time that will grow the available titles to reflect the vast majority of Dynamite's library.

"The market has been growing for DRM-free content. Each and every day, fans want to choose how to buy and enjoy their comics, and we're taking our titles to the next level for digital sales," says Nick Barrucci, CEO and Publisher of Dynamite Entertainment. "Expanding into DRM-free content, made available directly to consumers from our website, is simply giving the consumers the option for what they want and how they want it, and continues to reach out to a non-traditional comic-reading audience. Our hope is that the availability of comics in a digital fashion will continue to draw new readers to the medium, helping to complement the growth for physical sales through our retail comic store partners. Following the trend we've seen over the past few years in our industry, the world's continuing love affair with books in print will benefit from a surge in Dynamite interest."

The program launches today with an available selection of over 80 individual comic books, which includes creator-owned and licensed titles from Dynamite's massive library. The debut selection represents a wide variety of titles, spanning numerous genres, featuring name brand creators (including Kevin Smith, Bill Willingham, Mark Millar, Grant Morrison, Alex Ross, Gail Simone, Robert Jordan, Jim Butcher, Walt Flanagan and Bryan Johnson, Frank Cho, Art and Franco, Garth Ennis, Darick Robertson and more) and highlighting some of the industry's most beloved characters (Red Sonja, Vampirella, and The Boys, just to name a few).

Charles Brownstein, Executive Director of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, says, "CBLDF is delighted to be named as the charitable partner for Dynamite Digital! As comics advance in so many new directions, the CBLDF remains vigilant in our efforts to protect the comics medium in each aspect. Dynamite's contribution underscores our commitment to protect comics in the digital environment as vociferously as we do in the comic store and education spaces."

In celebration of their 10th anniversary, Dynamite will offer ten of its comic books at 10 cents apiece, introducing new readers to Dynamite's most accessible and successful titles at a great value. The introductory-priced comic books include:

Blood Queen #1
• The Boys #1
• Evil Ernie: Origin of Evil #1
• Jungle Girl #0
• Kevin Smith's Green Hornet #1
• Miss Fury #1
• The Mocking Dead #1
• Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time #1
• The Trial of Sherlock Holmes #1
• Vampirella #1


Dynamite will also offer ten (10) free wallpapers to consumers featuring The Boys, Cryptozoic Man, Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, Neil Gaiman and Alice Cooper's The Last Temptation, Red Sonja and Vampirella. These wallpapers can be downloaded from Dynamite's digital DRM-free page for a limited time.

Full press release below.
Dynamite Entertainment Launches New DRM-Free Digital Comics Program;
New Digital Initiative Benefits Comic Book Legal Defense Fund

August 20, 2014, Mt. Laurel, NJ:  Dynamite Entertainment is excited to announce the debut of its brand new digital comic program featuring DRM-free comics. Launching initially with comics available in PDF file format, the initiative makes a selection of its most popular and celebrated titles ready for download today directly by consumers.  The sale of DRM-free digital comics coincides with the comic book and graphic novel publisher's 10th anniversary celebration, and can be found at their company website's dedicated digital sales page: http://dynamite.com/digital/.

The program launches today with an available selection of over 80 individual comic books, which includes creator-owned and licensed titles from Dynamite's massive library.  The debut selection represents a wide variety of titles, spanning numerous genres, featuring name brand creators (including Kevin Smith, Bill Willingham, Mark Millar, Grant Morrison, Alex Ross, Gail Simone, Robert Jordan, Jim Butcher, Walt Flanagan and Bryan Johnson, Frank Cho, Art and Franco, Garth Ennis, Darick Robertson, and more), and highlighting some of the industry's most beloved characters (Red Sonja, Vampirella, and The Boys, just to name a few).

Cryptozoic Man by Walt Flanagan and Bryan Johnson 
Blood Queen by Troy Brownfield and Fritz Casas
The Boys by Garth Ennis and Darick Robinson
Captain Action Cat by Art Baltazar, Franco, and Chris Smits
Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers by Joe Casey, Nathan Fox, and more
Chaos! by Tim Seely and Mirka Andolfo
Chastity by Marc Andreyko and Dave Acosta
American Flagg by Howard Chaykin 
The Devilers by Joshua Hale Fialkov and Matt Triano
Evil Ernie: Origin of Evil by Jesse Snider and Jason Craig
Garth Ennis' Red Team by Garth Ennis and Craig Cermak
Jennifer Blood: Born Again by Steven Grant and Kewber Baal
Jim Butcher's Dresden Files: War Cry by Jim Butcher, Mark Powers, and Carlos Gomez
Jungle Girl by Frank Cho, Doug Murray, and Adriano Batista
Justice, Inc. by Michael Uslan and Giovanni Timpano
Kevin Smith's Green Hornet by Kevin Smith and Jonathan Lau 
Legenderry: A Steampunk Adventure by Bill Willingham and Sergio Fernandez Davila
Miss Fury by Rob Williams and Jack Herbert
The Mocking Dead by Fred Van Lente and Max Dunbar
The Ninjettes by Al Ewing and Eman Casallos 
Pathfinder: Dark Waters Rising by Jim Zub and Andrew Huerta
Project Superpowers by Jim Krueger, Alex Ross, and Carlos Paul
Red Sonja by Gail Simone and Walter Geovani
Red Sonja: Blue by Peter Brett and Walter Geovani 
Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan, Chuck Dixon, and Chase Conley
The Shadow: Midnight in Moscow by Howard Chaykin
Terminal Hero by Peter Milligan and Piotr Kowalski
The Trial of Sherlock Holmes by Leah Moore, John Reppion, and Aaron Campbell
Vampirella by Nancy A. Collins and Patrick Berkenkotter
Vampirella Master Series by Mark Millar, Grant Morrison, and more
Vampirella vs. Fluffy by Mark Rahner and Cezar Razek 


In celebration of their 10th anniversary, Dynamite will offer ten of its comic books at 10 cents apiece, introducing new readers to Dynamite's most accessible and successful titles at a great value.  The introductory-priced comic books include:

Blood Queen #1
The Boys #1
Evil Ernie: Origin of Evil #1
Jungle Girl #0
Kevin Smith's Green Hornet #1
Miss Fury #1
The Mocking Dead #1
Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time #1
The Trial of Sherlock Holmes #1
Vampirella #1

Dynamite will also offer ten (10) free wallpapers to consumers featuring The BoysCryptozoic Man, Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, Neil Gaiman and Alice Cooper's The Last TemptationRed Sonja, and Vampirella.  These wallpapers can be downloaded from Dynamite's digital DRM-free page for a limited time.

Following today's launch, Dynamite plans to release its DRM-free comics on a weekly basis, every Wednesday, with new offerings announced via the company's Facebook, Twitter, and website as they are made available for download.  There will be a slow, focused roll-out over time that will grow the available titles to reflect the vast majority of Dynamite's library.

Throughout its first month of operation, Dynamite will donate ten percent of all sales to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of the First Amendment rights of the comics art form and its community of retailers, creators, publishers, librarians, and readers.

Charles Brownstein, Executive Director of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, says, "CBLDF is delighted to be named as the charitable partner for Dynamite Digital! As comics advance in so many new directions, the CBLDF remains vigilant in our efforts to protect the comics medium in each aspect.  Dynamite's contribution underscores our commitment to protect comics in the digital environment as vociferously as we do in the comic store and education spaces."

"The market has been growing for DRM-free content. Each and every day, fans want to choose how to buy and enjoy their comics, and we're taking our titles to the next level for digital sales," says Nick Barrucci, CEO and Publisher of Dynamite Entertainment. "Expanding into DRM-free content, made available directly to consumers from our website, is simply giving the consumers the option for what they want and how they want it, and continues to reach out to a non-traditional comic-reading audience.  Our hope is that the availability of comics in a digital fashion will continue to draw new readers to the medium, helping to complement the growth for physical sales through our retail comic store partners.  Following the trend we've seen over the past few years in our industry, the world's continuing love affair with books in print will benefit from a surge in Dynamite interest."

Barrucci adds, "As part of our launch, we're donating a portion of all sales to support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.  Charles, Alex, and their team work tirelessly to protect our First Amendment rights.  The Fund needs the help of the industry to support free speech."

"DRM" (Digital Rights Management) refers to the technology used by publishers, copyright holders, and other individuals to control the use of digital content and devices after sale.  Dynamite's goal is to offer their titles DRM-free, thereby growing the company and granting comic creators more opportunities to make great products.  Dynamite is eager to take this next step with fans as it continues to expand on its own digital offerings.

Dynamite's current digital offerings include same-day-as-print releases through Comixology, iVerse, Dark Horse, iBooks, and Amazon Kindle.  Recently, Dynamite worked in conjunction with Humble Bundle, Inc. to offer a 10th Anniversary bundle for sale for a limited time, dedicating a portion of profits such worthwhile charity organizations as the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, Doctors Without Borders, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.




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About Dynamite Entertainment:

Dynamite was founded in 2004 and is home to several best-selling comic book titles and properties, including The Boys, The Shadow, Red Sonja, Warlord of Mars, Bionic Man, A Game of Thrones, and more.  Dynamite owns and controls an extensive library with over 3,000 characters (which includes the Harris Comics and Chaos Comics properties), such as Vampirella, Pantha, Evil Ernie, Smiley the Psychotic Button, Chastity, and Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt.  In addition to their critically-acclaimed titles and bestselling comics, Dynamite works with some of the most high profile creators in comics and entertainment, including Kevin Smith, Alex Ross, Neil Gaiman, Andy Diggle, John Cassaday, Garth Ennis, Jae Lee, Marc Guggenheim, Mike Carey, Jim Krueger, Greg Pak, Brett Matthews, Matt Wagner, Gail Simone, Steve Niles, James Robinson, and a host of up-and-coming new talent.  Dynamite is consistently ranked in the upper tiers of comic book publishers and several of their titles - including Alex Ross and Jim Krueger's Project Superpowers - have debuted in the Top Ten lists produced by Diamond Comics Distributors.  In 2005, Diamond awarded the company a GEM award for Best New Publisher and another GEM in 2006 for Comics Publisher of the Year (under 5%) and again in 2011.  The company has also been nominated for and won several industry awards, including the prestigious Harvey and Eisner Awards.


All characters, names, logos, etc. are ™ and © their respective owners.  Press release written by Kevin Pearl.








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