Online Comics Vs. Printed Comics: A Study in E-commerce and the Comparative Economies of Content

Monetizing online content has been a complicated puzzle since the commercialization of the World Wide Web in 1994. Online Comics Vs. Printed Comics zeroes in a single type of content - the comic - and compares the methods used to turn comics into cash by both web cartoonists and print publishers. What types of revenue streams exist? When are these streams applicable? How does the online environment effect distribution and sales channels? When is it preferable to be an online company than a print-based company? Viewing content monetization through the lens of a single industry, these questions are explored through analysis and interviews with industry leaders from both the online and print comic communities.