Zuda Comics
Encyclopedia
Zuda Comics was DC Comics
' webcomic
s imprint from 2007 until 2010. It featured comics for Flash player
instead of in a web page. Announced in a press release on July 9, 2007 and the first ongoing series and competing comic entries went live October 30, 2007. Zuda removed the competition aspect in April 2010 and in July 2010, soon after the launch of DC's digital comics service, it was announced that Zuda would close and be folded into the new digital publishing arm.
Zuda comics series have won awards and nominations from comic industry's Glyph Comics Awards
and Harvey Awards. Bayou, Volume 1 was also named one of the 2010 Great Graphic Novels for Teens by the American Library Association
.
The Zuda staff consists of:
Competition Winners
Print
Jeremy Love's Bayou was the first Zuda Comic to be printed (June 2009).
High Moon
was printed in September 2009.
The Night Owls
saw print in March 2010.
Celadore was printed in October 2010.
to opine, "[T]he vast majority of the initial creators here have already done print comics. Multiple print comics for the most part, and the majority go back a few years. ... This does not look like ushering in a new generation". He conceded, however, "that they’ve lined up some strips with professional pedigree for the first batch".
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
' webcomic
Webcomic
Webcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....
s imprint from 2007 until 2010. It featured comics for Flash player
Adobe Flash
Adobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
instead of in a web page. Announced in a press release on July 9, 2007 and the first ongoing series and competing comic entries went live October 30, 2007. Zuda removed the competition aspect in April 2010 and in July 2010, soon after the launch of DC's digital comics service, it was announced that Zuda would close and be folded into the new digital publishing arm.
Zuda comics series have won awards and nominations from comic industry's Glyph Comics Awards
Glyph Comics Awards
The Glyph Comics Awards recognize the best in comics made by, for, and about people of color from the preceding calendar year. While it is not exclusive to black creators, it does strive to honor those who have made the greatest contributions to the comics medium in terms of both critical and...
and Harvey Awards. Bayou, Volume 1 was also named one of the 2010 Great Graphic Novels for Teens by the American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
.
Competition
Zuda had competitions that were open for comic creators to submit their own eight-page comics. Each month ten were selected to compete by editorial. Users could vote for their favorite and the winner received a contract to continue their comic on Zuda with 52 more screens. When the contract was filled, if the comic was liked enough it could be renewed for an additional "season". Occasionally an "instant winner" was chosen to receive a contract without having to compete. In July 2008 an "invitational" was held where some well liked comics that had not won were invited to back to compete with an additional eight pages apiece.Staff
- Paul LevitzPaul LevitzPaul Levitz is an American comic book writer, editor and executive. The president of DC Comics from 2002–2009, he has worked for the company for over 35 years in a wide variety of roles...
- Publisher - Richard BruningRichard BruningRichard Bruning is an American graphic designer and comics creator who is currently the Senior Vice-President-Creative Director of DC Comics.-Biography:...
- SVP-Creative Director - Ronald Perazza - VP of Creative Services
- Kwanza Johnson - DC Comics Online Editor
- Nika Vagner - DC Comics Online Assistant Editor
- Jessica Numsuwankijkul - DC Comics Assistant Editor
- Dave McCullough - DC Comics Online Technology Manager
Titles
Instant Winners- Bayou by Jeremy Love
- The Night OwlsThe Night OwlsThe Night Owls is a twice weekly webcomic by Peter and Bobby Timony appearing every Tuesday and Thursday on DC Comics Zuda imprint.It was selected as Zuda's Instant Winner in December, 2007....
by Peter Timony and Bobby Timony - Street-Code by Dean HaspielDean HaspielDean Edmund Haspiel is an American comic book artist. He is known for his collaborations with writer Harvey Pekar on his American Splendor series as well as the graphic novel The Quitter. He has been nominated for numerous Eisner Awards, and won a 2010 Emmy Award for TV design work.-Early...
- The Imaginary Boys by Carlos López Bermúdez
- I Rule The Night by Kevin Colden
- Bottle of Awesome by Andy Belanger and Ian Herring
- La Morté SistersLa Morté SistersLaMorté Sisters is a webcomic from DC imprint Zuda Comics, created by Tony Trov, Johnny Zito and Christine Larsen. It was selected as Zuda's Instant Winner in October, 2009.- Synopsis :...
by Tony TrovTony TrovTony Trov is an American writer, film maker, musician and artist best known for the serialized comic Moon Girl.-Early life:Tony Trov is a native of Philadelphia PA and graduated from Girard Academic Music Program in 2001...
, Johnny ZitoJohnny ZitoJohnny Zito is a writer, film maker and artist best known for his serialized comic Moon Girl.-Early life:Johnny Zito is a native of Philadelphia PA and graduated from Saint Joseph's Preparatory School in 2000...
& Christine Larsen
Competition Winners
- High MoonHigh MoonHigh Moon is an award-winning werewolf western webcomic series, developed in 2004 with a debut in 2007 as a part of Zuda, DC Comics' webcomic imprint. The first season concluded on July 8, 2008. Season two ran from August 16 to November 25, 2008...
November 2007 – present - Pray for Death December 2007
- Supertron January 2008 – present
- Road February 2008 – present
- Black Cherry Bombshells March 2008 – present
- Melody April 2008
- Celadore May 2008
- Dual June 2008 – present
- Re-EvolutionRe-EvolutionRe-Evolution is a webcomic series by Gus Higuera and Juan Felipe Salcedo published on DC Comics' Zuda Comics site. The strip placed second in the monthly Zuda competition in April 2008. In July 2008 the strip was invited back to compete in the first annual Zuda Invitational, winning first place...
July 2008 - Gulch August 2008
- Blood Hunter September 2008 – present
- Azure October 2008 – present
- Extracuricular Activities November 2008
- Devil's WakeDevil's WakeDevil's Wake is a webcomic from DC imprint Zuda Comics, created by Dean Hsieh. Originally titled Aeon of the Dead, it was selected as winner of Zuda's December 2008 competition.-Synopsis:It's been thirteen years since the Last Pandemic...
December 2008 – present - Safe Inside January 2009 – present
- The Hammer February 2009
- Deadly March 2009 – present
- Earthbuilders April 2009 – present
- Lily of the ValleyLily of the ValleyConvallaria majalis , commonly known as the lily-of-the-valley, is a poisonous woodland flowering plant native throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere in Asia and Europe....
May 2009 – present - Sidewise June 2009 – present
- RockStar July 2009 – present
- Absolute Magnitude August 2009 – present
- Goldilock September 2009 – present
High Moon
High Moon
High Moon is an award-winning werewolf western webcomic series, developed in 2004 with a debut in 2007 as a part of Zuda, DC Comics' webcomic imprint. The first season concluded on July 8, 2008. Season two ran from August 16 to November 25, 2008...
was printed in September 2009.
The Night Owls
The Night Owls
The Night Owls is a twice weekly webcomic by Peter and Bobby Timony appearing every Tuesday and Thursday on DC Comics Zuda imprint.It was selected as Zuda's Instant Winner in December, 2007....
saw print in March 2010.
Celadore was printed in October 2010.
Reception
Although greeted with interest by the webcomics community,, concern arose over contracts and copyrights. The initial announced line-up of talent included no prominent webcomics creators, prompting Todd Allen at Comic Book ResourcesComic Book Resources
Comic Book Resources, also known as CBR is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book-related news and discussion.-History:Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1996 as a development of the Kingdom Come Message Board, a message forum that Weiland had created to discuss DC...
to opine, "[T]he vast majority of the initial creators here have already done print comics. Multiple print comics for the most part, and the majority go back a few years. ... This does not look like ushering in a new generation". He conceded, however, "that they’ve lined up some strips with professional pedigree for the first batch".
External links
- Zuda Database Wiki
- Interview: DC's Web Comics Imprint, IGNIGNIGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
- The Opening Team: Talking to the First Wave of Zuda Creators, NewsaramaNewsaramaNewsarama is an American website that publishes news, interviews and essays about the American comic book industry.-History:Newsarama began in Summer 1995 as a series of Internet forum postings on the Prodigy comic-book message boards by fan Mike Doran. In these short messages. Doran shared...
, November 1, 2007 - Comic, webcomic pros respond to Zuda, NewsaramaNewsaramaNewsarama is an American website that publishes news, interviews and essays about the American comic book industry.-History:Newsarama began in Summer 1995 as a series of Internet forum postings on the Prodigy comic-book message boards by fan Mike Doran. In these short messages. Doran shared...
, July 11, 2007