Web Comics: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
I recently published an iPhone / iPad app called Web Comics, a simple RSS reader with over a hundred of your favorite web comics, allowing you to share your favorite episodes with friends via Facebook, Twitter and email.
I was excited when Web Comics hit the App Store yesterday, however rather than happy fans I was flooded by angry artists upset that their content was being consumed by the app.
I quickly reacted to the inquiries, changing the price from $1.99 to FREE, and then eventually removing the app from sale.
My apologizes to the artists, I did not mean to offend, the exact opposite actually.
I love all these comics, and read many of them daily. However I found it frustrating not being able to read them in one place, especially on my phone. That’s why I created the app, because I personally found it quite useful, and I hoped that others would too.
In hindsight I should have asked permission from each artist to consume their content.
My apologies again.
Update:
- Great followup by Lauren Davis on Web Comics App Aftermath
- Great blog post by No Reason Comics on The Twitter Storm