Comments on: Forget distribution… how might iPad change art?

By: Left to our own devices: iPad mania continues | Paperless Comics

Left to our own devices: iPad mania continues | Paperless Comics — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:23:16 +0000

[...] do anything new, but it makes things easy and wraps it all in cool. Simon Jones considers what effect the iPad will have on artists. And Marc Alan Fishman weighs in at ComicMix with some analogies to what iTunes did for the music [...]

By: Shelly

Shelly — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 09:23:50 +0000

I was joking too. I contemplated a smiley face but left it out. Oops. ;P

By: Simon

Simon — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:45:20 +0000

I think the iPad is very much following the console model; it’s a semi-closed environment. Most people don’t “unlock” their consoles. The lack of outputs is not only to keep the device sleek, but to prevent too much tinkering.

I’m going to bet that regardless of how well the first iPad does, some future iteration is going to have dual LCD/color e-ink, or some similar tech.

By: RobD

RobD — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:26:04 +0000

I see the iPad as what the e-ink readers are NOT. If you want to read text it can’t beat the Kindle/Nook. But you get into color comics, video and other distribution, there is nothing like it. I also see it as an Apple answer to netbooks. Plus you have the Apple Store. They can start their own niche/owning of the book section. I won’t get one until the thing is hacked though. That is the only reason I have an iPhone. I don’t want to be locked to what they sell. It will also be interesting on how they handle “adult” material. Their track record on the iPhone hasn’t been good.

By: Simon

Simon — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:15:18 +0000

Oh no, I’m not wishing for anything to go any particular way. Just trying to see the possibilities and save my own butt! ;)

And I was just joking around with that previous comment about awards. Honestly, even I think an award for porn manga is slightly unnecessary. We sell to people who know what they like.

By: Simon

Simon — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:09:18 +0000

To preface, most of my post refers to artists making art for the iPad, not making art on it, just in case there’s any confusion on that.

But as for your points…

1. You forget that the pressure sensitivity of the Wacom is actually measured by components in the stylus, not the tablet. Apple may produce a pressure sensitive stylus, or even partner with Wacom. They have a reputation for being very artist friendly, so such a development would not be inconceivable.

2. I’m not all too excited about the hardware myself. But as I’ve mentioned in the previous post, I’m excited about iBooks. That’s what matters. That’s the difference between iPod, and every other MP3 player also-rans out on the market.

3. Portability is a serious question, but I still see a lot of people carrying their laptops with them in the most hostile and inappropriate of places. Everyone still thinks this is supposed to replace iPhone. What this is is a slightly oversized portable video game and movie system. To say with conviction that such a device has no market, is as foolish as those who wondered why anyone would want so much multimedia power and a touch screen for a cell phone.

By: Shelly

Shelly — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:53:10 +0000

No real comment on your discussion of the iPad and art. Good points, and I hope things go as you wish.

Re: another best manga releases list. I have to wonder if the same books appear over and over on these lists because they’re genuinely the best, or if all these bloggers are simply incestuous in their reading habits, only picking up what the others recommend. It just seems like they should have a wider range of choices than I’ve seen. They’re certainly missing all your fine publications.

(There have been some interesting lists, like Deb Aoki’s wide-ranging lists covering all genres.)

By: Masamonkey

Masamonkey — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:46:42 +0000

As far as making art on it, without pressure sensitivity, the Ipad doesn’t really compete with what’s available techwise. A serious digital artist also has to think about how many plug-ins and other miscellaneous resources they use that the Ipad will lock out. For my part, I know there’s no App that would be able to replace what I’ve hacked out of GIMP. It’ll be perfect for a DA artist tracing pictures of Sonic, but otherwise it’s not even close to the Cintiq killer they’ve been claiming it would be.

Otherwise, the main complaint I hear is, ‘Why would I want an Iphone that doesn’t fit in my pocket?’ Sure, you’ve been about ready to declare this thing the pinnacle of human achievement because you’re a publisher with a few pipe dreams, but real people will think of it as a big Iphone they can’t make calls on the same way that real people think ebooks are books that hurts their eyes. Apple zombies will fellate it, but it’ll be a while before da masses think of it as more than a big fat Iphone.

By: Randall Fitzgerald

Randall Fitzgerald — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:44:10 +0000

Haha when I clicked the Chinese Sexist Durr I’m A Retard link, I was just waiting for it to load going “Please be by a guy. PLEASE BE BY A GUY.”

And THE MAKER HEARD MY PRAYERS, SIMONE!

Haha. Oh man.

Don’t know if the Chinese writer was a dude, but come on… a female lawyer in China? Yeah right. That’s almost as hilarious as a woman playing at being a lawyer in America. So cute.

Also: “many netizens” UH OH! [Weasel Words] n shit.