Just in time for holiday gift giving, GlobalComix is launching a digital comics subscription, GlobalComix Gold, and a SuperFan program to delight fans of indie comics, graphic novels and manga. With GlobalComix Gold, subscribers get unlimited access to all the comics, graphic novels and manga they can consume for $7.99 a month while supporting the creators whose work they enjoy.

Digital comics subscription

“GlobalComix Gold is our answer to the demand for subscriptions, marrying together full access for readers and the empowerment of creators by facilitating direct financial support for their work,” said GlobalComix in a November 18 blog post announcing the new programs. “Creators can now expand beyond the ‘pay as you go’ model where a reader has to make explicit purchase decisions for their consumption, lowering the barrier to entry for readers to get started through creators and publishers’ own promotional efforts.”

Subscription fees from the GlobalComix Gold digital comics subscription are distributed to creators and publishers whose work is accessed. For example, if a subscriber spends 50% of their time enjoying work from publisher A, 25% with creator B’s work, and another 25% with publisher C, their subscription fee is divided with that same split.

SuperFan program

In addition to the new digital comics subscription plan, GlobalComix is launching a SuperFan program to connect creators with their fans and to provide creators with additional monetization options. With the SuperFan program, fans can make voluntary donations and get rewards, such as early access, in exchange. GlobalComix said that creators and publishers receive 92% to 95% of each donation depending on the creator subscription tier (free vs. paid). They can then provide their readers with early access up to 14 days before a new release is made available to everyone.

For free comics, to get early access to a new release, a fan must have donated to the creator or publisher within the last 30 days. After the early release window closes, the release is made available to everyone for free. For comics behind the paywall, during the early release period, a reader must have donated to the creator or publisher within the last 30 days. After the early access window closes, the release reverts back to the paywall model, and only subscribers can access that content.

Coming next

GlobalComix said they are working on additional creator monetization options to help promote creators’ crowdfunding campaigns.

“Hardcore comic fans understand the value of creators’ contributions to pop culture, and precisely how difficult it is to sustain your career as an independent, and our mission is to deepen the connection between fans and creators through GlobalComix. Whether you are producing content or reading it, we’re all here because we love the craft,” GlobalComix said.

With the addition of the digital comics subscription, GlobalComix is operating under the freemium model. Some content is available for free, while some requires a subscription. They offer a wide range of genres, including comedy, Sci-Fi, action, romance, fantasy, horror, adventure, and more. They are sorted by genre, free vs. paid vs. crowdfunded, and by age group (kids 3-12, teens 13-18, adults 18+).

GlobalComix also offers subscription programs for creators which give them a range of opportunities to publish their content. There is a free option for professional comics publishing and basic monetization tools with a revenue share, a professional option for $19.99 a month which includes everything in the free version plus additional publishing and monetization tools, and an enterprise option which includes all of the other options plus custom integrations, features, monetization options and more.

GlobalComix competes with other digital comic book services, including Comixology which is now an Amazon company. Comixology includes DC and Marvel comics and has a significantly larger catalog. Their unlimited subscription option is available for $5.99 per month after a 30-day free trial. DC Universe, which is rebranding to DC Universe Infinite, is launching a premium digital comic book service which is scheduled to launch in January 2021. At launch, the service will offer more than 24,000 comic books. It will be available for iOS and Android for $7.99 a month or $74.99 a year.

Insider Take

GlobalComix reminds me of Patreon, a platform that also supports independent artists, creators and publishers with their work, providing them with a platform and monetization options. These services are so important for indie creators who might not otherwise have a place to share their work. With a new subscription program and SuperFan program, GlobalComix has made their platform even more attractive to creators. Hopefully, this will help GlobalComix grow its catalog, brand recognition, and audience so that everyone benefits.