Why, yes, I am convinced that this company is on to something. And so are others in the comics industry.
For years I've resisted the idea of motion comics, even when publishers I've worked for have created them. Rather, I understood that there would be an audience for them; I just wasn't that audience.
With Madefire, I saw material that made me seriously rethink my "Old Man McCaw" viewpoint. For me, the sticking point was that they launched on iPads only. Today, I became unstuck. iPhones 3GS, 4, 4S and 5 now can all utilize the Madefire app, and it works beautifully. Not only that, they've made it available for 3rd and 4th generation iPod Touches.
The interface is smooth, with a familiar menu. At the Store, you can download four titles (so far for free) -- two more dangle tantalizingly as yet unconverted for iPhone viewing, including Liam Sharp's Captain Stone Is Missing. I can hardly wait for that one because Sharp showed me a few pages at Comic-Con and -- believe me, it's jaw-dropping.
You can, however, download Ben Wolstenholme's Mono, done in collaboration with Sharp, which is an incredibly detailed introduction to what Madefire can do and is just good comics. Then move on to Treatment, a concept which Dave Gibbons introduced in Dark Horse Presents several months ago, but which he has let loose to a variety of creators to present their takes, and the results are beautiful.
At this writing, I have not had a chance to read The Irons or Houses of the Holy, but my hopes are high.
The books can also be read off-line, which does mean that you'll want to keep an eye on storage space. As far as I can tell from the iPhone's Settings, the books are surprisingly small for how complex they are -- including the soundtracks. But both Ric and I are still monitoring that aspect, and we'll try to update.
It's an incredible app, with high quality content. Check them out here; we're going to be visiting with them soon to get a larger view of the company. For now, the proof is in the pudding -- and it's delicious.
