Ellis: 'Firms panicking over digital'

Writer Warren Ellis has claimed that comic publishers are panicking over the digital market.

Speaking to DS, the scribe said that comic firms should not be investing all of their resources into devices like the iPad because webcomics are more cost-effective.

"There's a lot of movement in the digital sector right now, but it's the kind of movement that chickens do when their heads have been cut off," he said. "People are mostly panicking about the digital market right now.

"When I came up with Freak Angels a couple of years ago, I just wanted to do a fairly sedate way of working in digital, which was to offer the work for free online and then charge you for paper collection. You don't need a special device to view it. Any computer or anything that connects to the internet will do."

He added: "People look for the next shiny thing - motion comics, digital comics - I think that people are going to find that webcomics do the job just fine. It's all very well targeting everything you've got towards the iPad, but guess what? Not everyone's got an iPad."

Ellis is best known for his creator-owned ventures such as RED and Transmetropolitan. He also maintains a prolific online presence, writing webcomics and running bulletin boards for industry professionals.