Why do you buy hard copies?

[audeshattuck]

I'm a sucker for gimmicky tangible items. I love comics that have extra content and dress nice. By which I mean spot glosses, nice end papers, maps of places. I seldom buy paperbacks, but more collectible things.

[KoreanTacos]

I enjoy comics whether it's physical or not. Buying a physical copy helps the creators and it's like having a piece of them in your home. I've bought the same Calvin & Hobbes book multiple times in my life just because I enjoy having it In my home.

[SpavVy]

Holding the physical form just feels so right to me and for some reason I find it more appealing to look at printed somehow, like the line work looks so crisp and nice! Plus it helps creators too and...
I also like the smell of new book pages...

[nelmathyria]

Basically what everyone else said! As much as I love webcomics I still prefer the feeling of physical books (sorry trees), and if I really really like a comic I of course want to support the creator. Plus I just like having a bookshelf full of pretty books, it just gives me a good feeling and makes me feel like my life and living space are more full of art, which is always a good thing.

[Mocha]

Some comics just look a million times better when they're printed, especially black and white ones imo. Also it's nice to have a hard copy because then you can read it whenever and wherever you want, whereas with online/digital copies you have to rely on a device to view it, the battery of said device, wifi, and electricity. I can't exactly read comics that are online in the middle of a power outage. Also there's something very pleasant about owning a physical copy of your favourite story that you can just look at whenever you feel like and display it on your shelf...

[Aura-Redwood]

I buy hard copies because if I love something so much I want to be able to hold it in my hands.

[Michelle]

I like buying physical comics because I get way too distracted when reading online. If I have a book in my hands, it's a lot easier to commit to reading the whole thing through, and not get distracted by opening other tabs, checking my email, reading messages, etc. My brain is always in 10 different places at once when I'm at the computer. -A-; As much as I enjoy having access to so many webcomics for free, I infinitely prefer buying printed versions!

[GoldenPlume]

We buy because we want to support an artist and help them achieve the dream of being in print.

[LordVincent]

I have not bought webcomics in print but I have definitely bought manga in print (manga that can be faster and more conveniently read online since fan translators are usually quicker on it than the actual translators are. Hell, in the case of a lot of manga it's never even professionally translated so reading scanlations online is the only option)

It's mainly because I want to support the industry and the original artist, but also because observing the art is different when it's printed. Not better or worse, just a different kind of enjoyable experience.

[joe_galindez]

As someone who lives in a tiny apartment and likes to keep things minimalist, I can't wait till augmented reality gets good enough to give us ebooks we can actually flip through. Imagine a virtual screen you can pick up or set down. It'll float in place, but you can also hold it in your hands while you curl up in a big chair.

[Nork_King]

i just really like the feeling of being able to buy the comic book! It's kind of like a collection to me

[HollowEve]

Nothing beats the feeling of turning an actual page. The sound of paper sliding over paper is so relaxing to me. It's the same reason I buy physical books instead of Ebooks.
It's also easy to share with a friend. They don't have to have the app. Just hand over the book.

[fleetinginfinity]

When I first got into comics, there was no internet to read them on. I would go to the grocery store or the gas station and pick one up with what money I saved up, at least until I found an actual comic book shop in the city, then I'd go there. By the time I got on the internet, which was my last couple years of High School, I was losing interest in the stories in a lot of the comics I had read. I found webcomics then, that was late 90's, and got caught up in the stories of a number of them. Whenever I'd see one on sale physically and I could afford it, I'd buy it, and same holds true now that I'm back into comics. Even though they're available digitally on places like Comixology and Marvel Unlimited, I'd rather have the physical book if I can. Part of it's nostalgia, there's nothing like sitting down and flipping through the pages of a book.

[XzynderVexymous]

The realistic feel of the book is what would make me buy a comic.

[J.Z.Castillo]

Because I want to support the creator? Like... ??????? Yeah I could read it for free but take my money anyway and online comics are annoying to me anyway, I find it better to have a physical copy I can flip through and find a particular scene for reference or whatever rather than go from page to page to page online and have 1908239874873 tabs open

[joe_galindez]

online comics are annoying to me anyway

You must be here for the community.

[Shanny8]

I like seeing how my own work looks in printed form; I also like buying the final printed works of other creators/artists that I enjoy reading. It's one of the best ways to support an artist you like..!

[J.Z.Castillo]

I'll read them, but as soon as there's a hard copy I will buy it just because it's easier to reread and less annoying to reread. Don't shade me.

[colonel_ressentiment]

I actually asked myself this, but for my own comic - "why are you trying to print this if you're not trying to make money?" In my case, it's a combination of wanting something tangible to hold in my hands, wanting the experience of flipping through the pages with an actual book to see if I captured the correct feel, and just feeling more "accomplished" if something I've made existed in "real life".

As a buyer, I purchased the 3-Panel Soul books earlier, both to support the creators and because I loved their art style and wanted it on quick reference, without having to be online and read through their entire site.

[sandpaperdaisy]

I live in an area with a lot of power outages so paper comics are a must. And yeah I'll deliberately collect an artist's printed comics purely for the purpose of supporting them.

Lastly, it's way easier to spontaneously share a book with friends, kids, family and etc by looking at it together than by fidgeting around while one of us tries to zoom in on it right or click the next page and then oops no gotta click back and...whoops, the router is acting up...I also like to read in the tub so there's that.