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.
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...
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!
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.
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.
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.
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

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.
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.
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.
Suggested Topics
Topic | Category | Replies | Views | Activity |
---|---|---|---|---|
Does My Story Qualify as Action Fantasy? | Questions | 11 | 504 | Aug '24 |
Has anyone tried asking | Questions | 4 | 193 | Jan 12 |
Is my fantasy novel adicting? | Questions | 8 | 308 | Aug '24 |
What is the best way to promote your story on TikTok? | Questions | 0 | 165 | Sep '24 |
Opinions on ‘what if’ episodes | Questions | 7 | 259 | Jan 20 |