A thought about the iPad.

So the iPad, is by all accounts, a pretty swanky comics reader-machine. It may have other uses, I don't know. I just like it for the comics. The point is, you can pretty well buy anything that you can buy at the comic store via the iPad, and apparently it looks pretty damn sweet. Of course, all this talk of downloading comics apps has retailers sounding the death-knell of the industry, and causing people to wonder what all this means for the medium.

Ok, so here is my thought. The way my feeble brain understands this iPad thing, is that now you have a new mode of delivery. The old modes (singles, trades) are still there, and will continue to be there as long as there is a market. Of course, there will continue to be a market for some time, given that there seems to be a huge faction who "just can't get into reading comics on a screen." They crave the tactile sensation of the paper in their hands. I get that. One reason (besides not having found the right tech, yet) that I like to draw on paper, has to do with the tactile element. That's completely cool. But as for reading comics, I have no problem reading some comics on a screen. So, obviously, some people WILL switch. But others will buy both (I just HAVE to have Parker: The Hunter in print, but I'm happy to read digital versions of my favourite superheroes) and still others, who would have NEVER walked into a comic book store will buy them on their iPad - to me that's win-win.

Of course, I may be clearly drunk and on drugs. UDECIDE!