Farrago teams with IDW for free comics

 

 

In the post Amazology world. many digital comics apps and companies have sprung up trying to stake their claim in this growing world. Farrago Comics is an app for iPad and android that offers a range of free comics. As suggested by their motto “Comic Book Freedom!” the idea is to provide a manageable app for sampling and reading—which isn’t a bad one given today’s crazy quilt of digital platforms. Revenue is provided by ads, as it is with many apps. Up until now they were offering mostly Golden Age and indie comics, but they’ve just sign up with IDW to offer some fan fave #1 from the likes of Steve Niles, Ben Templesmith, Jonathan Maberry, Chris Roberson, Ashley Wood, etc.

Here’s the whole list:

• 30 Days of Night #1
• Mystery Society #1
• Winterworld #1
• Zombies vs Robots #0
On Farrago: January 21, 2014
• Groom Lake #1
• The Last Fall #1
• V-Wars #1
On Farrago: January 28, 2014
• Night of 1,000 Wolves #1
• Pantheon #1
• Memorial #1

“We are thrilled to team up with such a mighty force in the comics universe as IDW, ” says Martin Fleischmann, CEO and Co-founder of Farrago Comics in a statement. “We believe making a large set of great comics and graphic novels free and easy to find in one place helps eliminate the entry barrier to a medium that everyone can (and once did) enjoy.”  Matt Lieberman, Chief Devolopment Officer and Co-founder of Farrago Comics, added “The 10 comics IDW picked as their first to offer on Farrago add a veritable super sampler to our catalog, sure to delight newcomers and aficionados alike.”

According to IDW’s VP Digital Publishing & Business Development, Jeff Webber, they’re eager to test this model. “This is an excellent model to attract new readers to our comics and to comics in general.”

Farrago has been in beta for four months, which they stress test the reader experience and trackable ad counts. I’m told they have more deals in the works, so we’ll see if it catches on.