A new digital comics app, Sweet Shop, is now officially open to comic and manga fans alike, for all of their reading needs – and some British comic publishers are on the platform from the get go.
Developed without the help of venture capitalist aid or angel investments, Sweet Shop was built organically by a group of dedicated comic fans who wanted to answer the questions “where do I get started”, and “what’s next?”.
Publishers available on the app include Image Comics, Fantagraphics, Dark Horse Comics, Oni Press, IDW Publishing, Ignition Press, Silver Sprocket, Mad Cave Studios, Manga Mavericks, Living the Line, Panic Entertainment, Second at Best Press, Good Trouble Comics, ABLAZE, Alien Books, Avery Hill Publishing and White Ash Comics.
Joining their stellar list of publishers for launch are: Kodansha, Glacier Bay Books, Titan Comics, Abrams ComicArts, Fanbase Press, Iron Circus Comics, Dynamite Entertainment, and Seven Seas Entertainment.
No AI or AI translated comics are allowed on the Sweet Shop app. “We hate them,” say the team, promising to take them down if any sneak through internal vetting processes.
Forbes notes here that the Seattle-based company is one of several emerging platforms hoping to tap into the $2.1 billion American comics market with an app that makes it easier to find, buy, read and own comics, manga and graphic novels. The company joins a growing number of such apps offering similar services, including Comixit, GlobalComix, Neon Ichiban, and Webtoon, in addition to publisher owned apps from DC, Marvel and Viz Manga.
It’s an arena that’s taken no prisoners over the years, either, with many casualties: ROK Comics, launched in the 2000s, for example, foundered through inability to gain awareness and early entry into the mobile market before the arrival of smartphones, despite strong developing partnerships with Indian telecoms; ComiXology didn’t survive long as a distinct entity once purchased by Amazon; InkyPen, a digital comic and manga subscription service, launched on Steam in 2018, but foundered shortly after launching on Steam late last year.
Then there was Omnibus, a digital comic book store and reading app, which launched in May 2023 but foundered in July 2024, citing a lack of fast enough growth and the need for unsustainable external funding.
The Omnibus experience clearly hasn’t dissuaded one of its founders, Kenny Myers, now CEO of Sweet Shop, from a belief in digital comics as a means of reaching readers, because he’s presumably taken lessons learned to develop the new app.
Cofounded with Chief Technology Officer Ben Carr and Chief Data Officer Matthew Anderson, Sweet Shop also offers Find Your Comic Store (FYCS) a comic store locator app, and Bindings, a marketing platform for publishers and creators.
“Our beta went incredibly well, and so many people want to get in, we’re thrilled to open our doors,” says Kenny Meyers of the new Sweet Shop app. “We’re delighted to add some of the best comics in the world from an incredible pool of publishers to our already diverse catalogue of outstanding publishers. Comics are the absolute best, and we’re so f’n delighted every day to sell them.”
Talking to Forbes, Myers revealed the Sweet Shop platform grew to 6000 users during the beta phase, with unusually high growth and retention rates. “Our conversion rates are above digital standards and we experienced almost no loss of converted buyers. Everyone came back. We’re seeing 56% monthly growth in beta,” he said.
The Sweet Shop app allows for in-app purchases, creation of wishlists, offline reading, library management, a PDF backup download for DRM-free issues.
The app is available in 170 countries worldwide on Android and iOS across tablets and phones, offering fast, high resolution in-app reading that transitions between vertical and paging mode.
To celebrate the much awaited launch, Sweet Shop is offering customers a sweet sale with generous bundles of comics available from day one from Image Comics, Dark Horse, IDW Publishing, Ignition Press, Fanbase Press, Goats Flying Press, Oni Press, and more. And select titles from Kodansha, Avery Hill Publishing, Iron Circus, and Image Comics among others will be featured as part of the launch sale.
A portion of the bundle proceeds will go to the US-based Book Industry Charitable Foundation (BINC) in support of bookstore and comic shop employees and owners with unforeseen emergency needs.
“Sweet Shop is part of Sweet’s singular goal to make things less s****y for people in comics,” say the team. “With Bindings for creator marketing, Find Your Comic Store (FYCS) for finding your new favourite comic shop, “Sweet” is tackling all it can with technology to help grow comic sales and readership everywhere.”
• Check out Sweet Shop at sweetshop.app | Follow Sweet Shop on Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: British Comics, Comics, Digital Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, International Comic News, US Comics
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