Panel Syndicate is an
online
In computer technology and telecommunications, online indicates a state of connectivity, and offline indicates a disconnected state. In modern terminology, this usually refers to an Internet connection, but (especially when expressed as "on lin ...
publisher of
DRM-free
Digital rights management (DRM) is the management of legal access to digital content. Various tools or technological protection measures, such as access control technologies, can restrict the use of proprietary hardware and copyrighted works. DR ...
pay what you want
Pay what you want (or PWYW, also referred to as value-for-value model) is a pricing strategy where buyers pay their desired amount for a given commodity. This amount can sometimes include zero. A minimum (floor) price may be set, and/or a suggest ...
digital comics
Digital comics (also known as electronic comics,Ian Hague, ''Comics and the Senses: A Multisensory Approach to Comics and Graphic Novels'', Routledge, 2014, ch. 2: "Sight, or, the Ideal Perspective and the Physicality of Seeing". eComics, e-comi ...
in multiple languages, founded by
Marcos Martín to publish his and
Brian K. Vaughan's
creator-owned comic ''
The Private Eye'' in March 2013. To date Panel Syndicate has published comics in
English,
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas
**Spanish cuisine
**Spanish history
**Spanish culture
...
,
Catalan,
Portuguese, and
French, with additional languages in development. ''The Private Eye'' has received critical acclaim and media attention for its role as one of the first DRM-free, pay what you want comics by creators of Martín and Vaughan's caliber. Initially an outlet for publishing Vaughan and Martín's collaborations, Panel Syndicate is open to publishing other creators' works by using the same DRM-free, pay what you want model.
In November 2014, ''
Universe!'', a
science fiction
Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
book made of stand-alone stories created and written by
Albert Monteys, was published on the website.
In December 2015, Vaughan and Martín started releasing their second series ''Barrier'', a five-issue series that finished in July 2017, on their website. It is a
drama
Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
about violence and
illegal immigration
Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of that country's immigration laws, or the continuous residence in a country without the legal right to do so. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upward, wi ...
.
In April 2016, Vaughan and Martín released an authorized
''Walking Dead'' stand-alone story that reveals what happened to Jeff Grimes,
Rick
Rick may refer to:
People
*Rick (given name), a list of people with the given name
*Alan Rick (born 1976), Brazilian politician, journalist, pastor and television personality
*Johannes Rick (1869–1946), Austrian-born Brazilian priest and mycol ...
's brother, called ''The Walking Dead: The Alien''; this story was allowed in exchange for letting
Image Comics
Image Comics is an independent American American comic book, comic book publisher and is the third largest direct market comic book and graphic novel publisher in the industry by market share. Its best-known publications include ''Spawn (comics) ...
publish ''The Private Eye'' in hardcover.
In April 2017, ''Blackhand Ironhead'', a
comedy
Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium.
Origins
Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...
that focuses on families with
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...
es while not focusing on the superheroes was published on the website; it was created and written by
David López.
In November 2017, ''Umami'', an adventure about Uma and Ami that are cooks for their king, by Ken Niimura was released.
In May 2018, the complete mini-series ''Barrier'' was made available in print by Image Comics, starting with the first issue being part of that year's
Free Comic Book Day
Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) is an annual promotional effort by the North American comic book industry to attract new readers to independent comic book stores. It usually takes place on the first Saturday of May and has historically been cross ...
.
In May 2018, ''Glacier City'', a police story about a remote Alaskan town, created by Jay Faerber and Michael Montenat was released.
In 2019, Ken Niimura's ''Umami'', a work published by Panel Syndicate, won the
Eisner Award
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are awards for creative achievement in American comic books. They are regarded as the most prestigious and significant awards in the comic industry and often referred ...
for
Best Digital Comic.
References
{{reflist
External links
Official website@PanelSyndicate
Comics publishing companies