Bringing Comics to the Amazon Kindle

Since the release of the Kindle, Amazon's popular digital reading device, a few publishers have started to experiment with converting their comics to Kindle editions. But while the recently released and upgraded Kindle 2 offers an improved design and a better screen experience—unlike the first Kindle, the Kindle 2 offers a 16 tone grayscale screen—reading comics on the device is not an altogether enjoyable experience.

Comics on the Kindle 2 can look dim and small; word balloons are often difficult to read even when enlarged—indeed the Kindle's zoom and enlarge feature is often inadequate. Nevertheless, while the publishers PWCW spoke with had varying degrees of success converting their comics to the Kindle, they all stressed the importance of carefully examining and understanding the Kindle digital format, emphasizing that the device and its technology will likely improve in the future. "At this point, it's just to learn what it takes to get these books into the format under the assumption that the technology will get better," said Neil DeYoung from Hachette's Digital Media Group. "When that does happen and the market is ready, we'll already have the chops needed."