Zuda Comics Profile

Name:

Zuda Comics

Chief Operators:

Ron Perazza – Editorial Director
Kwanza Johnson – Editor
Dominika Denoyelle – Editorial Assistant
Dave McCullough – Technical Director
Richard Bruning

Started by:

DC Comics

Famous For:

Zuda launched onto the scene with quite a controversy. It was seen by some as a ticket to the big time, and by others as an intellectual property farm.

Public Company (Can you own a piece of it?):

Technically no, but by owning some of parent company Warner Brothers, you will.

Creator Owned Projects:

Zuda is a unique, competition style comic publisher. People submit comic ideas for competition and if they are selected, they are put onto their website. Once there, people vote for them and the winners will be offered further contracts. While under the control of Zuda, the comic creators are paid a fee and a percentage of further sales. Zuda also reserves the right to choose six instant winners each calendar year. How this will truly work out remains to be seen.

Website:

zuda.blog.dccomics.com/

Send Projects to:

People interested in submitting comic books should check out their submission page.

Initial Comics Lineup:

Bayou
Alpha Monkey
This American Strife
Battlefield Babysitter
Black Swan
Dead in the Now
The Dead Seas
The Enders
High Moon
Leprenomicon
Raining Cats and Dogs

Get A Job With Zuda:

People interested in working at Zuda should check postings on the Warner Brothers jobs website.

History:

Zuda comics was started by DC Comics. It’s true nature has yet to be defined as it was thought that it was meant to be a place for unknown creators to submit their comic books. The initial wave of comic books put on the web, however, were mostly created by people who have already made comic books. Some were even contacted by DC to make comics for the Zuda launch. There is speculation that this run of web comics was done in this manner to see what would float and succeed and what wouldn’t, all at little cost to DC.

The first wave of comic books went online on Tuesday, October 30th. Twelve web comics went online and one had already been declared an instant winner. That comic was Bayou, by written and drawn by Jeremy Love.

One of the really interesting things that Zuda is doing is with their aspect ration. The comics on Zuda are in a 4:3 aspect ratio. This was done to make the comics fit on the traditional computer screen, something that regular print comics have difficulty doing. As of July 1st, 2010, operations of Zuda.com were suspended. DC's new plan is to roll the comics from Zuda with their own into a unified digital publishing format. They plan on having these and other comics, "... released through the DC Comics and comiXology Apps, the Sony PSP and on both the comiXology website and, eventually, the main DC Comics website as well." For many, Zuda was a bright part of comics history. It brought new talent into the world of comics and gave them a chance to show their stuff in a world where "breaking in" to the comics can be nigh impossible. Others though Zuda was taking advantage of those same creators, but even some of them saw the good that came from Zuda. Zuda may be gone, but many of the comics that were on Zuda will find new life in another avenue, which is a great thing for fans and creators alike.