PR: Netcomics to carry American comics

Netcomics has really diversified its line in the past year: They added global manga from Yaoi Press as well as a mix of titles from Japan last year, and now they are putting American comics online. The first one, Tales of the Closet, is not superhero stuff; it has more of an indie feel. Check it out.

NETCOMICS launches American comics on its website

Glendale, CA, June 9, 2008—NETCOMICS, the graphic novel publisher that specializes in the online pay-per-view service of manhwa and manga titles, is launching its first American comic: Tales of the Closet, on its website (www.NETCOMICS.com) today. As with all NETCOMICS titles, online readers can sample the first chapter for free, and pay 25 cents per chapter to read the subsequent chapters.

Ivan Velez, Jr., author of such titles as Blood Syndicate, A Man Called Holocaust, Abominations, Ghost Rider, and Static, and co-author of Dead High, among others, is an advocate of creating comic books about everyday people. Working with Milestone Media, his publisher, Velez has championed his ideal that comic books don’t necessarily have to be about superheroes. “All comic books before [Milestone] tended to be told from a very upper-middle-class viewpoint,” states Velez, in a recent interview with the New York Times. Shying away from the traditional superhero bent, the non-traditional heroes Velez creates are complex, down-to-earth, and, above all, real people.

In his longest running series to date, Tales of the Closet, Velez takes his credo of creating people who look, sound, and act like most people in the world and runs with it. The first volume, alone, introduces the readers to gay and bi-sexual teens, homophobic jocks, and everyone in between. From the already “outted” Scott Lind, to the deeply troubled Ramona, we’re given not only a look into their school lives, but the home life that frames and dictates who they’ve become. Each of the characters struggles with the ideas of their own sexuality, coming to grips with how society, family, and even they, themselves, will deal with their burgeoning self-identities. High school life is bad enough, but when torn between conformity and being true to one’s self, the reality can be harsher than we’d hope for.

Since its launch in January 2006, NETCOMICS has been offering its full line of manhwa titles in both online and print formats. As of 2007, the publisher has extended its online offerings to include Japanese manga titles, as well as titles from Yaoi Press, LLC, who specializes in yaoi manga created by western artists. NETCOMICS.com currently offers about 200 volumes in 61 series.