The idea of a digital comic book store has captivated us since Graphic.ly's launch, probably because it unites a type of old-school nerd-dom with the new school of tech geekery. But Graphic.ly is more than just a store; it aims to give print publishers tools to create unique content for digital media, make content more accessible and create interaction in the community.
The funding will allow the makers of Graphic.ly to seriously beef up the product. Graphic.ly CEO Micah Baldwin said in an e-mail, "Imagine being able to play video or listen to music within the comic -- on your iPad!"
In other words, the Graphic.ly experience could end up being like the "bonus features" of your favorite DVD -- a more full-featured, lean-in experience for true fans of comics and the characters.
With a strong focus on HTML5 and other new web technologies, Baldwin said, "We plan to really double down on the experience rather than platform... We want our community to be able to dive into the story and all the entertainment around it. So if you love Spider-Man the movies, you can experience the comics, video games, soundtracks and TV shows, which would allow anybody to experience Spider-Man."
And speaking of Spider-Man, Baldwin also hinted about a soon-to-be-revealed collaboration with Stan Lee, former president of Marvel Comics and creator of Spider-Man, Iron Man, X-Men, The Hulk and a slew of other famous comic book characters.
Lee is just one of the big names working with Graphic.ly these days, but more important than nerd-celeb cachet is Graphic.ly's progress as a new business.
"We've been doubling sales every couple of months," Baldwin revealed. "The [Graphic.ly web app's inclusion in the] Chrome Store caused that to move to month over month.
"More importantly, we have more than 150 publishers and creators, which is probably about three times more than anyone else. And we now have 2,000 books in the store with 3,000 right around the corner."