Zuda Comics

Zuda Comics was DC Comics' webcomics imprint from 2007 until 2010. Some of the imprints series won awards and nominations from comic industry's Glyph Comics Awards and Harvey Awards. Bayou, Volume 1 was also named one of the 2010 Great Graphic Novels for Teens by the American Library Association.

Zuda Comics
TypeImprint of DC Comics
IndustryPublishing
Founded2007 (launch)
Key people
Paul Levitz
Richard Bruning
Ronald Perazza
Kwanza Johnson
Nika Denoyelle
Dave McCullough
ProductsWebcomics
Comic books
ParentDC Comics (Time Warner)

History

The site was announced via press release on July 9, 2007, the imprint was launched to publish new material featuring new characters online. The site's content would be chosen by the users through monthly competitions: "the majority of the web comics will be selected by Zudacomics.com's visitors, who will vote on new web comics presented to them in periodic competitions".[1] The first commissioned ongoing strips and material competing for the public vote were published on October 30, 2007.[2] Zuda removed the competition aspect in April 2010[3] and in July 2010, soon after the launch of DC's digital comics service, it was announced that Zuda would close and be folded into the new digital publishing arm.[4]

Competition mechanics

Comic creators were invited to submit their own eight-page comics, and each month ten were selected to compete by editorial. Users could vote for their favorite and the winner received a contract to continue their comic on Zuda. When the contract was filled, if the comic was liked enough it could be renewed for an additional "season". Occasionally an "instant winner" was chosen to receive a contract without having to compete. In July 2008 an "invitational" was held in which losing comics were invited back to compete.

Staff
Jeremy Love and Kwanza Johnson

The Zuda staff consisted of:

  • Paul Levitz - Publisher[5][6]
  • Richard Bruning - SVP-Creative Director[7]
  • Ronald Perazza - VP of Creative Services[7]
  • Kwanza Johnson - DC Comics Online Editor
  • Nika Vagner - DC Comics Online Assistant Editor
  • Jessica Numsuwankijkul - DC Comics Assistant Editor
  • Dave McCullough - DC Comics Online Technology Manager

Titles

Instant Winners

  • Bayou by Jeremy Love[8]
  • The Night Owls by Peter Timony and Bobby Timony[9]
  • Street-Code by Dean Haspiel
  • The Imaginary Boys by Carlos López Bermúdez
  • I Rule The Night by Kevin Colden
  • Bottle of Awesome by Andy Belanger and Ian Herring
  • La Morté Sisters by Tony Trov, Johnny Zito & Christine Larsen [10]

Competition Winners

  • High Moon November 2007 – 2010
  • Pray for Death December 2007
  • Supertron January 2008 – 2010
  • Road February 2008 – 2010
  • The Black Cherry Bombshells March 2008 – 2010
  • Melody April 2008
  • Celadore May 2008
  • Dual June 2008 – 2010
  • Re-Evolution July 2008
  • Gulch August 2008
  • Blood Hunter September 2008 – 2010
  • Azure October 2008 – 2010
  • Extracurricular Activities November 2008
  • Devil's Wake December 2008 – 2010
  • Safe Inside (comic) January 2009 – 2010
  • The Hammer February 2009
  • Deadly March 2009 – 2010
  • Earthbuilders April 2009 – 2010
  • Lily of the Valley May 2009 – 2010
  • Sidewise June 2009 – 2010
  • RockStar July 2009 – 2010
  • Absolute Magnitude August 2009 – 2010
  • Goldilock September 2009 –2010
  • Eldritch April 2010 [11]
Main article: List of monthly Zuda contestants

Reception

The initial announced line-up of talent included no prominent webcomics creators, prompting Todd Allen at Comic Book Resources to opine, "[T]he vast majority of the initial creators here have already done print comics. Multiple print comics for the most part, and the majority go back a few years. ... This does not look like ushering in a new generation". He conceded, however, "that they’ve lined up some strips with professional pedigree for the first batch".[12]

Notes
  1. "Initial Press Release". Zudacomics.com. Archived from the original on 12 July 2007. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  2. Matt Brady (October 24, 2007). "First ten Zuda contestants named". Newsarama. Archived from the original on October 26, 2007.
  3. Perazza, Ron (April 30, 2010). "Important Site Changes". The Bleed. DC Comics.com. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
  4. Perazza, Ron (July 1, 2010). "The Future of Zuda". The Bleed. DC Comics.com. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
  5. Talking Zuda with Paul Levitz Archived July 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Newsarama, July 9, 2007
  6. ZudaComics Posts Contracts - Submissions Are A Go, interview with Paul Levitz, Newsarama, September 21, 2007
  7. DC Announces Zudacomics.com Archived July 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, interview with Ron Perazza and Richard Bruning, Newsarama, July 9, 2007
  8. Jeremy Love's Bayou Named Aa Zuda's First "Instant Winner" Archived October 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Newsarama, October 25, 2007
  9. "Zuda Comics Names the Night Owls as Newest Instant Winner", Newsarama, December 14, 2007
  10. "LaMorte Sisters' Vampire Orphanage Comes to DC - Headlines". Broken Frontier. Retrieved 2011-02-03.
  11. http://www.multiversitycomics.com/interviews/zuda-weekly-interview-with-team-eldritch/
  12. Zuda's established talent search, Comic Book Resources, October 25, 2007
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