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Interface for the new version of the Neon Ichiban digital comics app, May, 2026.<\/p>\n
Courtesy of Neon Ichbian\/DSTLRY<\/p>\n
Neon Ichiban, the digital comics platform launched<\/a> last June<\/a> by Amazon\/comiXology executives David Steinberger and Chip Mosher, is taking another step forward in the increasingly competitive <\/a>comics and manga space with the launch of new native iOS and Android apps and a host of new features for readers, collectors and creators.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have rebuilt the fan experience from the ground up,\u201d said Steinberger in an exclusive interview by phone last week. \u201cWe want to have the best reading, collecting and community experience anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n Steinberger points to critical improvements in speed and performance in both the iOS and Android app, along with nearly seamless integration of the storefront, which now lists more than 30,000 titles in inventory from most of the biggest comics and manga publishers. <\/p>\n \u201cDavid and I both come out of the comics community,\u201d said Mosher, who is also publisher at DSTLRY, the publishing arm of Neon Ichiban. \u201cWe understand things from the fan, publisher, creators and retailer perspectives and we\u2019ve built our platform to support every aspect of the ecosystem.\u201d<\/p>\n DSTLRY partners Chip Mosher (left) and David Steinberger, as depicted by founding creator Tula Lotay.<\/p>\n Art by Tula Lotay, courtesy DSTLRY<\/p>\n One of Neon Ichiban\u2019s unique features is the ability to buy and sell limited edition digital collectibles through the site (not using blockchain), including variant editions and comics that have been signed or remarqued by creators. This caters to the collector aspect of the comics hobby, a big driver of sales for physical products, while offering creators the opportunity to generate revenue from the sale and resale of these signed or remarqued editions.<\/p>\n \u201cIt lets the creators build equity,\u201d said Mosher, noting the expanded Creator Hub that connects creators and fans, brings the in-person convention signing experience to digital, and will soon expand to custom commissions. \u201cA lot of these guys see their signed books or artwork going for 10 or 20 times what they sold them for, and this lets them participate in those revenues.\u201d<\/p>\n Steinberger emphasized that the collectability aspect is only one mode of engaging with the platform. \u201cWe want to meet fans where they are,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you want to download a PDF, depending on the publisher terms, you can do that. If you want to resell on our marketplace, you can do that. The important thing is that you\u2019re not just buying the license to read the comic the way you do on other platforms. You\u2019re actually buying the comic. It\u2019s yours to do what you want with.\u201d<\/p>\n Having features not available on other apps is important as the digital comics market becomes increasingly crowded with both new and established companies, including some well-capitalized startups<\/a> and platforms spun off from existing providers<\/a>. Japan, the world\u2019s biggest comics market, saw a dramatic shift from print to digital in the past 6-8 years and investors are waiting for North America, where digital sales have been stuck at about 15% of print since the early 2010s, to follow suit.<\/p>\n