The digital comic book era definitely seemss to be upon us, with publishers like Claypool making the jump from print to internet-only distribution, and other new companies like Wowio launching online only. It remains to be seen what the quality will be from these new online comic companies, but it’s an idea whose time, if it hasn’t come already, is right around the corner. Of course, Wowio’s business plan should help them make a bit of a splash no matter what the intitial quality of their offerings is.

Pridgen admitted the e-book concept — books offered over the Internet — never really became popular. But he blamed that more on companies not giving people a reason to go online rather than in a bookstore.

“They’re almost the same price as what’s in a retail store. There’s no compelling offer to the customer that way,” he said.

By offering free comic books based on advertising, Pridgen said the company is working off the same principle as when broadcast radio and television first started.

“Broadcast TV, when it first came out was free to people. They made money solely from advertising,” he said. “We have the same idea.”

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