HeavyInk is a new comics e-tailer that offers social networking functionality with its 20% discount. We’ll let you parse the press release:
After a period of public beta, comics retail and social networking site HeavyInk (http://www.heavyink.com) has announced its official launch, effective today. Bringing together comics and community in a way that revolutionizes online comics retail, HeavyInk offers a fully-featured social networking framework along with a comprehensive selection of comics titles, graphic novels, and trade paperback collections.
“Our goal with HeavyInk is no less than a paradigm shift in how comics are purchased and how comics fans interact through the internet,” explained Travis Corcoran, founder and president of HeavyInk. “There are plenty of places to purchase comics online, and plenty more where fans can socialize together. HeavyInk is the only place where fans can do both. Essentially, it’s the world’s largest and coolest virtual comics store—always open, offering great deals and customer service, and with endless room for fans to hang out and talk about the medium and culture of comics.”
HeavyInk.com is first and foremost an online comics retailer. All purchases are 20% off retail price, and come with free shipping and no sales tax in 49 states, along with exceptional customer service. HeavyInk offers the most comprehensive, convenient comics subscription service on the web—cancel anytime, view an interactive listing of all subscriptions and upcoming issues, select variant covers—and the only graphic novel and trade paperback subscription service available anywhere. Customers can also depend on HeavyInk to deliver every item in their subscription, without fail, thanks to the site’s Triple Your Money Back guarantee—if HeavyInk fails to deliver on an item and it can’t be sent later, the customer will get triple their money back.
Users who participate in the HeavyInk community will find a full slate of interactive functionality—a Facebook-style user home page allows customers to write their own profile, update a blog, share subscriptions and reviews with others, and drop “blurbs” on each other’s pages. Every title and creator indexed on the site can be reviewed, and every review has a comments function, enabling an ongoing dialogue between fans throughout the site. A forum provides a common “lobby” where all users can gather together and share their opinions.
“Since public beta opened last fall, over 1,100 HeavyInk users have joined our community, so it is definitely thriving,” said Corcoran. “Users can even participate in games such as Cover Fight, where they vote on their favorite cover every month, and the Quizzes feature, which allows anyone to create their own quiz and see responses populated on profiles throughout the site. This is the next stage of comics fandom and retail online, and we’re thrilled to get things started.”
I’m sort of biased, since I’m an employee and all, but I will say that HeavyInk is my favorite comic book store. We launched HeavyInk so that there’d be some place to get comics that was as easy to use as Amazon, and which could give out good recommendations (instead of always “Dude, you should try ‘The Fantastic Four’ again, trust me” from the guy at the shop I used to use).
I’ve been a member for a couple months now and my experience has been superb. They just completed their graphic novel selection, allowing me to move my business from Amazon to HeavyInk.
Their customer service is amazing and second to none.
I found it via a google search for comic shops, because the only one’s I know of in my area are a good 20 miles away. Heh. I’m glad I did- the people there are awesome to talk to, as if the 20% off isn’t enough of a reason to join up.
no, this isn’t a paid plug, no matter how much of one it sounds like!
I hadn’t bought an actual comic book in years, just some of the trades and hardcovers, but I still followed the news in comicland, and after hearing about HI from another website, I found the 20% discount and free shipping too alluring to resist and have dived back into comic books – I’m now subscribed to about 9 different titles, and have picked up a graphic novel as well. I will also vouch for the superior customer service, as they replaced an order damaged by the Post Office at no charge, without me asking. It’s full of good folks on the social side as well…
Please note, I’m monitoring these comments and if I se any multiple posting, the comments will be pulled!
I’d been wanting to switch to a mail order sub service, but usually the shipping just makes it more expensive because I don’t get a HUGE amount of comics, and I desperately wanted to discontinue my patronage of comic stores in my area (OC, CA) because they are everything a comic store shouldn’t be.
HeavyInk wins for having that water cooler community, it’s easy to switch titles on and off, there’s no shipping AND a discount.
For me, win/win. I heartily recommend that anyone with a catpissman store or just any LCS that doesn’t rise to basic standards of a retail store…stop giving them your money, you’ll make out great with these guys.
I first saw info about HeavyInk on BoingBoing, and I’m very interested in working with them, though I’ve yet to sign up on the site. I guess I don’t have an excuse anymore.