Sweet Shop, another contender for the digital comics throne left empty by the fall of Comixology, has launched to public access today. The 8 month long beta test began in January with a list of 24 publishers already signed on including Oni Press, Image, Dark Horse, and more. Earlier this year, Sweet Shop signed a day-and-date deal with Ignition Press and are the only day-and-date digital storefront with Image following their departure from GlobalComix.
Today, Sweet Shop announced that the platform will be ending their beta test to be fully accessible to the public. They have also announced that more publishers will also be joining the lineup today including Kodansha, Glacier Bay Books, Titan Comics, Abrams ComicArts, Fanbase Press, Iron Circus Comics, Dynamite Entertainment, and Seven Seas Entertainment. According to the press release, “Our beta went incredibly well, and so many people want to get in, we’re thrilled to open our doors,” said Kenny Meyers, Sweet Shop CEO. “We’re delighted to add some of the best comics in the world from an incredible pool of publishers to our already diverse catalog of outstanding publishers. Comics are the absolute best, and we’re so f’n delighted every day to sell them.”
Meyers has previously launched comics/tech startups Bindings (a digital marketing tool for creators) and Find Your Comic Store (a tool to find physical comic shops). Sweet Shop emphasizes usability a main selling point with a variety of features to support that including these from the press release, “in-app purchases, creation of wishlists, offline reading, library management, a PDF backup download for DRM-free issues, and is available in 170 countries worldwide on Android and iOS across tablets and phones. Additionally, fans of Sweet Shop will enjoy fast, high resolution in-app reading that transitions between vertical and paging mode. No AI or AI translated comics are allowed on the Sweet Shop app.” Additionally, the press release emphasizes that the platform was built, “without the help of venture capitalist aid or angel investments, Sweet Shop was built organically by a group of dedicated comic fans who wanted to answer the questions where do I get started, and what’s next.”
For the launch, the platform is also hosting digital bundle sales from Image’s Massive-verse, Dark Horse’s Minor Threats universe, and more. A portion of the proceeds from these sales go towards the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (BINC). Users can sign up for the platform here.
