Kiwi system ready to revolutionise comic book industry

September 25, 2019

ComicHub will create a new, more efficient way for readers to engage with the stories that they love.

By Kieran Bennett

In the comic book industry, knowing who’s publishing what, and when, is a task worthy of the most patient of heroes. 

With thousands of books published per month, keeping track of what you actually want to read can be a struggle. 

Not to mention the constant effort of staying abreast of new releases.

Stu Colson has set out to solve the problem of information management once and for all with the ComicHub system. 

Designed to allow an easier flow of information between publishers, retailers, and readers, ComicHub has been described by Colson as an ‘information solution’.

Before ComicHub, ordering and managing comic purchases was a process mostly left to estimates. Wastage was high, and stores were often left with hundreds of dollars worth of destroyed stock. 

Not to mention that for readers, discovering the next best thing was never a guarantee. With so many titles, readers couldn’t keep afloat, let alone the stores that they frequented. 

However, with a ComicHub connection, the relationship between stores and readers becomes far more personalised. 

Readers receive recommendations tailored to their preferences entered into the system, and all automatically. Colson has said that no other system has ever facilitated the discovery of new comics better.

“No one wants to read rubbish comics. Well, there’s so many out there you don’t need to. What do you like? This will help you find what you like far easier than any other product that’s ever been out there.”

It does beg the question, why has this system not existed prior to now?  Colson chalks it up to difficulty. 

“It’s incredibly difficult, it’s a massive project,” he told 1 NEWS.

“We’re doing something that no one else has done, and when you do that, everything you do is new.” 

Colson and his team have even gone so far as to establish their own IT company in India, to assist with development. And with a projected further two years of development to undertake, to add further modules and capability to the system, the team seems unlikely to let up on the gas.

“That’s the crazy part, you think ‘are we finished?’ No. And because there’s so many points that you can add information to this and then get it out to people…to make it easier and easier and better and better for everyone.”

Their effort has certainly paid off. 

After eight years of development, ComicHub is now home to over 35,000 users and its global reach continues to expand. 

With a sales office in New York and a launch in the UK and Ireland on the horizon, the reach of ComicHub is set to grow. 

Colson hopes that the ComicHub system can do more than just provide a way to discover new comics. 

Rather, it can help future-proof the industry by enabling smaller, younger stores to compete with the likes of Amazon. 

“I see a lot more new shops opening in the US with younger owners who are more engaged in tech. And every now and then when the older ones go people think it’s a disaster for the industry. 

"Because some shops from 30 years ago or 35 years have just finally closed. Well they didn’t adapt, they didn’t change with the times. We’re providing a product to stores that allows us to continually stay on top of the market.”

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