Zestworld has announced they’ve moved along their operation to an open beta phase which includes a new design for the site that enables readers to more easily discover comics and support creators directly in a variety of ways. Creators like David Marquez, Keith Champagne, Bill Walko, Liana Kangas, and Alejandra Murillo, all of which have launched content on their associated pages.
Right away, users can read new comics on the site for free. At the same time, subscribers will get early access to the books, along with other creator-specific perks, including behind-the-scenes reveals, messages, invite-only events, virtual drawing sessions, and the potential to have your likeness featured in an upcoming comic. Launched in November, Zestworld announced it had raised $9.37M in growth capital back in March, making Zestworld one of the biggest competitors in the digital comics market.
“We’ve spent the past several months testing, learning, and iterating alongside our fantastic launch creators while we build Zestworld into the premiere creator-owned vertical scroll comics platform,” said Zestworld CEO and Co-Founder Chris Giliberti.
“All the while, our creator waitlist has grown to encompass hundreds of the leading names in the industry. We’re delighted to emerge from closed beta and welcome new creators in waves. Next up: David Marquez, Liana Kangas, and Bill Walko, among others, will join us to publish comics, fulfill commissions and build their communities through Zestworld. From here, we plan to double the creator population on our platform each month to meet both creator and fan demand, and encourage any interested creators to sign up for our waitlist.”
Here’s a rundown of the creators with content up along with links to their respective pages:
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David Marquez – Marquez will be releasing a new comic, The UnChosen, and will also be available for commissions. He is an Eisner Award-nominated and New York Times bestselling creator known for his work on such blockbuster Marvel and DC comic series as Miles Morales: Spider-Man, Iron Man, Civil War II, The Defenders, Batman/Superman, Justice League, Detective Comics, Batman: Killing Time, and his first creator-owned graphic novel, The Joyners In 3D.
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Keith Champagne – Champagne will be presenting his new comic Daybreak! and Zestworld will be the comics digital home. A creative jack-of-all-trades in the comic book industry, he is best known for his decades of writing and inking work on titles such as Aztec, World War III, Countdown: Arena, Ghostbusters, and more for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Publishing, Dynamite Entertainment, IDW, and more.
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Bill Walko – Walko, a comic book illustrator and animation artist, will be accepting digital commissions on the platform. His work has been published in DC Comics, Archie Comics, Dynamite Comics (Vampiverse), Image Comics (Stray Dogs), The New York Times (My Moments with Stan, How a Comics Reporter Uncovers Marvels), and a number of independent publishers.
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Liana Kangas – An Eisner-nominated artist, Kangas, who will be seeking digital commissions on the platform, is a creator best known for her work on She Said Destroy by Vault, Star Wars Adventures, and other works with 2000AD, Black Mask Studios, as well as Ringo. Clients include Legendary Pictures, King Features, Z2, Mad Cave, Vices Press and Scrappy Heart Productions.
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Alejandra Murillo – An artist, illustrator, painter, color worshiper, and dragon lover, Murillo will be accepting digital commissions on Zestworld.
A cover to David Marequz’s comic.
Credit: Marquez
For more on this news, read the official press release below.
NEW YORK, NY – August 30, 2022 – Zestworld, the creator-first digital comics platform, announced that the company will be moving into an open beta phase, which includes a new design for the site that enables readers to more easily discover comics and support creators directly in a variety of ways. Users will be able to read new comics on the site for free, while subscribers will get early access to the books, along with other creator-specific perks including behind-the-scenes reveals, messages, invite-only events, virtual drawing sessions, and the potential to have your likeness featured in an upcoming comic.
“We’ve spent the past several months testing, learning, and iterating alongside our fantastic launch creators while we build Zestworld into the premiere creator-owned vertical scroll comics platform,” said Zestworld CEO and Co-Founder, Chris Giliberti. “All the while, our creator waitlist has grown to encompass hundreds of the leading names in the industry. We’re delighted to emerge from closed beta and welcome new creators in waves. Next up: David Marquez, Liana Kangas, and Bill Walko, among others, will join us to publish comics, fulfill commissions and build their communities through Zestworld. From here, we plan to double the creator population on our platform each month to meet both creator and fan demand, and encourage any interested creators to sign up for our waitlist.”
Aspiring creators can apply now by sharing their information and work on a form through the Zestworld website (here).
“The Zestworld team that Chris Giliberti has assembled brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from across the tech, publishing, and entertainment fields,” said David Marquez.
“The platform they’re building represents an incredible opportunity for creators like me to tell our own groundbreaking stories and to engage with readers and fans in fresh, innovative ways. I couldn’t have asked for a better place to launch my new comic, The UnChosen. I’m especially excited to offer digital commissions to my fans for the first time ever, made easier than ever thanks to Zestworld’s commission request system.”
Details on the new creators:
David Marquez – Marquez will be releasing a new comic, The UnChosen, and will also be available for commissions. He is an Eisner Award-nominated and New York Times bestselling creator known for his work on such blockbuster Marvel and DC comic series as Miles Morales: Spider-Man, Iron Man, Civil War II, The Defenders, Batman/Superman, Justice League, Detective Comics, Batman: Killing Time, and his first creator-owned graphic novel, The Joyners In 3D.
Keith Champagne – Champagne will be presenting his new comic Daybreak! and Zestworld will be the comics digital home. A creative jack-of-all-trades in the comic book industry, he is best known for his decades of writing and inking work on titles such as Aztec, World War III, Countdown: Arena, Ghostbusters, and more for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Publishing, Dynamite Entertainment, IDW, and more.
Bill Walko – Walko, a comic book illustrator and animation artist, will be accepting digital commissions on the platform. His work has been published in DC Comics, Archie Comics, Dynamite Comics (Vampiverse), Image Comics (Stray Dogs), The New York Times (My Moments with Stan, How a Comics Reporter Uncovers Marvels), and a number of independent publishers.
Liana Kangas – An Eisner-nominated artist, Kangas, who will be seeking digital commissions on the platform, is a creator best known for her work on She Said Destroy by Vault, Star Wars Adventures, and other works with 2000AD, Black Mask Studios, as well as Ringo. Clients include Legendary Pictures, King Features, Z2, Mad Cave, Vices Press and Scrappy Heart Productions.
Alejandra Murillo – An artist, illustrator, painter, color worshiper, and dragon lover, Murillo will be accepting digital commissions on Zestworld.
Zestworld recently launched the comic industry’s first digital commissions tool allowing fans to consign artwork from their favorite artists and also unveiled the IP Rights Tool to help creators protect and adapt their content more seamlessly and equitably. For more information please visit Zestworld.com.
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