There's a big range of stuff on sale, from t-shirts to mugs and more.
Satirist David Fennoy recently started adding some of his hilarious jabs at US politics and celebrity to ROK Comics, which you can check out in full if you subscribe to the WAP site!
David is relatively new to the comic world. While you may not know his face, you likely know his voice from dozens of TV shows, commercials and award shows like Showtime at the Apollo, as well as some of the most popular video games on the market.
So how did he get into comics? "I spent many years as a radio personality, able to comment and joke about what was going on in the world," he told ebonyjet. "I've been off the air for a number of years now and think I finally just needed an outlet for what I see and feel about the world we live in with out having to actually write a book that no one would read.
"I have to give a nod to Barack Obama also. His victory speech after winning Iowa inspired the first Chillin With Dreadman comic that I sent out to a few friends who were foolish enough say that they liked it and that I should do more. Since then I've created almost 200 cartoons and see no end in sight."
ROK Comics creator Josh Alves has just been interviewed by web blog Parable, talking about his new story, Thistles, reveals he is trying to get his comic Tastes Like Chicken, syndicated and updates fans on his progress on DC Comics Zuda platform.
In addition to other projects he reveals he's working on the first full-size Araknid Kid story for Sugary Serials and sketch cards for the Marvel Masterpieces 2 set from Upper Deck.
Mobile comics seem to be growing in popularity worldwide, bouyed by better screen resolutions and the growing number of comic creators experimenting with the form. Further growth in the market might come from the increasing sales success for mobile comics (ketai) in Japan, a country which has already successfully exported manga print comics worldwide.
Reuters reported today that the Japanese love of mobile comics - which is already huge - could grow further with the arrival of Apple's iphone next month. Analysts claim the device's touch-screen will make it easier and more appealing to read comics on handsets.
With the number of mobile phone subscribers close to 108 million, or 85 percent of Japan's population, carriers there are already finding e-mail, music downloads and web surfing hugely popular, and are looking for new opportunities to make money in a highly competitive market - and that includes comics.
Mobile Comics led the size of the Japanese mobile publication market to double in the last business year to 22 billion yen ($204 million), according to Internet and media research firm Impress R&D, almost three times bigger than the e-publication market for PCs.
"Until now, users had been extensively using mobile phones for email," Shinko Securities analyst Tomohiko Okugawa told Reuters. "Now that's shifting to games and comics ... This is the area that's going to be very interesting."
"The importance of content has been growing," agreed Toshitake Amamiya, general manager of telecom KDDI's content and media division. "It's crucial to pursue what we can do in this market where each adult always carries around a mobile phone and uses it as a life tool."
The Mobile Comic phenomenon is not restricted to commuters aboard trains into Tokyo or Osaka. Comics on mobile aren’t just proving popular in Japan," argues John Freeman, Managing Editor of comics-on-mobile service ROK Comics. "Translations of strips first published on ROK Comics for China have proven very popular in recent months.
"Selling comics on mobile to traditional comics readers is, surprisingly, a hard sell," he acknowledges. "It's hard to beat the beauty and versatility of the printed comic page either online or on mobile. But reaching a new, wider audience who have always read newspaper cartoons but never set foot in a comic shop is proving the key to making mobile comics a success.
"Webcomics creators argue a hardcore fan set of a couple of thousand readers is enough to turn a profit online (largely through sales of strip-related merchandise such as collections, t-shirts etc.) so the potential revenues are strong," he argues.
"What we’re finding is that mobile comics are popular even in countries where there is no traditional print-based or web comic industry, and mobile reaches far more people than even web comic creators reach via PC delivery.
ROK Comics provides both a platform for licensed comic content including Andy Capp, Roy of the Rovers and Garth, and the tools for independent comic creators to upload their own comics, promoting their characters on mobile using a comic creator tool which also enable web blog and web site publication. The sale of downloads and WAP page views are creditted to creators' accounts, with profits on sales shared equally between ROK and the creator.
"Delivering comics on mobile in the West is achievable - we’ve been doing that for over a year," says Freeman, "but creators and publishers do need to take on board the creative challenges imposed by small screen delivery."
ROK Comic creator Mike Colbert - despite juggling his work behind the scenes on My Name is Earl and home life as a new dad ("My baby is 3.5 months old and I'm amazed I'm able to get this e-mail off to you," he tells us) - reports he's busy with several comics projects.
ROK Comics strip Crazy Mary is now available on www.wowio.com for free download (US only) with the four-issue story The Hunt for Dano Corvair being coloured now with an eye on a July release, also on wowio.
"Federico Zumel (Crazy Mary - Chase) did the pencils," syas Mike, "Larry Brown is colouring, Nathan Kroll is inking and E.T. Dollman is lettering."
"I've also written a story for William Blankenship's comic series Special Edition, he reveals. The story is called "Spak Daxler: Hero of the Ages!" and it's a big dumb superhero fight with a giant mutant cybernetic lizard and all that implies. William has the pages inked and is heading into the coloring stage now. Release is TBD."
"I sold a story to Darkslinger Comics for their series Ghost Assassin called "Unfinished Business". An artist is being chosen now."
In more Crazy Mary-related news, artist J.K. Woodward, who drew the first two stories and Fallen Angel, will see his Marvel debut, X-Men Origins - Beast released as a collection in September. "Yours truly rocks a cameo in it as a jock who teases Hank McCoy," says Mike.
As for season four of My Name is Earl, Mike tells us "So far, we've had Seth Green and Jerry Van Dyke as guest stars, made Randy a cheerleader and blown up Pigsquatch!"
Kickback and V for Vendetta artist David Lloyd is giving a talk at the Highgate Library in London at 7.15pm on Wednesday, 25th June. Admission is fre but to book a place call 020 8489 8772
David will be talking about his latest work Kickback, and the experience of being a graphic novelist.
Highgate Library is at 1 Shepherd Hill, London N6 5QJ
Admission is free and refreshments will be available.
