How ROK Comics on Mobile Works
For more information on creating strips, check out the Creator Guide or download the Creator Guide Help File (PDF format)ROK Comics generally uses Multi Media Messaging to deliver its comics to mobiles worldwide. Not only is it a simple delivery method, it's also Digitally Rights Managed protected, meaning the buyer can't forward the comic to friends, which would mean you, the comics creator, would lose money!
We're offering different ways for people to buy mobile comics: as individual strips, by subscription (we think creators offering adventure strips will like this option).
To view the strip on their mobile, the reader uses the direction keys on their phone to control the speed they read the comic, scrolling forward or backward to view the strip.
A mobile comic strip consists of a series of frames containing image and text, with one panel usually the same as one panel in a printed comic. The ROK Comics system enables you to create up to 12-panel strips, although obviously you don't have to use all the frames (most creators use four or five at most, especially on humour strips).
Comic on Mobile: Size Matters!
We've thought long and hard about the size of the comic strips we're offering. Although you'll be creating your comics at a size of 480 x 480 pixels, they'll be presented at a smaller size, so you have to think about how much detail you want to include in a frame, and the size of the lettering balloons. (To test how a panel may look, try temporarily re-sizing the panel to 240 pixel width).
The best advice we can give you here is that less is more and if you're adapting your existing strips to offer them on mobile phones, you should consider "breaking down" the word balloons of print or webcomic strips, perhaps using the same image but changing the dialogue. Take a look at the samples below, comparing a print panel with how it would appear on mobile.
Lettering
18 point lettering is the minimum point size you should use in the creation of mobile comics. Don't run lettering balloons right to the edge of frames or, if you do, make sure there is a good amount of white space between the lettering and the balloon edge. This should ensure lettering is not partially obscured on some models of mobile phone.
Comics Form
The style of comic you offer is entirely up to you. It could be a simple, one-off gag strips, or gag strips featuring ongoing characters in an ongoing humorous situation. You might also be offering an adventure strip: a serialised story made popular by newspapers the world over for over 100 years but now breaking out of print and into the mobile medium. Simply choose how you want to offer your strip after you've created it.
Copyright Information
All the strips will include a end panel sporting the ROK Comics logo and the copyright information of the strip creator.
You retain the copyright on anything you upload using your own characters (for more information on copyright and ROK Comics, see our user guide).
Rok Comics Contracts and Guides
All these guides are PDF format. You need Adobe's free Acrobat Reader to read them, available from www.adobe.com
This is our guide on how to use the ROK Comic Creator Toools
ROK Comics Terms and Condtions
This is our general Terms and Conditions document
This outlines the terms and conditions for the use of Freefall Comics
ROK Comics Professional Contract
This outlines the terms and conditions for the use of ROK Comics to create professional comics which could earn you money per download to mobile.
© 2007 Mirage Studios, Inc. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and TMNT are trademarks of Mirage Studios, Inc. All rights reserved.
Garfield © PAWS, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Too Much Coffee Man © Shannon Wheeler. All Rights Reserved.
Doonesbury © G.B.Trudeau. All Rights Reserved.