Graphic.ly Acquires iFanboy to Bring Community to the Digital Comics Platform

BOULDER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Graphic.ly, the cutting-edge community and digital content delivery platform for comics and other forms of publishing, has acquired iFanboy, one of the leading communities, news and audio & video sites for the comics and graphic novel enthusiast. With the acquisition, iFanboy becomes a division of Graphic.ly, and will be integrated into the Graphic.ly Web site, as well as into the various platforms and applications Graphic.ly runs on, such as Windows 7, Adobe Air and the iPhone.

“Becoming part of Graphic.ly helps us be part of the new digital age of comic books and other forms of entertainment, growing the audience and helping others celebrate the genre as much as we do.”

With the acquisition, iFanboy’s founders will join Graphic.ly, as well as keep their responsibilities for the iFanboy site and community. Conor Kilpatrick and Josh Flanagan will lead content creation for iFanboy and overall publisher and creator relations, while Ron Richards will oversee product and business development for iFanboy.

“As community and content become more and more entwined, Graphic.ly wants to be at the forefront of the new digital comic age. By acquiring iFanboy, we become part of one of the best communities in the industry,” said Micah Baldwin, CEO and co-founder of Graphic.ly. “Working with iFanboy, we are able to take our vision to the next level and fully integrate our product into the fandom community.”

Graphic.ly’s iFanboy will lead reader engagement and other community efforts, as well as content creation with its contributing staff. The contributing staff will continue to be part of the iFanboy family, and the site will help Graphic.ly become a bigger part of the comic book community and industry.

“The one constant at iFanboy the past ten years is that we love comics, and we love working with each other. Teaming up with Graphic.ly ensures that we can keep doing what we’ve always done and continue serving the fantastic community that has grown around us, and keep growing,” said Ron Richards, general manager of iFanboy. “Becoming part of Graphic.ly helps us be part of the new digital age of comic books and other forms of entertainment, growing the audience and helping others celebrate the genre as much as we do.”

The iFanboy founders will focus on publisher and creator relations, building upon relationships with top creators and publishers in the industry, such as Geoff Johns and Filip Sablik.

“Life’s too short for cynics, embrace what you love. iFanboy is one of those rare comic book sites that isn’t afraid to be a comic book site,” said Geoff Johns, writer of Green Lantern, The Flash and Superman for DC Comics. “They unabashedly love comic books and it oozes out of every pixel.”

“The community that Ron, Conor and Josh have built at iFanboy from a single weekly review podcast is impressive by any standard,” said Filip Sablik, publisher, Top Cow Productions. “From audio to video podcasts to interviews to the truly interactive iFanboy Web site, these guys have kept their roots firmly planted in fandom while growing iFanboy into an open, honest, and great to work with professional community. I can't wait to see what this next stage of their evolution brings!”

The acquisition has closed, and integration of the sites will be finished within 30-days.

About iFanboy

iFanboy, one of the leading communities for comic book and graphic novel enthusiasts, began ten years ago as a site for fans to share information and knowledge on comic books. Having grown into the leading Internet video and audio channel on the comic industry, iFanboy is at the leading edge of comic community and engagement, favorite by industry insiders and fans around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.ifanboy.com.

About Graphic.ly

Graphic.ly is a cutting-edge digital content delivery system and community platform for the publishing world. Graphic.ly’s first product focuses on comic publishers, creators and enthusiasts, and provides an immersive social experience and marketplace around digital comics and associated merchandise. The company is looking to expand its community and content platform and become the de facto solution for print media. For more information, please visit http://www.graphic.ly.