I’ve just had this pointed out to me: a torrent on Demonoid with all 10 issues of Pickle, the comic book I did in the 1990s (published by Black Eye).
I am, of course, delighted, and wish to thank whoever uploaded it (not to mention whoever went to all the trouble of scanning it in the first place!).
Just remember to seed, folks…
Update 1: Andrew Dubber has kindly made those Pickle issues available via Rapidshare (in case you don’t have a Demonoid account).
Update 2: Because people have been asking, here are some ways you can buy my books and/or help feed my kids, if you feel compelled to do so:
You can buy Hicksville here from Drawn & Quarterly.
Or you can buy Hicksville here from Amazon.
Or you can leave a tip (via Paypal) in my Tip Jar.
Awesome.
Oh cool. Seeding it now.
Much respect. I hope this generates you a new customer base.
Clicked on link above and got a blank page.
What is supposed to happen?
yay for new people reading Pickle. it is one of my favorite comics.
Dylan, I’ve never heard of you or your comics. Don’t be offended, you’ve likely never heard of me either. Just wanted you to know I’m downloading “your” torrent, and assuming your comics don’t suck (hehehe), I’ll be a paying customer.
Thanks for being awesome. -Shawn
These are GREAT comics. I’ve got them all in hard copy, but I’m pointing my Facebook and Twitter followers to this page.
I do have one piece of advice (that Erika Moen made to me) that I’m VERY glad I took: put the tip jar link in the post itself. Your making it easy for new fans to read your work for. Don’t make it hard for them to thank you! No one will know to scroll all the way down to see it at the bottom of your archives list
I read these when they first came out (thanks to the great staff at Big Brain Comics in Minneapolis) but this torrent will make them easier to re-read than finding them in my back issues.
Great comics. Eventually got the collected Hicksville, but there was some other great stuff in here too.
This just made me an instant fan of yours.
Aw thanks guys.
If you DO want to give me money, one way is to buy the new edition of Hicksville from D&Q. I get royalties! And Chris Oliveros’ kids get fed. And you get a book! 😉
You can buy Hicksville here from Drawn & Quarterly.
Or you can buy Hicksville here from Amazon.
I really must get around to putting a big ol’ “where to buy Hicksville” ad at the top of the sidebar (maybe tomorrow?).
But most of all, enjoy the comics. It’s always nice to be read, however you read ’em.
(Updated with correct links).
And I helped! 😀
uhm.. amazon does not sell a new copy of Hicksville?
Yes, sorry – that was the wrong link! This is the correct link for buying Hicksville on Amazon.
Dale – you is the man! Thanks! 🙂
Hi,
You should consider adding the info on where to buy the books in the torrent itself (or asking the guy who did it).
But, won’t your publisher hate/pursue/kill/eat you if you publicly support piracy?
Oh, I’ve been writing about my views on this for ages, so it’s not like the first time I’ve said supportive things about online sharing.
I think a lot of publishers are nervous about the changes going on throughout the industry (e-books, digital distribution, the changing retail landscape, the rise of some formats and the decline of others, etc). But in the big picture, file-sharing is a very small issue compared to those larger uncertainties (though it sometimes becomes a lightning rod/scapegoat for all that vague anxiety and fear). Some people do get very worked up about it, but most are too busy dealing with the everyday business of getting books out there, and have more important things to worry about.
And, of course, some publishers take a view more like mine: that casual sharing among readers is not the same as commercial piracy and can sometimes even help build a larger audience.
Besides, this torrent contains comics that have been out of print for years, from a publisher who stopped publishing over a decade ago, and the copyright is and always has been mine. So, y’know, it’s really no big deal.
BTW, here’s an article I wrote earlier this year for the NZ Book Council’s Booknotes magazine, about copyright and publishing (particularly comics) in the digital age.
This is a absolutely awesome, and you sir are a visionary! I happen to share the same opinion… contrary to the widespread opinions, comic book scanning groups may actually be doing a huge service to the industry, even though they are regarded as “pirates”.
Personally, I buy most comics from Amazon and similar websites… and when I buy a book, more often than not I have already read it on CBR/CBZ digital formats. By doing so, I never buy a book I don’t like… and I end up buying many books I’d probably never know anything about, if it wasn’t for those rapidshare and torrent sites.
What others speak of as “piracy”, I think about as “promotion”; and I’m thrilled to have found an author sharing such a bold view.