It’s an exciting time for small publishers on the iPad and we’re always excited to hear about new upstart ventures. The latest is Moonshot Comics, started by former Nickelodeon executive (and long time comics fan) George Lentino. It’s much more than just a new publisher though, it’s a one stop shop of digital expertise and creative thinking that is hoping to offer writers, artists and readers a new way of looking at and experiencing the world of digital comics. This is could be another fantastic option for those looking for something different to the traditional work of the big comic publishers and so ahead of it’s official launch this summer we got in touch with George and asked him to tell us a bit more about the Moonshot Comics Mission Statement!Tell us about what inspired you to start the Moonshot Comics projects and what do you hope to achieve with it?

GL: During the fall of 2010 I was listening to an interview with Mark Waid where he said that digital piracy shows that there is a digital audience for the product and that the industry needs to embrace digital. It occurred to me that the digital medium was the perfect venue to allow creators just starting out to have new work seen by a wider-than-usual audience.

Being exclusively digital allows MoonShot to take all kinds of chances with those creators who are just starting out. MoonShot’s mission is to find and develop new talent and publish innovative, experimental, and downright fun-to-read comics for the digital medium. We strongly believe in the power of social media marketing. We are going to bring our creators together and create marketing plans for each work and creator that includes social media marketing, media outreach, and sponsorship, most importantly including sites where comic books are not currently marketed.

How many people are currently involved in the project? Both from an editorial/publishing side of things and also from a creative point of view, and what do you think you offer that other companies don’t?
GL: MoonShot has what I like to call an army of consultants on call for all aspects of the business side of the company. Twenty years of working with marketing, production, sales, web designers, creative executives, lawyers and financial executives has created a network of professionals that MoonShot taps into on a regular basis.

We’ve signed a number of creators and are currently in negotiations with more. Each work is different; some are completely creator driven and others have teams working on each series.

MoonShot offers to our creators a different way of introducing themselves to the industry.  I’ve worked in the television industry for 20 years, and have a duel MBA in Finance and Media Management.  The MoonShot team brings a successful track record in a variety of industries.  I am committed to working with new creators in developing innovative work, and in exploring new ways to market that work.

You are clearly a big advocate of digital publishing so how do you see if affecting the business going forward (both positive and negative) and what changes do you think readers and creatives alike need to make in order to truly embrace it?
GL: Word is that the digital comics audience is additive, and that is indeed true – for now. But, those who hang their business model on what is happening today are going to fall behind as technology and industry changes.

I first came up with the idea for MoonShot in the fall of 2010 and the changes that we have seen in the months since then have radically changed the industry. The big two (in fact all the major publishers) have now simultaneous print and digital release, digital sales have tripled,  the iPad has come out with two versions with a third on the way, there are comics on the nook, and the kindle and all the other tablets out there.

At MoonShot we’re looking at what we think the industry will be years from now, and are aiming to meet the needs of those customers.  We’re excited about our current pipeline and are planning to launch our first wave in the coming months.

I think one of the biggest changes to come is that other publishers will start to see the benefit of creating digital-only titles. I love Mark Waid’s recent announcement about his upcoming digital line and his storytelling approach. Moving forward, creators need to start to shift their thinking on what defines a digital comic, rather than just creating for the print world and then selling it digitally. New comics should have a more cinematic feel to them.  Creators should take advantage of how touch screen technology can lend a specific kind of depth to their work that paper can’t.

I still go to my local comic shop and pick up a month’s worth of books, and I love the experience and feel of floppies, but consumers will have to accept that bags, boards and long boxes will eventually be a thing of the past. Hold on to your old print collections and enjoy them, but going forward (maybe not in five years, but surely in the next ten to fifteen), entire collections will be carried around on your tablet.

Are we at a tipping point do you think where more people are embracing digital comics than print? And how much of a role do you think the tablets and smartphones are playing in that success?
GL: I think that tipping point is still a few years away, but it’s definitely coming.  More content will drive the transition, but we really need a quantum shift in the marketing of the products. DC’s drive with the new 52 has been admirable and as an industry we need more of it.

There are millions who love to read great stories.  MoonShot intends to reach those millions and provide them with great digital content.  We just need to let them know that those stories exist!

The tablet and smartphone are 100% behind this shift to digital comics and we can only imagine what technological changes will happen in the next few years.  Whatever those changes may be, the digital comic market will continue to grow.

Finally, what comics do you currently read and would recommend to check out digitally, and what is your technology of choice – iPad, iPhone or Mac/PC?
GL: Digital  has allowed me to find great work that I had no idea existed.  At heart, I’m a fan, and I love reading all kinds of comic books. These days I’m reading about 3/4 of the new 52, a bunch of them digitally. I love The Walking Dead, Unwritten, Fables, The Boys, Morning Glories, and I just bought the first 9 issues of Jennifer Blood.

I highly recommend your readers pick up –

SEVERED by Scott Snyder and Scott Tuft

DEAD AT 17 by Josh Howard

RED ANGEL by Larry Jerrell from What the Flux Comics

THE DREAMER by Lora Innes is a lot of fun!

Really I just recommend that readers get the Comics+ or Graphic.ly app and browse the store. There are tons of great work that you can pick up and enjoy. Check out the smaller publishers, get first issues, and find new work. It can be surprisingly fun.

Truth be told, I love my iPad, I would be lost without it.

Thank you so much for offering me the opportunity to talk about MoonShot.  We are very excited about our launch slate, and the future of digital comics!

Moonshot Comics is set to be launched on a ‘yet to be announced’ platform in the not too distant future and we’ll keep you up to date as much as we can. In the meantime check out the website Moonshot Comics or follow George on Twiiter @moonshotcomics