Graphic.ly
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA digital comics and image-based publishing platform that evolved into a conversion, distribution, self-publishing, and promotion service.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Graphic.ly was a United States digital publishing company and brand focused initially on the electronic distribution and social reading of comic books. Founded in 2007 by Kevin Mann under the name Take Comics, the startup entered the 2009 TechStars accelerator class. Micah Baldwin, who had mentored the team through TechStars, subsequently joined as a founder and became chief executive. The company’s early ambition was frequently described as creating an iTunes-like marketplace for comic books: creators and publishers could make digital editions available through Graphic.ly applications, while readers could discover, purchase, read, discuss, and share them. The service supported mobile reading on iPhone, iPad, and Android devices and attempted to make comics more interactive than conventional digital storefronts. Users could comment on pages and discuss story, artwork, covers, and the broader reading experience. A social activity stream displayed purchases, comments, and recommendations, giving creators a direct connection with their audiences. Graphic.ly’s public profile increased when Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer demonstrated the service during Microsoft’s keynote at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show. The business expanded through acquisitions and outside financing. In February 2010, Graphic.ly acquired iFanboy, a comic-book community and news platform, to strengthen its editorial and community capabilities. It later acquired Double Feature, a mobile comics reader application, in November 2011. The company raised a reported $1.2 million seed round in January 2010 and a reported $3.8 million Series A round in January 2011. A further $1 million was reported in January 2013, bringing reported venture investment to approximately $6 million. The company also reported rapid early mobile adoption, including more than 600,000 application downloads during the first five months of 2010. Graphic.ly eventually moved away from operating a consumer comics marketplace. Company leadership concluded that the marketplace had tended to concentrate attention and marketing on prominent properties, including major superhero titles, rather than giving independent publishers the reach originally envisioned. In 2012, the comics application was discontinued and the company concentrated on a service for converting, distributing, and promoting image-based books. Its all-in-one publishing platform, introduced in January 2012, offered automated conversion tools, distribution to outlets such as the Apple iBookstore, Amazon Kindle Store, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble Nook, and analytics for monitoring content across marketplaces. The revised model charged publishers an upfront, generally flat fee while allowing them to retain ownership of the subsequent revenue stream after platform and marketplace fees. Graphic.ly stated that the new distribution offering attracted more than 1,500 authors and publishers in its first week, and that non-comic titles eventually represented about 40 percent of submissions. The platform broadened its scope beyond comics to children’s books, art books, and magazines. At its peak, the company said it had accumulated more than 3,500 publishers and more than 10,000 independent creators. Graphic.ly closed in 2014. The company’s website was replaced by a closure notice in April, with shutdown reporting also placing the end of operations in May. Several key employees moved to Blurb, a self-publishing company with overlapping interests, and some Graphic.ly publishers were offered a transition to Blurb. Reference material also reports that some independent creators did not receive proceeds associated with published comics, an unresolved issue connected with the company’s closure. Graphic.ly is therefore a defunct digital publishing brand whose significance lies in combining mobile comics distribution, social reading, creator services, and early multi-store digital publishing automation.
History
Graphic.ly began in 2007 as Take Comics, a startup founded by Kevin Mann to explore digital distribution for comic books. The company joined the 2009 TechStars accelerator class. Micah Baldwin, a TechStars mentor who worked with the team during the program, later joined as a founder and chief executive. The brand developed around the idea of making digital comics easier to buy, read, discuss, and distribute, and it positioned itself as a technology-led alternative to print-oriented comic retail. Its first major product direction was a consumer marketplace supported by applications for iPhone, iPad, and Android. Graphic.ly combined digital reading with community functions: readers could comment on individual pages, discuss creative elements, share purchases and favorites, and interact with creators. The platform’s public visibility grew after Steve Ballmer presented it at Microsoft’s 2010 Consumer Electronics Show keynote. During the first five months of 2010, the company reported more than 600,000 downloads of its mobile applications. Graphic.ly raised outside capital to support product development and content acquisition. A reported $1.2 million seed round closed in January 2010, followed by a reported $3.8 million Series A round in January 2011. In February 2010, the company acquired iFanboy, a comic-book community and news site. That acquisition strengthened the social and editorial side of the service, although the relationship later ended: iFanboy separated from Graphic.ly by mutual decision in January 2013. In November 2011, Graphic.ly acquired Double Feature, a mobile comics reader. The company’s strategic direction changed as it assessed the economics and reach of its marketplace. Leadership acknowledged that the original marketplace increasingly emphasized well-known commercial properties instead of distributing attention broadly across independent publishers. In 2012, Graphic.ly discontinued its comics application and concentrated on digital conversion and distribution. Its new approach allowed publishers to pay an upfront fee for conversion and marketplace distribution while retaining ownership of later proceeds, subject to applicable fees. In January 2012, Graphic.ly introduced an integrated self-publishing platform for image-based content. The service automated conversion, distribution, and promotion and added analytics intended to show how titles performed across digital stores. Supported destinations included the Apple iBookstore, Amazon Kindle Store, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble’s Nook Store. The broader publishing model attracted creators outside comics, including producers of children’s books, art books, and magazines. Reference material states that more than 1,500 authors and publishers signed up during the first week of the new distribution offering, that the user base doubled during its first six months, and that non-comic titles accounted for approximately 40 percent of submissions at one point. Graphic.ly reported a network exceeding 3,500 publishers and 10,000 independent creators. Its model was intended to reduce the technical barriers involved in preparing illustrated books for multiple storefronts, while the community layer offered promotion and reader feedback. In January 2013, the company reportedly raised another $1 million, bringing reported venture investment to about $6 million. The iFanboy separation occurred during the same period. Graphic.ly ceased operations in 2014. The website was officially closed in April and was reported as shut down in May, leaving a notice for visitors. Blurb, a self-publishing company with a similar creator-services orientation, hired several key former Graphic.ly employees and offered some Graphic.ly publishers a path to move their business. The closure also generated concerns about unpaid proceeds: reference material states that some independent creators were not paid for revenue associated with comics published through the platform. No continuing Graphic.ly operations or successor brand are established in the supplied sources.
- 2014
Operations end
[1]Graphic.ly closed its website and ceased operations; some staff and publisher relationships moved to Blurb.
- 2013
iFanboy separates from Graphic.ly
[1]iFanboy split from Graphic.ly by joint decision between the site and the company.
- 2012
Shift to publishing infrastructure
[1]The company discontinued its comics application and focused on conversion, distribution, promotion, and analytics for digital illustrated content.
- 2011
Double Feature acquisition
[1]Graphic.ly acquired the Double Feature mobile comics reader.
- 2010
CES keynote demonstration
[1]Steve Ballmer demonstrated Graphic.ly during Microsoft’s keynote at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show.
- 2010
iFanboy acquisition
[1]Graphic.ly acquired iFanboy, a comic-book community and news platform.
- 2009
Joins TechStars
[1]The company participated in the 2009 TechStars accelerator class, where Micah Baldwin mentored the team before joining it as a founder and chief executive.
- 2007
Company founded as Take Comics
[1]Kevin Mann founded the startup that later became Graphic.ly, initially under the name Take Comics.
Products and positioning
A creator-oriented digital publishing infrastructure and discovery platform that began as a social marketplace for comics and later focused on conversion, distribution, promotion, and analytics for image-based books.
Digital comics and mobile reading
Graphic.ly digital comics applications
Graphic.ly’s original consumer product provided digital comic books through native applications for iPhone, iPad, and Android. It combined reading and purchasing with social functions, including page-level comments, sharing, activity streams, and direct interaction between readers and creators. The applications were the foundation of the company’s early attempt to create a broad digital comics marketplace, but they were discontinued in 2012 as the business moved toward publisher-facing services.
Digital publishing infrastructure · 2012
Graphic.ly publishing platform
The later platform helped authors and publishers convert image-based books into digital formats, distribute them to multiple storefronts, and promote their releases. Reported destinations included the Apple iBookstore, Amazon Kindle Store, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble’s Nook Store. Analytics tools were intended to help creators track performance across marketplaces. The service expanded beyond comics into children’s books, art books, and magazines.
Creator and reader community
Graphic.ly social community
The community layer allowed readers to comment on pages and discuss stories, artwork, covers, and overall reading experiences. A social stream showed purchases, comments, and shared favorites. Graphic.ly regarded this interaction between creators and fans as a major source of engagement and user growth.
Controversies
Marketing campaigns
- 2010Microsoft CES keynote demonstration
United States
Graphic.ly received prominent product exposure when Steve Ballmer demonstrated the service during Microsoft’s 2010 Consumer Electronics Show keynote.
Outcome. The demonstration increased public visibility for the young digital comics platform.
Brand decisions
2014
Close the Graphic.ly serviceStrategyBackground
Graphic.ly reached the end of its operating period after shifting from a consumer marketplace to a publisher-services model.
Action taken
The company closed its website and operations and directed some publishers toward Blurb.
Aftermath
Several key employees joined Blurb, while some creators reportedly remained unpaid for proceeds associated with published works.
2012
Discontinue the consumer comics applicationStrategyBackground
Graphic.ly concluded that its marketplace was concentrating marketing attention on high-selling mainstream properties rather than serving independent publishers as broadly as intended.
Action taken
The company discontinued the comics app and redirected resources toward digital conversion, distribution, promotion, and analytics for publishers.
Aftermath
The revised model broadened the service beyond comics and attracted children’s-book, art-book, and magazine creators.
2012
Launch the integrated self-publishing platformProduct launchBackground
The company sought to address the technical and distribution barriers faced by creators of image-based books.
Action taken
Graphic.ly introduced automated tools for conversion, multi-store distribution, promotion, and real-time marketplace analytics.
Aftermath
The company reported more than 1,500 authors and publishers joining during the first week and a subsequent expansion into non-comic content.
Sources1 sources
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