What are downloadable comics?

Downloadable comics are digital files of comics that you can read on your computer, using special software or a basic PDF reader like Acrobat Reader. Bootleg downloadable comics have been floating around the Internet for a long time now, but at EyeMelt.com you can buy high-quality, inexpensive downloadable comics and help to legitimately support real-life starving artists.

What are the file formats EyeMelt.com uses? What are the advantages and disadvantages for each?

Eyemelt.com offers downloads in two basic formats, CBZ and PDF. Both formats will require that you have some sort of reader to view the files. The CBZ format is one that is most familiar to people who have been downloading comics online and is basically an archive file with an extension that will allow you to double click it and have your reader of choice open with the comic in it and ready to read. The file size is slightly smaller and a little more responsive than a PDF; however you will, need some kind of reader.

PDF is a fairly standard image file format. The advantage to this file is that almost every computer system comes with some sort of PDF reader as part of the standard system. If you are using a Macintosh, then your built-in reader is called Preview and is a great alternative to Adobe Acrobat. PDF files are, in general, a little larger than CBZ files and performance on some systems is kind of slow.

As far as readers are concerned SLG/EyeMelt can recommend the following FREE readers: CDisplay (for Windows) or Comical (for Mac). Both are available as free downloads from their developers.

For Mac OS X users we can also HIGHLY recommend Comic Book Lover which is by far the best comic book reader software we have seen. It has a very slick, ITunes like interface which displays the covers of all of your downloadable files, reads both CBZ and PDF files and has a host of organizational tools. This software is not free, but at $24.95 is a bargain. The developer is extending SLG customers a 10% discount, just use the coupon code SLAVELABOR at checkout. You CAN use Comic Book Lover without paying for it, but the software will put a watermark on the lower corner of every page until it is paid for.

While we have used both, we do not warrant their ability to work on your individual systems and we highly recommend that you download and test the software BEFORE purchase any digital files from our site.

What genres of comics does EyeMelt.com offer?

An eclectic catalog has always been SLG's hallmark, and with EyeMelt.com SLG continues to publish a diverse variety of comics. We are still developing our catalog, and we hope to soon offer comics in all of these genres:

All-Ages - Comics that are entertaining and appropriate for young as well as older readers.

Crime and Mystery - Cozy or crime noir, whodunnits of all sorts for the mystery reader.

Fantasy - Magic and high adventure

Humor - Dark or silly, satirical or slapstick, we have it all.

Horror - Horror in all its guises -- scary, spooky, psychological and supernatural.

Science Fiction - Technology drives the stories of this speculative genre.

Slice of Life - Stories set in the real world, full of realistic drama and humor.

Superheroes - Traditional super-powered fare for the comic book traditionalist.