LightningWorks, a digital comic book publisher, has announced that its founder, Geoff McCabe, has invested $2.5 million in seed funding to realize his vision. The company was built to combine comic books with interactive games and NFTs, ensuring that comic books remain immortalized in the digital age. After bootstrapping the firm since 2020, LightningWorks says it is now ready to move ahead with go-to-market initiatives for the world's first NFT comic book.
Geoff McCabe's project is timely considering that the manga and comic books industry is growing at a 16% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), and the global market size is over $10 billion globally.
Geoff McCabe highlighted the fact that the comic book industry is more extensive than most folks comprehend. According to McCabe, the sales figure surpasses $10 billion yearly, while the characters, movies, toys, and other derivatives are worth over $200 billion and rapidly expanding.
As fans' consumption habits are changing, the chance to collect a unique item has been waning. By introducing NFT comic books, LightningWorks says it aims to change that. Moreover, McCabe stated that with "the introduction of NFT comic books, LightningWorks wants to revolutionize the way we consume comic books."
LightningWorks said it is taking innovative steps to transform the comics and manga landscape in response to the unique challenges and possibilities of the digital age. This, according to the company, includes the introduction of interactive comic book NFTs connected to play-to-earn (P2E) gaming.
The newest addition to LightningWorks' collection is Siege Worlds Zero, which brings together the conventional comic format and gameplay elements. Fans of the comic can not only read gripping stories but also work collaboratively with others to solve puzzles, participate in battles, and embark on remarkable adventures within a digital universe.
To tap into this excitement and sense of community, LightningWorks has developed a unique deflationary NFT tokenomics system called "Forging." With this system, users can combine two or three comic NFTs of varying rarity levels (common, uncommon, rare, epic, or legendary) to create a new one with a rarer tier, including the possibility of obtaining one of four secret tiers.
LightningWorks says it's not only revolutionizing the comic book and manga industry but will also empower artists, writers, and creators by providing a platform where their ideas can be actualized, monetized, and shared directly with their fans.
The comic book industry has been evolving with digitization and technological advancements. It's exciting to see companies like LightningWorks embracing the change and creating new ways for comic book fans to experience their favorite stories. With the introduction of NFT comic books, comic book fans will have a new way to collect their favorite issues, and the industry can continue to grow and evolve.
