Zero has been read by over 10,000 unique visitors, it’s being followed by 2,600 people on RSS, our bounce rate is about 37%, our dwell time is high, and we’re over 70,000 page views. Considering SOLDIERS updates are inside a flash gallery and we average 20 pages a gallery, that equates to about 770,000 actual page views (SOLDIERS episodes have been read over 35,000 times). Not too shabby… We climbed from rank 3,500 or so to the low 200’s on TopWebComics – quite a feat, considering how difficult that voting structure is – and we’re in the top 100 over on ComicRank.com. All in all, we are very happy with the results.

SOLDIERS Zero was a test platform, and we learned a lot of very valuable lessons. We came up with a new way to handle the presentation that gives the same effect but allows for a lot more page views as well as hyperlinks. We found a superior archive system that is already in place on the site. We are changing the navigation from episode to episode. And we made a lot of structural changes in the site’s code that make operating it a heck of a lot easier than when we first started. A huge shout out goes to our webmistress, Laura, for all of her hard work and innovation.

In addition to site mechanics, we also learned a great deal about the digital market. Part of our test was to decide how to use the web to sell digital comics. We made SOLDIERS so it would be organic to a wide range of digital devices. We’re already on iTunes, we’re soon to be on Kindle, and other platforms are in the works – I’ll keep you appraised as they become available. Our intent was to see if we could put our comic up as a webcomic and transform that into sales. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out the way we wanted. A number of instances arose where, once they discovered it could be read on the web for free, would be app purchasers diverted to the free option. We were in competition with ourselves.

We structured the SOLDIERS site to give our readers as smooth and elegant a reading experience as we could. I realize it isn’t like most webcomics – we planned it that way. As readers got used to the format, the response really climbed. The experience was so good that most felt no need to read it any other way. Which is awesome – except that the free version doesn’t generate any revenue.

We have the option of making the web version not as easy to read, or make the episodes much shorter, but have decided against that. If we do something, it has to be good – we won’t intentionally give our readers a poor experience. So, we’re going the pay route. I realize some of you may not like this decision, and for that I apologize. But SOLDIERS is very expensive to produce and in order to continue making it, we need to be able to make money at it.

We will start regular production of SOLDIERS right away, and new issues will be out early 2010. We will offer a substantial preview of each issue and will then prompt for purchase. We will have SOLDIERS available through iTunes, Kindle, and a pdf download site still TBD. We are working hard on other platforms. Our publisher, Underwater Samurai, is very intent on providing digital content through every channel that is appropriate. No matter how you view digital, we want you to be able to read SOLDIERS.

In the meantime, we will be beefing up the site with a lot more extra content. Character bios, pod casts, development material, and other stuff – including a lot more “Interview with a Vet”. We loved doing that and you loved reading it. Also, the Store is getting a major overhaul – better presentation and more products. And, we’re finally getting around to putting the Advice articles up!

We’ll have new stuff going up every week until the next issue is ready, so swing by every now and then and check on us.

Own an iPhone?  The book reads much better on the phone than on the web — get SOLDIERS on your phone right HERE.

Also, we did a major overhaul on the Archive Pages, they’re now much simpler, automated (a good thing!), and should be a lot more intuitive.  We’re working on a new episode-episode navigation method as well.  Let me know what you think about how they turned out.

Rob

Click Here to read this week’s episode!

Don’t forget — you can get the entire Zero Issue (all 9 parts!) for your iphone for only 99 cents!  And, coming soon, Kindle!

It seems that a good number of readers think SOLDIERS is like any other webcomic and posts only a page a day, when really it’s closer to 18.  Crazy, I know!  I think the fact that we have the episode embedded in a Flash Gallery really throws them.  So, we’ve made some changes.  For our long time readers, I hope these changes don’t bother you, for our new readers I hope they make it easier.

First change is the Episode Navigation Arrows at the bottom.  Now there are First, Previous, Next, and Current.  Also, notice that the “Episode” part is included.  I think this may have been throwing some people off, as so many other comics use these arrows to go from image to image.  We put out a new EPISODE each week, not just another page.  Hopefully, by making the labels less vague our readers will better understand how the comic is organized.

Second change is to intro each Episode with a short blurb explaining that the comic is in a Flash Gallery.  We also raised the image a bit so when you move your mouse over the image you will clearly see the navigation controls. I encourage you to try the full screen option on the far right of the navigation controls — especially if you are using a netbook.

Also, special bonus, there is an easier method to reading each episode — your keyboard’s arrow keys.  After you advance to the first page using the navigation controls and your mouse, you can advance to all of the other images just by using the right or left arrows of your keyboard (this is how I read them).  It’s easier, faster, and a lot more natural.  Try it, I’ll be you’ll like it.  Just remember, you have to advance the first image with your mouse first (just how the code it written, we’re working on it).

If anyone has any more questions, concerns, or ideas go ahead and tell us about it with a comment.  We read , and usually respond, to every comment left on the site.

Rob

Read this week’s episode here.

And if you have an ipod — go here to buy the entire issue of SOLDIERS! Only 99 cents!

Rob

Lucas Seigel, before he was Site Editor for Newsarama, was a combat medic who served a year in Iraq in 2003-2004. He graciously agreed to share his story with us.

If you want to learn about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, forget the press. Listen to a Vet.

The latest episode of SOLDIERS is here.

If you want to learn more about Veterans Day, or find local Veterans Day events, CLICK HERE.

Remember, if you see a Veteran this week, shake their hand and thank them for their service.

Rob

Click the Image to Buy SOLDIERS Zero

After 6 weeks of being in the approval queue, SOLDIERS Zero was finally approved for sale on iTunes!  The entire issue of SOLDIERS Zero is now available for download directly to your iphone or ipod touch.

We made SOLDIERS specifically for mobile devices — everything from the aspect ratio to the transitions to the word balloons.  Reading it all at once, on a digital device, is the way it was meant to be seen.  We are extremely proud of the way it turned out — download it now and see for yourself! The total story is 185 screens and it’s all for the bargain price of 99 cents.

The app for SOLDIERS Zero was created by the extraordinary team at Infurious Republic.  They did a lot of customization to their app for SOLDIERS and I can honestly say it is head and shoulders beyond any other app out there.  The app is made in layers, with the art and letters separate.  Go ahead and hit the “Speech” button on the app menu bar and you can get rid of the word balloons and marvel at Martin and Chris’ incredible artwork.  Want to jump around?  Use the “scrubber” by sliding your finger along the bottom of the screen — with visual scrolling, you get to see each image as you scroll forward and back.  No more guessing — go directly to the scenes you want to see.  Future issues will have extra art layers, “director’s” commentary, and Easter Egg surprises.  No other app has anywhere near the capability of the Infurious Comic Reader.

As our first digital comic, this is a big milestone for Underwater Samurai Studios.  Martin, Chris, Charles and I put a lot of effort into this, we hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed making it!

Rob

P.S.  Stay tuned, because we have several more titles in production — SOLDIERS is just the beginning!

And don’t forget to vote for us on Top Web Comics!

Thanks for following SOLDIERS!

Rob