With the Kick-Ass movie about to hit theaters Marvel is doing another cool thing to tie in with the film’s release. Starting today, they are offering the complete Kick-Ass limited comic series in single issue format for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. The comics can be downloaded via the Comixology or Iverse applications for Apple devices and PSP users can download directly to their device.

“I have an ancient cell phone given to me by a relative that’s so old it can’t take pictures so this tech is so far away from me it might as well be science fiction,” said Kick-Ass writer and co-creator Mark Millar. “But I read about it on Comic Book Resources and Marvel.com– the guys seemed excited so consider me excited by osmosis. More readers and new readers is always a good thing.”

John Romita Jr, artist and co-creator of Kick-Ass, said, “I’m excited about these advances in technology that I have been hearing about for, what seems like ten years. Now it has arrived, and all I can think of is that it advances the state of ‘comic books’ in that it will direct people to the source material. I believe this will cement the tangible material, the comics themselves, into the hands and minds of future ‘young’ generations! It always comes down to the quality of writing and the sequential art. Holding a comic and turning the page for more will forever be a novelty, even with advanced technology as an option.”

So there you have it right from the creators. This is a new way to discover the world of Kick-Ass and hopefully enhance your appreciation for the comic and what the filmmakers were able to accomplish when bringing the comic to the big screen.

Kick-Ass the movie opens everywhere tomorrow.

As we’ve debated on The Flickcast, digital distribution of comics and other content is here to stay and is the way things will be done in the future. To illustrate this point, comic book publisher Top Cow Productions has announced they are partnering with several companies to offer their comics and other content on mobile, portable and desktop readers.

Want to know more? For that, let’s check out the official press release from Top Cow.

TOP COW COMICS ANNOUNCES DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION PLANS

LOS ANGELES, Calif., December 9, 2009 – Top Cow Productions, Inc. proudly announced today that the publisher has partnered with comiXology, iVerse Media, WOWIO, Amazon.com and Longbox Digital to distribute their digital comics on mobile, portable and desktop readers. The move is in direct response to requests from fans and in an effort to tap into a new growth market.

The publisher plans to focus on primarily archival material and sold out issues of recent series. The first of Top Cow’s digital comics will be available beginning tomorrow, December 10th, 2009.

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Since getting my iPhone a year ago, I have been greedily downloading various applications and wasting a fair amount of time in the process. Do I really need an app that taps out a Morse Code translation for any message that I input? Can I exist without the random rock/paper/scissors generator? Maybe. But here’s the thing though, I found an application that I really don’t think I can live without: Archie Comics on the iPhone and iPod Touch!

Since 1979 I have been an avid Archie reader. I spent many an afternoon reading Archie’s TV Laugh Out, Betty and Veronica, and the coveted Double Digests. I still have my threadbare Archie nightshirt from Mervyns, circa 1985, and an old VHS somewhere of the Archie TV movie. In recent years, however, I’ve read fewer and fewer copies of the “Red Headed Rapscallion.” I simply don’t have the time to go hunting at a comic book store and most grocery stores no longer carry comics.

Now, thanks to the folks at iVerse Media, I have the Riverdale High crew at my fingertips, 24/7. With the launch of the new Archie app, we can read about the months prior to our friends starting their first year at Riverdale High. “The Summer Before Freshman Year” is a five part series that chronicles the gang’s transition, apprehension and preparation for high school. Here’s the best thing: Part 1 is Free!

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