Keenspot

Keenspot

Logo of Keenspot
Web address www.keenspot.com
Owner Chris Crosby, Teri Crosby
Launched March 2000 (2000-03)
Alexa rank
 11,483

Keenspot is a webcomics portal founded in March 2000[1][2] by cartoonist Chris Crosby (author of Superosity), Crosby's mother Teri,[3] cartoonist Darren Bleuel (author of Nukees),[1][2] and Nathan Stone.[4]

Keenspot.com is currently the exclusive webcomics home of Twokinds, Brawl in the Family, the Luther Strode saga, Marry Me, Last Blood, Fall Out Boy Presents Fall Out Toy Works, Flipside, and dozens of other features.[5]

History

The formation of Keenspot was triggered by the collapse of an earlier webcomic portal, Big Panda.[6]

Following the portal's creation in March 2000,[7] Keenspot was serving over 23 million page views monthly by February 2001 and had 47 cartoonists.[8] Also in June 2000 they had launched the free comics web hosting service Keenspace[7][9][10][11] (later renamed Comic Genesis[12]). In 2001 Keenspot launched its own printed comic book line and launched graphic novel collections in 2002 both at Comic-Con International. By August 2002 Keenspot had opened a retail store selling brandname toys and comics, had 50 million pageviews monthly and 600 paying members – who can read the comics without ads – and had published 26 titles.[13]

Keenspot gross revenues grew from $103,976 in 2002 to $188,475 in 2003 with the number of pageviews largely unchanged from mid-2001.[14] As of October 2007 it claimed to be home to more than 50 comics covering several genres and artistic styles.[15]

Impact and Policies

One of Keenspot's most notable traits is that it has been a starting point and steadfast supporter of many successful webcartoonists over the years. More than a dozen comics originally and currently hosted at Keenspot have branched out to become substantial full-time jobs for their creators.

The company says that it keeps exclusive web publishing rights to its comics, including archives, but that other rights are left with the creators. Side projects, particularly merchandising deals, are covered separately. Keenspot Entertainment is based in Cresbard, South Dakota.

The majority of titles published by Keenspot have been distributed to comic book stores worldwide by Diamond Comic Distributors. Keenspot has also launched 2 podcasts, a cartoon podcast, called Keentoons Video Podcast Network and an audio podcast called Keencast. Until 2006, Keenspot published the Keenspot Comics Page in collaboration with the Turlock Journal and several other small newspapers.

Comics in Keenspot

Active

On hiatus/sporadic

  • Alice!
  • Ashfield
  • Chopping Block
  • Down to Earth
  • Dungeons & Denizens
  • Elf Life
  • Elf Only Inn
  • Eat the Roses
  • Fat Jesus
  • Felicity Flint, Agent from H.A.R.M.
  • Filthy Lies!
  • Flint Again
  • Hound's Home
  • I Drew This
  • Inside the Box
  • Just Another Vice
  • Landis
  • Mad About U.
  • Mr. Chuck Show
  • No Room for Magic
  • Owlie
  • Road Waffles
  • RPG World
  • Sex and Violence
  • Skirting Danger!
  • Soap on a Rope
  • Todd and Penguin
  • Vigilante, Ho!
  • WICKEDPOWERED
  • Winger
  • Yirmumah

Ended (archived)

  • Adventurers!
  • Andiewear
  • Avalon
  • Awesome Gamerz
  • Basil Flint, P.I.
  • Bobbins
  • Bonus Stage
  • Boy Meets Boy
  • Brawl in the Family
  • The Class Menagerie
  • Cool Cat Studio
  • Common Grounds
  • Exploitation Now
  • Flat Feet and High Heels
  • Frankenstudent
  • Horribleville
  • Joe Average
  • Limited Space
  • Lizard!
  • Look What I Brought Home!
  • Manifestations (Premium)
  • Melpomene (Premium)
  • Men In Hats
  • Ozy and Millie
  • Pete is a Pogo Stick
  • Purple Pussy
  • Queen of Wands
  • Quiltbag
  • Shin Kage
  • Shmorky
  • Silly Cone V
  • Sporkman
  • Talismen

Former members

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

References

  1. 1 2 Yim, Roger. (April 2, 2001). "DOT-COMICS: Online cartoons skip traditional syndication and draw loyal fans on the Internet". San Francisco Chronicle. Pg. D1
  2. 1 2 Newman, Heather. (February 2, 2001). "See You In The Funny Pixels Michigan Cartoonists Draw On Web Sites To Find Readers". Detroit Free Press. Pg. 1H
  3. ↑ "Keenspot.com: Company Info". Keenspot Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2009-02-28. Retrieved 2011-01-28. Teri Crosby ... joined her son Chris
  4. ↑ BENDER TOONING UP WITH KEENSPOT.COM Marc Graser, Daily Variety, 2000-06-23, page 7
  5. ↑ "Keenspot.com News". Keenspot.com. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
  6. ↑ "Glossary of Comics, Webcomics, and Digital Art Terms - Big Panda". WebComicsReview.com. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
  7. 1 2 Rozakis, Charles (2003-04-09). "AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE BUSINESS VIABILITY OF WEBCOMICS" (PDF). pp. 7, 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2005-02-23. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
  8. ↑ Keenspot Press box Dave Astor, Editor & Publisher, 2001-02-26, "more than 23 million page views a month. It showcases the work of 47 cartoonists who aren't in traditional print syndication"
  9. ↑ Laporte, Leo (2006-05-25). Leo Laportes 2003 Technology Almanac. Pearson Education, Limited. p. 323. ISBN 0789728478.
  10. ↑ Brad, J. Guigar (2004-11-04). The Everything Cartooning Book: Create Unique And Inspired Cartoons For Fun And Profit. Everything Books. p. 263. ISBN 1593371454.
  11. ↑ Lopes, Paul Douglas (2009-05-28). Demanding Respect: The Evolution of the American Comic Book. Temple University Press. p. 219. ISBN 1592134432. first successful long-running open host-site was Keenspace ... launched in 2000
  12. ↑ Hills, Doug; Rhodes, Michael (2008). Manga Studio For Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. p. 333. ISBN 0470129867.
  13. ↑ Keenspot Press release / KEENSPOT ENTERTAINMENT OPENS OFFLINE RETAIL STORE, 2002-08-10
  14. ↑ KEENSPOT ANNOUNCES 2003 REVENUES INCREASED 81.2% OVER 2002, 2004-03-15
  15. ↑ Keenspot: "Keenspot is the largest publisher of exclusive webcomics! Founded in February 2000, we are now the home to over 50 comics, and the list keeps growing."
  16. ↑ Nukees "Most recent news item: (7/13/2008) Keenspotless", 2008-07-13

External links

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