David Steinberger, the co-founder of the digital comics platform Comixology, has announced on Twitter that he has stepped down from his position as CEO. Following a series of technical issues that subscribers have had with Comixology, Steinberger is leaving the company to join a new role with Amazon.
Last month, Comixology rolled out an update to the platform, combining with parent company Amazon, which caused many users to become upset as they encountered numerous technical issues with accessing their subscriptions. Comixology 4.0 caused several issues with the service as it lacked a zoom feature, rendering comics’ text unreadable. Subscribers located outside of the United States were no longer able to access their accounts, and many pre-ordered comics were removed from users’ libraries. The outcry on social media prompted Comixology to address the issues and announce that they are implementing solutions in a Twitter thread, including a “new releases” feature and a “guided reading” option.
After 15 years with the company, David Steinberger has announced his departure from Comixology in a tweet, stating that he is joining the subscription service’s parent company, Amazon. However, Steinberger will remain as an advisor of the platform while he transitions to his new role. Throughout his time with the app, he consistently provided subscribers with updates and other information pertaining to the service, making himself the face of the company for many comics readers. Steinberger’s tweet read, “It’s been a few big weeks, and I have personal news: I’ve been asked if I'd like to lead a new Amazon-wide initiative that is too good an opportunity to not take. It was a tough decision, but I’m ready for a new entrepreneurial challenge.”
He served as a crucial part of the digital comics service, co-founding the app along with CTO John D. Roberts and Peter Jaffe. While they have remained with Comixology, Steinberger’s exit and the recent update seems to signal a new era for the platform. Whether for better or worse, subscribers had expressed disappointment with the recent update, along with the company’s announced solutions which did not promise to fix all the issues that users had previously experienced.
Steinberger’s departure could give longtime subscribers additional reason to consider alternatives to the app, such as Marvel Unlimited or DC Universe Infinite. Comixology had led the digital comics trend for a long time, providing comic book readers all over the world with an inexpensive and convenient way to keep up to date with ongoing comics for which they might not have physical access. It’s likely that David Steinberger’s exit will be interpreted by subscribers to mean that the co-founder shares their sentiment for moving away from Comixology.
Source: AIPT Comics, @stonemtn