Amazing to see this on Hacker News. I've recently begun a startup called Sweet Shop, meant to fill the hole that Comixology left when they sold out. Comics are amazing, and they continue to hold an important place in global culture. Ashcans are still called that and most publishers still distribute them at cons.
Comics or graphic novels or manga, or however you were introduced to them are becoming the defacto literature for good reason. People work hard to create them. Ashcans are a nice way to ease that burden of getting someone interested.
It's a digital comic book store. Letterboxd with a buy button. It's really fun. We've got a lot of great publishers signed, and a great team. It's such a thrill to work in a space where people work their ass off to create art, in spite of the fact that the rewards are minimal. Our job, we feel, is to make them more money to make more art.
Comics or graphic novels or manga, or however you were introduced to them are becoming the defacto literature for good reason. People work hard to create them. Ashcans are a nice way to ease that burden of getting someone interested.
(https://sweetshop.app if you're interested)