Kevin Spacey joins forces with Drake to back digital comic book startup Madefire
NEW YORK, NY–(Marketwired – October 06, 2016) – NEW YORK COMIC CON – Madefire set a new standard in digital comics and books with the launch of the Madefire app and Motion Book format. The award-winning Madefire app is the #1 featured and best-rated app in Apple’s App Store Books category. Following its high-profile launch on Apple TV, today, Madefire takes the experience to a whole new level with the announcement of the free Madefire preview app for Samsung Gear VR, powered by Oculus. The Madefire preview app on Gear VR showcases Motion Books in VR. This experience extends reading into a whole new realm with motion, sound and the ability to see the story in 3D whilst being completely immersed in a 360-degree environment. Madefire enables readers to literally step into the page.
“Comics are such a powerful storytelling format. People learn to read through comics; people are transported to other worlds through comics. Comics are words-and-pictures, perfect for storytelling in virtual reality,” said Ben Wolstenholme, CEO & Co-Founder of Madefire. “It’s a new era — Madefire’s launch today with Oculus — and announcing our investment from world-class investors and creators like Plus Capital, True Ventures, Kevin Spacey, Drake, and Framestore supports our mission to be where the myths of the 21st Century are created.”
The free Madefire app will preview world-class content specifically optimized for VR reading, including:
Revolution — The brand-new comic book universe that merges Transformers, G.I. Joe, and more from IDW Publishing and Hasbro.
Somnia: Origins — The new original title from world-renowned visual effects studio, Framestore.
Injustice: Year One — The smash-hit comic from DC.
MONO: The Old Curiosity Shop — The award-winning Madefire Original.
To support its expansion to new platforms, Madefire has recently closed a $6.5M Series B funding round led by Plus Capital alongside several of the top creators in the world including Kevin Spacey and Drake. Existing investors and new strategic investors also include True Ventures, Big Loud Capital, Anthem Ventures and Framestore Ventures.