FAQ
What is zco.mx?
How is zco.mx pronounced?
Can anyone upload content?
What do the sections on the front page mean?
How do the contributions work?
What is a CBR/CBZ file?
Why use CBZ files and not PDF or EPUB files?
Who is behind zco.mx?
How does zco.mx pay its expenses?
What is up with the design of the site?
Why use P2P networks to distribute the files?
What is the Direct Connect (DC) network?
Where do I get a DC client?
What is the BitTorrent Network?
Where do I get a BitTorrent client?
Where do I get a comic reader for my computer/tablet?
What is zco.mx?
zco.mx is a curated not-for-profit comic-sharing website for self-publishing cartoonists and their readers. More information can be found on the About page.
How is zco.mx pronounced?
zco.mx is pronounced zee·com·ics.
Can anyone upload content?
To start, due to scalability, the site will be curated.
What do the sections on the front page mean?
completed - This is a list of titles that are complete works. They are able to be downloaded as CBZ files. The newest releases are listed first.
ongoing - This is a list of titles that are either currently in progress (that is, that the cartoonist is currently working on) or that have not been released as CBZ files, which would contain hi-res images suitable for tablets. This section is organized by title, with the most recently uploaded image listed first.
cartoonist - This is an alphabetical list, by first name, of every cartoonist on the site.
Note: Switching from the “tile” view mode to “detail” will display more information.
How do the contributions work?
zco.mx is not-for-profit and all contributions go directly to cartoonists.
What is a CBR/CBZ file?
CBR files are archive files that use the RAR file format, while CBZ files use zip. A CBR/CBZ file contains nothing more than image files, such as JPEGs. From a technical standpoint, there is no difference between foo.cbz and foo.zip, except for the filename. RAR, however, is an antiquated proprietary file format that is no longer recommended.
Why use CBZ files and not PDF or EPUB files?
There are two main reasons, both related. First, CBZ files are technically the best way to package a set of image files. Relatively speaking, CBZ files have the smallest file sizes because they include no extra overhead. As a result they are, or at least should be, the fastest to load and use. Second, CBZ files are what the file sharing groups distribute.
Who is behind zco.mx?
Jim Karsten and Steve Blatchford write the code, but zco.mx is very much a group effort. Curation of European cartoonist is by David Schilter of kuš! komiksi. Many people have contributed to the project thus far; too many to list everyone. Here are a few who need mentioning: Martin Sägmüller, Chuck Forsman, Kevin Huizenga, Marc Bell, Jordan Crane, Tony Zuvela, David Lasky, and Sara Rozenberg.
How does zco.mx pay its expenses?
zco.mx is not-for-profit. It raises money for hosting expenses the same way cartoonists raise money, via donations. The time to create and maintain the site is donated free of charge — this project is a labour of love. The code for the site is open source, and a breakdown for zco.mx's income and expenses can be found here.
What is up with the design of the site?
We've tried to keep the look generic and neutral without imposing a brand or image. The goal is to put cartoonists and their work front and centre.
Most sites use their own comic viewer; some sites use a scroll method, others a slider. Many sites use Flash viewers, which do not allow direct linking to pages in a book. This creates an unpredictable and unsettling user experience. The aim for zco.mx is to use a consistent, simple interface.
Why use P2P networks to distribute the files?
P2P networks save on bandwidth and alleviate network congestion. These networks also ensure that there are multiple copies of the files available. This has the benefit of acting as a file backup. If the zco.mx server (or any user) were to lose their data, files could be restored via the P2P networks.
What is the Direct Connect (DC) network?
DC is a peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing network. It's like Napster (file lists) meets BitTorrent (segmented downloading) meets IRC (chat). Many comic readers use DC to share digital material.
Where do I get a DC client?
| Windows | Apex |
| Mac | EiskaltDC++ |
| Linux | Linuxdc++ |
Server Address: adc://dc.zco.mx:1511
What is the BitTorrent network?
BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing network.
Where do I get a BitTorrent client?
| Windows | uTorrent |
| Mac | Deluge |
| Linux | Deluge |
Where do I get a comic reader for my computer/tablet?
| Windows | CDisplay, GonVisor |
| Mac | Simple Comic |
| Linux | MComix |
| Android | Perfect Viewer |
| iPad/iPhone | SideBooks, Comic Zeal |