Uclick

Uclick LLC was an American corporation (a division of Andrews McMeel Universal) selling "digital entertainment content" for the desktop, the web and mobile phones. The company owns and operates several consumer websites, including the comic strip and editorial cartoon site GoComics and the puzzle and casual game sites ThePuzzleSociety.com and UclickGames.com.

From January thru July 2009, Andrews McMeel Universal had a series of layoffs due to consolidation of departments and corporate restructuring. This decision affected the uclick division which was later consolidated into the syndicate unit.^[1]

Uclick content includes comic strips, editorial cartoons, puzzles, casual games, manga, comic books, syndicated columns, photography and illustration. Uclick content is distributed online through consumer and news web portals such as Yahoo!, MSNBC.com, New York Times, washingtonpost.com, CNN, USA TODAY, and AOL. Comic strip and cartoon content from uclick is available online and on mobile phones through the company’s website, UCLICK.com.

In July 2009, Uclick merged with Universal Press Syndicate to form Universal Uclick.^[2]

Comic strips and panels

As the digital entertainment division of Andrews McMeel Universal, Uclick is the official online distributor of all comic strips syndicated by Andrews McMeel Universal's newspaper syndication division, Universal Press Syndicate. Uclick also owns and operates GoComics, a comics aggregate website featuring not only comic strips currently syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate, but also webcomics, discontinued titles such as Calvin and Hobbes, The Boondocks and Bloom County, original works like The New Adventures of Queen Victoria and Bleeker: The Rechargeable Dog, and a selection of syndicated comic strips from Creators Syndicate and Tribune Media Services.

In October 2008, Uclick launched a GoComics gadget for iGoogle which allows users to read comic strips on their iGoogle pages.^[3]

Puzzles and games

Uclick distributes daily puzzles and casual games through consumer and news web portals as well as through its own puzzle and game portals, The Puzzle Society and UclickGames. Uclick products include crosswords and other word games, number placement puzzles like Sudoku and Kakuro, jigsaw puzzles and other casual games.

Photography and illustration

Uclick photography and illustration wallpapers for mobile phones include the work of such artists as Thomas Kinkade, Wyland, Paul Frank, and artists and program content from MTV.

Syndicated columns and text features

Uclick syndicated columns and text features are distributed online through consumer and news web portals as well as through Uclick's syndicated column and text feature consumer site, uExpress.com.

Comic books and manga

In 2006, Uclick launched the United States’ first comic book reader application for mobile phones.^[4] The introductory line of titles included Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Five Fists of Science, GODLAND, PvP, and Too Much Coffee Man. In July 2006, Uclick announced the launch of a mobile phone version of Guilstein, a manga and anime title that had never been published in any form in the U.S.^[5] In July 2007, Uclick launched Thunder Road, the first comic book produced solely for mobile phone distribution in the U.S.^[6] Uclick has since added titles from Devil's Due Publishing, Image Comics, IDW Publishing, and independently published books such as Jeff Smith’s Bone.

Sources

• Gardner, Alan. "Universal Press Syndicate and Uclick Merge", The Daily Cartoonist, July 8, 2009.
• "Uclick Introduces Comics Gadget for iGoogle", Editor & Publisher, October 17, 2008.
• Blass, Evan. "uclick to deliver GoComics Books service to cellphones", engadget mobile, February 28, 2006.
• Soponis, Trevor. "U.S. Publishers Work to Offer Comics on Phones", Publishers Weekly, October 31, 2006.
• Twiddy, David. "Comic books turn up on mobile phones", USA TODAY, September 6, 2007.

References

External links

• uclick official site