Fast Company is reporting that Marvel Comics is unveiling its programming interface (API) and developer platform in a beta version tomorrow morning, swinging wide the gates to the Marvel universe of comic heroes to fans and developers around the world.
The API–which will include comic book artwork, character histories, creator insights, and expanded stories–will grant members access to an expansive database of Marvel’s library of 75 years of comics, including over 30,000 comics, 7,000 series, and 5,000 creators. This move gives developers the tools to create their own Marvel-based apps and digital offerings.
The brainchild of Marvel’s VP of web and application development, Peter Olson, the new API and Developer program provides a robust portal for developers.
“We expose a lot of different types of data with the API,” Olson told Fast Company. “Developers could certainly build apps centered on a single character, team, creator, or even things like decade or digital availability.”
While developers and fans alike can build interactive timelines and real-time updates to comics as digitally released by Marvel to share on their own sites or apps, Marvel is always looking for new ways to engage their traditional brick-and-mortar comic book shops and retailers in the digital realm.
“These could be companies that build mobile apps using Marvel data, or even print comic retailers that want to pull Marvel’s new releases onto their websites,” notes Kristin Vincent,VP Digital Products . “Now we’ll be able to on-board partners more quickly and bring new products to market even faster.”
