Dark Horse Comics Unveils Exclusive Comic Book Experience™ Application for ePlate™ Mobile Payment Devices
Dark Horse Gives Dynamics’ ePlate Users Exclusive Comic Book Content with Each Purchase

APRIL 19, SAN FRANCISCO, CA–Dark Horse Comics makes history again today with the announcement of a revolutionary new partnership with Dynamics Inc. Dynamics is an innovator in next-generation payment devices, and will now launch a new comic book experience application for ePlate™ mobile payment devices. The innovative offering brings a new kind of experience to comic book fans by enabling them to earn access to exclusive Dark Horse digital comics with every purchase made with the ePlate™ device. This groundbreaking technology will link payment devices with exclusive Dark Horse comic content, and empower consumers to engage with Dark Horse and other brands that excite them with every swipe or online purchase.

At any time, users can decide to use the Dark Horse Experience™ application for the ePlate™ payment device. The Dark Horse application allows users to earn pages of exclusive Dark Horse comic books with each purchase. After all pages of a particular comic are obtained, the user is provided with a complete digital comic. After a certain number of digital comic books are collected, Dark Horse provides, at no cost to the user, a collectible print copy of each exclusive comic book earned. Users will be able to earn comic books faster with purchases made at Dark Horse affiliates, sponsors, and retail outlets. At any time, a user can also decide to earn Dark Horse credits instead of exclusive content so that the user can earn any product from DarkHorse.com.

“Dark Horse is always looking for new ways to expand the comics-reading audience,” said Mike Richardson, president and founder of Dark Horse Comics. “Our new partners at Dynamics have created a platform which gives not only existing comics fans, but a wide variety of consumers, the ability to obtain exclusive Dark Horse content just by making day-to-day purchases.”

“Dark Horse hit the nail on the head with its Experience™ application,” said Jeff Mullen, CEO of Dynamics. “Dark Horse Experience leverages unique content—available nowhere else—and provides participating merchants with an exciting promotional tool to attract customers.”

For additional information, see DEMO’s article on Forbes.com. 

About Dynamics ePlate™ Mobile Payment Device

Dynamics’ ePlate™ mobile payment device is a paper-thin, flexible computing platform in a payment card form factor. The device includes the Electronic Stripe®—the world’s first fully card-programmable magnetic stripe. The Electronic Stripe® can be read at any existing point-of-sale (POS) magnetic stripe reader. The device includes two buttons—one for a first experience and one for a second experience. Based on what button was selected, the device changes the information on the Electronic Stripe™ to reflect the selected experience so the user can swipe the card in any store and enjoy the selected experience.

A user can change the experiences associated with the buttons on the ePlate™ device at any time. All a user has to do is use Dynamics’ Experience Manager™ software through their favorite phone, or accessible through their bank’s website. Dynamics’ Experience Manager™ will provide a list of experiences that a user can select and associate with the different buttons on the ePlate™ device.

The ePlate™ device is as durable as a traditional payment card and will last over four years on a single battery charge. The technology does not require any change to the 60 million 1970s-era magnetic stripe readers or reeducation of its merchant base.

About Dynamics Inc.

Dynamics Inc. was founded in 2007 by Jeff Mullen. Dynamics produces and manufactures intelligent powered payment cards and advanced payment platforms. The company has won many of the world’s most prestigious international business plan competitions, including the Rice Business Plan Competition, Carnegie Mellon McGinnis Venture Competition and the University of San Francisco Business Plan Competition. The company won DEMOgod and the $1M People’s Choice Award at DEMO Fall 2010, Best of Show at FinovateFall 2010, FinovateFall 2011, and FinovateEurope 2012, and Best of Show at BAI Retail Delivery 2011. Dynamics won Best in Show for Personal Electronics and Technology Honors at the 2012 International CES show. Dynamics investors include Adams Capital Management and Bain Capital Ventures. Dynamics is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa. For more information, visit: www.poweredcards.com.

About Dark Horse

Since 1986, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent like Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Gerard Way, and comics legend Will Eisner, Dark Horse has developed such successful properties as The Mask, Timecop, and SpyBoy. Additionally, its highly successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Emily the Strange, Tim Burton, Trigun, Serenity, and Domo. Today Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic book publisher in the US and is recognized as one of the world’s leading publishers of licensed comics material.