Part of it is . In the few pages still floating around (low-resolution PNGs, watermarked with simonscans’ faded logo), Nico is heartbreaking. They carry a broken compass. They talk to a ghost that may not exist. In one memorable panel, they sit by a flooded highway and simply say: “I don’t remember why I’m walking. But stopping feels worse.”
Maybe that’s enough. Have you ever stumbled across a lost scanlation or forgotten webcomic that stuck with you? Drop a comment below—or share your own “simonscans” story.
Simon chose the latter—then disappeared, leaving behind a scattered digital graveyard. Some argue that’s irresponsible. Others say it adds to the mystique. Either way, “simonscans nico” has become shorthand for a specific kind of webcomic tragedy: the beautiful thing you almost saved. Short answer: maybe. simonscans nico
Simon, the group’s enigmatic founder, was known for high-quality raws, meticulous cleaning, and translations that prioritized mood over literal accuracy. In 2011, they released a 40-page scanlation of Nico’s debut chapter. It spread slowly across forums like Batoto, /a/, and a now-defunct LiveJournal community called ScarletScans .
That single release became legendary. Not because it was popular—it wasn’t—but because shortly after, Simon deleted the entire simonscans archive without warning. No goodbye. No explanation. Just a 404 error where the Nico folder used to be. Why does “simonscans nico” still circulate in 2025? Part of it is
That kind of raw, minimalist angst sticks with you. Of course, simonscans operated in a legal fog. Scanning and translating without permission is copyright infringement, plain and simple. But when the original creator has vanished, and the work is unavailable in any language, fans face a dilemma: let it die, or become an archivist.
If you’ve spent any time in online art communities—especially those orbiting dark fantasy, gritty manga, or indie visual storytelling—you’ve probably seen the name pop up in forum threads or Discord recs: simonscans nico . They talk to a ghost that may not exist
The catch? The original work was never officially translated. It ran briefly on a personal Geocities-style archive, then vanished when the creator deleted their online presence around 2012. Simonscans (sometimes stylized as simon_scans or simonscanz ) was a small, passionate fanscanlation group active in the early 2010s. They specialized in “orphaned” manga and webcomics—series abandoned by publishers or creators. Their motto? “Preserve before it perishes.”