As someone who has been following this on and off since basically the start I am in awe how they fucked it up. All they had to do is draw a book and put it out all while get paid hundreds of dollars an hour doing it. Instead it ended up in a purity spiral while wanking each other off about card stock. I am sure having the best card stock will matter when this trash gets chucked into a landfill.
You know, I had the same opinion as you not long ago, but seeing these pissy parties from Meyer and in general a huge decay on the comics gate campaigns, I think there is something else to this burn out.
Sure, delays and sub par product plays a part, but for all bullshit Meyer says, there is one thing that I think is relevant, tand that is the claim that his audience doesn't want to read comics.
Yeah, they were more than happy to support campaigns and do super-chats as long as they get to hear what they wanted to hear and have their friendship simulator, but we never get to see them actually talk about the books and the supposed types of stories they want to see.
And to be clear, I don't really care about it. I think this culture war bullshit is the gayest thing since Gundam Wing, and I also think middle aged men bellyaching about Diney princess movies is fucking pathetic, but I can't deny there is a demand for this sort of content, so someone is bound to meet it, so, you know, whatever, I just ignore it.
But by watching Zack lamenting that his viewership dosn't seem interested in his own books I get the feeling that is the general consensus in this whole "Comics gate" movement, people didn't tune in to search an alternative from a main-stream that left them behind, they wanted just a voice that said the thing they were in agreement with.
As long as Meyer was complaining about SJWs and Heather Anthos, people were glad to hand him money, same with the other comics gates guys, but when came the time to actually engage with the alternative the comics gate public was asking for, then crickets.
In the end, this whole thing was built in a bad ground, what brought people to the table was Star Wars and Marvel complain, to cry woke in the same way progressive and left wing sites are not interestend in any story that isn't Tump/Musk bad, and yeah, we can say people suck, but in the end the public will get what it wants, either you deliver it, or someone else will.
The funny thing is, there is a alternative to the big two/capeshit comics, the indie scene is getting stronger each year, Dark Horse is getting some good sucess like the Canto series (that is going to get a animation) or image with their Ghost machine label. And while they may not make big numbers, the audience that has been cultivated around these books came for the comics, not to hear about Kathleen Kennedy.
In hindsight, Richard Meyer and the comics gates guys made a huge mistake, they didn't know what their real product was, and they are being left behind because others are delivering said products in a better way, that being the Fidray Night guys and the Critical Drinker folks.
And credits where is due, as much as I loathe guys like Nerdrotic, Geeks and games and that Heels vs baby face retard, they know what they are about, they know what people want from them and they are fine giving it. Yeah, I could point out the whole "They are middle aged man getting upset at movies made for little girls" but clearly they have an audience of people who wants to hear middle aged man getting upset at disney princess movies, if there is money to be made, demands will be met.
It is kinda sad when I stop to think about it, but this is a merciless reality, to his public, Richard Meyer isn't a writer, he is the guy who makes fun of a 20 something bottom ladder editor, and that is all people want from him.
