ComicsGate

[The Ultimate Nullifier]

www.bleedingcool.com/2018/09/07/registering-the-comics-gate-trademark/

Registering the Comics Gate Trademark…
Posted by Rich Johnston September 7, 2018

A few days ago, Vox Day, writer, editor, video game designer, blogger, alt-right activist and white supremacist stated he was going to launch a comic book imprint called Comicsgate.

Comic creator Ethan Van Sciver who has become rather self-associated with the virtue-signalling hashtag of hate, then stated that Day had no right to the name, and that as Ethan ran a YouTube show called Comicsgate Live that he had the rights to make a comic book imprint called Comicsgate rather than Day.

Of course, there are other people who have used the term before. And have registered domain names. But at the time all this was happening, someone decided to step up and register Comics Gate with the US authorities as a trademark for a comic book line.



Antonio J Malpica of Florida comics publisher Scorn Comics, currently fundraising for his new comic book Detective Dead. And trying to get a little publicity from Comicsgate folk too…

…and retweeting a number of Comics Gate figures on his timeline. Indeed, very little else these last few days.

So is Antonio getting the trademark for one of them, keeping it himself or for safekeeping or proposing some kind of shared management?

What he wants with the Comics Gate trademark, maybe we’ll find out soon. If they stop fighting among themselves. Maybe they should take a leaf from the back of Antonio’s kids book Bad Bad Lemons?

[The Ultimate Nullifier]

www.bleedingcool.com/2018/10/26/mark-waid-75000-legal-defense/

Mark Waid Looks to Raise $75,000 to Fund Legal Defense Against the ‘Comicsgate’ Lawsuit
Posted by Rich Johnston October 26, 2018 153 Comments

Longstanding comic book writer, editor and publisher Mark Waid has launched a crowdfunding appeal with the intent of funding his legal defense against Richard Meyer of the Diversity & Comix YouTube channel. We reported on Meyer’s launching the lawsuit, which claims causes of action including defamation and tortious interference in his contract with Antarctic Press over the publication of his crowdfunded comic Jawbreakers, earlier in the year.

Mark Waid


Waid states in his explanation on his GoFundMe campaign:

In September of this year, I was sued by one of the perceived leaders of a relentless online harassment movement called ‘ComicsGate’ which I and many comics professionals strongly feel has unfairly and offensively targeted women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ creators working in our industry in an effort to make them feel unwelcome. (You can read more about some perspectives on ComicsGate and its harassment techniques in the Washington Post and on Inverse.) I firmly believe this lawsuit is an effort to silence those of us who stand up publicly against bigotry and racism and who continue to defend diverse creators from harassment.

You can learn more about the lawsuit here, here, and here, and I encourage you to visit my website markwaid.com for further details.

Even though I am confident that the claims made against me are entirely without merit, lawsuits are time-consuming and very expensive. Still, I have never backed down from bullies, especially those who denigrate my friends, colleagues and the values our community stands for, and while I am not a rich man, you have my solemn promise that I will fight this fight no matter the personal cost.

But I’m going to need your help.

If you believe, as I do, that women and people of color deserve to be able to do their jobs—or any job—without being bullied, donate. Stand with me. If you believe that someone’s gender or sexual preference should have no bearing on the career they pursue, donate. Send that message.

This isn’t just about me; it’s about standing together in the face of bullying. Every day that we don’t push back against online harassment, it only becomes nastier and more powerful.

This is an important fight. Thank you for having my back.

He links to a Bleeding Cool article about Richard Meyer as a part of this. Waid’s $75,000 goal is also the same amount that Meyer claimed in damages in the suit. As of publication, he has raised over $20,000 in pledges from over 400 people.

They include notable comic book industry figures as Neil Gaiman, Arthur Adams, Kurt Busiek, Yanick Paquette, Gerry Duggan, Gerry Conway, Kelly Thompson, Jeff Lemire, Peter Tomasi, Mags Visaggio, Joe Keatinge, Reilly Brown, Shawn Kirkham, Clayton Cowles, Jim Zub, Marc Lombardi, Matthew Rosenberg, Al Ewing, Dan McDaid, John Layman, Simon Fraser, Tony Isabella, James Tynion, Tim Seeley, Jamal Igle, Chris Ryall, Dan Slott, Roger Langridge, Tom Galloway, Timothy Doyle, Nathan Fairbairn, the stores Collectors Paradise and Lucky Target Comics, David Macho, Glenn Hauman, Erica Schultz, Dean Haspiel, and Jim McLauchlin.

Meyer has not posted to social media regarding this matter, though he did update people on his Indiegogo funded projects.

(Last Updated October 29, 2018 2:43 am )


www.gofundme.com/mark-waids-legal-defense-fund

www.bleedingcool.com/2018/09/29/richard-meyer-sues-mark-waid-tortious-interference-contract-defamation/

www.bleedingcool.com/2018/05/13/no-enemy-but-peace-richard-meyer/

www.dailydot.com/parsec/comicsgate/

[The Ultimate Nullifier]

www.newsarama.com/42527-van-sciver-launches-crowdfunding-to-support-meyer-lawsuit-against-waid.html

VAN SCIVER Launches Crowdfunding to Support MEYER Lawsuit Against WAID
By Chris Arrant, Editor
October 29, 2018 01:40pm ET

Ethan Van Sciver is raising money using GoFundMe for Richard C. Meyer's lawsuit against Mark Waid, and follows a similiar GoFundMe set up by Waid for this legal battle. Meyer, who Van Sciver refers to by the nickname "Ya Boi Zack," is suing Waid alleging that the long-time writer interfered with his plans to publish his comic book JawBreakers.

"Mark Waid, a bully with a history of harassing those who disagree with him, took it upon himself to call Zack's publisher and interfere with the contract they had between them," Van Sciver alleges, referring to Antarctic Press. "He bragged about it, before and after doing it. He scared this publisher. And Zack lost his publishing deal."

Van Sciver says that this GoFundMe for Meyer is a reaction to Waid's own crowdfunding for the legal battle.

"[Waid] is at the very heart of the problem in comics, and we must not allow Zack's limited resources to be a reason why he isn't stopped," writes Van Sciver.

Notable contributors from the comic book industry for Van Sciver's GoFundMe for Meyers appear to include Chuck Dixon, Matt Moylan, and Van Sciver himself.

www.gofundme.com/back-ya-boi-zack

www.newsarama.com/42496-mark-waid-launches-crowdfunding-for-legal-defense-in-comicsgate-lawsuit.html

www.gofundme.com/mark-waids-legal-defense-fund

[The Ultimate Nullifier]

www.newsarama.com/42597-meyer-v-waid-lawsuit-documents.html

Mark Waid’s 11/02/18 Motions in Richard Meyer vs. Mark Waid
By Newsarama Staff
November 2, 2018 04:14pm ET

Mark Zaid has provided two new documents filed on behalf of his client Mark Waid in the lawsuit brought about by Richard C. Meyer. The two documents are the Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss for Lack of Personal Jurisdiction, and a Declaration of Mark Waid in Support of that motion.

For more on this, read our article here:

www.newsarama.com/42595-waid-asks-court-to-dismiss-meyer-lawsuit.html

MARK WAID Asks Court to Dismiss RICHARD MEYER Lawsuit over Jurisdiction
By Chris Arrant, Editor
November 2, 2018 03:20pm ET

The lawyer retained by Mark Waid has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed against him by Richard C. Meyer in October 2018 in the U.S. District Court for the Western district of Texas. Waid's counsel, Mark Zaid, has filed for a motion of dismissal, arguing that the Texas court has a lack of personal jurisdiction over Waid, a resident of California with no expressed ties to Texas.

"[Meyer] asserts claims against Mr. Waid for tortious interference with contract and defamation. These claims are completely meritless. But the problem at the outset, and which is proper to address, is that this Court lacks personal jurisdiction over Mr. Waid," reads the motion. " Plaintiff’s Complaint fails to identify any allegations or facts establishing any connection between Mr. Waid and Texas. Instead, Plaintiff merely alleges a single phone call between Mr. Waid, who was in California at the time, and a San Antonio publishing company. That is far short of the necessary substantial connection with Texas to justify personal jurisdiction."

Mark Zaid has provided the Defendant's Motion to Dismiss for Lack of Personal Jurisdiction, and a Declaration of Mark Waid in Support of that motion, which you can read here:


www.newsarama.com/42597-meyer-v-waid-lawsuit-documents.html#s3

"If Meyer wants to properly file his lawsuit, he should go to the correct jurisdiction and we'll be waiting," Zaid told Newsarama.

Meyer's lawsuit alleges Waid interfered in a publishing agreement Meyer had with Antarctic Comics to publish and distribute his comic book Jawbreakers. Waid contacted Antarctic following the announcement of their intent to publish Jawbreakers, resulting in a conversation both parties allege was civil and in which Waid and Antarctic say Waid expressed concern over Meyer's online presence.

Operating under the ID "Diversity And Comics," Meyer produces videos and writing that he characterizes as "criticism," but which have caused controversy through language and content that has been perceived by many as targeting minority creators and critics with harassment.

However, Meyer alleges Waid made unspecified threats to Antarctic resulting in a Meyer being "blacklisted" from the mainstream comic book industry, blaming Waid directly for interfering with his efforts to publish his comic book, which was financed through a successful crowdfunding campaign.