Comicsgate continues to be a beacon, or flickering bug light, luring village idiots to Youtube.
Comicsgate which emerged in 2018 as a reactionary fan response to the clumsy politicization of comic books, transformed into a YouTube-centered group of comic book creators and fans, lead by Ethan Van Sciver. Contentious and dimwitted arguments were, and currently are used to crowdfund comic book projects on platforms like Indiegogo.com, and to capture revenue from YouTube.
In 2020 artist Dan Fraga was welcomed into Comicsgate. Fraga had a long career as a commercial artist, working in comic books with Rob Liefield an Image Comics, as a storyboard artist and animation director for multiple well known projects. Fraga would often don a pinky bunny costume as part of the character he played on Van Sciver's Comicsgate programs on Youtube. Fraga launched, a comic book campaign on Indieogo.com titled "FragaBoom's BLACK FLAG: Pineapple Perception Comic." The project raised $227,569 from 3,475 backers. Fraga is late on delivering the project, after experiencing some medical issues that caused hand tremors, that appear to have been corrected with surgery.
Recently Fraga had a falling out with Ethan Van Sciver and Comicsgate. Fraga appeared on a Comicsgate YouTube Program with Ethan Van Sciver, and chastised Van Sciver and his associates for their mistreatment and harassment of other comic book creatives and fans- and others who had once been friendly with Comicsgate. Ironically on a later program that same evening, Van Sciver along with Mandy Summers and Jon Malin celebrated the Youtube superchats Van Sciver had earned for hosting the abuse of Fraga.
Image Source
Much of Van Sciver's YouTube Content during 2024 was focused on angry criticism of a competing comic book publish Eric July and Rippaverse Comics. Van Sciver had observed that a more popular YouTuber, Dick Masterson had a long running grudge against July. Van Sciver likely calculated that he could capture Masterson's audience and additional YouTube revenue if he created negative content about July. Van Sciver's made this cynical move despite having previously promoting July's work and being paid to draw a cover for Isom #2
Dick Masterson's content has generated a roster of critics, one of which is the theatrical "Podawful". In the same week that Dan Fraga had a falling out with Van Sciver, Jesse of Podawful hosted an interview with Eric July, which he titled Dick Masterson: JUJUGATE w/ ERIC JULY. Van Sciver saw the episode, and arranged for Podawful to make an appearance with him, in an attempt to win over Podawful with flattery. It did not go well for Van Sciver with Podwaful asserting that Van Sciver "has nothing going on in your head." Podawful simulataneously broadcast the exchange with Van Sciver and titled it H2BH THE SHOW: ETHAN VAN SCIVER #THROATGOAT. During the program on multiple occasions Jesse attempted to read a 4chan archive, which purported to be a summary of a romantic tryst behind a New Jersey pizza parlor, between Van Sciver and an anonymous participant. This visibly irritated Van Sciver, and culminated in Jesse of Podawful proclaiming Van Sciver to be the "throatgoat."
After Dan Fraga's appearance on Comicsgate Youtube last week, Van Sciver's fan immediately begin to target Fraga as an "enemy' of Comicsgate. Fraga appears to have noticed the interaction on Podawful, where Ethan was labeled "ThroatGoat", and Fraga did two things that enraged Comicsgate fans. First he tweeted a provocative image of a t-shirt referencing "throatgoat", second Fraga recorded an impromptu video of his elemenatry/middle school age children yelling "throatgoat" with him as they were on a family outing. The silly video sent Comicsgate YouTubers into a frentic rage.
Ethan Van Sciver tweeted out a response, visibly dripping with slime, that obviously was a signal for Comicsgate to attack to Fraga.
Jon Malin, essentially Van Sciver's right hand man in Comicsgate, as if on schedule took to Youtube late saturday night, and theatrical lamented that Fraga's children might now become the target of bullying.
This is demonstrable nonsense.
Comicsgate's core audience is 45+ middle aged, observably socially mal-adapted men. Comicsgate audience is substantially composed of YouTube drama addicts. These Comicsgate livestreams are conducted late at night, and usually top out at between 5,000 and 20,000 views. The current number of backers on Comicsgate projects probably would not fill a high school gymnasium. The total number of school-aged children who are aware of Comicsgate, wouldn't even fill a Chuck-E-Cheese. It takes a remarkably damaged boomer-brain to believe that Fraga's kids will be harmed by this. This is transparently an internal narrative to Comicsgate intended to extract more Youtube revenue from slack-jawed addicts.
Dan Fraga may be inconvenienced some, but he has at least reclaimed some artistic freedom and dignity by distancing himself from drama merchants. He should complete his overdue book and ship it to backers. Comicsgate's ability to influence opinion is becoming increasingly limited to it's dwindling audience of cultish YouTube addicts. The comments on Fraga's Indiegogo campaign page, confirm the peril of borrowing a reactionary audience that are primarily fans of angry YouTube content.
