Somewhere around 2010 - progressive politics began to seep into the content of nerd entertainment: games, comic books, and movies. The campaign and election of Donald Trump, magnified this intensity, particularly at Marvel and DC Comics, where left-leaning creatives would take to Twitter or Facebook to bash Trump and his supporters. Progressive and leftist content was shoehorned into the comic books, and some comic book fans responded with angry criticism.
Around the summer of 2017 comic book fans criticizing Marvel began to use the hashtag #Comicsgate to identify and concentrate their criticism. From that point until early 2018 Comicsgate was a leaderless, fan centered critical movement.
Participants engaged on Twitter and on Youtube Channels - Richard Meyer, Doug Ernst, Captain Cummings, Engletine and more.** Somewhere around the end of 2017 and the beginning of 2018 Ethan Van Sciver of DC Comics fame associated himself with Comicsgate, and rapidly gained an enthusiastic following.** Here a pivot in Comicsgate's purpose begins. Richard Meyer announced that he would be publishing a graphic novel through Antarctic Press, this created an uproar from a network of the same comic book professionals that Meyer had spent the past year criticizing. Mark Waid a famed comic book writer allegedly made a telephone call to the owners of Antarctic Press and the opted not to publish Meyer's book. Meyer's wound up Crowdfunding the graphic novel on a web service called Indiegogo. From this point on Comicsgate shifts from criticizing Marvel and DC Comics to promoting independent comic books endorsed by Comicsgate. This transition caused a significant fracture in Comicsgate and many fans checked out of the movement.
Ethan Van Sciver's Youtube Channel becomes the hub for Comicsgate as he hosts livestreams, and produces performative criticism of the Stars Wars Franchise. By the end of 2018 Van Sciver is viewed as the central figure or leader of Comicsgate. By mid 2018 Comicsgate is almost completely centered on crowdfunding independent comic books on the Indiegogo Platform. Loyalty or allegiance to Comicsgate becomes a point of contention and personality conflicts emerge, this creates additional fracture points and infighting. By the beginning of 2019 Comicsgate is functionally a fan club and promotional venue for Ethan Van Sciver and other comic book professionals. Every few months personality conflicts arise and people shuffle in and out of the orbit of Comicsgate. **This is a significantly truncated and simplified summary, an extensively and detailed recounting is outside the scope of a short article. **
In parallel to Comicsgate other Dissident Nerd Cultures channels grow significant audiences - YellowFlash, Eric July, Nerdrotic, and Shadiversity for examples. Their content often touches on comic books but with a broader lens and a less promotional nature their performative criticism gains large audiences.
It's like deja vu all over again
Fast forward into 2022 Comicsgate has developed a reputation for late fulfillment on crowdfunded projects, and Van Sciver has managed to get into squabbles with many of the other other personalities on Youtube. Van Sciver manages to deepen an existing conflict with YouTuber Nerdrotic. This is a substantial mistake as Nerdrotic's Friday Night Tights show acts as a nexus for most of the larger channels and personalities in the dissident nerd culture space. Nerdrotic maintains a strict "no drama" policy in his circle, and violators are quietly and permanently exiled to the phantom zone. Van Sciver's temperament has created a barrier between Comicsgate and other segments of nerd culture.
Enter the Contenders
Eric July starts a comic book publishing label and - launches successful books in 2022 and 2023. Ethan Van Sciver draws an alternative for July's ISOM Comic Book. Van Sciver is critical of the appearance and composition of July's comic book and the two have a falling out in 2023. ***Over this same period several personalities adjacent to Comicsgate produce comic books without significant reliance on Comicsgate's approval or promotion. This is significant in that it reduces the centrality of Comicsgates as gatekeeper or vector for indie comics in the context of dissident nerd culture. Mike S. Miller who had a significant falling out with Comicsgate adapted a novel by Shadiversity (Shad Brooks) into a graphic novel, and it successfully crowdfunded - proving that the Youtube personalities in Comicsgate could be completely bypassed.
Within the past week Ethan van Sciver has had yet another personality conflict this time with YellowFlash. This is somewhat significant in that YellowFlash has a been a longtime promoter of Comicsgate projects on his YouTube Channel. YellowFlash also has a graphic novel project in production with artist John Dillard. Over the past week Van Sciver has used his Youtube channel to criticize YellowFlash for his contractual arrangement with the artist. Some people familiar with the space have speculated that Van Sciver is attempting to damage the project. YellowFlash has made one brief statement that he no longer wants to be associated with Ethan Van Sciver and has avoided further public commentary. Other Youtubers have rallied around Yellowflash, and the project will likely be widely successful when it is launched.
Where does this leave Comicsgate?
In spite of or perhaps because of Ethan Van Sciver's personality Comicsgate has a deeply loyal following, Ethan and his approved circle will be able to continue crowdfunding books for the foreseeable future. Comicsgate will exist as Vansciver's fan club and comic book shopping network as long as he is interested in running it. Van Sciver has no apparent successor within Comicsgsate though or a similarly sized Youtube Channel, the heavy lifting will remain Ethan's burden.
Van Sciver has managed to estrange himself and Comicsgate from virtually every alternative segment in Dissident Nerd Culture. To some extent it exists as a fishbowl in a larger space. Because of the alternatives that emerged with personalities like Eric July and Nerdrotic, Comicsgate has lost a substantial amount of referential or coercive power. Comicsgate may have to redefine itself to regain relevancy beyond a limited fan group.