Comicsgate

In 2016, female superhero Mockingbird was depicted on a comic book cover wearing a t-shirt that read "Ask Me About My Feminist Agenda". This was followed by harassment on Twitter of series writer Chelsea Cain, including a posted illustration of Mockingbird depicted apparently dead after a brutal attack with her costume torn off, with the t-shirt phrase as a caption.[15]

A July 2017 social media post by Marvel Comics assistant editor Heather Antos, featuring several young female coworkers getting milkshakes in memory of company veteran Flo Steinberg, drew attention from members of the movement.[6][12][18] Antos was described by them as a "diversity hire", "an unqualified bimbo",[19] and "the 'false rape charge' type",[12][20] and the group in general as "fake geek girls", "tumblr-virtue signalers", and "the creepiest collection of stereotypical SJWs anyone could possibly imagine".[12][20] Antos reported receiving rape threats, being doxxed, and – with her friends and coworkers – being the target of a campaign of online harassment for some time afterward.[15][12][19][21]

Richard C. Meyer has made the campaign a common subject on his YouTube channel and Twitter account, in which he identifies professionals whose work or personal activities he sees as detrimental to the comics industry.[6] He took credit for the firing of writer Aubrey Sitterson from the IDW comic G.I. Joe: Scarlett's Strike Force after Sitterson criticized on social media what he saw as "performative grief" about the September 11 attacks.[18] In a 2017 video titled "The Dark Roast", Meyer referred to a female Marvel Comics editor as a "cum dumpster", accused various female professionals of "sucking their way into the industry", and described a transgender female writer as a "man in a wig".[12] Meyer participated in the backlash against the character designs of Netflix adaptation She-Ra and the Princesses of Power; he called showrunner Noelle Stevenson a "boyish lesbian" and accused her of re-imagining the title character as herself, describing it as "utter selfishness and egotism".[22]

Members of Comicsgate have responded to professionals criticizing the movement by circulating blacklists of such creators to boycott,[4][5] including one which categorized individuals as members of the "Pravda Press", "SJW vipers", and other derogatory labels.[4] Among those placed on such lists and criticized for their views have been Larry Hama, Mark Waid, Alex de Campi, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Matt Fraction, and Ta-Nehisi Coates.[4] Colorist Moose Baumann recounted that he received threats of violence after stepping away from Van Sciver's creator-owned book Cyberfrog.[23] Media critic Kaylyn Saucedo, artist Tim Doyle, comic writer Kwanza Osajyefo, and cosplayer/comic writer Renfamous have all recounted being the target of harassment and doxxing.[24][25]

A few creators involved with Comicsgate have profited from the controversy it has produced, as with Meyer's No Enemy But Peace.[12]

Alt-right activist Vox Day wrote and published the series Alt-Hero[26] and hired Chuck Dixon to write for him.[27] Although Van Sciver has had Vox Day as a guest on his YouTube channel, both he and Meyer have disavowed any association with him.[11][26]

Jawbreakers

In early 2018, Meyer announced that his crowdfunded comic book Jawbreakers: Lost Souls, a collaboration with freelance artist Jon Malin, would be published by Antarctic Press. Upon learning that some store owners had discussed their decisions not to stock it, he encouraged his followers to publicly post and circulate their names, locations, and employee information.[13][28][29] He accused Edmonton, Alberta store Variant Edition of "bullying and intimidating their own customers" after the female co-owner tweeted that they would not stock the publication; the store was subsequently vandalized and robbed.[3] Dublin, Ireland, store Big Bang Comics, which was not stocking the book, received threats of violence on social media.[13]

On May 13, Antarctic Press announced that they were ending their relationship with Meyer, citing shock over his behavior. Meyer blamed freelance writer Mark Waid for contacting Antarctic's owner to talk about the controversy, accusing him of pressuring Antarctic not to publish the book.[28] Both Antarctic and Waid issued statements denying that any threats or bullying had taken place.[28][30][31] In October 2018, Meyer sued Waid for "tortious interference with contract and defamation".[32] In a motion to dismiss, Waid's attorney Mark Zaid asserted that Meyer's own public attacks against industry professionals were responsible, pointing to comments on Twitter calling writer Ta-Nehisi Coates "a race hustler", accusing a number of female professionals of being hired solely based on gender, and referring to trans and non-binary DC writers as "a modern day carnival".[33] As of April 2020 the case was pending.