The creators who currently operate under the umbrella of ComicsGate still occasionally remember to mention that it is a customer-orientated movement. As I see it, Comicsgate faces two serious problems that will potentially hobble consumer confidence if they remain unaddressed.
The first is the timely delivery of product and perks, and communication with backers regarding progress.
Here Zack (Richard C Meyer) is setting positive benchmarks: He is a self-motivated grafter with good management skills. He sets himself realistic goals. He hustles projects along. He has an idea of how long it will take to go from a blank page to a finished graphic novel. He doesn't over-reach in terms of extras. He is now at a point where his projects are more or less complete, prior to him taking orders from customers. His videos usually include daily updates on the progress of his current Indiegogo campaign. You come away with the impression of someone who is very hands-on in all aspects of production, who learns from his mistakes and who genuinely loves what he is putting out. He wants what eventually ends up in the hands of his customers to be the best that it can be. He is driving for quality and efficiency.
I think this business-like approach is something that other creators under ComicsGate would do well to emulate. They need to ask themselves questions along the lines of: How long is it going to take me finish this book? How do I organise my life to ensure that I do complete it within the time I have allotted? How long will it take to produce physical copies of the book and any attendant perks? If I going to sign the books, or personalise the books in some other way, how long will that take and when am I going to do it? How long will it take to get everything into the hands of my backers? And how will I keep these backers informed of my progress so that I don't alienate them as customers?
I recall a ComicsGate livestream from around this time last year, when Ethan was adamant that he was going to be a driving force, making sure that projects associated with ComicsGate were fulfilled; the thought being that any delays or failures would tarnish the reputation of ComicsGate as a whole. Since then, the issue of timely fulfillment has become one that creators often get defensive over and are seemingly reluctant to discuss. There is this attitude that all crowdfunded projects are late so it doesn't really matter. The problem is that it does matter to the customers that ComicsGate claims to put front and centre.
By far the worst transgressors are the Breitweisers who, very cynically in my opinion, used their groundswell of support for Red Rooster to establish themselves as publishers and parlay a deal with a major retailer. If I have understood the situation correctly, it is plausible that Red Rooster #1 will be available in this retailer before original backers receive their physical copies of the collected issues 1-3. It looks like, having taken funding from their supporters, the Breitweisers immediately shunted these people to the back of a queue of priorities that originated after the funding campaign. Their attitude towards these backers seems to be: 'We're really busy, but we'll get to you when we can.” That is an appalling attitude to have towards the people who got you up and running. If their retail ambitions go south and they have to rely exclusively on crowdfunding the support isn't going to be there like it was before. If you want to know what happens when comic book publishers ignore their core audience and go chasing after phantom demographics, then look at the diminishing fortunes of Marvel and DC these past few years.
The other major issue currently impacting ComicsGate is the eternal back and forth drama which has recently escalated into the threat of a lawsuit. This constant public airing of irritable petty grievance is unprofessional and likely to alienate existing customers, who will quietly drift away, as well as putting off any new ones who poke their heads around the door.
Unfortunately, in ComicsGate, drama translates into livestreams which translates into super chats. There is money to be made from it, however these short term gains come at the expense of the reputations of creators and the movement as a whole.
Ethan has frequently hyperbolised that the potential audience for crowd-funded comics is limitless. That potential growth will not happen if creators continue to behave like bickering five-years-olds who need to be pulled apart every few minutes. There is no resolution, or final victory to be had in this endless tit for tat. You win when you stop responding to it, get your head down and focus on your work.
I think, at this point, the honeymoon period is over for ComicsGate. Supporters are starting to get restless. Those creators who take the customer-focused ethos to heart and get their act together will have a future.