Kickstarter Scraps Megaton Man Over Iranian Artist

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Kickstarter is encountering criticism yet again from comic creators, this time following an unexpected halt on another significant project. This move has sparked debates about potential biased censorship and ambiguous guidelines. The most recent case concerns Don Simpson, the mind behind the cult favorite Megaton Man. Unfortunately, his anniversary anthology was prevented from launching just hours before its announcement, due to one contributor residing in Iran.

The book titled “Simpson’s Megaton Man: Multimensions,” a 214-page work featuring 60 artists such as Alan Davis (X-Men) and Stephen Bissette (Swamp Thing), was flagged by Kickstarter’s team responsible for safety and trust on April 17. The reason for this action was that one of the contributors, Milo Trent residing in Iran, created four pages of the book.

In an email to his team, Simpson wrote:

Last night, Kickstarter temporarily halted the commencement of our campaign for Megaton Man: Multimensions – a comprehensive 214-page anthology featuring 60 contributors – due to concerns over “safety and trust.” This is because one of our collaborators resides in Iran.

Multimensions”. Milo Trent is one of the contributors, and his work will remain a part of the 214 pages. This project was my focus throughout 2024, including living on savings, to bring it back from the brink and create an anthology featuring top-tier cartoonists. I’m questioning Kickstarter’s trustworthiness because they seem to be censoring this work. Any artist considering collaboration with them should be aware of this potential issue.

As a movie critic, I must confess that I found the narrative’s suspensions rather puzzling. The production house, Cosmic Lion Productions, aptly characterized it as illogical. However, they also admitted their oversight: “Our greatest mistake was our pride in our globally diverse and imaginative creative team.

Kickstarter’s Pattern of Censorship

On different occasions, Kickstarter has terminated projects even after they’ve been approved. For instance, renowned Eisner Award-winning comic creator Mike Baron (known for works like The Punisher, Star Wars, and Nexus) experienced the cancellation of his graphic novel titled Private American in 2022, despite successfully surpassing its fundraising goal by a factor of ten. However, some unusual allegations of “stochastic terrorism” were brought up as reasons for this termination.

Kickstarter needs to clarify why I should continue working with them. They’re meddling in foreign affairs, which they are not equipped to manage.

Simpson insisted that Kickstarter reconsider their decision, stating: “Are you aware of how foolish this looks within the comic community?” However, the platform has yet to clarify why Trent’s residence led to a ban or offer guidance on how creators can prevent comparable problems.

The surge in users has propelled the emergence of sites such as Fund My Comic, a fresh crowdfunding service established in 2023 to combat stringent content moderation rules. Launched by Luke Stone, Fund My Comic sets itself apart with its focus on unrestricted expression and competitive fees (just 3% compared to Kickstarter’s 5%). The platform values creator independence, providing benefits like daily payouts and adaptable campaign conditions to bolster artists who have faced unclear bans. Gaining rapid popularity among creators disenchanted with Kickstarter’s management of projects like Megaton Man: Multimensions and Private American, Fund My Comic has asserted itself as a censorship-resistant option in an evolving crowdfunding environment.

The dispute surrounding Don Simpson highlights a deepening predicament in the realm of creative crowdfunding, where unclear rules and global tensions are driving away seasoned creators. Meanwhile, platforms such as Fund My Comic are stepping up to advocate for artistic autonomy, which is increasingly perceived as a challenge to what is now viewed as Kickstarter’s capricious censorship by many.

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2025-04-21 23:15