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Posted in: Comics, Recent Updates | Tagged: Comics, comics 4kids, comics for kids, entertainment, twitter
Comics For Kids – But Are They Related?
This was the tweet that caused a bit of a twitterstorm last night.
Jase loves to read comics and draw super heroes. He was named most artistic in his class today. Please retweet! pic.twitter.com/kEc11RtQCx
— Comics For Kids (@comics4_kids) May 21, 2014
Comcis4Kids is an organisation (or individual) appealing for free comics and donations to give comics to kids. You know, a bit like Rick Olney's ORCA was meant to do. Hmm.
The plan was to give a free comic to this kid for every retweet of their appeal.
Some folk took a closer look.
Curious why the Comics4Kids account shows this kid https://t.co/CyDosOMNNE w/the same last name as Michael Whitehead who runs the account.
— Aaron Meyers (@AaronMeyers) May 28, 2014
Then wondering why he would ask for donations for the child that "won" on his personal account. Feels fishy? https://t.co/jIdod2xjQ0
— Aaron Meyers (@AaronMeyers) May 28, 2014
So @comics4_kids is requesting donations to give to his second cousin. That's a remarkably shady use of a "charity". https://t.co/PvDXuFNTMC
— Cameron Williams (@Wasgo) May 29, 2014
I don't even know what's up w/@comics4_kids asking for 400+ comics and $ donations for a kid with the same last name as the guy who runs it. — John Gholson (@gholson) May 28, 2014
And the floodgates opened. Some of the more aggressive tweets have been deleted but they leave their footprints for all to see.
It's not a crime or anything to ask people give comics or cash to your kid, but it sure raises eyebrows about @comics4_kids. — John Gholson (@gholson) May 28, 2014
@gholson Imagine any other charity for children encouraging its followers to gang up and call somebody a jerk. — Brandon Rohwer (@brandonRohwer) May 29, 2014
@gholson I told him if he made good grades I would give him comics like I do all children that want to read. — Comics For Kids (@comics4_kids) May 29, 2014
@gholson he made all A+ plus was named most artistic in his school. I was proud if him so we posted it and our twitter fans wanted to help — Comics For Kids (@comics4_kids) May 29, 2014
Asked legit, objective question. Didn't call names; just wanted the story. Got the story. Now I'm a jerk w/20k followers sicced on me? — John Gholson (@gholson) May 29, 2014
@Filthy_Nevs it's fucked if a 'charity' goes to 'get that guy!' when someone questions their practices. Not exactly the best plan. — Bełłan (@p60m) May 29, 2014
.@MP_Whitehead The issue isn't your choice of who you give your OWN comics tom it's that you asked people to RT for a child without saying.. — Filthy (@Filthy_Nevs) May 29, 2014
.@MP_Whitehead who the child was, and then asking the charity's followers to attack someone who questioned you on that. — Filthy (@Filthy_Nevs) May 29, 2014
@LGwenn @tommylutz @MattMinerXVX This is all getting a bit 'Possibly time to write a thing for Bleeding Cool'. What happened, Leia? — Filthy (@Filthy_Nevs) May 29, 2014
@Filthy_Nevs @tommylutz @MattMinerXVX He said something super misogynistic and I called him on it (as I do) & he was a dick about it. — Lela Gwenn (@LGwenn) May 29, 2014
Interesting that people are just now realizing that @comics4_kids is a scam… blocked them long ago — Mark Litzinger (@keklar) May 29, 2014
What we can learn from the comics4kids debacle is, be wary and never give someone you think is shady, your 100 percent trust. — Adam Stabelli (@StabelliA) May 29, 2014
@Jennifer_deG Re: Comics4Kids, it looks like their operation may be entirely illegal + using the same name as an unaffiliated WA Charity. — Jo Redpath (@jonesredpath) May 29, 2014
@andreashock remember two weeks ago when @comics4_kids asked that really sexist question? Pepperidge Farm remembers. And they're douches — Popgun Chaos (@popgunchaos) May 29, 2014
I'm not sure if @comics4_kids is deliberately misleading anyone, but at the moment I don't think it's the best place to donate comics. — Mike (@BFCsMike) May 29, 2014
@comics4_kids I didn't and don't have an opinion about the controversy, but now I do have one about your organization. — Jennifer de Guzman (@Jennifer_deG) May 29, 2014
Comics4Kids and Michael Whitehead are a scam. If you're following them, you probably should stop — Jess Camacho (@CamachoJess) May 29, 2014
@comics4_kids @BFCsMike No one attacked your mission. They called you out for trying to scam comics for a relative. Try telling the truth — chris hogan (@unlikelynerd) May 29, 2014
@BFCsMike I'm tired of answering your questions. If you want to donate then do so, if not go away. — Comics For Kids (@comics4_kids) May 29, 2014
@comics4_kids I'm going to keep asking questions. You can be insulting to me if you want, I'm cool with it. — Mike (@BFCsMike) May 29, 2014
Summary: @MP_Whitehead is the CEO of the @comics4_kids charity that was going to donate comics to a member of his extended family. — Tom Nix (@TheTomNix) May 29, 2014
@ansell_peter thanks Peter. What's bad is all that we received was retweets. No donations of any kind — Comics For Kids (@comics4_kids) May 29, 2014
@THE_James_Champ @gholson it has been deleted. — Comics For Kids (@comics4_kids) May 29, 2014
@comics4_kids @gholson a 5013c cant solicit donations in the form of money or goods for a family member. its illegal http://t.co/0DVoLqfytI — Aaron Meyers (@AaronMeyers) May 29, 2014
We received $0.00 in donations today and 0 comics donated to us. We will not be giving comics to the child in the photo He is a relative.
— Comics For Kids (@comics4_kids) May 29, 2014
We are very sorry for anyone who feels betrayed by the fact that the child in the photo is a second cousin by marriage to our founder.
— Comics For Kids (@comics4_kids) May 29, 2014
Anyone that was offended by the fact that the child who won the Award was the second cousin of our founder may have back their retweet. — Comics For Kids (@comics4_kids) May 29, 2014
Talking of legal matters, they also went from,
@Filthy_Nevs @gholson we are a 501c registered non profit with the state of Mississippi. Our business ID is 980081 — Comics For Kids (@comics4_kids) May 29, 2014
to
I think I am done with the non profit work. I am going to change Comics For Kids to a business so I can tell all the haters to flip off! — Comics For Kids (@comics4_kids) May 29, 2014
and
We are no longer a non profit. Our mission has not changed, but now we only answer the IRS, and people that want to help our mission. — Comics For Kids (@comics4_kids) May 29, 2014
However, eventually, after much deletion of tweets…
I would like to say that I am very sorry to anyone that I may have offended today. I need to do a much better job of controlling my anger — Michael Whitehead (@MP_Whitehead) May 29, 2014
But
Just out of interest, did EVERYONE who called out @comics4_kids last night over #Cousingate get followed by someone called ..@ChipGrey?
— Filthy (@Filthy_Nevs) May 29, 2014
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