Posted in: Comics | Tagged: binc, comcisgate, mark waid, richard meyer

Richard Meyer Donates Leftover Legal Cash To Charity, Including BINC

Published Sat, 23 Jan 2021 16:00:11 -0600

Last updated Sat, 23 Jan 2021 18:25:25 -0600

Bleeding Cool had been closely following the lawsuit filed by Richard Meyer against Mark Waid since its original court filing on September 19, 2018, regarding allegations of libel and tortious interference over the publication of his Jawbreakers comic book. However, on December 22nd, 2020, Richard Meyer voluntarily dismissed his lawsuit.

Both parties raised significant sums via crowdfunding to pay toward their legal fees. Mark Waid told me, "All the crowdfunding money on my end has been spent on legal fees." While Richard Meyer told me he "after the final invoice is generated by my lawyers, they will cut me a check for the remainder, and that will be given to charities."

Richard Meyer Donates Leftover Legal Cash To Charity, Including BINC — Image from Richard Meyer.

That has now, apparently, happened. Richard Meyer tells Bleeding Cool, "I have been refunded the full balance on my account by my lawyers after final accounting of all expenses incurred during the lawsuit" and that the total refunded was $8.925.05. He has divided the amount into five payments of $1800 for five separate charities, two animal-related, two for male victims of sexual violence, and one for BINC, the bookstore/comic store charity.

It is notable that earlier in the year, Richard Meyer was rather critical of fundraising efforts for BINC, which has been raising money for bookstores and comic book stores facing financial pressure as a result of the shutdown. His claims that their administrative fees were too high didn't take into account increased fundraising through 2020, driving that percentage way down.

Richard Meyer tells Bleeding Cool that BINC representatives told him that while donations are still larger than in most years, donations have slowed this year to about 6-8 per week. They are also looking to hear from comic shop employees in need and trying to get the word out that they are available to help.

It may also be a more welcome overture towards comic book retailers than Richard Meyer's interaction three years ago when he suggested his readers contact comic book stores unwilling to sell his comic. He listed staffers' names, the stores they worked in, and their work phone numbers. Subsequently, individuals in question were targeted with offensive messages, and a flood of one-star reviews hit their store Facebook pages — which was part of the chain of events that helped to kick off this whole legal fuss off in the first place.

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