Richard Meyer v. Mark Waid (2018) -

[OneHandClapping]

I think Vic was done Dirtier FWIW

I'll keep it quick so I don't infect comicsgate autism with weeb wars autism.

As far as I can tell, Meyer was damaged in private, and in one instance (tor tortious interference). The defamation was also kind of anemic, like NAZI! and Muh soggy knees! and whatever.

If Vic's case, he was destroyed quite publicly, across several contracts, and the defamation was extremely damaging. Meyer was called woman-hater. Vic was called woman-raper.

There's a good chance your question answers itself.

Better to settle now and pay your lawyer than to go to court and pay everyone's lawyers. Proving damages was to dicey to risk.

Losing at the trial stage doesn't award the winner fees, right? I know that can happen with, say, a successful anti-SLAPP, but at trial it's every man for himself.

When I think about it, at trial, the worst that could happen to Meyer would be he loses and has to pay his lawyer out of pocket (or out of the crowdfunding money). The winning scenario is he proves X amount of damages and gets a judgment against Waid. Waid then has the judgment looming over his head plus his own lawyers sending him invoices.

So I'm of two minds. On one hand, Meyer had Waid by the short and curlies, and Waid had the choice of losing money and losing even more money at trial

On the other hand, Meyer still had Waid by the short and curlies, and used that as leverage in some hidden settlement.

 

[Newman's Own]

Losing at the trial stage doesn't award the winner fees, right?

I believe if you lose at trial the winning party, especially a defendant, has the option of suing for legal fees and can usually get a speedy judgement one way or the other.

I'm no lawyer but I think it's fairly common.

I think Meyer's big issue wasn't proving wrong doing but rather proving damages as he's made more money than 80-90% of all comics pros since the AP deal fell through.

 

[5t3n0g0ph3r]

When I think about it, at trial, the worst that could happen to Meyer would be he loses and has to pay his lawyer out of pocket (or out of the crowdfunding money). The winning scenario is he proves X amount of damages and gets a judgment against Waid. Waid then has the judgment looming over his head plus his own lawyers sending him invoices.

That's if Waid didn't turn around and appeal.
Again, we'll never know now.

On a separate note, Nick Rekieta said he'd probably make a short video later this week.
When it comes out, it'll be posted here and I think that'll be it.

 

[Water-T]

On the other hand, Meyer still had Waid by the short and curlies, and used that as leverage in some hidden settlement.

I think so too. If Waid really had this in the bag, he would have taken this all the way so he could brag about "defeating the Nazis!"

 

[It'sallabitsillyreally]

Disappointing. Hopefully Waid behaves true to form and makes inferences about the end result that break the agreement then gets spanked because of it. Can't see much more than that resulting from it now.

 

[kadoink]

Shame that Richard never got his legal remedy, but yeah 2 years of trial is expensive as fuck and the whole year based on jurisdiction in trial was retarded as hell and the judge should have pulled his head out of his ass and recognized it sooner.

In the end no one really won in court, Richard built up his community and brand, and Waid most likely spent more than Richard in legal counsel but can say "see? Im a god boy" to his sycophants.

 

[waffle]

That sounds to me like waid wanted to throw in the towel and made Zack an offer he couldn't refuse. All evidence shows that Zack is doing fine on money, but Marks stat seems to be on decline.

 

[AnOminous]

Yes but on the alternative side.....its impossible to actually GET Justice. I'd take more lawsuits if Justice is actually possible

Lmao as if "justice" is even a thing that exists. All that exists is revenge.

 

[Weeb Slinger]

Anybody who frequently watches Richard's channel will be aware that he does not hold onto grudges indefinitely.

He also has issues with OCD and anxiety, and has lived under two years of grinding legal action, largely beyond his control. I would speculate that, at some point, he took a step back and asked himself - Is what I can expect to gain from this worth, not only the money, but also the time, the effort, and the impact on my mental well-being.

A lot of people who help to bankroll the lawsuit cast Richard as a Captain Ahab figure. They were relishing the prospect of leaning over the deck rail, while he paddled out with his legal team and harpooned the doughy white whale right through the woolen jumper. It was never going to end like that.

The lesson for future legal crowdfunds would be to make it clear that the aim is the best possible outcome, and that will likely change overtime, and probably won't be the knock-out blow everybody hopes for.

Waid has been revealed as a vindictive and mean-spirited bully, who inexplicably still garners support from his professional peers. I am sure that he will continue to find work with the big two, for however much longer they survive, and will continue to behave thoroughly unpleasantly towards people who he considers beneath him. Ironically if him and his ilk had listened to Richard a few years ago, the industry, that is currently crumbling under their feet, would probably be in better shape.

 

[Elwood P. Dowd]

The lesson for future legal crowdfunds would be to make it clear that the aim is the best possible outcome, and that will likely change overtime, and probably won't be the knock-out blow everybody hopes for.

Or you need a faggot with a grudge and bottomless pockets a/k/a Peter Thiel with Hulk Hogan vs. Gawker.

 

[AnOminous]

Anybody who frequently watches Richard's channel will be aware that he does not hold onto grudges indefinitely.

I don't even do that but I know any idiot who would prefer being in an insanely protracted federal lawsuit to NOT being in one is literally fucking retarded. Anyone criticizing Meyer for settling, even for nothing, should suck a bunch of dicks and after swallowing a few dozen loads of cum, explain to us how wrong Meyer was. Because as how I am disappointed as Meyer as I am, I dare any of you to do better.

 

[soy_king]

Lmao as if "justice" is even a thing that exists. All that exists is revenge.

Lmao what about "being made whole?" Does that exist?

 

[Kosher Dill]

I think Meyer's big issue wasn't proving wrong doing but rather proving damages

I think he would've had a fair shot at proving damages. Just put up a screen in the courtroom and show every one of his wheezy streams about faffing around with stamps, envelopes, mailers, returns, and other minutiae of order fulfillment. That's stuff he has to do himself (often screwing up in the process) because he doesn't have a publisher. And even if you say he is his own publisher now, he's not getting the same economies of scale that he would as part of a larger publisher - all his comics are still rather small runs.

Of course, whether the potential damages would make it worth paying his lawyers to see it through to the bitter end, that's another question entirely.

 

[quickthrowaway]

Ya boi Zack turned into ya bitch Zack.

 

[Newman's Own]

I think he would've had a fair shot at proving damages. Just put up a screen in the courtroom and show every one of his wheezy streams about faffing around with stamps, envelopes, mailers, returns, and other minutiae of order fulfillment. That's stuff he has to do himself (often screwing up in the process) because he doesn't have a publisher. And even if you say he is his own publisher now, he's not getting the same economies of scale that he would as part of a larger publisher - all his comics are still rather small runs.

Of course, whether the potential damages would make it worth paying his lawyers to see it through to the bitter end, that's another question entirely.

Factoring in the cost of labor in a Texas border town Richard's "damages" for having to coordinate fulfillment himself would amount to a small number. Tim Lim publishes through AP but fulfills crowdfunders himself, likely because the publisher charges separately for fulfillment as I believe Diamond charges Van Sciver. There are services that Meyer CHOOSES not to hire just like Tim Lim chooses not to hire. Richard is OCD and prefers to be in control. Damages where fulfillment is concerned are hard to prove.

Access to the direct market is valuable and having access revoked would indeed be damages but Meyer would have to prove he didn't have access after AP backed out. It's my understanding that he got offers from two other publishers for Jaw Breakers which he turned down. That's access he chose not to take advantage of making it hard to prove AP denied him anything he wanted.

Economies of scale are a good argument but given the relatively low cost of printing we're talking about a few thousand dollars savings vs hundreds of thousands to mount a law suit. Tough sell to a judge who might think he's having his time wasted.

Really, the only substantial source of damages would have been Meyer having his dream of being a comics professional crushed (faggot Waid's intent for certain) but Richard succeeded in becoming one of the most financially successful comics professionals (a low bar as most are surviving on ramen and cat food) working today in spite of and arguably do to Waid's homosexual attacks and the outrage bucks they generated.

No mistake, Waid fucked Meyer over for certain and it's likely a judge would agree but I don't think punitive damages were on the table and financial damages are a hard sell given Meyer's success is partly from him leveraging the whole affair to help fund one of the top five comics crowd funds ever. I wish punitive damages were on the table but they didn't appear to be.

Meyer should contact the publishers who expressed an interest and have them run reprints for the direct market.

The lesson for future legal crowdfunds would be to make it clear that the aim is the best possible outcome, and that will likely change overtime, and probably won't be the knock-out blow everybody hopes for.

The only reason most people donated was to fight and win against Waid and the SJW scourge. Meyer would have raised far less if the GFM was marketed any other way.

 

[Not Even Twice]

All I wanted for Christmas was Mark Waid sobbing like a little bitch.

 

[Thomas Talus]

Maybe the real favorable verdict was the laughs we had (and the hours we billed) along the way.

 

[Elwood P. Dowd]

Bounding into Comics did a write up. Says nothing we don't already know, but the CG cultists are alive and well in the comments. "Meyer coulda and woulda won, but we all understand why he dropped it," sentiments of that sort.

Richard C. Meyer Announces Decision To “Voluntarily Dismiss” Jawbreakers Lawsuit Against Mark Waid

https://archive.md/VXBHH

 

[AnOminous]

Lmao what about "being made whole?" Does that exist?

Yeah there's that bullshit too. Do you know what a court does to make you "whole?" It awards you a pile of money. That's literally all courts do. That's the only remedy. Money. So don't expect anything else from courts. Lmao "justice."

 

[Terrifik]