I have never been a fan of comic books, but I have followed Eric July since I first heard him on the Tom Woods Show circa 2018.
Aside from Batman and Spiderman, I have never really liked superheroes. With rare exception, the last fifteen years of AAA superhero films struck me as unoriginal, boring, and cringe. Perhaps that feeling was just an indication of a cashed-out and corrupted industry.
Despite all this, when I heard that Eric July was launching his own comic book company, I suddenly became interested in comics.
As a fellow content creator, I often study what it is about certain creators that drives their success. Even before Eric’s wildly successful Rippaverse launch, his success was an interesting case study.
With the Rippaverse, Eric further evolves the elements of his brand that made him popular in the first place: hard work, genuineness, and affability. He has good takes. It also helps that he is not a libertarian first creator something that gives him broader appeal. Above all, he holds a type of swagger that is directed at just the right people. Like Dave Smith’s, it makes you root for him, because he is your guy.
When the Rippaverse was announced, I immediately ordered a copy of ISOM #1. The buzz was electric. I could feel it flowing from the keyboard as I typed in my purchase information. I don’t know exactly why. Perhaps, it felt like this campaign was where the battle was: taking back an entire industry.
And I am part of it. We all are.
After making the purchase, and waiting for the orders to be shipped, I cheered for Eric’s success. But I was also a bit worried. What if the buzz was just a cathartic middle finger to a burnt-out industry? Would we all continue on to praise a sub-par production just because it wasn’t woke?
Today I found out. ISOM #1 came in the mail yesterday.