Comicsgate trolls use racist, sexist, and sometimes threatening language to intimidate people they call “SJWs” — or “social justice warriors,” essentially anyone they believe is advocating for diversity in the industry. Some of the messages are overt, while most are cloaked in innuendo or make inside references to the comics world that outsiders would find confusing.
Most of the trolls are anonymous, living on Twitter — some use “#Comicsgate” in their bios — YouTube, private
Discord channels, and message boards used by far-right supporters of Donald Trump.
For their part, some of the most influential and visible Comicsgate boosters say they’re the ones under attack. They say they are quickly and incorrectly painted as Nazis, white supremacists, and/or far-right figures by people obsessed with political correctness. Still, victims of Comicsgate trolls told BuzzFeed News they’ve suffered months of sustained hatred and harassment in their mentions and attempts to hack their personal information.
Comicsgaters recently turned to blacklists and hashtag campaigns in an attempt to show their power within the industry. In early February, several members of the group made a “
blacklist” including creators and other industry members who spoke out against Comicsgate trolls — such as Sitterson and
Jamal Igle — and people who openly pushed for diversity.
