The release of a new non-woke comic book has shaken up the social media world in its quest to counter progressive storylines and has raised almost $2M in its first week of pre-orders for a book that won’t ship until August.
Eric July, musician, writer, content creator and professed “comic book lifer,” officially launched his first comic book “Isom #1” through his publishing company Rippaverse, and it’s received both praise and derision from comic book fans and those who never read them.
Those who object to the new comic book accuse July of codifying in comic book-form a “hate group,” and promotional videos for “Isom #1” were banned from news discussion and aggregator Reddit. But July told Fox News Digital that the real reason for the pushback has to do with him and his political views:
“A lot of it has to do with the fact that I am a person that they simply do not like,” he said.
July, who hosts his own podcast and has appeared as a political commentator on various news outlets, refers to himself as a Libertarian who is “on a mission to spread liberty, speak out against nonsense and work towards a more free and prosperous society.” He was quick to point out that today’s entertainment has devolved into indoctrination focusing on “beat[ing] people over the head with stuff like social justice,” and this is what inspired him to start his own comic book company, Rippaverse.
“To see the industry go in the direction that it’s gone kind of lights a fire under you,” July said. “It’s not like it’s getting any better. These people are doubling down on everything that they’re doing no matter how often the fans reject it.”
.@EricDJuly's newly launched non-woke comic book defies cancel culture, brings in over $1.7M in first four days https://t.co/M7XsJRwcmf
— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 15, 2022
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July, who is black, has been hit with racist and vitriolic comments, but this has not deterred him from his mission to return comic books to a form of entertainment for people to “get their morale up.”
“I like seeing people be stoked. I like seeing people be happy and enthusiastic about something that is happening in entertainment. The last five, six years, it’s been rough for a lot of people [because] folks have just been holding their nose as they go through and consume whatever entertainment it is that they’re consuming,” he said.
The 96-page comic book focuses on a Texas rancher called Avery Silman, who acquires some sort of special powers leading him to act as a superhero under the moniker Isom. However, when an old childhood friend wreaks havoc in the city, Stilman aka Isom is forced to resolve the problem while experiencing violent escapades with beings called “excepts” along the way.
July’s grassroots efforts are for the little guy, those who feel lost in the world of leftist narrative, and he readily expresses his appreciation for their support:
“I want to get books into the hands of the people,” he said. “This is a blessing. I thank God for this opportunity and all the supporters from all different pockets of the internet.”