Kickstarter Bans Don Simpson Megaton Man Project For Having An Iranian National Artist Doing Work On The Project

Kickstarter banned a new Megaton project from comic creator Don Simpson apparently because of the involvement of an Iranian national who was doing some of the art duties.

Don Simpson, born in 1961, is an American comic book cartoonist and illustrator best known for creating the satirical superhero series Megaton Man, which debuted in 1984 under Kitchen Sink Press. Influenced by 1960s superhero comics, newspaper strips, and Mad Magazine, Simpson’s work often parodies superhero tropes, blending humor with sharp social commentary. His early career included freelancing for major publishers like Marvel, DC, Image, Mirage Studios, and Fantagraphics, where he contributed to titles such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Wasteland, and the official King Kong comic adaptation. In 1986, he collaborated with Alan Moore on the acclaimed short story “In Pictopia” for Fantagraphics, showcasing his versatility. Simpson also explored adult-oriented comics under the pseudonym Anton Drek, producing works like Wendy Whitebread and Forbidden Frankenstein for Eros Comix in the early 1990s.

In 1994, Simpson launched his own imprint, Fiasco Comics, to publish Bizarre Heroes, a series that expanded the Megaton Man universe with original characters from his youth, such as the Meddler and B-50, the Hybrid Man. The series ran for 17 issues, blending humor and nostalgia, though his commercial illustration business under Fiasco Comics ceased in the late 1990s. After a hiatus from comics to pursue academia, earning a PhD in History of Art and Architecture from the University of Pittsburgh in 2013, Simpson returned to the industry. His later works include Marvel’s 2019 CRAZY! reboot and illustrations for Al Franken’s 2003 bestseller Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them. Today, he continues to create, teach, and engage with fans through conventions and his ongoing prose novel, The Ms. Megaton Man Maxi-Series, solidifying his legacy as a versatile and enduring voice in comics.

He is clearly a part of the establishment in comics who Kickstarter likes to promote, so what happened here? According to Don Simpson’s Substack, he says:

Last night, Kickstarter suspended the launch of our campaign for Megaton Man: Multimensions, a 214-page treasury-sized anthology of sixty contributors, flagging it for “safety and trust” because one of our contributors happens to live in Iran.

I am not groveling to Kickstarter or its algorithm. Kickstarter is not a co-editor or creative consultant on this project. Milo Trent is on the cover of Megaton Man: Multimensions and has four brilliant pages out of 214 brilliant pages, and I’m not removing them. I spent all of 2024, part of it living on savings, to shepherd a project that was left for dead, turning it into an anthology of contemporary world-class cartoonists of which we can all be proud. Kickstarter needs to explain to me why I would still want to work with them or trust them. Kickstarter is censoring this project, and every creative artist contemplating working with them—filmmaker, comic book publisher, or otherwise, needs to understand this.

Kickstarter posted that the project was not approved due to alleged Terms Of Service, something they say often, but with Don Simpson, unlike other creators who have been targeted by them, they actually spoke with him to address concerns, where he found out what this situation was about.

Simpson continued on Substack:

Among Kickstarters concerns was the question, “What is your engagement with individuals in Iran, if any?” Presumably, they can’t read, because it’s pretty clear from the FAQ that one of our contributors happens to live within the confines of that nation.

He also shared his email to the current comics head of Kickstarter, where he said:

Do you have any idea how stupid you and Kickstarter look, just in the eyes of the people who are CC’d on this email? Do you have any idea how stupid you are going to look in the eyes of the wider comics community? (Would you like me to drop some of those names for you? Because after forty years, I know just about everybody—not only in comics but in the wider media, who are chomping at the bit to get their hands on a story as ludicrous as this.)

I’m going to ask you pretty please to get your head out of your ass and reconsider the status of Megaton Man: Multimensions-- and immediately expedite approval forthwith? Remember, a lot of eyes are on this project and your response right now.

In any case, please stop trying to conduct official U.S. foreign policy—you’re simply not qualified.

He then posted in the comments:

What is laughable about this situation is that Kickstarter can not even articulate a reason for their actions, even though their initial inquiry clearly states their concern -- the nationality of one of our sixty contributors. Even after "human review," they cannot articulate what can be done to "improve" our project to "better meet [their] requirements and rules" (which are nowhere even stated in regard to their concerns), or even where we are in the "appeals" process. We literally have no idea (a) what rule(s) we violated, (b) what is within our power to "correct", or even (c) whether we have already run out of appeals. Since the publisher was already in contact with the Outreach Lead for Comics and told a bunch of nonsensical gobbledygook even before I reached out directly to the Outreach Lead myself, my sense is that their decision in final. Folks have suggest I wait until after the Easter holiday, but I don't see the point. The irony is I'm fairly confident we would already be funded by now and contemplating stretch goals. This is my first interaction with Kickstarter and looks like it will be my last.

Kickstarter and these companies often don’t give reasons for their bannings, as has been seen multiple times. The reasoning for them being cautious in replies is if they do state a reason, they open themselves up to lawsuits. They’d rather just sweep things under the rug and be silent as a result.

Most recently he updated though, and it looks like Kickstarter is speaking with him because he is part of the political in crowd:

Monday, April 21, 2025 4:30 pm EDT: Positive developments are happening behind the scenes and we hope to have something concrete to report in the coming day or two. Thanks for the kind words of support and encouragement, First Amendment fans!

This kind of speaking was not afforded to creators like Mike Baron (Punisher, Nexus) who had his comic banned because of a left-wing media outroar falsely accusing him of racism. Nor was it afforded to Jon Del Arroz, banned last year on an account level for nebulous reasons which were never elaborated on. No Kickstarter representative reached out in either of those instances.

It seems even in bannigns, some comic creators are more equal than others, and Kickstarter is a disaster as a result.

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