9/26: Platinum Back In The Saddle Again?

Reactions to the Zuda contracts continue to trickle in, but let's hold off on that for now. Todd W. Allen has some pointed observations about the other high profile webcomics talent-searcher, Platinum Studios.

The most interesting thing that I'd missed so far? The mistake from Entertainment Weekly rears its head again, quoted as "evidence" that Cowboys and Aliens was a #1 hit. Furthermore, that mistake, once removed from the Platinum Studios homepage, is still Googleable. (To be fair, I don't see a link to it in their news or press release archive, but who cares? Anyone investigating "Platinum Studios" and "Entertainment Weekly" can find this.) At one time, Platinum distanced itself from this flawed reporting, but today, they don't seem to have any problem using it to draw in gullible stockholders.

I can only think of a few reasons why Platinum would restore fraudulent information to its marketing after removing it and acknowledging that said information was false. None of those reasons are good. The most charitable of them assumes Keystone Kops-level incompetence.

I've extended some benefit of the doubt up till now, but I think this is the last straw for me. I don't want to have anything more to do with a company that behaves like this. I still hope it manages to do some good for a creator or two, accidentally or otherwise, but I think those creators would be wise to hedge their bets.