Kickstarter suspends illustrated novel ‘defying transgenderism’ after project was fully funded
By: CANDACE HATHAWAY | May 26, 2023
Read more at https://www.theblaze.com/news/kickstarter-suspends-illustrated-novel-defying-transgenderism-after-project-was-fully-funded/
Crowdfunding platform Kickstarter recently suspended an illustrated novel project about “defying transgenderism” after the campaign was fully funded.
The author of the project, Hans G. Schantz, stated that his comic was canceled by Kickstarter after initially being reviewed and approved by the company. It was not until after the illustrated novel reached its $3,000 crowdfunding goal that the project was booted from the website.
Schantz said that he increased the novel’s goal to $6,000 before the project reached its May 31 deadline, but Kickstarter shut down the campaign, claiming that it had violated the site’s community rules.
The illustrated novel, “The Wise Heart,” follows the story of a biology teacher who is “thrown in jail for defying transgenderism” and subsequently “faces a show trial amid a media circus.”
Kickstarter Trust and Safety sent Schantz a “generic note” alerting him that his project would no longer be promoted. Backers of the campaign will no longer be charged for their pledges.
“A thorough review of your project uncovered one or more of the following violations: Inappropriate content, including but not limited to explicit or pornographic material [or] Hateful or offensive content that fails to meet Kickstarter’s spirit of inclusivity by promoting discrimination, bigotry or intolerance towards marginalized groups,” Kickstarter told Schantz.
The platform cannot comment on suspension “beyond what is stated in this message,” according to the company’s Trust and Safety.
The author accused the crowdfunding site of failing to live up to its own “inclusivity” standards.
“It’s sad that Kickstarter lacks a sufficient spirit of diversity and inclusion to be willing to tolerate an objective look at the scientific and political issues surrounding transgenderism as presented in the context of a courtroom drama,” Schantz wrote on Substack.
“I infer they received a complaint, the substance of which I was not privy to and took unilateral action without allowing me any input,” he continued. “No due process, no ability to face my accusers or even to be informed of the nature of the accusation. The fact that Kickstarter waited until after the project was already fully funded and nearing a close is a more disturbing trend. Creators would be wise to to [sic] deal with platforms more worthy of their trust.”
“The conduct of Kickstarter in particular and big tech companies in general raise broader issues of how the rule of law has devolved in an online context to sanction injustices that would not be tolerated in a more conventional setting. A contract that allows one party to unilaterally withdraw from the deal already agreed to after the other party has detrimentally relied upon their assurances would not typically be enforceable,” Schantz added.
Since being removed from Kickstarter, Schantz moved his campaign to an alternative crowdfunding platform, Fund My Comic, to assist with funding his project.
Kickstarter did not respond to a request for comment, Fox News Digital reported.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
In ‘The Wise Of Heart,’ A Man Faces Unthinkable Consequences For Stating An Unspeakable Truth
Paul Hair | May 22, 2023 | Comic Books, Interviews
How much trouble can one get into for stating a simple and obvious truth? Quite a lot. And a man learns that in a way he couldn’t have foreseen in The Wise of Heart, a satire by Hans Schantz. Schantz gave Bounding Into Comics the inside scoop on his tale, which twists an old story in a perfect way for modern times.
‘The Wise of Heart’ (2023) character sheet, Hans G. Schantz & Elin Chancey (illustrations)
RELATED: ‘Ma’am I Am!’ Sure To Delight—Or Enrage—Readers With Its Outrageously Forbidden Tale (EXCLUSIVE)
The Wise of Heart is crowdfunding on Kickstarter right now. With just a week to go, the 80,000-word illustrated novel is about $225 shy of its $3,000 goal. It needs just a little bit more help, and it’ll be well worth it if readers can push it across the line. This isn’t Schantz’s first rodeo, either. In addition to his previously published works, he’s scheduled to be involved in an interesting event later this year. Keep reading until the end to find out what that is. First, though, there’s the new book.
“The Wise of Heart reworks the story of the hundred-year-old Scopes Monkey Trial amid today’s transgender mania,” Schantz told BIC. “A high school biology teacher, Mike Andrews, agrees to participate in a court challenge to a law forbidding the teaching of biological science. [However], the law isn’t forbidding evolution—as in the original Scopes Trial—but rather the teaching of the biology of sex determination in defiance of a state mandate for gender affirmation.”
‘The Wise of Heart’ (2023), Hans G. Schantz & Elin Chancey (illustrations)
“The result is a deft and devastating satire that flips the script on the original Scopes Trial as depicted in movies like Inherit the Wind,” he continued. “Instead of the enlightened advocates of progressive evolutionary biology exposing the supposed ignorance of the superstitious religious town folk, The Wise of Heart is all about how today’s progressive advocates of gender affirmation defy the truths of biological science.”
Schantz provided more details on the plot. “The story opens in a small-town diner as the school superintendent, ringleader of the local cabal, persuades the mayor and the local university president to support his plan to challenge the ‘Gender Awareness in Academia’ or GAIA Act. The university president recruits an out-of-town ringer to lead the prosecution, her former student, Senator Roxy Castillo, leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination.”
‘The Wise of Heart’ (2023), Hans G. Schantz & Elin Chancey (illustrations)
RELATED: Renegade Jean Marc LaPointe Returns For Espionage & A Mind-Blowing Threat In ‘The Saints: Awakening’
“Not to be outdone, the superintendent secures the services of Castillo’s archrival, Senator Chad Travis from Texas, to head up the defense,” Schantz added. “The resulting trial becomes a media circus with a Greek chorus of reporters and commentators popping up between court sessions to casually lie and spin the narrative in their desired direction.”
It’s not all about the subject matter, though. “One of the most interesting characters is Mike’s girlfriend, Acey, whose mother is the university president, and who faces the challenge of trying to find some middle ground,” he explained. “The courtroom drama is a fight to the finish on the science and politics, but serves as a catalyst for a number of great character arcs and conflict-driven personal growth.”
‘The Wise of Heart’ (2023), Hans G. Schantz & Elin Chancey (illustrations)
Interested readers who back this will not only be the first in line for a copy of the book, but they’ll also help Schantz fund the bold line drawings by artist Elin Chancey that help bring the story to life. Additionally, an extensive sample, including a couple dozen episodes, is already available both on Substack and Arktoons. There’s also an extended trailer that further explains the story and showcases the art.
Again, Schantz isn’t a new author. His sci-fi techno-thriller series, The Hidden Truth, has proven to be popular. And he writes non-fiction as well. Beyond that, he takes the time and effort to run book sales for indie authors on a regular basis. And they highlight some fantastic works that BIC readers will undoubtedly enjoy.
‘The Wise of Heart’ (2023), Hans G. Schantz & Elin Chancey (illustrations)
And that interesting event he’s scheduled to be involved in later this year? That would be BasedCon, which “is a gathering for authors and fans of science fiction and fantasy.” It’s currently planned for September somewhere in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Where exactly? You have to register for the event to find out that info.
The event has already gained attention because it’s a con for those who are “tired of woke propaganda.” Is that a good thing or bad thing? Who knows, at this point? Right now, though, it looks like it’s going to have a significant lineup of guests. Those interested in sci-fi and fantasy will definitely want to check out the website for additional info.
‘The Wise of Heart’ (2023), Hans G. Schantz & Elin Chancey (illustrations)
But first things first. And that’s Schantz’s The Wise of Heart. It’s received an incredible amount of backing already. All it needs is a final few supporters to hit that $3,000 goal. Any amount that people can provide helps, and so does spreading word about the book on social media.
‘The Wise of Heart’ (2023), Hans G. Schantz & Elin Chancey (illustrations)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paul Hair is an author who writes fiction and nonfiction under his own name and as a ghostwriter. Follow him on Gab (PaulHair). His fascinating books are available at his Amazon Author Page. Help support him by purchasing one or more of his titles. https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Hair/e/B0034OTU50/
What Did You Say? 
You must be logged in to post a comment.