Richard C. Meyer Announces Decision To “Voluntarily Dismiss” Jawbreakers Lawsuit Against Mark Waid
Richard C. Meyer has announced that he will “voluntarily dismiss” his tortious interference and defamation lawsuit against Mark Waid, concluding the months long legal battle that polarized the comic book community.
As summarized in the opening to a “Joint Statement from Richard Meyer and Mark Waid”, published to the former’s Patreon account and by the latter’s attorney on December 22nd, “On September 19, 2018, plaintiff Richard Meyer filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas against defendant Mark Waid that asserted claims of tortious interference with contract and defamation arising out of the intended publication of a comic book by Antarctic Press entitled “Jawbreakers.””
“Following jurisdictional discovery and motions practice, a First Amended Complaint was filed on July 24, 2019”, the statement further recalled.
According to the statement, Meyer’s decision to dismiss was largely based both on Jawbreaker’s successful publication since the lawsuit’s initial filing and the unforeseen economic impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“Upon consideration of all the circumstances, the parties have jointly decided that it is in the best interests of all concerned, and the comic book community at large, for this litigation to end and Mr. Meyer has decided to voluntarily dismiss the lawsuit,” the statement reads. “Neither party has admitted any liability or responsibility, can claim to have achieved any victory and both have agreed to assume their own fees and costs.”
Unfortunately, fans may never know the exact details behind Meyers and Waid’s agreement, as the comic book creators concluded their joint statement by informing readers that, “With the dismissal of the lawsuit, the parties have executed a confidential agreement and have no interest in continuing this dispute in the public arena or anywhere else.”
On his Patreon account, Meyer published the joint statement alongside a message of thanks “to everyone who has helped fund this effort,” and proceeded to announce to his supporters that “once the final account is made, any remaining funds will be donated to charity.”
Meyer also assured fans that he “will shut this GoFundMe down before the end of the month so that no one is charged anymore.”
As of writing, Mark Waid has not personally commented on the lawsuit’s dismissal.
What do you make of Meyer’s decision? Let us know your thoughts on social media or in the comments down below!
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