In 2011, popular online cartoonist Matthew Inman had a simple question for his readers, "What should I do about FunnyJunk.com?" FunnyJunk was and is a "content aggregator," which means that it re-presents pictures, videos and "other funny stuff" found and shared by users, often with little consideration to the wishes of the creators and sometimes without attribution. Inman reported FunnyJunk doing this with hundreds of his own comics. FunnyJunk responded by retaining the services of Charles Carreon, a lawyer whosenext actions would completely immolate his own already questionable reputation. Carreon demanded $20,000 in damages and threatened a federal lawsuit if Inman didn't retract his "false statements." Inman instead published Carreon's letter with replies, including enough hyperlinks to completely verify his claims, and raised $20,000 just so he could donate it to two charities instead of giving it to Carreon. Those charities were the National Wildlife Federation, and the American Cancer Society. Carreon promptly sued them as well as Inman. By the time that lawsuit was dismissed, Carreon had attracted a site devoted to parodying him and his actions-- which, of course, he also sued. This led to a countersuit in which Carreon paid $40,115 in damages. Since then, FunnyJunk and Inman have carried on much as before, though FunnyJunk now has an "original content" section. Carreon now maintains his own site where he talks about Internet culture and how it can destroy reputations, especially his. Its name? Rapeputation.com.
T Campbell has written quite a few online comics series and selected work for Marvel, Archie and Tokyopop. His longest-running works are Fans, Penny and Aggie-- and his current project with co-writer Phil Kahn, Guilded Age.
