Patreon Boycott Endangers Campaign, Spurs Peters’ Spirited Defense of Banned Alt-Right Figure

Less than a day after launching his Patreon, Axanar producer Alec Peters’ campaign to get fans to pay the rent and utilities for his Georgia warehouse, the effort ran onto the shoals of controversy.

Meanwhile, details casting doubt on Peters’ hope to save the facility he’s dubbed Ares Studios began to emerge over the weekend since the auspicious launch of his new weekly YouTube livestream chat, dubbed “Reel Trek.”

Peters unexpectedly took to the air again the day after the first livestream to stave off complaints he had received about using the Patreon platform.

An increasing number of conservatives, alt-right figures and extreme free speech advocates are boycotting Patreon following its banning of Carl Benjamin, a combative right-winger whose handle is “Sargon of Akkad,” named after the ancient Mesopotamian ruler.

“Sargon” Benjamin had been eating more than #12,000 a month on Patreon when he was banned December 7, 2018, from the platform for “racist and homophobic slurs,” apparently referring to an interview in which Benjamin called his foes on the extreme right “niggers” and “faggots.”¹⁾

Peters, whose own avowed political views tend toward the left, spent a great deal of time on his ad hoc Reel Trek episode defending Benjamin’s right to free speech.

Peters said he sympathized with those who were refusing to support his Ares Studios effort, and he went on to criticize Patreon for banning “Sargon” for behavior that occurred off the platform.

Instead, Peters tried to assuage his putative supporters’ feelings by saying he would launch a PayPal account they could use for recurring monthly payments to support Ares Studios.

That alternative would create a revenue stream for Ares without any accountability. Peters ran similar operations for Axanar, with direct donations at conventions and via PayPal, as well as sales on his Donor Store, raising an undisclosed amount over and above the $1.2 million in crowdfunding. That money has never been accounted for.

Business model: Patreon + YouTube - Mobilizing YouTube monetization features

Structure of the Pitch Testimonial from “user” of the facility

Two Fan Films Planning to use facility. Just like Cholos and xxxx in 2017

Video Message to Indiegogo donors we hope to deliver some really great here this coming year. we hope you’ll pay attn to reel trek and axanar confidential, which are both airing on the Axanar YouTube channel.

Apologies Perk Update RMB blame for no Origins Blu-ray. After paying for it two yrs ago he never delivered, plus no footage to have another of our editors produce it. Lawsuit threat. RMB releasing footage, link to latest one

OWC lapsed

More Details on Lost Corporate Sponsorship