Defunct manga publisher Go! Comi has suddenly returned on the scene, but not exactly in the best way possible. Amid claims of scamming due to the new website’s appeal for donations, the domain name has been posted for sale at a domain auction house. The new owner spoke exclusively with me to tell his side.

As reported by Anime News Network last week, the publisher’s former creative director Audry Taylor posted on her Twitter and Facebook pages last week that the new website at GoComi.com asking for donations to help finance the publisher’s return is a hoax. Last Wednesday she tweeted, “WARNING: MY FORMER GOCOMI.COM WEBSITE HAS BEEN TURNED INTO A SCAM. IT IS NOT REAL. DO NOT DONATE. GONNA SICK MY LAWYERS ON THEM.” The same day she posted on Facebook, “WARNING: THE FORMER GOCOMI.COM WEBSITE THAT I USED TO RUN HAS BEEN TURNED INTO A SCAM BY UNIDENTIFIED CRIMINALS UNRELATED TO GO! COMI, A COMPANY WHICH NO LONGER EXISTS. IT IS NOT REAL. DO NOT DONATE. GONNA SICK MY LAWYERS ON THEM. PLEASE SHARE THIS POST WITH MANGA FANS AND READERS.”

The website uses language from the previous authentic GoComi.com website, and now includes a notice requesting help in relaunching.

News:

Go! Comi needs your Help!

Go! Comi is coming back! We take great efforts to rebuilt Go! Comi as a publisher for Manga & Comics.

Help us rebuilding Go! Comi.

This is followed by a PayPal link to donate any amount.

Also on the site is a contact form for comics and manga creators to submit their work for review with the hopes of future publication. The Contact Us page uses a similar contact form.

The site’s blogroll, links to other sites, is decidedly unrelated to comics or manga: BigBrotherWeb.com, CarInsuranceQuoteQuote.info, KleinerPreis.info, and LoansBadCreditLoans.info.

So just who is behind this? Down the rabbit hole we go:

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