The furore over the cancelled crowdfunded George Pratt art book Into White has yet to abate but already Tripwire founder/editor Joel Meadows has initiated his next Kickstarter campaign. Meanwhile Pratt issued a new email to backers to give a fuller account of his version of events that led to the schism between himself and Meadows over the project.
Let’s begin with a recap: Into White: The Art of George Pratt was planned as a career retrospective art book produced by comics artist and illustrator George Pratt and published by Joel Meadows, of Tripwire Magazine. Organised by Meadows, a Kickstarter campaign was held between May 12 and June 11, 2025, with a late pledge window into August. It raised £41,000 (around $55,000) on an initial funding goal of £5,000, from 304 backers. In April this year, the book was being prepared for print when it was discovered by Pratt that only $20,000 (40% of funds) remained in the account. According to Meadows, this was a personal salary for operating the Kickstarter on Pratt’s behalf. A dispute took place which led to the cancellation of the project by Meadows and Pratt withdrawing permission to publish the completed project.
JOEL MEADOWS’ NEW KICKSTARTER
Although the dust, ire, and press coverage from the collapse of the Into White campaign has barely started to (visibly) settle, Meadows today launched a new Kickstarter. This time it’s for his creator owned project involving public domain Arthur Conan Doyle character Sherlock Holmes.
It has been six days since Meadows’ last update on the Into White campaign page on May 21, where an apology of sorts was issued:
“We understand that this outcome is deeply disappointing for everyone who supported the campaign, and we sincerely regret that the project could not be brought to completion as originally intended.”
In that selfsame missive, Meadows included mention of future crowdfunding campaigns:
“Tripwire has successfully completed and fulfilled numerous Kickstarter campaigns over many years, and we remain committed to approaching both our supporters and future projects with transparency, professionalism, and care.”
The first such ‘future project’ arrived six days later, May 27, where Meadows plans to publish another art book, this time an illustrated prose novella prequel to his Sherlock Holmes and the Empire Builders comic series with artist Andy Bennett.
There is naturally, no mention of the Into White debacle but it does explicitly state on the campaign page:
“Andy Bennett will receive remuneration for his work created here from the campaign.”
And in the Risks aspect of the campaign:
“This is our 13th campaign and the text already exists and Andy Bennett is well under way with the illustrations so we feel confident we can deliver this project.”
Sherlock Holmes&The Empire Builders Down And Out In London [sic] is seeking a funding goal of £2,500 ($3,300) and offering digital, paperback and hardcover options, with the highest possible tier maxing at £55 ($74). It will run until late June.
REFUNDS
After briefly relinquishing control of the remaining funds to Pratt at the onset of their dispute, Pratt returned the moneys to Meadows in order allow the issue of refunds via official Kickstarter channels. The refund process has seemingly been rather haphazard.
Based on a straw poll of backers on The Art of George Pratt private Facebook group, refunds for the cancelled book have indeed been issued but the size and nature of the payout has varied.
While we only have a handful of anecdotal responses (22 of 304 backers, the Facebook group has 858 members at time of writing), it appears that any particularly aggrieved backers who were active and very vocal received full refunds, then blocked/had their comments removed from both the Kickstarter itself and from another private Facebook group run by Meadows. Those that claim this in the survey, all had these payouts at the end of April or early days of May, likely before Meadows had prepared a proper restoration plan. This was the immediate week in which Meadows had regained control of the $20,000 from Pratt (April 24), and before Pratt had officially declared the withdrawal of consent to publish the book, when Meadows was still hoping to fulfil it (May 4).
A Kickstarter update by Meadows on May 4 officially mentions issuing refunds with a little detail:
“I want to be honest with you: because the funds were directed toward twelve months of legitimate campaign work rather than held in reserve – something no reasonable person would anticipate needing to do – I am not in a position to refund pledges in full. What I can do is issue a partial refund to every backer. It is not what any of us wanted, and I am sorry for that.”
Based on our respondents, all partial refunds took place after this – mainly the week starting May 11.
Expectedly there are a number of still-incensed backers of the project and Pratt fans who wanted to see the project fulfilled, who have largely only received partial refunds. In some cases of the size that barely covered the (presumably international) postage.
On May 21, Meadows issued a new update:
He said:
“Over the past few weeks, we have focused on resolving matters with backers as responsibly as possible within the constraints of the situation. Partial refunds have now been issued to all backers, and we have also been working individually with higher-tier supporters, particularly sketch-tier backers, toward additional resolutions where possible.”
Adding:
“We understand that this outcome is deeply disappointing for everyone who supported the campaign, and we sincerely regret that the project could not be brought to completion as originally intended.
“At this stage, we believe we have taken all reasonable and practical steps available to us to address the situation and support backers following the collapse of the project. We will, of course, continue responding to direct supporter enquiries where needed, but this will likely stand as our final substantive public update on the matter.”
PRATT’S TIMELINE
On May 22, George Pratt sent out a new email to backers in which he detailed key events in the ill-fated crowdfunding campaign. According to Pratt, Joel Meadows first approached him about doing Into White as a crowdfunder on August 24, 2024. Seven months later – March 28, 2025, Meadows once again reached out with the planned reward tier for the project. Pratt asserts, “Throughout this entire process I have never received a signed agreement from Joel for this project.” On May 12, Into White was launched on Kickstarter.
While various elements have already been covered – the overhaul of the book with the aid of a designer, its expansion from 250 to 336 pages, and switched from mostly softcover to entirely hardcover – Pratt states that the 250-page count declared on the Kickstarter was set by Joel, who obtained his own printing quotes without consulting Pratt, who by that point was in the middle of putting together Into White’s first draft (prior to its major revision and expansion).
“June 17-24, 2025 – While I was still in the middle of designing the book, Joel obtained printer quotes based on a 224-page count he had determined on his own with a print run of 1500 copies. 1000 paperbacks and 500 hardbacks. These quotes were solicited by and addressed directly to Joel at Tripwire.”
It appears communication failure was a major problem at the production stage as Pratt says,
“During this same period, I repeatedly asked Joel for samples from his printer so I could make informed production decisions. I requested paper stock, head and tail bands, spine coverings, case coverings, foil stamps, ribbons, color profiles, and print templates. I received a single paper sample. Nothing else. In a typical publisher and artist relationship, the publisher handles all communication with the printer and ensures that every necessary sample and template is obtained. That never happened here. My designer, Casey Burns [enlisted July 29, 2025], and I ended up managing all of it ourselves.”
All of the above was immediately following the initial crowdfunding period but before the closure of the Late Pledges window.
The expansion of the book to 336 pages was seemingly revealed to Meadows on April 4, 2026, as Pratt issued a PDF of the completed design, ready for printers proofs. It was, according to Pratt, at this point that Meadows indicated concern – eight months after the Kickstarter had officially ceased taking pledges.
According to this timeline, a Zoom call took place between the two, the following day (April 5). Based on recommendations of friends and colleagues, Pratt had also found an alternative printer in China – which supplied an estimate below that which the campaign raised, and gave over 1,500 spare books to be sold at retail after fulfilment:
“April 5, 2026 – During a Zoom call, I walked Joel through my proposed final page count, the shift to all-hardcover, and the printer in China. The production cost estimate covered 2,000 hardcover copies, approximately 304 of which would fulfill backer rewards, with the remainder intended for retail and distribution. Total production costs would come to approximately $30,000, well below what the campaign raised, while delivering a superior product.”
Then,
“After hearing everything, Joel agreed to all of it. That same evening I sent Joel a letter outlining everything that we discussed during the call.”
A few days later, when requesting payment for the designer’s invoice, Pratt discovered that £17,000/$22,000 remained in the pot, in which Meadows claimed to have paid himself a salary. Pratt indicates that while the designer/copyeditor got a wage ($2000), his own role in the entire production process for his career retrospective art book was done without pay:
“April 8, 2026 – I asked Joel to pay the copy editor’s $2,000 invoice. Though reluctant, he agreed, and also confirmed he would be prepared to cover an estimated $1,500 for printer proofs.
“This was also the first time I became aware that Joel had paid himself any fee out of the campaign’s funds. On that same date I wrote to Joel directly, putting my concerns in writing and requesting a full accounting of every dollar that had come into and gone out of the campaign account, including any interest earned. That request was never fulfilled.”
Pratt adds:
“With that amount remaining, there was no path to printing and shipping the finished book, and all the add-ons, book plates, prints, and sketches. This was not a dispute about page counts or format. The money simply was not there.”
From this point the entire thing unravelled – with accusations of defamation, and threats of legal involvement. Mere weeks after Pratt posted an update that the design was complete, and printing of Into White was about to be initiated (April 6), Meadows declared the project cancelled (April 15).
Pratt concluded his May 22 timeline email, somewhat hopeful about making the book happen somehow, and that the dispute with Meadows rumbles on:
“I am working through next steps carefully and with legal counsel. This book still matters deeply to me, and so do you. When I am in a position to bring it to you the right way, you will hear from me first. Thank you for your continued support and for believing in my integrity through all of this.”
Note: Below are all messages seen by backers between April 24 to May 22, in reverse chronoloical order
George Pratt email message to Kickstarter backers, May 22
Dear Supporters,
I absolutely hate what has happened with this project, and I hate even more that you are the ones bearing the consequences of it. You believed in this project and in me, and that means more than I can say. You deserve a clear and honest account of everything that happened, so here it is.
What Was Raised
The campaign closed on August 15, 2025 with 304 backers having pledged £41,237. At the exchange rate that day, that converts to approximately $55,893 USD. After Kickstarter’s standard fees of roughly 8-10%, the expected net proceeds should have been between $50,300 and $51,400.
Joel has publicly stated he netted $46,000 after fees. That is $4,000 to $5,000 lower than standard fee calculations would produce, and no explanation has been offered for that gap.
The Timeline
August 24, 2024 – Joel Meadows of Tripwire first reached out to me about partnering on a book project, proposing that Tripwire would create and manage the Kickstarter campaign and publish the book while I would create the work.
March 28, 2025 – With no written contract in place, Joel sent me his proposed reward tier structure and pricing. Throughout this entire process I have never received a signed agreement from Joel for this project.
May 12, 2025 – The campaign launched on Kickstarter. I began working on the design of the book around this time.
June 17-24, 2025 – While I was still in the middle of designing the book, Joel obtained printer quotes based on a 224-page count he had determined on his own with a print run of 1500 copies. 1000 paperbacks and 500 hardbacks. These quotes were solicited by and addressed directly to Joel at Tripwire.
During this same period, I repeatedly asked Joel for samples from his printer so I could make informed production decisions. I requested paper stock, head and tail bands, spine coverings, case coverings, foil stamps, ribbons, color profiles, and print templates. I received a single paper sample. Nothing else. In a typical publisher and artist relationship, the publisher handles all communication with the printer and ensures that every necessary sample and template is obtained. That never happened here. My designer, Casey Burns, and I ended up managing all of it ourselves.
July 9, 2025 – I completed the first full draft of the book design. After showing it to trusted artists and designers for feedback, the consensus was that it read more like a catalog than a proper art book. I agreed with that assessment and made the decision to bring in additional help to elevate the work.
July 29, 2025 – I brought in Casey Burns, a well-respected professional artist and designer, for his first call on the project.
August 4, 2025 – Casey received my InDesign files and began his work on the redesign.
August 15, 2025 – The campaign closed with 304 backers having pledged £41,237.
January 26, 2026 – I contacted Joel by email to tell him about an exceptional printer in China that had been recommended to me by a trusted publisher known to both Joel and myself.
February 6, 2026 – Kickstarter provided me access to the Kickstarter campaign for the first time and I posted my first of only two official updates to backers.
April 4, 2026 – The redesign was completed and I sent Joel a low-resolution PDF of the finished book. He raised concerns about the page count, which had grown to 336 pages from the 250 listed in the campaign.
April 5, 2026 – During a Zoom call, I walked Joel through my proposed final page count, the shift to all-hardcover, and the printer in China. The production cost estimate covered 2,000 hardcover copies, approximately 304 of which would fulfill backer rewards, with the remainder intended for retail and distribution. Total production costs would come to approximately $30,000, well below what the campaign raised, while delivering a superior product.
I explained that printing exclusively in hardcover would lower costs while delivering a better product than originally promised to backers. So all backers would receive a hardcover. I proposed that those who backed the campaign at a higher amount in order to receive a hardcover should receive something extra for their pledge, such as a special limited edition signed print. After hearing everything, Joel agreed to all of it. That same evening I sent Joel a letter outlining everything that we discussed during the call.
April 8, 2026 – I asked Joel to pay the copy editor’s $2,000 invoice. Though reluctant, he agreed, and also confirmed he would be prepared to cover an estimated $1,500 for printer proofs.
It was in this same exchange that Joel disclosed there was only £17,000 ($22,610) remaining in the account, which would drop to approximately $19,110 after the copy editor and the proofs. I immediately requested that Joel wire me the remaining $20,000 to protect what was left.
This was also the first time I became aware that Joel had paid himself any fee out of the campaign’s funds. On that same date I wrote to Joel directly, putting my concerns in writing and requesting a full accounting of every dollar that had come into and gone out of the campaign account, including any interest earned. That request was never fulfilled.
With that amount remaining, there was no path to printing and shipping the finished book, and all the add-ons, book plates, prints, and sketches. This was not a dispute about page counts or format. The money simply was not there.
At this point I informed Joel that I could not continue working with him under these circumstances.
April 10, 2026 – In an effort to understand how to best navigate this situation, I contacted Kickstarter directly. I explained the situation, and they asked me to keep them informed but offered no advice.
April 15, 2026 at 2am – Joel locked me out of the campaign entirely, removing my ability to respond to comments directly on Kickstarter. Joel then published a public update to backers stating that I had cancelled the book and that I was in possession of $20,000 with no clarity on how refunds would be issued.
April 24, 2026 and April 25, 2026 – Ultimately, I determined that distributing those funds directly would complicate backers’ ability to receive a full refund through official channels. I wired the full $20,000 back to Joel. I also reimbursed Joel for the $2,000 copy editor payment from my own pocket at that time, along with the fees he would have to pay his bank for both transfers.
Joel has always been the only person with authority to cancel the campaign, and is the only person who can issue refunds or answer questions about the campaign funds. I understand he has pointed some of you in my direction instead. I am not able to resolve this, and I want you to go to the right place: Joel Meadows and Tripwire directly.
Neither Casey nor I have received any compensation for our work. Both of us have full-time jobs and put in countless hours on this project, including all-nighters, entirely without pay.
Where Things Stand
I am working through next steps carefully and with legal counsel. This book still matters deeply to me, and so do you. When I am in a position to bring it to you the right way, you will hear from me first. Thank you for your continued support and for believing in my integrity through all of this.
Sincerely,
George
Joel Meadows campaign update Kickstarter, May 21, 2026:
Final Project Status Update
We wanted to provide what will likely be our final major update regarding Into White: The Art of George Pratt.
Unfortunately, the working relationship between Tripwire and George Pratt broke down during the latter stages of production, and despite extensive efforts to find a workable resolution, we were ultimately unable to complete the project in its originally planned form.
As a result, the book is not able to proceed under the original Kickstarter campaign structure.
Over the past few weeks, we have focused on resolving matters with backers as responsibly as possible within the constraints of the situation. Partial refunds have now been issued to all backers, and we have also been working individually with higher-tier supporters, particularly sketch-tier backers, toward additional resolutions where possible.
We understand that this outcome is deeply disappointing for everyone who supported the campaign, and we sincerely regret that the project could not be brought to completion as originally intended.
At this stage, we believe we have taken all reasonable and practical steps available to us to address the situation and support backers following the collapse of the project. We will, of course, continue responding to direct supporter enquiries where needed, but this will likely stand as our final substantive public update on the matter.
Tripwire has successfully completed and fulfilled numerous Kickstarter campaigns over many years, and we remain committed to approaching both our supporters and future projects with transparency, professionalism, and care.
We genuinely appreciate the patience and understanding shown by many backers throughout an extremely difficult situation.
Thank you,
Joel Meadows
Tripwire
Joel Meadows campaign update, posted May 4, 2026
A final message to supporters – setting the record straight
Many of you have seen George Pratt’s emails. Because he chose to make this public, I need to correct the record. Over the course of this project, Pratt expanded the print run from roughly 400 copies – enough to fulfil all campaign pledges – to 2,000–3,000. He switched formats from paperback to hardcover. He added 86 pages to the book without consulting me. He chose a printer without my input. He removed my name from the finished design. Each of these decisions, made without discussion, transformed a viable campaign into a financial liability. The book also ballooned to nine months to design, costing us a free festival table and significant pre-arranged retail opportunities that would have made the numbers work. Pratt claims I stole 60% of the funds. The reality: I paid myself $22,500 over twelve months as the campaign’s publisher and operator – well below the ~$3,000/month industry norm for running a Kickstarter. I also paid $2,000 to the copy editor Pratt himself brought onto the project. Every payment is documented with invoices. The remaining campaign funds were intact and available for print when Pratt pulled the plug. On April 17, Pratt told you: “This book will happen, and you will all receive a copy.” One week later he wrote: “When I’m in a position to bring it back the right way, you’ll hear from me first.” In the same April 24 email, he wired the $20,000 back to me – the money he had demanded and publicly accused me of stealing. These are not the actions of someone acting in good faith.
Tripwire created and ran this campaign. We built the audience, contacted every retailer and distributor, and did twelve months of work to bring this book to life. I came to Pratt because I genuinely wanted to celebrate his art. What I got instead was a partner who kept moving the goalposts and then walked away.
To be clear about what Pratt’s decisions have left me with: a small independent publisher, personally liable for refunding a campaign that was made unviable by someone else’s choices. That is the reality he walked away from.
Today’s communication from Pratt has made fulfilment impossible. By publicly instructing supporters to treat any copies of the book as unauthorised, he has ensured that no print run can proceed.
This is my thirteenth Kickstarter campaign. In twelve previous projects – with Dan Panosian, Walt Simonson, Tomm Coker, Mark Chiarello, Frazer Irving, Shawn Martinbrough, and others – I have fulfilled every commitment. The situation with Into White is an aberration, and not one I take lightly.
I want to be honest with you: because the funds were directed toward twelve months of legitimate campaign work rather than held in reserve – something no reasonable person would anticipate needing to do – I am not in a position to refund pledges in full. What I can do is issue a partial refund to every backer. It is not what any of us wanted, and I am sorry for that.
I also want to specifically acknowledge those of you who pledged at the sketch tier. You have been most heavily impacted by Pratt’s behaviour, and that is not something I take lightly. We are actively working on an appropriate way to compensate you and will be in touch separately. Refunds will be processed in a short period of time. This will be my last public statement on this matter. Thank you for your support of Tripwire and for your patience throughout this process.
Sincerely, Joel Meadows Tripwire
George Pratt email to backers, sent May 4:
Dear Supporters,
Just a quick note: if anyone approaches you about copies of Into White, please know that they are knock-offs and are illegal. I own the sole copyright to the book Into White and no other publisher has a license to reproduce or distribute the book in any form at this time.
I revoked any and all plans to publish the book with Joel Meadows and Tripwire in April. He does not represent this book or my work and has no legal standing to publish my work in any capacity.
Accept no substitutes!
Thank you so much for your patience and support.
Sincerely,
George Pratt
Joel Meadows’ Kickstarter update, posted May 2
A major update is coming soon
Dear supporters
we are preparing a major update and public statement regarding the status of this project and the timeline very soon
Thanks again
Joel Meadows
editor-in-chief Tripwire
Joel Meadows Kickstarter campaign update, posted April 24, 2026
George Pratt has returned the $20,000 to ourselves
Dear supporters
So I have seen that George Pratt has returned $20,000 to ourselves. We have had quite a few enquiries about refunds and currently I am hopeful that we can get the high res files from him so that we can publish the book and fulfill the campaign copies. Mr Pratt’s maths is slightly off as it wasn’t 60 per cent of the campaign that was taken out and $2000 was paid as requested to the copy editor for working on the book. If Mr Pratt sends us the high res pages, we are able to print the book. If not, then we cannot.
I have always wanted to get this book out and I hope he will facilitate this.
Thanks again
Joel Meadows
Tripwire
