1-800-GAIL-BEAR 2022 ANNUAL REPORT
ANNUAL REPORT
2022
1-800-GAIL-BEAR
TO OUR AUDIENCE
Strategic Highlights
In the chaotic and turbulent environment that Twitter has become since being purchased by store-brand Tony Stark who seems to be doing his best to destroy the platform, Gail Simone has managed to thrive, as chaos is her natural habitat. And Elon is a fool if he thinks he can destroy it, given that Gail hasn’t managed it yet.
Thus, the need to report on her mischief and merry-making remains as vital as it was when the site first launched.
Financial Highlights
1-800-GAIL-BEAR is a not-for-profit site financed by the profits of OpenDoor Comics, of which there are none.
There are, however, hosting expenses, with 2022 seeing the addition of expense of registering the 1800gailbear.com domain, which redirects to the site hosted on OpenDoor Comics and simplifies finding the site and sharing the link.
Users are encouraged, but not required, to look into the various methods available to financially support OpenDoor Comics.
Operating Highlights
Perhaps owing to the overwhelming chaos of Twitter, the volume of reports received dropped precipitously early in the year, with only one violation reported in the fourth quarter.
It is also possible that the creation of the official @1800GAILBEAR Twitter account led to some confusion, as many users simply tag the account with whatever hilarious atrocity Gail commits rather than visiting the site to officially report a violation.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
As noted in the Financial Highlights, there are no finances to summarize.
- 1-800-GAIL-BEAR has no mechanism for generating revenue
- OpenDoor Comics does have mechanisms for generating revenue:
- Advertising
- In the fourth quarter, 1-800-GAIL-BEAR gained a sibling site, Comics Unbagged
- The site features “conversations” about comics
- Long-form articles on a specific comic (“Unbaggings”)A weekly listing of comics purchased from a comic shopPeriodic “Mail Call” posts showcasing comics and comics-related items purchased online or through crowdfunding
- It would be neat if people checked it out
- The site features “conversations” about comics
- While the expense is minimal, there is a cost associated with the 1800gailbear.com domain
- This is in addition to the overall domain name and hosting costs of the parent site
VIOLATION REPORTS
What follows is a high-level breakdown of the types of Violation Reports the site received in 2022.
Totals
Row Labels | Count |
Gail is up to shenanigans | 14 |
Gail has caused you to think about something you do not wish to think about | 12 |
Gail has found a new and novel way to choose violence | 7 |
Gail is presenting information that seems fakey but might be a true | 3 |
Gail is telling stories again | 2 |
Grand Total | 38 |
Highlights and Observations
- There was a 156% increase in the number of reports filed in 2022 compared to 2021
- The site was launched in the third quarter of 2021
- The site was busiest in the first half of 2022, with only two reports received after May
- At this time, there has not been a new report since 10/17/2022
- The Violation Type “Gail is telling stories again” was added in 2022
- Several violations involved music:
- Proving that no one is safe from the bear, Gail has even turned her attention to beloved children’s television characters:
- Even the Great Old Ones are not safe from the Trickster God:
- Part of the danger of letting Gail’s behavior proceed unchecked lies in the way in which she encourages others to join in the chaos:
- There is always the haunting fear that you will be the next unwitting victim with whom Gail initiates a blood feud:
- And in summary:
LOOKING AHEAD
It seems clear that some of the novelty of the site has worn off, though it’s also clear that Gail is not slowing down in her efforts to mentally scar anyone who happens to stumble upon her timeline – it is, after all, Gail’s timeline, and we just live in it – or to click on one of the hashtags she’s managed to set to trending.
Still, as noted in last year’s report, it’s probably just as well that there is not a report filed for every instance of Gail choosing violence or telling stories, as there is just one lazy person with a full-time job who’s also making a quarter-assed effort to follow a vision for sharing his love of comics with the world running the thing.
There is also the possibility that people see no value in reporting Gail, given that the site has no power to stop her. If there are no real consequences that will follow from reporting her horrifying hijinks, what’s the point in doing it at all?
The question to ask in response to that is, “Who needs a point when all you’re trying to do is have some fun?”
March 5, 2023
Click here to view/download a PDF version of the 2022 Annual Report
Click here to view the 2021 Annual Report