$500? Holy hell. These people are insane. However it does speak to the popularity of the comic.
So clearly Rippa has created a hook here. I pray (because I have not read it yet) that the story is so good it sets the hook and creates a huge fanbase.
I admire what Rippa has done. I mean the man has created a comic company where one did not exist before. That takes a lot of time, effort and money. I wish his all the success in the world.