I got into it blind and only learned about the fandom and the surrounding history after finishing it. It felt like reading a parallel story and it was actually pretty fun, but it only cemented my feeling of not wanting to be associated with them. I mean, the bucket. Just wow.
I recommend watching a youtube recap of the history of the fandom as it really helps contextualize the whole comic, and it is quite fun, as such an excentric comic attracted an equally excentric fanbase. There are plenty of fun and gross anecdotes. As for the bucket, you can watch for yourself, but let me warn you...
"spoiler"
It's a bunch of people collectively spitting into a bucket in a restaurant