Really, as I've said in other threads, the best way to get rid of the culture of sub for sub and similar in my opinion would be for Tapas to simply get rid of the little UI bar counting up towards 25, 100 and 250.
Because really, a hobbyist or somebody who's just learning the ropes shouldn't be being encouraged to think their goal is to unlock ad revenue. That bar just makes people unhappy about their sub count because it acts as the anchor for "what's the baseline here to be considered successful?" and it sets that number at what to a semi-pro to pro level creator is a pretty reasonable target, but to a beginner sets way too high an expectation. If you're a beginner, your goal ought to be "make a comic, stick to it, build your skills, make friends!"
I propose we get rid of the bar and instead, you have maybe little badges congratulating you on making a comic, reaching certain milestones, which can include 25, 50, 100, 250, 500 and 1000 subs, BUT, and here's the important thing, also includes achievements like "created a comic/novel!" "uploaded 10, 25, 50, 100 Episodes!" "Got 25, 50, 100, 250, 500, 1000 Likes!" etc. Then somewhere near it, there's a little box that links to the FAQ page on how to unlock ad revenue. This makes "unlocking ad revenue" less emphasised as a goal, and encourages creators to strive for milestones like making a comic, keeping up with updates and celebrating milestones they can achieve even if they are total newbies and still working out how to draw well and tell a good story.