Comic Book Publisher Drops Neil Gaiman Amid Sexual Misconduct Allegations
The comic book company that publishes the graphic novels and comics of Neil Gaiman announced this weekend that it would no longer work with the author following a storm of sexual misconduct allegations and that it would halt the publication of his forthcoming 'Anansi Boys' series.
The company, Dark Horse Comics, wrote in a post on X on Saturday: 'Dark Horse takes seriously the allegations against Neil Gaiman and we are no longer publishing his works.'
The announcement followed a New York Magazine article this month that contained allegations that Mr. Gaiman sexually abused and assaulted multiple women over several years. Mr. Gaiman has emphatically denied the allegations and said in a statement on Jan. 14: 'I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever.'
The announcement by Dark Horse Comics, which is based in Milwaukie, Ore., is the latest fallout for Mr. Gaiman. Television adaptations of his work have been paused, productions have been dropped, and several publishers have backed away from working with him on any new projects. Dark Horse released the first of the 'Anansi Boys' comic book series, which was an adaptation of Mr. Gaiman's 2005 novel of the same name, in June. It was intended to be an eight-part series, seven of which have been released.
The New York Magazine article, published on Jan. 13, gave shape to allegations that began circulating last summer, when several women appeared on a podcast titled 'Master: The Allegations Against Neil Gaiman.' After they accused the author on the podcast of sexually assaulting and abusing them, several of Mr. Gaiman's film adaptations and Hollywood projects were dropped or paused.
The response has been slower in the literary and publishing industries, where the initial reaction to the allegations, and then to the New York Magazine article, was more tepid. Still, publishers have begun distancing themselves from the author. Several prominent writers have denounced him or pushed for his literary awards to be stripped.
In an internal memo to the staff of W.W. Norton earlier this month, the company's president said that the publishing company would no longer work with Mr. Gaiman and would not take on any future projects from him.
HarperCollins, which has published many of Mr. Gaiman's most popular titles, has said it does not have any new books planned from him.
Neither Mr. Gaiman's lawyer nor his literary agent at Writer's House responded to a request for comment.
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