In June 2020, the website SoManyOfUs.com collected and collated dozens of accusations of grooming young women by the comic book writer Warren Ellis over the past two decades. Further coverage saw them record, even more, over a hundred. In the wake of this news, and despite the site stating they did not want Warren to be "cancelled" but to learn, a number of projects (but not all) dropped Ellis as a contributor, or he pulled out. Most recently, after the return of the comic book Fell was announced by co-creator Ben Templesmith, Image Comics stated that they would not publish Warren Ellis' work again until he had made accepted amends. These events also partially led to the creation of the Comic Book Workers United union at Image Comics. Warren also issued a statement last June accepting the website's offer to work on a method of transformative justice. Yesterday, the website So Many Of Us issued an update as to the progress this was taking.
1. Today, SMOU's active membership is significantly smaller than the original group of 60+ people who drove the publication of somanyofus.com. We celebrate those who have found peace in disengagement and consider it a win that many have moved forward in their healing. The group working on transformative justice with Warren Ellis will be referred to as SMOU-TJ. All members, past and present, are invited to engage in planning, support, and decision-making at their preferred level of participation. 2. We continue making progress in a guided transformative justice process: First, we found an extraordinary facilitator who has helped us to understand our options and clarify our goals. Second, we undertook internal processes to define and practice accountability, flexibility, and democracy within our group. Third, in a facilitator-led survey, SMOU-TJ identified fidelity ("the decision is in line with our values") and unity ("the process of decision-making does not tear us apart, but brings us together") as our two priority factors for decision-making. Our forward motion may be slow, but it is intentional.
Nathan James
3. SMOU-TJ entered into a mediated conversation with Warren Ellis in August 2021. It has taken a great deal of effort and foundational work in order for us to begin communicating effectively with Ellis. We acknowledge this slow, challenging process and also acknowledge that it is simply too early to report where it is heading or where it may end up. We would like to emphasize that Warren Ellis has the option of working on healing and recovery independently, and this work is necessary whether or not he continues to work with us. 4. Here is the clarity we can offer: our goal is to transform harm, not "cancel" Warren Ellis (or anyone else). We cannot and will not sign off on his moral progress. We decline to be the authority on who is allowed to work in what context. We reaffirm our support for the right of creators to be paid for their work, as well as the right of publishers, creatives, and others to determine who they work with.
As well as underlining that their aim is not to cancel Warren Ellis, they have also asked that people not harass Warren Ellis, his friends, and collaborators, or those who contributed to So Many Of Us.
Cameron Hughes
>accusations of grooming young women How old is "young"?
so basically the cunt who made the website is getting sued for libel and defamation and is now trying to cover their ass, is what I got out of this
Brandon Rodriguez
WHAT THE FUCK DID HE DO??? He literally just slept with a bunch of women. He didn't rape them, he didn't harrass them, he even provided good positions for some of them IIRC. What """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""harm""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" did he do?
>the number of members as dropped drastically since the hype and attntion has gone.
I didnt exect less.
Asher Martinez
>talentless hack Warren Ellis ruins Castlevania and gets #MeToo'd, with his career going down in flames >meanwhile Bloodstained was a huge critical and commercial success, with a sequel on the way
lmao whitey loses again - hope you enjoy Freakangels, faggots
Being a comic book writer is probably the lowest level of celebrity in the entertainment industry. If you can somehow use that microscopic level of fame to get laid…good for you
Samuel Roberts
don't stick your dick in crazy
Chase Fisher
Regret and hurt feelings count as rape now.
Cameron Russell
This is the face of a female who will die alone and then be feasted upon by her cats.
Angel Brooks
That’s a lot of words to say absolutely fucking nothing. Just tell me if he’s ever going to finish Injection or not.
Jacob Hall
God i fucking hate women
Nolan Wilson
If a woman, at any point in time, decides that the sex that she had with someone is no longer something she wanted, then she can claim it was rape, and there's nothing anyone else can do about it.
