A publisher of Neil Gaiman’s graphic novels and comic books has cancelled his upcoming work after a string of sexual misconduct allegations were made against him.
Dark Horse Comics was set to publish more in the Anansi Boys series, a spin-off of the British author’s novel American Gods, which follows the adventures of two children of African trickster god Anansi.
Gaiman has denied allegations of sexual misconduct, saying he has “never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever”.
Dark Horse takes seriously the allegations against Neil Gaiman and we are no longer publishing his works.
Confirming that the Anansi Boys comic series and collected volume have been cancelled.
— Dark Horse Comics (@DarkHorseComics) January 25, 2025
Anansi Boys was first released as a novel, before being adapted by BBC Radio 4 into a six-part show, and there was filming for a Prime Video TV series in 2022, with Whoopi Goldberg among the cast.
The series had comic books released by Dark Horse Comics, and a collected volume was planned.
In a post on X, Dark Horse Comics said: “Dark Horse takes seriously the allegations against Neil Gaiman and we are no longer publishing his works.
“Confirming that the Anansi Boys comic series and collected volume have been cancelled.”
The publisher has previously released the Philip Craig Russell comic book adaptation of American Gods; Norse Mythology by Gaiman; and Chivalry, illustrated by Colleen Doran.
Several of Gaiman’s works, including Good Omens, The Sandman, Stardust, American Gods and Coraline, have been made into TV programmes and films.
Since the allegations first surfaced, several film and TV adaptations of Gaiman’s stories have reportedly been affected, including season three of Good Omens – which he jointly wrote with Terry Pratchett – and a film of The Graveyard Book.
In a blog post, earlier this month, the author said he had read the allegations with “horror and dismay”, following claims made by eight women against the 64-year-old in New York Magazine and a Tortoise Media podcast.
“I’ve stayed quiet until now, both out of respect for the people who were sharing their stories and out of a desire not to draw even more attention to a lot of misinformation,” Gaiman wrote.
“As I read through this latest collection of accounts, there are moments I half-recognise and moments I don’t, descriptions of things that happened sitting beside things that emphatically did not happen.
“I’m far from a perfect person, but I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever.”
He also said he realised he “could have and should have done so much better”, adding he was “not as thoughtful as I could or should have been”, and he is still “learning, and I’m trying to do the work needed, and I know that that’s not an overnight process”.
In January 2023, a police report was made in New Zealand, accusing Gaiman of sexual assault.
The investigation was later dropped.
