Magic: The Gathering and Warhammer artist Paul Scott Canavan declared on social media that he wanted to “track down” and string up the loved ones of people he disagrees with.
Paul Scott Canavan via Paul Scott Canavan YouTube
Canavan wrote on X, “This is absolutely the play – we should be doing this with all these weird creeps. Track down their significant others and mothers and string them up.”
Paul Scott Canavan on X
His comment came in response to a post from Kotaku Senior Editor Alyssa Mercante, which detailed that she had tracked down the wife of YouTuber SmashJT and sent her a message on Facebook asking “what she thinks about the father of her children harassing a woman online and laughing when she shares that someone they’re supporting has been threatening to kill them for weeks.”
Mercante’s umbrage with SmashJT appears to be that he started a petition to demand the shutdown of Kotaku and is attempting to get #EndKotaku trending.
Alyssa Mercante on X
As for Canavan, he doubled down on tracking down loved ones and stringing them up. In a response to one user who asked him if he would be okay if people tracked down his loved ones, Canavan said, “I mean, if I turn into a total piece of s**t and start harassing women online then yeah, go nuts.”
Paul Scott Canavan on X
Not only would he double down, but he claimed his opinion that loved ones be tracked down and strung up was not controversial.
YouTuber That Umbrella Guy asked, “Fascinating. Is that a company stance – stringing up moms and significant others?”
Canavan replied, “I think you may have misunderstood. The conversation was about holding people accountable for their attacks on the internet. I don’t think it’s a super controversial take.
Paul Scott Canavan on X
Former World of Warcraft Mark Kern would then share Canavan’s posts writing, “Creative Director Paul Scott Canavan for GRIMOIRE, an indie dev making Pale Tides, defends Kotaku’s attack on family members of critics. ‘Track down their significant others and mothers and string them up.'”
“That Umbrella Guy calls him out and he doubles down, saying that it’s just about ‘holding people accountable.’ I guess anything goes if you have the right politics,” he concluded.
Creative Director @abigbat for GRIMOIRE, an indie dev making Pale Tides, defends Kotaku’s attack on family members of critics.
“Track down their significant others and mothers and string them up.”@ThatUmbrella calls him out and he doubles down, saying that it’s just about… pic.twitter.com/Mhu09Efx0A
— Grummz (@Grummz) May 7, 2024
Canavan then accused Kern of sending a hate mob after him and claimed he worded his post “poorly.”
He wrote on X, “Sending a hate mob after me seems a little unkind considering I was just agreeing that people who attack others on the internet should be held accountable. I admit I phrased it poorly, but also it wasn’t a statement, it was a reply to a tweet.”
Paul Scott Canavan on X
X user KaD3M responded to this writing, “You want someone held accountable, say that. You said ‘go after their loved ones’. Have some of your own medicine along with that so-called accountability you want people to have.”
Canavan replied, “Again, I was just replying to a tweet. I understand how it was misread – I was taking accountability right there.”
Paul Scott Canavan on X
Kern reacted to Canavan’s comments and Mercante’s actions writing on X that Kotaku and more will come after gamers, but “meanwhile they want to find your families and ‘string them up.'”
Kotaku and crazy woke game devs attack you and lie, saying you are stalking them and harrassing them.
Meanwhile they want to find your families and “string them up.”
Here we are today: pic.twitter.com/okL5dPgIga
— Grummz (@Grummz) May 7, 2024
He added in a subsequent post, “You know who else wanted to find your families and ‘string them up’ for, you know, ‘ just accountability?’ These people feel they are on the right side of history.”
You know who else wanted to find your families and “string them up” for, you know, ” just accountability?”
These people feel they are on the right side of history. pic.twitter.com/tsFsyTMIFt
— Grummz (@Grummz) May 7, 2024
Next, he posted, “‘Purging’ gamers (bbc), Open bounties, ‘just a joke bro’ normalized death threats, and now family hunting for hangings. It’s the sport of game journalists” and ideologically aligned game developers.
“Purging” gamers (bbc), Open bounties, “just a joke bro” normalized death threats, and now family hunting for hangings.
It’s the sport of game journalists and woke game devs everywhere now. Mask off.
— Grummz (@Grummz) May 7, 2024
Kern also noted that Canavan direct messaged (DM’d) him and accused him “of setting my ‘angry fans’ on him because he ‘worded a tweet poorly.’ Kern then shared the tweet again and wrote, “I told him I was reporting him instead.”
Game dev @abigbat just DM’d me and accused me of setting my “angry fans” on him because he “worded a tweet poorly.”
Here is the “poorly worded” tweet. I told him I was reporting him instead. pic.twitter.com/6OvSHzWh4i
— Grummz (@Grummz) May 7, 2024
In Canavan’s case he was advocating for at the very minimum an harassment campaign against individuals he disagrees with. When his vile comments were exposed by Kern, he accused Kern of leading a hate campaign, the very action he was in reality engaging in.
Paul Scott Canavan via Paul Scott Canavan YouTube
What do you make of Canavan’s comments heightening the rhetoric again?
Give it time, their ride will end. Mercante and her ilk think they’re on top of the world but it’ll come back to bite them.
And I’m saying this for any American: 2a exists. Get certified, get armed. People are getting crazy these days.
The kind of guy you’d love to meet in real life and see his face when he realizes he’s not on the internet anymore.
An artist? AI will take his job.