Socially Unconscious Productions, L.L.C. (SOCCON) was a failed animation studio started by conservative transgender activist Brianna Wu in 1999. Funded with about $200,000 from Wu’s parents, it operated on those funds for about a year and was finally dissolved after two years of inactivity in 2002.
Wu’s parents lost over $170,000 in money loaned to SOCCON. The dissolution filing notes, “The Company has not made any payments of principal or interest on any of said loans. The Company has no income with which to pay said indebtedness.”
Wu was subsequently sent to drug rehab, reportedly due to Ambien dependency. Both parents eventually disowned Wu.
Background
Wu reportedly submitted comics to University of Mississippi’s student newspaper, The Daily Mississippian, and they apparently chose not to run them. Wu has claimed the comic originally ran there.
In 1998, Wu transferred to Millsaps College and published the comic strip Socially Unconscious in the student newspaper Purple & White. It featured a masculine self-insert.
In 1999, Wu dropped out of Millsaps and incorporated Socially Unconscious Productions, L.L.C. to create an animated film of characters from the comic strip, under the working title The Cracker.
The three members of the LLC were:
- Brianna Wu (70% owner)
- Sara E. Champagne (20% owner)
- Stephen G. Phillips (10% owner)
Wu’s parents reportedly covered about $30,000 in startup costs, then loaned the company around $170,000 in three payments:
- $96,000.00
- $ 6,000.00
- $68,194.04
On January 13, 2014, Wu posted on Twitter: “When I was 20 my parents handed me $200,000 to start an animation business. I learned more from that experience than anything in college.”
On May 8, 2014, Wu posted on Twitter: “@mac_pestle My parents are millionaire entrepreneurs. I think being in that class growing up affected my more than college.”
The strip was discontinued in 2000, but the characters in it formed the basis of Wu’s future creative projects.
SOCCON timeline
1996
- August: Wu matriculates at University of Mississippi in Oxford
1998
- Wu discovers the FictionMania site featuring erotica about feminization
- January: Wu transfers from University of Mississippi in Oxford to Millsaps College in Jackson
- January 22: debut of Socially Unconscious comic strip in Millsaps Purple & White, as a self-insert
1999
- February 16: SOCCON filed Certificate of Formation with the State of Mississippi
- February 19: SOCCON Operating Agreement unanimously adopted by the three LLC members
- Wu’s parents loan $170,194.04 to SOCCON and never received any payments on the debt
- SOCCON attempts to produce an animated version of Socially Unconscious under the working title The Cracker
2000
- January 14: Stephen G. Phillips “ceased performing services for the Company and his employment was terminated”
- February: Sara E. Champagne “ceased performing services for the Company and resigned”
- March: SOCCON ceased all operations
- September: Millsaps Purple & White publishes three Socially Unconscious strips in the new art style
2001
- August: Sailor Moon fan site mistress9.com parked
- August: Wu posts a resume and drops out of Millsaps
- Wu moves to Washington, DC to work for Republicans
2002
- February 2: Wu and “Lauren Milovy” begin writing the novel SOCIALLY UNCONSCIOUS: ELECTION EVE
- May 1: Petition To Dissolve Socially Unconscious Productions, L.L.C.
- June 19: Summons by Publication for Sara E.Champagne, et.al
- June 28: notice of summons published in Hattiesburg American
- July 5: notice of summons published in Hattiesburg American
- July 12: notice of summons published in Hattiesburg American
- August 6: Proof of Publication for summons submitted
- August 26: Certificate of Dissolution filed
- Wu is sent to 3 months of residential treatment at Pine Grove Behavioral Health & Addiction Services in Hattiesburg by parents
2003
- March: Sailor Moon: The Villain’s Encyclopedia! (mistress9.com) goes live, profiling Mistress 9, Telulu, and Mimet
- August – Wu re-enrolls at University of Mississippi, leaving without a degree in 2006
- Wu and “Lauren E. Milovy” post SOCIALLY UNCONSCIOUS “The Minuete” Episode E1x12 online
2004
- August: mistress9.com goes offline
- August 29: Wu and “Lauren Milovy” post the second draft of the novel SOCIALLY UNCONSCIOUS: ELECTION EVE B4x01 “CRISIS COVERAGE” online
2006
- Wu leaves University of Mississippi without a degree
Unverified claims by Wu
Wu made several unverified claims about the project:
“Socially Unconscious debuted as a four panel comic strip at the Daily Mississippian in the summer of 1998. Gaining popularity, it was soon syndicated to 11 newspapers. The funds to turn it into a movie soon followed and the SOCCON team spent 2 years and $150,000. The sequel, called Election Eve has been optioned as a novel. While developing the script for the movie 13 alternate scripts were written, with different adventures for the characters. I want to produce one of them as a radio drama, following with more if the project is a success. “
Despite Wu’s claims:
- Critics found no evidence that the strip appeared in the Daily Mississippian
- The strip ran in the Millsaps College Purple and White, where Wu was listed as cartoonist
- Critics found no evidence it was syndicated to 11 newspapers
- Critics found no evidence that Election Eve was optioned as a novel
Election Eve
Wu continued creating work in the Socially Unconscious universe while attending University of Mississippi the second time.
In 2016, anti-trans trolls discovered heavily corrupted files containing early drafts of Election Eve and meticulously rebuilt them. Of note were the acknowledgments:
People to thank
- My parents Joel and Laura Flynt:
- “Dad is only too happy to give me the money for ridiculously expensive Adobe programs like Photoshop and Illustrator, and also the ridiculously expensive computer hardware to run them.”
- “I am adopted, and thank God every day of my life I won the million dollar lottery to have such great parents.”
- “These guys bought me giant piles of Lego’s growing up to build cities with and encouraged me to make stop motion films with them.”
- Mom “puts up with a son that constantly needs her advice, which is cool.”
- President George W. Bush
- “When I voted for him in 2000 I had no idea whatsoever that he would help me achieve my lifelong dream of finishing my first novel, by keeping the economy so shitty that I couldn’t find a job and was forcibly unemployed.”
- “Pop Princess Kylie Minogue”
- “Kylie, I’m your biggest straight fan in America, hands down. From the moment I first saw you on your 80’s Locomotion cover with your poodle perm and gigantic hat, I knew you were the hottest woman on earth.”
- You may have noticed that many of the sub-chapter names are titles of your songs. That’s because I know your lyrics so well, and that’s the track I put on repeat on my Ipod to listen to as I wrote it to keep me in the mindset of the chapter.”
- “You are the only woman on earth that can play Brea Anatamata.”
- “Pop Princess sister Dannii”
- “Brea is both a pussycat and a tiger, (the way I’ve heard the difference between you guys explained) which is why I have no preference of who would play her. In any case please take my agents call.”
- The Ole Miss Zeta Sorority
- “The hard drinking, hard partying Allison Holiday isn’t fiction, she’s based off the girls of Zeta Tau Alpha, where I had the privilege of being their houseboy. Here is what I loved about being a houseboy for the Zetas. A lot of these girls straight up, had gigantic badonkadonk asses. But what makes me love them so, is it never made them miss a beat with their drinking and partying. I salute the women of Zeta Tau Alpha, because the size of a girl’s badonkadonk should NEVER interfere with her partying.”
- Naoko Takeuchi, creator of Japanese Anime series Sailor Moon
- The Employees of Uptown Coffee: Ashley Thomas, Mandy Joyner, Amanda White, Sarah Taylor, Vera Parshikova, Brad Noel, Kristy Jacoby.
- “Harry McNally” [possiblt sockpuppet]
- “helped me edit an early draft of this book. He asked in return that I include his email address for the ladies. Q_tip84@hotmail.com. I totally do not endorse this idea.”
Wu’s attack on SOCCON colleagues
One section of the Acknowledgments is titled “People not to thank.” In it, Wu attacked the other two former principals in Socially Unconscious Productions, Stephen G. Phillips and Sara E. Champagne:
“S. and S. You know who you are, you assholes. I spent two years attempting to produce an animated version of this series based off the girls in college called “The Cracker.” I funded it with my own money. It was a really good script (I hope I’ll get a chance to present it to you in a future animated series) and these two assholes ruined my film. One S. [Phillips] is a weasel tried to take financial advantage of the fact that I’m a nice [person] that does not want to cheat people, and the other S. [Champagne] is just a lazy bitch that wouldn’t do any work, despite the fact we were paying her. Both of you are human filth.”
Bishop University
On the Socially Unconscious site, Wu announced the Bishop University website (bishopuniversity.com) “where people can chat via virtual characters of the Socially Unconscious series.”
Appendix: 2002 dissolution order
Below is the full text of the Certificate of Dissolution for Socially Unconscious Productions, L.L.C., scanned from the original.
F0103 – Page 1 of 2
OFFICE OF THE MISSISSIPPI SECRETARY OF STATE
P.O. BOX 136, JACKSON, MS 39205-0136 (601) 359-1333
Certificate of Dissolution or Cancellation
The undersigned, pursuant to Senate Bill No. 2395, Chapter 402, Laws of 1994, hereby executes the following Certificate of Dissolution or Cancellation and sets forth:
1 Name of Limited Liability Company Socially Unconscious Productions, L.L.C.
2 The reason for filing the certificate of [ ] dissolution [X] cancellation is (Complete and mark appropriate box)
pursuant to Forrest County Chancery Court Order in Cause No. 02-0297-GN
3 The future effective date of [ ] dissolution [ ] cancellation is (Complete and mark appropriate box) [left blank]
4 Any other information the members or managers determine to include [left blank]
By: Signature (Please keep writing within blocks) [left blank]
Printed Name [left blank] Title [left blank]
Street and Mailing Address
Physical Address 2201 “N” Street, NW Washington DC 20037
F0103 – Page 2 of 2
OFFICE OF THE MISSISSIPPI SECRETARY OF STATE
P.O. BOX 136, JACKSON, MS 39205-0136 (601) 359-1333
Certificate of Dissolution or Cancellation
(Please keep writing within blocks)
By: Signature [Brianna Wu deadname signature]
Printed Name [Brianna Wu deadname printed]
Title MEMBER
Street and Mailing Address
Physical Address 2201 “N” Street NW APT 614 Washington, DC 20037
IN THE CHANCERY COURT OF FORREST COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI
[stamped] COPY FILED AUG 26 2022
IN THE MATTER OF THE DISSOLUTION OF SOCIALLY UNCONSCIOUS PRODUCTIONS, L.L.C.
CAUSE NO. 02-0297-GN-TH
ORDER DISSOLVING
SOCIALLY UNCONSCIOUS PRODUCTIONS, L.L.C.
THIS MATTER came on for hearing this day on the Petition to Dissolve Socially Unconscious Productions, L.L.C., filed herein by Petitioner, [Brianna Wu deadname redacted], and pursuant to Summons to Sara E. Champagne (address and whereabouts unknown), Stephen G. Phillips (address and whereabouts unknown), any and all creditors of Socially Unconscious Productions, L.L.C. and any and all persons who have an interest in Socially Unconscious Productions, L.L.C., which was published in the Hattiesburg American, a newspaper published in Forrest County, Mississippi, on June 28, 2002, July 5, 2002, and July 12, 2002, as evidenced by Proof of Publication dated July 12, 2002, filed herein, and the Court, being fully advised in the premises, hereby finds that it has jurisdiction of the parties and subject matter and finds as follows, to-wit:
1.
Socially Unconscious Productions, L.L.C. (the “Company”) is a Mississippi limited liability company, which was formed by the filing of a Certificate of Formation with the Mississippi Secretary of State on February 16, 1999. A certified copy of said Certificate of Formation issued by the Mississippi Secretary of State is attached to the Petition as Exhibit “A” and is incorporated therein.
The Company currently is in existence and in good standing with the Mississippi Secretary of State, as evidenced by a Certificate dated February 12, 2002, issued by the Mississippi Secretary of State. A copy of said Certificate is attached to the Petition as Exhibit “B” and is incorporated therein.
2.
The organizational meeting of the members of the Company was held on February 19, 1999. Present at this meeting were [Brianna Wu], Sara E. Champagne, and Stephen G. Phillips, who constituted all of the initial members of the Company. At this organizational meeting, the members unanimously adopted an Operating Agreement for the Company dated February 19, 1999, which was signed by all of the members. A copy of said Operating Agreement is attached to the Petition as Exhibit “C” and incorporated therein.
3.
No additional members have been admitted to the Company since the organizational meeting of the members held on February 19, 1999. Article XIII, Section 3 of the Operating Agreement restricts the transfer of a member’s interest in the Company and requires that written notice of a proposed transfer of a member’s interest must be given by certified mail to all of the other members. No such notice has been received by the Petitioner, who is a member of the Company. Petitioner has not transferred his membership interest in the Company and is not aware of any attempt to transfer or purported transfer by any of the other members of their membership interests in the Company. [Brianna Wu], Sara E. Champagne, and Stephen G. Phillips, therefore, continue to constitute all of the members of the Company. As set forth in the Operating Agreement, the ownership interests of the members is as follows:
[Brianna Wu] ….……….. 70%
Sara E. Champagne …. 20%
Stephen G. Phillips …… 10%
4.
The Company was formed to engage in the financing, development, production, distribution and selling of animation films, videotapes and television programs and to do any and all acts necessary, convenient or related thereto. The Company engaged in this business from the date of its formation on February 16, 1999, until March, 2000. At that time, the Company ceased all operations and has not engaged in business or any Operations since that time. Stephen G. Phillips ceased performing services for the Company and his employment was terminated by the Company as of January 14, 2000. Sara E. Champagne ceased performing services for the Company and resigned her employment with the Company in February, 2000.
5.
Both Stephen G. Phillips and Sara E. Champagne have moved since March, 2000, and did not provide the company with their new addresses. Petitioner does not have a current home address or telephone number or work address or telephone number for either Stephen G. Phillips or Sara E. Champagne. The whereabouts of both Stephen G. Phillips and Sara E. Champagne is unknown to the Petitioner.
6.
The Company presently owns no assets or property of any type. At the time the Company ceased operations in March, 2000, all rents, salaries, vendors’ bills, taxes and miscellaneous expenses were paid in full. The following are the only outstanding liabilities of the Company: (1) an indebtedness in the principal amount of $96,000.00, plus Interest, owed by the Company to Joel R. Flynt and Laura W. Flynt (who are the parents of the Petitioner, [Brianna Wu]) and [Brianna Wu]; (2) an indebtedness in the principal amount of $6,000.00, plus interest, owed by the Company to Joel R. Flynt and Laura W. Flynt, and (3) an indebtedness in the principal amount of $68,194.04, plus interest, owed by the Company to Joel R. Flynt and Laura W. Flynt. These indebtednesses are for loans obtained by the Company from said individuals. The Company has not made any payments of principal or interest on any of said loans. The Company has no income with which to pay said indebtedness.
7,
The registered agent for the Company is [Brianna Wu]. The registered office of the Company is located in Forrest County, Mississippi, at [street address redacted], Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39402-3011.
8.
As stated above, the Company has not engaged in any operations or business since March, 2000, and has been inactive since that date. Petitioner, who owns a 70% interest in the Company, does not plan to re-commence the Company’s business or operations. Petitioner has submitted that it is not reasonably practicable for the Company to carry on its business in conformity with the Certificate of Formation or the Limited Liability Company Operating Agreement. Petitioner, therefore, has requested that the Court decree dissolution of the Company pursuant to Section 79-29-802 of the Mississippi Code of 1972.
IT IS, THEREFORE, ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that:
1, Socially Unconscious Productions, L.L.C. is hereby dissolved in accordance with Section 79-29-802 of the Mississippi Code of 1972; and
2. The Petitioner, [Brianna Wu], as a member of Socially Unconscious Productions, L.L.C., is hereby authorized to file with the Mississippi secretary of State on behalf of the Company a Certificate of Dissolution and any other documents necessary in order to complete the dissolution of the Company and to take any other actions necessary to complete the dissolution of the Company.
SO ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED this the 26th day of August, 2002.
/S/ JAMES H.C. THOMAS, JR
CHANCELLOR
Prepared by:
Kenneth Harmon
Brunini, Grantham, Grower & Hewes, PLLC
Post Office Drawer 119
Jackson, MS 39205
(601) 948-3101
ATTEST A True Copy
This the 26th day of August 2002
Jimmy C. Havard, Clerk
CHANCERY COURT, FORREST COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI
By: Anita Bennett, DC
References
Knibbs, Katie (March 13, 2017). Brianna Wu Wants to Play a New Game. The Ringer https://www.theringer.com/2017/03/13/tech/brianna-wu-running-for-congress-in-2018-gamergate-8c824275f4c8
Wu, Brianna [@spacekatgal] (January 13, 2014). “When I was 20, my parents handed me $200,000 to start an animation business. I learned more from that experience than anything in college.” Twitter https://twitter.com/spacekatgal/status/422793818749288448 [deleted – archive]
[Wu, Brianna]; “Milovy, Lauren” (August 29, 2004). Socially Unconscious: Election Eve – B4x01 “CRISIS COVERAGE”
- Prologue: https://lolcow.wiki/wiki/Election_Eve_-_Prologue_Chapter [archive]
- Chapter 1: https://lolcow.wiki/wiki/Election_Eve_-_Chapter_One [archive]
- Chapter 2: https://lolcow.wiki/wiki/Election_Eve_-_Chapter_Two [archive]
- Chapter 3: https://lolcow.wiki/wiki/Election_Eve_-_Chapter_Three [archive]
- Chapter 4: https://lolcow.wiki/wiki/Election_Eve_-_Chapter_Four [archive]
- Chapter 5 / Acknowledgments: https://lolcow.wiki/wiki/Election_Eve_-_Chapter_Five [archive]
First Known Draft – Prologue and such https://lolcow.wiki/wiki/First_Known_Draft https://archive.ph/ngZ1N
Office of the Mississippi Secretary of State (corp.sos.ms.gov)
- Certificate of Dissolution or Cancellation of Socially Unconscious Productions, L.L.C.
- https://corp.sos.ms.gov/corpconv/portal/c/ExecuteWorkflow.aspx?workflowid=g12dbd558-fa5d-49a1-a869-ad8b9db198db&FilingId=20716c14-98f9-4494-af88-f0c6bcf5f897 [archive]
- Dissolution of Socially Unconscious Productions, L.L.C., Cause No. 02-0297-GN-TH
- https://corp.sos.ms.gov/corpconv/portal/c/ExecuteWorkflow.aspx?workflowid=g12dbd558-fa5d-49a1-a869-ad8b9db198db&FilingId=20716c14-98f9-4494-af88-f0c6bcf5f897 [archive]
Mississippi Companies (companies-mississippi.com)
File ID:247218
Business ID: 667100
Name Type: Legal
Status: Cancelled
Creation date: 2/16/1999
Registered Agent [BRIANNA WU] [street number redacted] DANBURY LN, HATTIESBURG MS 39402-3011
Officers and Directors [BRIANNA WU] [street number redacted] DANBURY LN
Delta Computer Systems (deltacomputersystems.com)
- Socially Unconscious Productions, LLC
- http://www.deltacomputersystems.com/cgi-mcr2/MCMCGI04?HTMCNTY=FOCH&HTMBASE=C&HTMKEY=0002198&HTMLINE=0001& [archive]
- Dissolution of Socially Unconscious Productions, LLC
- https://www.deltacomputersystems.com/cgi-mcr2/mcmcgi02?HTMCNTY=FOCH&HTMBASE=C&HTMKEY=0002198& [archive]
CASE NUMBER: 18-2002-0297-G FILE NO. 0002198 TYPE 1
DATE ADDED: 5/ 1/2002 DATE CHANGED 3/30/2011
STYLED: PLAINTIFF DISSOLUTION OF SOCIALLY UNCONSCIOUS
PLAINTIFF ATTORNEY: Kenneth Harmon
JUDGE NAME: James H. C. Thomas Jr.
DATE FILED: 5/ 1/2002
FINAL DISP.: 8/26/2002
DATE DESCRIPTION:
- 8/26/2002 Order Dissolving Socially Unconscious Productions, LLC
- 8/ 6/2002 Proof of Publication – Date of First Publication on the 28th day of June 2002-July 5 & July 12th 2002 in the Hattiesburg American (newspaper)
- 6/19/2002 Summons by Publication for Sara E.Champagne, et.al Returnable to the 26th day of August 2002 . Handed to Hattiesburg American for Publication.
- 5/ 1/2002 Petition To Dissolve Socially Unconscious Productions, LLC
Resources
Socially Unconscious (sociallyunconscious.com) [1999–2005 – archive]
Bishop University (bishopuniversity.com) [parked 1999 – archive]
Election Eve (electioneve.com) [2003–2005 – archive]
- Author and “Lauren Milovy”
- electioneve.com/author.html [archive]
- Socially Unconscious
- electioneve.com/homepublisher.html [archive]
- Socially Unconscious: The Election Eve
- electioneve.com/electioneveintro.doc [archive]
- Election Eve characters
- electioneve.com/characters.html [archive]
- Socially Unconscious: The Radio Drama
- electioneve.com
- Socially Unconscious: Election Eve – B4x01 “CRISIS COVERAGE”
Sailor Moon: The Villain’s Encyclopedia! (mistress9.com) [2003–2004 – archive]