Rick Olney--Fibber or Mega-Giganta-Fibber?

[Reverend Smooth]

Hell, I'm not pagan or Wiccan, and yet *I* know what the rule of three is. As for Olney's claims of being pagan, I think he just uses it to sound "cool".



Yes, YABS does heal exploding heads. It can even cause heads to explode-- but only for people like Olney.

By the way, welcome! :)

~BevAs wiccan clergy, I will categorically deny that his actions are appropriate; in fact, he should have known that this kind of thing would return to him when he started defrauding people.

[Sarah Beach]

BTW, do you know off hand if Mr. Dixon offered to write Freedom Three?

Richard Sullivan

I'm pretty sure not. He did a horror story for TOTS#1.

And I think he would have scorned Freedom Three. I mean, after preparing American Power for CrossGen?

[SteveForbes]

Hell, I'm not pagan or Wiccan, and yet *I* know what the rule of three is. As for Olney's claims of being pagan, I think he just uses it to sound "cool".



Yes, YABS does heal exploding heads. It can even cause heads to explode-- but only for people like Olney.

By the way, welcome! :)

~Bev

Great info to know. I'll keep a mirror close so I can monitor my head. I'll let you all know if I start feeling some pressure.

And thanks for the welcome! (warm and fuzzy inside.)

-llama

[JTPencils]

I guess that what happens when you cut and paste from a book. But that is how he has it.

BTW, do you know off hand if Mr. Dixon offered to write Freedom Three?

Richard Sullivan

Rich, I would find it hard to think of most anyone that could have shaped that into a good solid book. No offense to Mr Dixon... but come on...

[Danny Donovan]

He really hasn't said much after this thread started he would just post what he wrote in his Myspace blog and some political posts that I never paid attention too.

Oh dear. "political posts" I wonder what he was on about now? I know he was angry at the mexicans for awhile....

I swear there should be a big "whites only" sign on his Myspace blogs. :p

Mexicans, native americans, asians... I believe he said something about gays in the old MMC forums.. I can't think of one particular group he hasn't completely offended.

[SteveForbes]

I think it applies in the case of my husband contracting Duncan and I to draw and paint Hollow, and Archaia contracting him as the creator.

Hey! I know your husband! I speak with him infrequently on AIM.

(waves to Larime)

Congrats on the book, also. I liked the pages I saw, and I pointed out a (small) weakness in the script. There really isn't all that much I would change about the book.

-llama (singing "It's A Small World After All")

[JamesRitcheyIII]

What a hoot! I suppose this goes back to his E-4/G4 ranking mix-up too! Corporal, I'll believe (just barely). But intelligence work? Don't you actually have to have some?

"Yeah, I worked for a government intelligence agency. But they're so secret, there's no way you can verify the employment."

"Waaa Waa waa waah."

"What do you mean, I don't fit the profile! Have you looked at it lately!? I can fill in any profile!!!" <Whacks interviewer.>

Yeah, I talked to my Ex-CIA buddy Michael Johnson about some of the shit Rick said privately, and Mike's response was "He's so full of shit his eyes are brown", and that it sounded like 'he's gotten most of his information about the NSA and other Intelligence organizations from reading Behold a Pale Horse' by Bill Cooper--regarded by any respectable Conspiracy Theorist (NOT the oxymoron the public is led to believe) to be garbage--virtually Nazi Survivalist propaganda.

[Reverend Smooth]

Hey! I know your husband! I speak with him infrequently on AIM.

(waves to Larime)I knew you sounded familiar! (He's asleep now.)

Congrats on the book, also. I liked the pages I saw, and I pointed out a (small) weakness in the script. There really isn't all that much I would change about the book.Thank you!

If I'm remembering right, I think he went back and looked at that, so it's all good. :D

I'm glad you seem to be doing well, too!

[CoffeeStained]

I wrote and rewrote this post a couple of times because I genuinely feel bad for the people Rick has wronged. I write this now because I feel sick at my own fascination of watching cats play with a diseased rat.

Reality: There are no answers to be had here. Questions have been posed and reiterated literally dozens of times. Expecting an answer, especially a truthful answer from Rick Olney is the definition of insanity. Doing something over and over and expecting a different outcome.

If you want answers from Rick, it must simply be under oath. You want answers, you have to take him to court. Enough really is enough. No more: "You're not worth my time, but what do you say to this and this and this? Answer that!"

I have to unsubscribe to this thread because, frankly, this man and his ill-gotton attention has simply tripped my gag reflex. I'm not trying to get on a high horse... any horse seems high when the rest are down dead yet still being beaten.

There simply are no answers to be found here. No closure to be had, no joy to be extracted. All that's left is to try to kick sense into this man's stupid skull. I understand that. But Rick has proven time and time again that impacts to the head really don't affect him either way, it's not like he can get retarded-er.

But who here isn't tired of trying to make him smarter, trying to enlighten him of the reality of his situation and the situations he has forced upon others? I mean, in this man's head are plans for publication by TLE in the near future, and a bigger and better Mighty minicon #7. The grand relaunch of ORCA! Still he thinks his NDA means something. He thinks he has viable future. Still he thinks he's not in the wrong at all. AT ALL.

It's taken over 11000 posted to not change a damn thing in this complete douchebag's mind. We've established he's stupid, smelly, insincere at best, criminally fraudulent at worst, sociopathic, disloyal, opportunistic, misogynistic, racist, immature, evasive, misinformed, cheap, petty, deluded, and physically undesirable. And that's his good points.

Question: please consider it. Where do we go from here?

[Papergirl]

As wiccan clergy, I will categorically deny that his actions are appropriate; in fact, he should have known that this kind of thing would return to him when he started defrauding people.

Exactly. I may not be Wiccan or pagan, but I am close friends with many who are. And they'd all be absolutely appalled that Olney was trying to claim their religion as his own, simply because of his obvious lack of knowledge.

Great info to know. I'll keep a mirror close so I can monitor my head. I'll let you all know if I start feeling some pressure.

And thanks for the welcome! (warm and fuzzy inside.)

Hee! I don't think you have to worry about your head exploding here. Just idiots like Olney!

~Bev

[Danny Donovan]

Rich, I would find it hard to think of most anyone that could have shaped that into a good solid book. No offense to Mr Dixon... but come on...

*actually* If you completely strip mined it to its essence you could create a Steranko era Nick Fury thing with a modern twist to it. As it is, it's fan service at best, complete mary sueisim (it's a word dammit I made it!) at worst.

But as I said, as it is, I doubt anyone could to anything with it. But with a little creative tinkering I do believe I could make it work as an espionage thing with supernatural elements.

[Sarah Beach]

*sniff* *sniff* puns. nobody gets puns. *sniff* *sniff* :(




<Shuffles off, a dejected writer in search of an easy audience.> *sniff*

[Reverend Smooth]

Exactly. I may not be Wiccan or pagan, but I am close friends with many who are. And they'd all be absolutely appalled that Olney was trying to claim their religion as his own, simply because of his obvious lack of knowledge.Pretty much.

Hell, even Satanism (not a knock against them, mind you) has a modified law of returns, and tells you to take the consequences of your actions like a man.

[Calliope's Comics]

Just wondering who owns these comics and whether or not they could sue.


http://www.mightyminicon.com/gaak.asp



Also I was trying to sign up as an exhibitor for 2004 and 2006 but for some reason my time machine is not working properly.

[Sarah Beach]

CoffeeStained, I don't think we're really expecting changes from him.

I suspect we keep the thread alive for two reasons: (1) to keep tabs on any activity, or statement, RO might make from now on; (2) to stay in touch with those concerned, particularly for news of legal actions, to provide support for those affected. It's not really about expecting him to change, although being artistic folk, and optimists, we can't quite write off the chance. And... sad and sick though it is.... there is entertainment value in what happens when he does post (here or anywhere else we catch it).

But... if it drags you, by all means stop. Updated information can actually be found on the Unscrewed! site. I try to keep the Chronology down to nuts and bolts. And as specific details of legal actions become available (rather than mere updates of info found), it'll be posted there as well. So there is a place for the "condensed version", if you don't want to wade through all this.

No hard feelings for your honest reaction. It's understandable.

Yeah, I haven't quite worked off my own irritation with the man. And I only had to moderate his posts on a board.

[Sarah Beach]

Just wondering who owns these comics and whether or not they could sue.


http://www.mightyminicon.com/gaak.asp



Also I was trying to sign up as an exhibitor for 2004 and 2006 but for some reason my time machine is not working properly.

The creators of GAAK have been tracked down. They're very nice people, who seem to have shaken the dust of Olney off their sandals and moved on. They're on ComicSpace.

[JamesRitcheyIII]

I wrote and rewrote this post a couple of times because I genuinely feel bad for the people Rick has wronged. I write this now because I feel sick at my own fascination of watching cats play with a diseased rat.

Reality: There are no answers to be had here. Questions have been posed and reiterated literally dozens of times. Expecting an answer, especially a truthful answer from Rick Olney is the definition of insanity. Doing something over and over and expecting a different outcome.

If you want answers from Rick, it must simply be under oath. You want answers, you have to take him to court. Enough really is enough. No more: "You're not worth my time, but what do you say to this and this and this? Answer that!"

I have to unsubscribe to this thread because, frankly, this man and his ill-gotton attention has simply tripped my gag reflex. I'm not trying to get on a high horse... any horse seems high when the rest are down dead yet still being beaten.

There simply are no answers to be found here. No closure to be had, no joy to be extracted. All that's left is to try to kick sense into this man's stupid skull. I understand that. But Rick has proven time and time again that impacts to the head really don't affect him either way, it's not like he can get retarded-er.

But who here isn't tired of trying to make him smarter, trying to enlighten him of the reality of his situation and the situations he has forced upon others? I mean, in this man's head are plans for publication by TLE in the near future, and a bigger and better Mighty minicon #7. The grand relaunch of ORCA! Still he thinks his NDA means something. He thinks he has viable future. Still he thinks he's not in the wrong at all. AT ALL.

It's taken over 11000 posted to not change a damn thing in this complete douchebag's mind. We've established he's stupid, smelly, insincere at best, criminally fraudulent at worst, sociopathic, disloyal, opportunistic, misogynistic, racist, immature, evasive, misinformed, cheap, petty, deluded, and physically undesirable. And that's his good points.

Question: please consider it. Where do we go from here?

My advice is to take some deep breaths! Sounds more like despondency. I'm just getting started!

Attempting to right a wrong is never wasted effort, even if it pans out to be only symbolic.

[Richard Sullivan]

I'm pretty sure not. He did a horror story for TOTS#1.

And I think he would have scorned Freedom Three. I mean, after preparing American Power for CrossGen?

I'm trying to assciate a name with a phone converstion Rick and I had. If it wasn't Mr. Dixon, that leaves Chuck Austin offered to write Freedom Three...according to Rick.

[SteveForbes]

I knew you sounded familiar! (He's asleep now.)

Thank you!

If I'm remembering right, I think he went back and looked at that, so it's all good. :D

I'm glad you seem to be doing well, too!

Thanks.

I'm doing. I'm writing, too, as well as looking in on my stepdaughter and granddaughter.

Like a lot of us, I'm still trying to find that first paying gig. (They tell me it's easier after you get over that first hump, but I'll believes it when I sees it.) But a large part of that is paying your dues, and that's why Bullet Time is out there- paid for with a lot of my own money.

Soon, I tell you, SOON! I will rule the world. (or rue the world, whichever comes first.)

I've got comics to write. I'll be back after this page.

[Sarah Beach]

I'm trying to assciate a name with a phone converstion Rick and I had. If it wasn't Mr. Dixon, that leaves Chuck Austin offered to write Freedom Three...according to Rick.

Oh! Well, if it was according to Rick, I wouldn't put it past him to make the leap from "Chuck Dixon was going to write American Power at CrossGen" to "Chuck Dixon would love to write my similar, but much better idea for TightLip" to "Chuck Dixon will write Freedom Three".

I think Chuck may have listened to the concept, pointed out that, as is, it's lame - and that he'd already made one pass at a similar concept. But nothing more than that. But that's me just guessing based on what I know of the principals involved.

[Danny Donovan]

Question: please consider it. Where do we go from here?


ANSWER: http://www.unscrewedcomic.com.

Yes, anyone who believes that getting him to answer for anything OR to do the right thing is sorely lacking what I would politely phrase it "cerebral function" but no one is seriously doing this here.

Yes, a few people have badgered him over and over again, but it's more in that "Perry Mason" sort of way hoping to upset someone enough that they confess just to shut you up thinking it makes them look smart correcting you of their own wrong doing.

We have accomplished a lot here. Friends have been made, people reunited after a long time of not speaking. Projects started, and yes we're taking a stand as a community against people like Olney with Unscrewed! Is it going to stop him from doing this to others?

I would hope so, but you can never tell. As PT Barnum once said, "there's a sucker born every minute" and while I disagree with the phrasing of it, the core of it being there is someone desperate enough they'll try anything is true. If there IS another MMC I can gaurentee some artschool kids will be down there showing their portfolio to whoever will listen, Rick will tell them what they want to hear and promise them a job.

BUT, if they're smart, they may stumble across the Unscrewed site and think twice about working for him. Also, there's a good chance those that were taken for a ride will get their due back and then some. :p

--------

Sarah, I love your puns! don't ever change! lol.

-------

Just wondering who owns these comics and whether or not they could sue.


http://www.mightyminicon.com/gaak.asp



Also I was trying to sign up as an exhibitor for 2004 and 2006 but for some reason my time machine is not working properly.

I don't know who did it. I remember when it launched Rick wanted me to ask some of my friends to do webstrips for him, one was tempted but I talked her out of it.

I would say if they no longer give him permission to use it, and he still does that's copyright infringement. But I don't know if they're still close with him or not.

[Reverend Smooth]

Like a lot of us, I'm still trying to find that first paying gig. (They tell me it's easier after you get over that first hump, but I'll believes it when I sees it.)
But a large part of that is paying your dues, and that's why Bullet Time is out there- paid for with a lot of my own money. Just keep on truckin', it'll come. ^^
I've got comics to write. I'll be back after this page.Yay dedication!

[TCJohnson]

Let's see...

Steve is a comic book creator who actually writes stuff.

Steve is an EIC who is responsible with his money and, just as importantly, his employee's money.

Steve is a marine who has a good dose of honor.

Steve is a pagan who actually try to live by the crede.


STEVE FORBES IS THE ANTI OLNEY!

[Danny Donovan]

Let's see...

Steve is a comic book creator who actually writes stuff.

Steve is an EIC who is responsible with his money and, just as importantly, his employee's money.

Steve is a marine who has a good dose of honor.

Steve is a pagan who actually try to live by the crede.


STEVE FORBES IS THE ANTI OLNEY!


I have this weird image in my head of a series of those "anti-drug" ads but based on this.

F E A R O F A V E N G E F U L G O D
What's Your Anti-Olney?

It'd be great! have them posted at all the publisher booths at a comicon. :)

[SteveForbes]

Methinks TC is trying to make me blush.

Any idea how hard that is for a black guy?

And yes, I'm finished with that page. (It goes by rather quickly. Cary's already written the plot, and I just have to visualize it. And it's a fight scene. They go by rather fast.)

Just one point, to clarify. I'm the EIC. I neither control nor WANT to have control over the money aspect of PD. That's Cary and his beautiful yet fierce wife Susan. (They're both beautiful people, actually.) They handle money and contracts, I handle da woids.

I have woid handling skillz. I think. Thunk? Thunked? Thinked? Thinkeded? However it goes.

Okay! Another page!

[Kozemp]

STEVE FORBES IS THE ANTI OLNEY!

He also favors a flat tax!

JLK
someone had to say it

[JTPencils]

I'm trying to assciate a name with a phone converstion Rick and I had. If it wasn't Mr. Dixon, that leaves Chuck Austin offered to write Freedom Three...according to Rick.

According to Rick, these books were going to revolutionize comics as we know it. Soooooooooooo... consider the source!!

[JTPencils]

As PT Barnum once said, "there's a sucker born every minute" and while I disagree with the phrasing of it, the core of it being there is someone desperate enough they'll try anything is true.

Actually Danny, Barnum never said that. It's one of those legend's that's outlived the man. He denied it to his dying day, but it's been attributed to him anyway.

[Danny Donovan]

Actually Danny, Barnum never said that. It's one of those legend's that's outlived the man. He denied it to his dying day, but it's been attributed to him anyway.


Well he's dead now and can't deny it anymore.

So he said it.

*goes to edit Wikipedia*

Wikireality!

God Bless Steven Colbert for finding away to prove myself right even when I'm horribly horribly wrong. :)

[SteveForbes]

He also favors a flat tax!

JLK
someone had to say it

I was waiting for it.

True story:

I was in the Corps at the time, stationed at a small Air National Guard base in Newburgh, NY. Stewart ANG. It's a small base with kc-130's. The Marine part is actually a reserve station, so we had to put up with them one weekend a month. Basically, we had to re-teach them everything they just learned the last month. (No, I don't see much use of Reserves other than cannon fodder, but that's just me.)

Anyway, the barracks is separated from the base proper. (Don't ask me why.) From the back gate, it's about a mile and a half. Going around the long way is about four miles or so. Anyway, the barracks itself is more like a hotel. For the most part, they were two man rooms, but there was only one Marine per room. We had everything there: public area with a tv (with cable- we were in the mountains, and trying to get a regular signal was murde), another public area with a tv, pool table, small kitchen with full sized fridge. The rooms themselves were also cable-ready and phone-ready. There was also an intercom.

Yeah, it was nice. Surreal at times, but nice.

So, yes, I had cable in my room, plus my own phone.

I came home one night, and I'm laying on my bed, watching Cartoon Network, when my phone rings. I pick it up.

"Hello?"

"Hello, may I speak to Steve Forbes?"

"Speaking."

"..."

"Steve Forbes?"

"Yes, that's me."

"You're not the Presidential candidate, are you?"

I smiled. "No, I'm not."

"Oh, I'm sorry. That's who I was looking for. Thanks."

-click-

Yeah, someone called me out of the blue, asking to speak to the then-presidential candidate. Like he'd be listed in the yellow pages.

That's my closest brush with fame with my name.

And I used to work for a car insurance company, in the claims part. You have NO IDEA how many people think they're being clever. I've heard it all, but the phone call was my first and the best.

Yes, when I get more books underneath me, I WILL be playing with that name recognition.

-llama

[Cam63]

"I got a great idea for a character: Frankenborg! It practically writes herself."

He types Frankenborg into the word processor and waits, tapping his foot impatiently for Frankenborg to write herself.

".....You're against me too, aren't you?"

He then shows it the " iKill " poster.

[Ronée]

Yes, and that's after he asked you or Dave to smooth things over with the payment problem. And the next day he would change his mind and say they should address their concerns toward him. He flipped flopped more than John Kerry.

Richard SullivanEXACTLY.

Incidentally, when I was brought on i was told that it was due to you not doing a good enough job on press releases and such. what a tool that man is.

[TomStillwell]

Anyone else find it amazing that he was ordering promotional clocks and having busts made of characters for books he hadn't even published yet, books he wasn't even paying the freelancers to make?

[wildwill]

Anyone else find it amazing that he was ordering promotional clocks and having busts made of characters for books he hadn't even published yet, books he wasn't even paying the freelancers to make?

Well, he must be going to the Todd McFarlane school of copyright ownership. I mean if it's OK for Todd to make statues and action figures of characters he doesn't own (cough, cough, Man of Miracles), then why can't Olney make ancillary merchandise off of characters he has no rights to?

[Sarah Beach]

Anyone else find it amazing that he was ordering promotional clocks and having busts made of characters for books he hadn't even published yet, books he wasn't even paying the freelancers to make?

I guess my boggl-o-meter has been readjusted for inflated Olneyisms.

I'm just imagining that poor half-order of clocks sitting somewhere in darkness.

"Hey, bro! What is the purpose of our existence?"

"Dude! Do I know? I haven't even seen the light of day, in order to know why time is important, let alone things that keep track of it."

"You're saying we're useless?"

"Pretty much so."

[Cam63]

Oh dear. "political posts" I wonder what he was on about now? I know he was angry at the mexicans for awhile....

I swear there should be a big "whites only" sign on his Myspace blogs. :p

Mexicans, native americans, asians... I believe he said something about gays in the old MMC forums.. I can't think of one particular group he hasn't completely offended.

Maybe the Leprechauns ?

[TCJohnson]

Methinks TC is trying to make me blush.

Any idea how hard that is for a black guy?

Sorry, I take no pride in that. I just think I could ever admit to making a black man blush....that just sounds....wrong.

[SteveForbes]

Sorry, I take no pride in that. I just think I could ever admit to making a black man blush....that just sounds....wrong.

Don't worry about it. It's like a man-crush, but different.

Ask Bendis.

[Jack Zodiac]

Wow... I could've swore Steve Forbes was white!

[SteveForbes]

Wow... I could've swore Steve Forbes was white!

There's an incog-negro joke in there, somewhere.

-llama

[GCom]

There's an incog-negro joke in there, somewhere.


Ow! Pun! PUN!

Medic!



With Tolerance For Zingers That Just Go Right Through...

GCom

[Richard Sullivan]

According to Rick, these books were going to revolutionize comics as we know it. Soooooooooooo... consider the source!!

Yea, he told me that too. But, I've read or heard that stuff before...which never came to fruitation. So, my mind set was I'll believe it I see it. Then I read his script for F3...I think the word he was looking for was devolutionize.

Richard Sullivan

[Reverend Smooth]

Anyone else find it amazing that he was ordering promotional clocks and having busts made of characters for books he hadn't even published yet, books he wasn't even paying the freelancers to make?

Maybe he's related to the underpants gnomes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnomes_(South_Park_episode)).

His three-phase business plan:

1. Collect artists.
2. ???
3. Profit!

[EdContradictory]

How influential is Olney? (http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dunes/7867/BoF1_2.html)

Back in 1998, the call went out!

* UNDER THE "WE GOTTA DO IT!!" project - ORCA has a chore before its membership and we need your help. We think its time for Marvel to pay Mark Gruenwald the one final tribute that he so richly deserves in his honorable memory - A reinstatement and retelling of the Marvel Universe Series. We want to see updates on characters, new costumes and a few 'secrets' uncovered by those people in the industry willing to honor Mark's memory and his contribution to Comics. ORCA requests that the artists taking on a character or team work for 3/4 the salary normally provided. That those respected indivuals donate their monies to two of the comic book entertainment industries most loyal support groups, Friends of Lulu and the Organized Readers of Comics Associated. As Mark so loved fandom. What better a way to honor him than by helping two groups intent on helping fandom to rediscover itself? I can think of no richer way to honor Mark Gruenwalds memory and dedication to our hobby, while helping financially two deserving groups of consumers giving of themselves freely.

Readers of this, should photocopy or remove this page from their issue of ORCOMIX and mail it with a letter to
Bob Harras
C/O Marvel Comics
387 Park Ave South
New York, New York 10016.

Tell them, A friendly, flying Killer Whale sent you.

And just last year, IT FINALLY HAPPENED!

Wow, what a mover and shaker and power broker!

[Momma Absurd]

Good evening all,

I was reading an excerpt at the beginning of the Communitys forum and there is a small article on Mark Waid and several other creators doing something with a Native American project......when I clicked on this the page won't be displayed. Can someone tell me what this is and how I can get ahold of Mr. Waid? Doc isn't home or I would aggravate him with it.....:)

Thanks,
Momma

[Sarah Beach]

Tell them, A friendly, flying Killer Whale sent you.

An image more certain to confuse than impress or intimidate. Heh. Unless you're at Seaworld for the Shamu Show.

I mean "flying Killer Whale"????

[Joshua Pantalleresco]

:eek:

Anyone else find it amazing that he was ordering promotional clocks and having busts made of characters for books he hadn't even published yet, books he wasn't even paying the freelancers to make?

Just when I think it couldn't get any more incredible...but does he owe them money too?

JP

[Papergirl]

Good evening all,

I was reading an excerpt at the beginning of the Communitys forum and there is a small article on Mark Waid and several other creators doing something with a Native American project......when I clicked on this the page won't be displayed. Can someone tell me what this is and how I can get ahold of Mr. Waid? Doc isn't home or I would aggravate him with it.....:)

Thanks,
Momma
You can send him a pm or e-mail through these forums. :)

~Bev

[Draconomicon]

How influential is Olney? (http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dunes/7867/BoF1_2.html)

Back in 1998, the call went out!



And just last year, IT FINALLY HAPPENED!

Wow, what a mover and shaker and power broker!
...you HAVE to be kidding me!

"Lets all do our best to honor Mark Gruenwald!
All you hard working artists and writers, cut your EARNED check into pieces and send ME most of what you would have made! Because that is what Mark would have wanted!


For heavens sake... that man is .... Im speechless.. the sheer greed and him trying to use a dead man to get money from Talents who work for it is just... wow...

[THEDOC]

You know, I don't know if my emdeavor with TLE has ended. The only thing I have to go on is my bannishment from the MMC forum a few weeks ago.

So who exactly goes to the MMC site anymore, seems no one is left.

[THEDOC]

I'm tempted to find out...

~Bev

If it's Paypal you can dispute it or on a credit card as well, I know I work for one.

[Jamie Coville]

...you HAVE to be kidding me!

"Lets all do our best to honor Mark Gruenwald!
All you hard working artists and writers, cut your EARNED check into pieces and send ME most of what you would have made! Because that is what Mark would have wanted!


For heavens sake... that man is .... Im speechless.. the sheer greed and him trying to use a dead man to get money from Talents who work for it is just... wow...

Every time I think Olney couldn't sink any further.. he does.

[Joshua Pantalleresco]

...you HAVE to be kidding me!

"Lets all do our best to honor Mark Gruenwald!
All you hard working artists and writers, cut your EARNED check into pieces and send ME most of what you would have made! Because that is what Mark would have wanted!


For heavens sake... that man is .... Im speechless.. the sheer greed and him trying to use a dead man to get money from Talents who work for it is just... wow...

I'm at a loss for words.

Is there anything he hasn't done?

JP

[Richard Sullivan]

So who exactly goes to the MMC site anymore, seems no one is left.

Dennis is still there asking, "Hey, where did everybody go?"

[SteveForbes]

It's honestly not THAT bad.

This was posted in '98, and he died in '96, so we're only talking 2 years, right?

In comic publishing time, that's only a couple of weeks.

Now, we start to stretch credulity when he starts to talk about splitting the money between ORCA and Friends of Lulu.

You all must admit that he gave away SOME comics. I don't know if it was the thousands he was talking (and I'll believe 100k only when I see an actual receipt in my hand- not photoshopped on my screen), but it was some. But with all the lies he's told about a being a non-profit organization and such, ORCA doesn't really deserve anything.

FoL on the other hand, deserves any and all help given it's way. (I mean that in the best way possible.)

Personally, I'm waiting for his inevitable return. I may be called a troll, and I'd LOVE to be called a plebe (even though I don't buy BoP, Gail rocks), in order to be in such auspicious company as all of you.

-llama

[Sarah Beach]

...you HAVE to be kidding me!

"Lets all do our best to honor Mark Gruenwald!
All you hard working artists and writers, cut your EARNED check into pieces and send ME most of what you would have made! Because that is what Mark would have wanted!


For heavens sake... that man is .... Im speechless.. the sheer greed and him trying to use a dead man to get money from Talents who work for it is just... wow...

You know what? My eyes glazed over each of the times I read that post, that I missed the part of sending one quarter of one's pay to either FoL or ORCA!!!!

Good heavens! Even GOD doesn't ask for more than one tenth!!!

Creepy.

[Papergirl]

If it's Paypal you can dispute it or on a credit card as well, I know I work for one.
Okay, that's it! As soon as it becomes available, I'm purchasing a one day ticket!

:evilsmile

~Bev
Yeah, it was soooooooo hard to convince me to do this!

[Papergirl]

Personally, I'm waiting for his inevitable return. I may be called a troll, and I'd LOVE to be called a plebe (even though I don't buy BoP, Gail rocks), in order to be in such auspicious company as all of you.

Okay, you can have plebe and/or troll. I, however, am the ho (according to Olney (http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showpost.php?p=4299785&postcount=10334)) of this board. And I challenge anyone to try to take that title from me!

~Bev

[SteveForbes]

Okay, you can have plebe and/or troll. I, however, am the ho (according to Olney) of this board. And I challenge anyone to try to take that title from me!

~Bev

It can't be official until HE says it.

Besides, I was a ho once. Yes, it was a LONG row...

-llama

[JTPencils]

ORCA requests that the artists taking on a character or team work for 3/4 the salary normally provided. That those respected indivuals donate their monies to two of the comic book entertainment industries most loyal support groups, Friends of Lulu and the Organized Readers of Comics Associated.

I can think of no richer way to honor Mark Gruenwalds memory and dedication to our hobby, while helping financially two deserving groups of consumers giving of themselves freely.


I think I'm starting to see where his business plan came from!!! Just switch around the word freely for 3/4 the salary...

You can't be serious that he thought this was actually a good idea?

"Hey guys... for Mark Gruenwald's sake... do up a huge tribute project... for less money... but uh... can you send the rest to me?? I really think we here at Ripoff Enter.... er... Orca have earned that much!"

Or maybe he was planning all along to bankroll TLE with this profit??

I've only ever heard great things about FoL... so I won't comment on that... but this just takes the cake for pure balls.

[Papergirl]

It can't be official until HE says it.

Besides, I was a ho once. Yes, it was a LONG row...

-llama
Yes, and we allllll know that Dick never lies... So, anything he says must be tru--

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I couldn't finish that line without laughing my ass off!

~Bev

[Magneto_X]

Personally, I'm waiting for his inevitable return. I may be called a troll, and I'd LOVE to be called a plebe (even though I don't buy BoP, Gail rocks), in order to be in such auspicious company as all of you.

-llama

When "Rick" comes back you can be added to our ranks as a phebe.

It's only a matter of time until he returns. lol

[Sally Sensational]

Vowels in Hebrew drive me nuts.

Would that be because technically there are no vowels?

[TomStillwell]

* UNDER THE "WE GOTTA DO IT!!" project - ORCA has a chore before its membership and we need your help. We think its time for Marvel to pay Mark Gruenwald the one final tribute that he so richly deserves in his honorable memory - A reinstatement and retelling of the Marvel Universe Series. We want to see updates on characters, new costumes and a few 'secrets' uncovered by those people in the industry willing to honor Mark's memory and his contribution to Comics. ORCA requests that the artists taking on a character or team work for 3/4 the salary normally provided. That those respected indivuals donate their monies to two of the comic book entertainment industries most loyal support groups, Friends of Lulu and the Organized Readers of Comics Associated. As Mark so loved fandom. What better a way to honor him than by helping two groups intent on helping fandom to rediscover itself? I can think of no richer way to honor Mark Gruenwalds memory and dedication to our hobby, while helping financially two deserving groups of consumers giving of themselves freely.

Readers of this, should photocopy or remove this page from their issue of ORCOMIX and mail it with a letter to
Bob Harras
C/O Marvel Comics
387 Park Ave South
New York, New York 10016.

Tell them, A friendly, flying Killer Whale sent you.

Before reading this, even with everything we know now, some folks could have made a case for Olney just being a moron who got in over his head. Maybe he's just a fool with a huge ego and too much pride for his own good. Maybe he's mentally imbalanced with some serious emotional issues.

Before reading that post. A post in which he clearly tries to scam money using the death of a good man as bait.

Olney, you completely lack humanity. May God have pity on your miserable soul.

[KevinTBrown]

I'm at a loss for words.

Is there anything he hasn't done?

JP

Nope.


And that's the problem.

He hasn't done anything.

[TCJohnson]

Before reading this, even with everything we know now, some folks could have made a case for Olney just being a moron who got in over his head. Maybe he's just a fool with a huge ego and too much pride for his own good. Maybe he's mentally imbalanced with some serious emotional issues.

Before reading that post. A post in which he clearly tries to scam money using the death of a good man as bait.

Olney, you completely lack humanity. May God have pity on your miserable soul.

I don;'t know...in his own mind he could have thought that he would go through with it...and then something would come up and he would have to sue the money for himself.

After all...you gotta be delusional thinking anybody would do this.

[Hybrid2]

...you HAVE to be kidding me!

"Lets all do our best to honor Mark Gruenwald!
All you hard working artists and writers, cut your EARNED check into pieces and send ME most of what you would have made! Because that is what Mark would have wanted!


For heavens sake... that man is .... Im speechless.. the sheer greed and him trying to use a dead man to get money from Talents who work for it is just... wow...

And he call there job a hobby??

a hobby is someting you ,only, do for fun.
He actualy think paying the people,doing there "hobby" with him,is a reward and optional?

That stupidity...i want to scream.

[SteveForbes]

That stupidity...i want to scream.

If you're feeling any pressure in your head, I have a mirror you can borrow to check the size of your head, in case of explosion.

-llama (who's just tryin' ta help)

[Kurt Busiek]

I hate to stop the 100% negative record against Rick, but he did reimburse me for my expense to run that Press Release. And if I would have known how rare a check from Rick would be, I would had it "slabbed" and auctioned it on ebay. I think it would have been graded 9.6-9.8.
Rich, we have been searching for over a month for someone -- anyone -- who actually got paid for services rendered. You really are one of the special ones, and I don't mean that with any sarcasm. Well, not directed towards you . . .

Keep in mind that Richard didn't say he was paid for services rendered, but reimbursed for expenses, which isn't the same thing.

The expenses of running a press release don't necessarily include paying the guy who wrote it, just paying for it to be circulated.

So I'm not saying that Richard Sullivan didn't get paid, just that it's still not clear if anyone got paid for their work, rather than merely reimbursed for expenses they laid out on TLE's behalf.

kdb

[Matt Doc Martin]

Keep in mind that Richard didn't say he was paid for services rendered, but reimbursed for expenses, which isn't the same thing.

The expenses of running a press release don't necessarily include paying the guy who wrote it, just paying for it to be circulated.

So I'm not saying that Richard Sullivan didn't get paid, just that it's still not clear if anyone got paid for their work, rather than merely reimbursed for expenses they laid out on TLE's behalf.

kdb

Thank you for pointing that out.

[THEDOC]

Dennis is still there asking, "Hey, where did everybody go?"

I'd like to go there I like what Dennis writes about. I bet he has no idea we were banned.

[Crowley]

Rick has once again deleted his MySpace blogs like the little wimpy, cowardly, faux marine, cheating, scum sucking, shitbag he is.

[JTPencils]

I'd like to go there I like what Dennis writes about. I bet he has no idea we were banned.

When I met Dennis, which was brief I must admit, he seemed to be a decent sort. However, even if he ASKED about what happened to you banned folks, he'd probably get some mealy mouthed excuse as to your disappearance... probably how you were all whisked off by giant sloths and used as sacrifices for their moon god.

[THEDOC]

Okay, that's it! As soon as it becomes available, I'm purchasing a one day ticket!

:evilsmile

~Bev
Yeah, it was soooooooo hard to convince me to do this!


Just make sure you are precise on what you did not get. and save all e-mails or announcements you get about the show.

[Papergirl]

Of course. I already set up a special folder for any e-mails regarding MMC. Everything will be saved.

~Bev

[TomStillwell]

When I met Dennis, which was brief I must admit, he seemed to be a decent sort. However, even if he ASKED about what happened to you banned folks, he'd probably get some mealy mouthed excuse as to your disappearance... probably how you were all whisked off by giant sloths and used as sacrifices for their moon god.

I keep hearing about what a nice, decent guy Dennis is, but really...if you're Rick Olney's last friend there has to be something seriously messed up with Dennis.

Either he's the most clueless person every to walk the planet or he's the ultimate submissive.

The other possibility is that he doesn't really care what a scumbag Rick is, which kind of contradicts the whole "decent guy" thing.

[Danny Donovan]

I keep hearing about what a nice, decent guy Dennis is, but really...if you're Rick Olney's last friend there has to be something seriously messed up with Dennis.

Either he's the most clueless person every to walk the planet or he's the ultimate submissive.

The other possibility is that he doesn't really care what a scumbag Rick is, which kind of contradicts the whole "decent guy" thing.


Dennis is a really good guy, I think he's just stuck in that loyalty/pity thing. It's hard to watch someone you've known for eleventybillion years self destruct like this. Especially since you bought into what was being done and invested so much of your time to try to make it work.

Dennis is just a relatively good guy who doesn't like conflict like this. He's got his own things to deal with and always avoided the "oh my god what the fuck is wrong with you" threads and comments Rick started on the MMC..

He pretty much stayed to the Smallville and classic comics threads.

Although if you want to see some GREAT crazy rick moments check this place out:

http://cgi.uticaod.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard/forums.cgi?forum=36

A good time old but you know goes to show you his mental state and myopic world view. :)

[Magneto_X]

I hope Dennis shows up here. I'd like to see his POV on this situation. Hopefully it could convince him to leave "Rick".

[Danny Donovan]

I hope Dennis shows up here. I'd like to see his POV on this situation. Hopefully it could convince him to leave "Rick".

I am tempted to e-mail him just to see how he is.

[JTPencils]

I keep hearing about what a nice, decent guy Dennis is, but really...if you're Rick Olney's last friend there has to be something seriously messed up with Dennis.

Either he's the most clueless person every to walk the planet or he's the ultimate submissive.

The other possibility is that he doesn't really care what a scumbag Rick is, which kind of contradicts the whole "decent guy" thing.

Maybe Dennis is from one of those old world tribes you used to see in the jungle movies, where if you have your life saved by someone, you've got to follow them no matter what happens??

Or, he could just be one of those really loyal guys, thick or thin. For that.. peanut should be ultra grateful. Let's face it, he could piss off Mother Theresa on her best day.

[Buckminster Futter]

I keep hearing about what a nice, decent guy Dennis is, but really...if you're Rick Olney's last friend there has to be something seriously messed up with Dennis.

Either he's the most clueless person every to walk the planet or he's the ultimate submissive.

The other possibility is that he doesn't really care what a scumbag Rick is, which kind of contradicts the whole "decent guy" thing.

Kininger used to show up (very) occasionally at the Comicon.com messboards and attempt to defend some inane Rickism or other. When confronted with the illogical aspects of his arguments, he'd leave the forum without further response. It always seemed to me that he must have some extra-large blinders on to misinterpret what Olney was really all about. Sorta unlikely that anyone with any kind of ethical scruples would remain loyal to a bugfuckered pissbucket like Olney, despite whatever history they may have had.

I'm inclined to reiterate that Gail once thought The Stinky One was merely a harmless doofus too. Appearances (and first impressions) can be deceiving...negative olfactory stimuli can be illuminating. :evilsmile

[THEDOC]

I keep hearing about what a nice, decent guy Dennis is, but really...if you're Rick Olney's last friend there has to be something seriously messed up with Dennis.

Either he's the most clueless person every to walk the planet or he's the ultimate submissive.

The other possibility is that he doesn't really care what a scumbag Rick is, which kind of contradicts the whole "decent guy" thing.

I just don't think he wants to get involved with Rick's issues. He might be hoping as I am that Rick will do the right thing eventually.

[THEDOC]

I am tempted to e-mail him just to see how he is.

Mmmm don't know if that is a good idea, I have thought of that myself, didn't Gail already e-mail him?

[Danny Donovan]

Mmmm don't know if that is a good idea, I have thought of that myself, didn't Gail already e-mail him?

well, too late for hindsight now!

But it was just a short and sweet e-mail saying hi, and wish we could all stay in touch like we used to. e-mail.

[MacQuarrie]

He told me once he was in the NSA for a while--no telling what methods were used to 'debrief' him at the end of that period of employment, if true.
I'm gonna call bullshit on that one.

I have a cousin who was involved in military intelligence in the Navy. I can't tell you exactly what he did, because he would never tell me. Not in a secretive "I'm special" way as Rick constantly tries to pull off. He just said "you don't need to know" and changed the subject.

I also had an archery coach who liked to brag that he was also a marksmanship instructor for the Rangers. He turned out to be a complete liar, and he is the guy Rick most reminds me of. This jerk did a lot of damage to a lot of kids with his emotional manipulation and mindgames, and it was his stench on Rick that put me in a frothing rage a couple of weeks ago.

The thing is, there's a modesty born of competence that military people, and in particular, military intelligence people, carry themselves with. Rick ain't got it.

People who are (or were) in the NSA do not go around telling people that. They do not spend their time trying to impress people, nor do they spend a lot of time worrying about what others think of them. They get the job done.

[JamesRitcheyIII]

I'm gonna call bullshit on that one.

I have a cousin who was involved in military intelligence in the Navy. I can't tell you exactly what he did, because he would never tell me. Not in a secretive "I'm special" way as Rick constantly tries to pull off. He just said "you don't need to know" and changed the subject.

I also had an archery coach who liked to brag that he was also a marksmanship instructor for the Rangers. He turned out to be a complete liar, and he is the guy Rick most reminds me of. This jerk did a lot of damage to a lot of kids with his emotional manipulation and mindgames, and it was his stench on Rick that put me in a frothing rage a couple of weeks ago.

The thing is, there's a modesty born of competence that military people, and in particular, military intelligence people, carry themselves with. Rick ain't got it.

People who are (or were) in the NSA do not go around telling people that. They do not spend their time trying to impress people, nor do they spend a lot of time worrying about what others think of them. They get the job done.

I already did call it--Mike, who's mentioned in this, is a good friend who's retired, and just doesn't give a fuck about talking about his experiences in the CIA, and earlier--setting up, programing and upgrading computers for the NSA.

Yeah, I talked to my Ex-CIA buddy Michael Johnson about some of the shit Rick said privately, and Mike's response was "He's so full of shit his eyes are brown", and that it sounded like 'he's gotten most of his information about the NSA and other Intelligence organizations from reading Behold a Pale Horse' by Bill Cooper--regarded by any respectable Conspiracy Theorist (NOT the oxymoron the public is led to believe) to be garbage--virtually Nazi Survivalist propaganda.

[MacQuarrie]

I already did call it--Mike, who's mentioned in this, is a good friend who's retired, and just doesn't give a fuck about talking about his experiences in the CIA, and earlier--setting up, programing and upgrading computers for the NSA.

Good to know my instincts still work, despite being utterly incapable of keeping up with this thread.

[Samuel Catalino]

I am tempted to e-mail him just to see how he is.

Danny,

No need to be tempted. I spoke to him on the phone last week. He is doing fine, and he is looking forward to going to Pitt Con.

Best,

Samuel

[Samuel Catalino]

I hope Dennis shows up here. I'd like to see his POV on this situation. Hopefully it could convince him to leave "Rick".

I doubt that Dennis will show up here.

[Charles RB]

"Lets all do our best to honor Mark Gruenwald!
All you hard working artists and writers, cut your EARNED check into pieces and send ME most of what you would have made! Because that is what Mark would have wanted!"

If this was a horror movie, that would lead to dead comic creators rising from the grave in a terrible rage and besieging Olney's house.

Boy do I wish this was a horror movie.

[the4thpip]

I missed a few pages here and there... Has the question in the thread title been answered yet?

[Papergirl]

I missed a few pages here and there... Has the question in the thread title been answered yet?
<SarcasmAlert>

I'm not sure about everyone else yet, but I'm personally leaning toward "Mega-Giganta-Fibber".

</SarcasmAlert>

~Bev

[JTPencils]

<SarcasmAlert>

I'm not sure about everyone else yet, but I'm personally leaning toward "Mega-Giganta-Fibber".

</SarcasmAlert>

~Bev

I'd agree... but I would think it goes way beyond just Mega-Giganta... any writers out there have a larger quantification? I'm at a loss here.

[Papergirl]

I'd agree... but I would think it goes way beyond just Mega-Giganta... any writers out there have a larger quantification? I'm at a loss here.
Me too, but I was just going by the original question!

Certainly, he does qualify for something way bigger than Mega-Giganta-Fibber.

~Bev

[Joshua Pantalleresco]

The black hole of lies is my title of choice for Olney. Could be wrong though. There might be a bigger fibber out there. I just don't want to meet them.

JP

[Cam63]

I'm gonna call bullshit on that one.

I have a cousin who was involved in military intelligence in the Navy. I can't tell you exactly what he did, because he would never tell me. Not in a secretive "I'm special" way as Rick constantly tries to pull off. He just said "you don't need to know" and changed the subject.

All the combat vets I've known may talk about mates they knew, playing up and screwing around, but never talk about battles they fought or friends who didn't make it back.

I also had an archery coach who liked to brag that he was also a marksmanship instructor for the Rangers. He turned out to be a complete liar, and he is the guy Rick most reminds me of. This jerk did a lot of damage to a lot of kids with his emotional manipulation and mindgames, and it was his stench on Rick that put me in a frothing rage a couple of weeks ago.

I hope he's no longer coaching.

The thing is, there's a modesty born of competence that military people, and in particular, military intelligence people, carry themselves with. Rick ain't got it.

Maybe he's like the wanker sergeant character in Good Morning Vietnam.

[Papergirl]

All the combat vets I've known may talk about mates they knew, playing up and screwing around, but never talk about battles they fought or friends who didn't make it back.

My Dad talks about *some* of the battles and friends he lost. However, MOST of his stories revolve around screwing around and having fun. One of his favorite stories is about playing around on a ship. I'll double-check to make sure I have the details right before posting it, but it IS amusing. And, somewhere in a box, he has 8mm films proving his stories.

Dick's full of shit. We all know that. If he knew jack shit about the military, and/or was actually in it, he wouldn't hesitate to give us the info we've requested.

Speaking of: Hey, Dick! I know you're reading this! So...

What's the name of the book that ALL Marines recieve, and what color is the cover? Come on, peanut, this isn't a hard question to answer, and certainly won't give us any details about you.

~Bev

[Cam63]

Is it a Martha Stewart book !?

[Papergirl]

Is it a Martha Stewart book !?
Damn!

How'd you guess?!

~Bev

[Cam63]

It was a lucky guess.

My other option was Paris Hilton's biography.

[Danny Donovan]

It was a lucky guess.

My other option was Paris Hilton's biography.

that would be the Rangers. :p

[wishlish]

The black hole of lies is my title of choice for Olney. Could be wrong though. There might be a bigger fibber out there. I just don't want to meet them.

JP

I imagine finding the true words to describe Olney would involve a lot of shouting, swearing, and Dragonball-Z effects, sort of like Cartman at the end of the South Park movie.

[SteveForbes]

Dragonball Z: a whole lot of talking with very little action to back it up.

Himself: a whole lot of talking with very little action to back it up.

Coinkidink? I think not.

-llama

[Joshua Pantalleresco]

Dragonball Z: a whole lot of talking with very little action to back it up.

Himself: a whole lot of talking with very little action to back it up.

Coinkidink? I think not.

-llama

Hmm...never thought of it that way before. could point. So which character is Olney in DBZ? I was thinking that old geezer that originally controlled Majun Bu...

JP

[SteveForbes]

DBZ isn't really my thing. Too much talking and too little action. And the Cell saga- it took them something like 8 cat lifetimes to beat him. No, I like shows that have forward progress. DBZ was much more of my cousin's thing.

Long story short, I don't know who Himself would be. He probably thinks of himself as Goku, though. I'd say he's much more like the narrator: always on the outside looking in.

-llama

[amboy00]

DBZ has better action figures. And at least at the end of of a DBZ story arc, it pays off.

[Cam63]

that would be the Rangers. :p

Combat or Lone ?

[Ronée]

Kininger used to show up (very) occasionally at the Comicon.com messboards and attempt to defend some inane Rickism or other. When confronted with the illogical aspects of his arguments, he'd leave the forum without further response. It always seemed to me that he must have some extra-large blinders on to misinterpret what Olney was really all about. Sorta unlikely that anyone with any kind of ethical scruples would remain loyal to a bugfuckered pissbucket like Olney, despite whatever history they may have had.

I'm inclined to reiterate that Gail once thought The Stinky One was merely a harmless doofus too. Appearances (and first impressions) can be deceiving...negative olfactory stimuli can be illuminating. :evilsmileI honestly thought that Rick was just misunderstood and a little easily distracted but with the best of intentions, and i said that to the few very good friends that tried to warn me (sorry Gail) but honestly, he seemed harmless if not a little over zealous at the time. he plays the sympathy card well, as the deaths in his family evoked my motherly instinct to help fix things and protect him as much as possible. But soon it became clear that he was manipulative and controlling and had no intention of paying even his closest "friends" who were still standing by him.

I don't just cut bait on people, I stick around... try to help. I want to fix the world pretty much. After weeks of fielding emails from unhappy creators, being told it was essentially Chuck's fault I was not being paid, then watching him act the fool on message boards no matter how many times i told him not to even go back...

But the kicker... the thing that did it for me was when I had to call him up literally crying from my moms house in Florida, begging him to pay me something... ANYTHING, I had just found out about my husbands indiscretion and he was moving out, I had to have something to help with the kids and such in the painful transistion ahead and he assured me he was sending two checks.. one 2nd day air to my mothers house, one to my house.

4 days later I left Florida with no check, and my mother pretty much knowing my "boss" was an asshole. For days I called asking if they got mail for me to no avail, all this time Rick swearing it was there and even offered me the tracking number. But when I asked for that number he seemed to have lost it somewhere in his office. Niether check came, and of course it was not his fault. Damn post office... then it was his courier, or some young boy he had helping him at his haunted attraction in october.

I was selfish for asking for what I was rightfully owed if you asked Rick at the time, after all, HIS life was hard.

[GCom]

But the kicker... the thing that did it for me was when I had to call him up literally crying from my moms house in Florida, begging him to pay me something... ANYTHING, I had just found out about my husbands indiscretion and he was moving out, I had to have something to help with the kids and such in the painful transistion ahead and he assured me he was sending two checks.. one 2nd day air to my mothers house, one to my house.

4 days later I left Florida with no check, and my mother pretty much knowing my "boss" was an asshole. For days I called asking if they got mail for me to no avail, all this time Rick swearing it was there and even offered me the tracking number. But when I asked for that number he seemed to have lost it somewhere in his office. Niether check came, and of course it was not his fault. Damn post office... then it was his courier, or some young boy he had helping him at his haunted attraction in october.


If this is what happened, YOU Mr. OLNEY, have just proved yourself to be the lowest piece of prehistoric frog-crap in the world. Damn. I'm gonna remember this one.

Ronée, my condolences.


With Tolerance For The Blights In Our World...

GCom

[SteveForbes]

If this is what happened, YOU Mr. OLNEY, have just proved yourself to be the lowest piece of prehistoric frog-crap in the world. Damn. I'm gonna remember this one.

Ronée, my condolences.


With Tolerance For The Blights In Our World...

GCom

When I was in the military, a friend of mine could not stand this other Marine. He called this guy whale sperm. His reasoning? Unused whale sperm doesn't fertilize any eggs, and settles down on the bottom of the ocean floor, and you can't get any lower or be more useless than that.

-llama

[Danny Donovan]

If this is what happened, YOU Mr. OLNEY, have just proved yourself to be the lowest piece of prehistoric frog-crap in the world. Damn. I'm gonna remember this one.

Ronée, my condolences.


With Tolerance For The Blights In Our World...

GCom

I can vouch for this type of thing happening and I completely believe every word Ronee said, because I got the same treatment when I was looking for my owed money (after a year of false promises) to help pay my dying father's medical bills, and being called a bully (and other choice things I won't say in front of mixed company) for dare thinking I had any claim on "tragedy" ---

I remember trying originally to get money after my mother had a minor stroke/heart problem again, promises which became threats later.

So basically I can vouch for the fact that there's a pattern to Ronee's story.

[Danny Donovan]

Oh, and just so everyone knows, I heard back from Dennis. He's still an awesome dude and he's actually here on CBR, but staying away from this particular thread because he's not a part of any of the mess going on here and doesn't really want to get embroiled in personal attacks and whatnot.

I'm not going to say anymore than that as to not betray confidences but just so y'all know ease up on Dennis. He's a genuinely good person that just made poor choices in company. We've all done that in our lives.

[Ronée]

That was just one of the stories and reasons why I am so bitter now. There is much more, but people out there are really starting to give me a hard time for "telling tales" on Olney and buying into his victim role, i can't or won't go into all of the details but there is much people do not realize about this man.

[Papergirl]

That was just one of the stories and reasons why I am so bitter now. There is much more, but people out there are really starting to give me a hard time for "telling tales" on Olney and buying into his victim role, i can't or won't go into all of the details but there is much people do not realize about this man.
WHOA. Who's giving you a hard time?

For god's sake, you've MORE than earned the right to "tell tales" on this creep. Anyone who says otherwise needs to pull their head OUT of their ass and look at reality.

~Bev

[TomStillwell]

Holy smokes! This auction is really shaping up.

Check out the list of contributors.

Kurt Busiek
Tony Isabella
Mark Waid
Larry Dixon
Mercedes Lackey
Troy Hickman
Colleen Doran
Taki Soma
Paul D. Storrie
James Owen
Scott Shaw!
Nat Gertler & About Comics
Lance Boucher
Timothy J. Tobolski
Jim Taylor
Nicola Scott
Tom Beland
Jamal Igle
Gail Simone
Nicola Scott
Marv Wolfman
Karen Ellis
Cully Hamner
Craig Kemper
Jim MacQuarrie
Chuck Satterlee

I want to thank these folks for stepping up to the plate.

[Magneto_X]

That's an awesome line-up Tom!

[EdContradictory]

But the kicker... the thing that did it for me was when I had to call him up literally crying from my moms house in Florida, begging him to pay me something... ANYTHING, I had just found out about my husbands indiscretion and he was moving out, I had to have something to help with the kids and such in the painful transistion ahead and he assured me he was sending two checks.. one 2nd day air to my mothers house, one to my house.

4 days later I left Florida with no check, and my mother pretty much knowing my "boss" was an asshole. For days I called asking if they got mail for me to no avail, all this time Rick swearing it was there and even offered me the tracking number. But when I asked for that number he seemed to have lost it somewhere in his office. Niether check came, and of course it was not his fault. Damn post office... then it was his courier, or some young boy he had helping him at his haunted attraction in october.
You know, next time someone accuses this thread of dogpiling... let's just repost this.

[SteveForbes]

Just send them over to the UnScrewed! site to read the chronology. Everyone saying the same thing during different timeframes can't ALL be lying. Hell, even his posts and flopping like a fish out of water should be enough to convince any sane, rational human being that there's at least SOMETHING about him that's not all kosher. (and that's giving him a huge benefit of the doubt!)

-llama

[AIPman1]

Preponderance of the evidence says that Rick Olney has lied, has taken advantage of, and otherwise abused, more comic creators than anyone else I know exists. There is NO ONE that will speak up on his behalf, that he is indeed doing right by anyone.

Even the people that have gotten small amounts of cash out of the man have nothing good to say about him.

Anyone that is out there berating anyone for actions against Olney, should come HERE and post their opinions. I think we ALL really want to understand how anyone can be on HIS side of an argument.

Can someone post an update on the lawsuits pending. We've been told he's been served...but are there any actual COURT DATES yet? Can specific complaints be made public yet?

And is there ANY evidence that Olney has made ANY legal action against anyone at this time? Surely if he's planning to bring hellfire down upon Gail, there's been some sort of cease and decist letter, or something, anything.

[Dennis Kininger]

Oh, and just so everyone knows, I heard back from Dennis. He's still an awesome dude and he's actually here on CBR, but staying away from this particular thread because he's not a part of any of the mess going on here and doesn't really want to get embroiled in personal attacks and whatnot.

I'm not going to say anymore than that as to not betray confidences but just so y'all know ease up on Dennis. He's a genuinely good person that just made poor choices in company. We've all done that in our lives.


Okay Danny, before I start addressing this session of the "Rick Olney Revenge Squad", let me just ask you to please NOT put words in my mouth!

I've had the pleasure of knowing Rick and his great family outside of comics for many years now and still consider him a dear friend.

I certainly DON'T consider him a "poor choice in company", as you chose to put it. I appreciate the nice comments about me but please don't do this again.

As to why I haven't involved myself in this monster thread of Gail's, there are many reasons and I really don't have to post here in the first place but I chose to today.

First, I find flame wars or whatever they're called very pointless and I have too much else to do instead of frittering away my time on them. I also really don't care about how I'm perceived online and who likes me or doesn't like me. I'm not that hard to find. If anyone wants to chat, just email me and I'll reply. I have the real world to occupy my time. Instead of mega-gripes, why not do something about it?

I have no involvement in Tightlip's business affairs, so there's really not much point in my commenting on topics which I had no part of.

As to ORCA, I was there at its inception and I was there through its highs and lows.

You're all welcome to believe Rick or not, it really makes no difference to me but I have no reason to lie about anything so you're welcome to believe me or not when I say that all of Rick's comments about ORCA are TRUE.

We DID send thousands of free comics through the mail to often very grateful readers. New readers are good for the comics industry...aren't they?

We DID inspire Free Comic Book Day. We DID create the Comics in the Classroom program. Sites promoting free comics got the idea from us. I still communicate with grateful readers through the mail from time to time.

I was involved in ORCA for YEARS, I was happy and proud to be its President and everything we did actually happened. I should know, I was THERE. If anyone wishes to say otherwise, you know how to reach me.

As to Rick? I consider myself lucky to have been his friend all these years and I'm certainly not going to sever my ties with him now.

Yes, he's overly enthusiastic at times and, yes, he often takes on too much at times.

Yes, he's pissed me off a time or two, but it takes more than this to make me sever a years long friendship. No, he's not perfect and I'm certainly not perfect.

I've said my peace, so I'll wrap this up.


Dennis

[DocAbsurd]

Did it ever occur to those outside this thread that the reason it seems like 'dog-piling' is simply because of the sheer volume of creators he's jerked off without so much as a Happy Meal and a rental from Blockbuster?

I wrote some of those columns before my divorce. He actually asked me to write it weekly, and at $50 a pop, no way I was gonna refuse.

When he couldn't 'secure the funds' after 6 months, I had to find a job outside the house at a local corner store. That left the Things alone with their abusive mother. I'm in no way implying he was the cause of that situation, but if I'd been home to protect them more, at least I wouldn't be carrying around the guilt I do.

When we were on the verge of being evicted, I again asked about the money. I was on the 'top' of his list.

After I kicked the ex out, I needed the funds for a deposit on a new place. More excuses.

I again asked when I lost that job. Went three months without a dime in the house. I didn't ask anymore after that, even when the child support stopped last May. I'm sensitive enough to care more about others' situations than my own; I honestly felt bad for what he 'told' me he was going thru.

But when he's the one personally responsible for putting families in undue anxiety and unnecessary financial hardships, our finally coming out in the open about his improprieties is hardly 'dog-piling'. We're the 'whiners', but the near-catastrophes he's caused by simply ignoring the creators he personally hired are supposed to be glossed over, forgiven, swept away as neatly as he deletes his laughable defenses.

Feck, just how cold have people become? We were looking for creative outlets, not a chance to get our names in the spotlight by hooking up with this tub-scum. Do they honestly believe we asked him to screw us over just so we could brag about it at a later date?

If someone worked 20 minutes overtime at their 9-to-5, you can damn well bet they'd be bitching up a storm if it didn't show up on next week's paycheck, and they sure as shyte wouldn't hesitate to bad-mouth the manager, the CEO, the company for shorting them. Why should this be any different?

Oh, that's right; it's only a 'hobby'.

[Ronée]

Okay
You're all welcome to believe Rick or not, it really makes no difference to me but I have no reason to lie about anything so you're welcome to believe me or not when I say that all of Rick's comments about ORCA are TRUE.

We DID send thousands of free comics through the mail to often very grateful readers. New readers are good for the comics industry...aren't they?

We DID inspire Free Comic Book Day. We DID create the Comics in the Classroom program. Sites promoting free comics got the idea from us. I still communicate with grateful readers through the mail from time to time.

I was involved in ORCA for YEARS, I was happy and proud to be its President and everything we did actually happened. I should know, I was THERE. If anyone wishes to say otherwise, you know how to reach me.

I'd personally like to see proof that ORCA in fact "inspired" free comic book day and the comics in the classroom program. it should be simple to prove if it is true...

[Typo Lad]

I'm just confussed about the "the" in "the comics in the classroom".

Which one?

When I was in first grade and having trouble reading a teacher gave me comics. Does that count?

[SteveForbes]

I'm just confussed about the "the" in "the comics in the classroom".

Which one?

Read it again. He didn't say "the comics in the classroom," he said "the comics in the classroom program."

-llama

[Kurt Busiek]

I'd personally like to see proof that ORCA in fact "inspired" free comic book day and the comics in the classroom program. it should be simple to prove if it is true...

Joe Field, the creator of Free Comic Book Day, is on record, over and over, that Free Comic Book Day was directly inspired by Free Ice Cream Cone Day at Baskin-Robbins, something he witnessed working at the Baskin-Robbins store near his comics store.

I am far readier to believe Joe than to believe Rick -- especially since Rick is on record in some places as saying he's not sure ORCA inspired FCBD but he tends to think so, and in others saying flat-out that the idea came from ORCA. Joe has no reason to lie. Rick, apparently, needs no reason to -- and often lies when it involves making him look better.

So that's one down.

kdb

[Typo Lad]

Read it again. He didn't say "the comics in the classroom," he said "the comics in the classroom program."

-llama
But which one? There have been a couple of 'em.

[Ronée]

Joe Field, the creator of Free Comic Book Day, is on record, over and over, that Free Comic Book Day was directly inspired by Free Ice Cream Cone Day at Baskin-Robbins, something he witnessed working at the Baskin-Robbins store near his comics store.

I am far readier to believe Joe than to believe Rick -- especially since Rick is on record in some places as saying he's not sure ORCA inspired FCBD but he tends to think so, and in others saying flat-out that the idea came from ORCA. Joe has no reason to lie. Rick, apparently, needs no reason to -- and often lies when it involves making him look better.

So that's one down.

kdbSee, that makes more sense to me. while I am sure that ORCA did wonderful things in its time I seriously doubt that Joe Field was inspired by ORCA to start FCBD.

[SteveForbes]

But which one? There have been a couple of 'em.

A couple of programs, or a couple of comics?

-(now I'm confused) llama

[Gail Simone]

Dennis, you know I think highly of you, I don't want to see people say bad things about you, and defending a friend is a fine thing, and in fact, I was drafting a note asking people to leave you out of this when I refreshed and saw your post.

But you said thousands of comics were sent. Are you saying it was thousands, or Rick's claim that it was 750,000?

And Dennis, when you look at the parade of people who have been lied to and threatened here, are you saying all of us are lying? Because it's your dear friend who was doing all this lying and cheating.

Have you no sense at all of empathy for the people he's betrayed, lied to and threatened? And as I asked you previously, how would you feel if your employer lied to you and chose not to pay you for your work at the library and then threatened to sue you when you brought it up? What if he called you a 'sick bitch' and a 'douche bag?' What if he threatened you physically?

Defending a friend is admirable, Dennis, and I've repeatedly ask people to leave you out of this. But this isn't a 'flame war,' as you very insensitively put it. It's based on some REPULSIVE behavior that should NEVER be tolerated, and I think it's far, far too much dishonorable behavior to be minimized as if it's one of Rick's regular meltdowns.

You're a better person than this, Dennis. I still hold you in high regard, but to tut tut the people who have been GENUINELY cheated and abused while conveniently ignoring that your friend has committed egregiously disgusting behavior for many, many years is simply too much. I refuse to believe you have no sympathy for Rick's many, many victims.

Gail

[Typo Lad]

A couple of programs, or a couple of comics?

-(now I'm confused) llama
A couple of programs. Sorry.

[Kurt Busiek]

See, that makes more sense to me. while I am sure that ORCA did wonderful things in its time I seriously doubt that Joe Field was inspired by ORCA to start FCBD.

He wasn't.

Virtually everything about FCBD is directly modeled on Free Ice Cream Cone Day. It's about getting people to come in to comics stores to get free stuff, which makes them aware of where the store is and gets them inside and looking around. That's the purpose of both FCBD and Free Ice Cream Cone Day.

ORCA's approach (according to what Rick has said, including in posts criticizing FCBD for not doing it his way) is more about going past the DM and simply trying to expose new readers to the form, not particularly to drive them into comics stores. [And how that squares with sending issues of ASTRO CITY to a guy who was already a fan, well, go figure.]

Put simply: FCBD is designed to be exactly what it is -- a way to get potential customers to come in to comics stores. Exactly the way Free Ice Cream Cone Day worked for B-R. It's where Joe said he got the idea, it's how the days is designed, how it works -- there's no reason whatsoever to think Joe isn't being straightforward about it.

kdb

[SteveForbes]

A couple of programs. Sorry.


Oh, why didn't you say so?

It was that one that time when that thing was done. You remember, right?

See? Easily cleared up.

-(unconfuseled) llama

[Typo Lad]

Oh, why didn't you say so?

It was that one that time when that thing was done. You remember, right?

See? Easily cleared up.

-(unconfuseled) llama
Oh! Was that the time with the stuff?

[Sarah Beach]

You know what? I'm willing to accept Dennis at his word on the nature of his relationship with RO. It obviously extends outside the comics arena, and if he feels he has cause to remain loyal, let's not berate him. He may share an interest in comics with the rest of us, but he's not trying to be a publisher or big wheel, and doesn't deserve doubt or to be smeared with the tar for RO.

I do believe that ORCA did distribute a lot of comics, and was active in getting books to a lot of people. And their efforts at that probably did coincide with efforts to launch Free Comics Day and various notable "comics in the classroom" programs. "Inspire" might be too forceful a term, since (in other arenas) I've seen "simultaneous invention" of groups that have similar aims. So, do I think ORCA was ground zero for all these activities? No. Do I believe there was supportive communication between ORCA & others with similar ideas? Sure, why not?

So, let's leave it at that. Let's concede that RO did have a knack for hitting on ideas & concepts that are genuinely good in an objective sense. And that some of his activities have served that good.

That's fair and honest, and we need to keep that in mind in the midst of our outrage over RO's treatment of creative talents. We don't really need to trash those achievements, such as they are. (Even Doom loves his mother.) We don't need to speculate that those few achievements are none existant.

There is plenty evidence that in spite of these few good things ORCA & RO-with-ORCA have achieved, that RO treats most people very badly indeed.

That's just my "dash of reality" for today.

Like I said, there is plenty of evidence for the peanut's bad behavior. We don't need to call into doubt or smear any of the few good things he's left in his wake.

(I'll now return you to my regularly scheduled sarcasm. ;) )

[Sean_Jackson]

Did it ever occur to those outside this thread that the reason it seems like 'dog-piling' is simply because of the sheer volume of creators he's jerked off without so much as a Happy Meal and a rental from Blockbuster?
Hey! Leave Blockbuster outta this. What did we ever do to you?

[SUPERECWFAN1]

How influential is Olney? (http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dunes/7867/BoF1_2.html)

Back in 1998, the call went out!



And just last year, IT FINALLY HAPPENED!

Wow, what a mover and shaker and power broker!

Do you really wanna give the guy another thing to stretch the truth on ? So that in a few years he can say that due to Orca harrasing Marvel for years , Joe Quesada finally caved in. ;)

[Typo Lad]

You know what? I'm willing to accept Dennis at his word on the nature of his relationship with RO. It obviously extends outside the comics arena, and if he feels he has cause to remain loyal, let's not berate him. He may share an interest in comics with the rest of us, but he's not trying to be a publisher or big wheel, and doesn't deserve doubt or to be smeared with the tar for RO.

I do believe that ORCA did distribute a lot of comics, and was active in getting books to a lot of people. And their efforts at that probably did coincide with efforts to launch Free Comics Day and various notable "comics in the classroom" programs. "Inspire" might be too forceful a term, since (in other arenas) I've seen "simultaneous invention" of groups that have similar aims. So, do I think ORCA was ground zero for all these activities? No. Do I believe there was supportive communication between ORCA & others with similar ideas? Sure, why not?

So, let's leave it at that. Let's concede that RO did have a knack for hitting on ideas & concepts that are genuinely good in an objective sense. And that some of his activities have served that good.

That's fair and honest, and we need to keep that in mind in the midst of our outrage over RO's treatment of creative talents. We don't really need to trash those achievements, such as they are. (Even Doom loves his mother.) We don't need to speculate that those few achievements are none existant.

There is plenty evidence that in spite of these few good things ORCA & RO-with-ORCA have achieved, that RO treats most people very badly indeed.

That's just my "dash of reality" for today.

Like I said, there is plenty of evidence for the peanut's bad behavior. We don't need to call into doubt or smear any of the few good things he's left in his wake.

(I'll now return you to my regularly scheduled sarcasm. ;) )
I'm with Ms. Beach. Let's focus on what we've seen done here in this thread (threats, slurs, libel) and what has occured to those who worked for him (non-payment, threats, malicious gossip).

Frankly, that's enough.

[Danny Donovan]

Okay Danny, before I start addressing this session of the "Rick Olney Revenge Squad", let me just ask you to please NOT put words in my mouth!

I've had the pleasure of knowing Rick and his great family outside of comics for many years now and still consider him a dear friend.

I certainly DON'T consider him a "poor choice in company", as you chose to put it. I appreciate the nice comments about me but please don't do this again.

Dennis


Dennis, I am deeply sorry for any offense I may have offered. I was just tired of seeing your name brought up in a negative light. I consider you a friend, and I think very highly of you and your work, and I wanted to make sure everyone knew that what you had no party in Rick's mess. Because Rick has countless times tried to paint you as an accomplice or rather a scapegoat when things went wrong, I didn't want to see people linking you up with his business dealings.

I respect your defense of your friend and you're a damn fine person for doing so. And as a person, maybe he's not that bad. As a businessman? I wouldn't let him sell ice in a desert. I strongly feel whatever successes ORCA had was due to YOU and others around you, because honestly after seeing the clusterfuck of Rick's managing over on the boards, the columns, the conventions, and the publishing arena I would not think of him as very organizational minded and ANY group has to have organizational minded people involved. Otherwise they're just taking up space (and credit for things they don't deserve to.)

I also don't believe this is a flame thread. This is a grievance thread. This is something that went on forever because of Rick's behavior. We WILL be getting our due back. This is not about "being mean to Rick" this is about saying "you owe us money, and whether you like it or not you will pay."

Thing is Dennis, I don't dislike Rick or wish him ill, I don't really think of him at all outside how he's treated my friends and myself. As soon as I have my due, I won't give it another thought, aside from helping Unscrewed! anyway I can.

And as I said, I in no means meant to "put words in your mouth." if you thought I did, it was probably a case of my "misspeaking" All I said was that you were still a damn good person, and for people not to judge others by the company they keep. I never meant to imply that you thought he was not a good friend.

I'm just saying I don't particularly think he's a good person. But I would never treat someone as if they had the plague merely because they found some redeeming quality in people I found irredemeable.

Again my deepest, deepest, apologies for any misunderstanding..

[Kurt Busiek]

But which one? There have been a couple of 'em.

Rick claims to have created CrossGen's Bridges program.

He apparently makes no similar claim for MoCCA's "Comics in the Classroom" program, however.

He has represented himself as the owner and originator of the program on the "comics in the classroom" website that came up earlier in the thread, but that turned out to be a scam on his part. He'd conned the actual owner of the site and the material thereon into putting an inaccurate copyright notice on it based on the fraudulent claim that Rick owned the name -- which, as noted, would not have been a copyright issue even if it had been true.

Rick has also claimed to have started Marvel's 99-cent comics program, something I never heard one peep about in all the time I worked on it. This may boil down merely to Rick being one of the many, many, many, many people over the years who've said that if comics were cheaper they'd sell more, and assuming that when Marvel tried it they were inspired by him rather than any of the thousands of others or some other source.

But it's impressive how when you do Google searches on this stuff, you can find tons of instances of Rick taking credit for these things, but not so much when it comes to people who actually worked on them confirming that.

Maybe every single one of them just independently happens to be a bunch of lying bastids. Or maybe the guy who repeatedly lied to and cheated creators for years has problems telling the truth.

Dennis says that everything Rick says about ORCA is true, and invites us to believe him or not, as we choose. Since I know from direct experience that some of Rick's claims about ORCA are flatly not true, I choose to view the rest with a healthy skepticism.

kdb

[AIPman1]

He wasn't.

Virtually everything about FCBD is directly modeled on Free Ice Cream Cone Day. It's about getting people to come in to comics stores to get free stuff, which makes them aware of where the store is and gets them inside and looking around. That's the purpose of both FCBD and Free Ice Cream Cone Day.

ORCA's approach (according to what Rick has said, including in posts criticizing FCBD for not doing it his way) is more about going past the DM and simply trying to expose new readers to the form, not particularly to drive them into comics stores. [And how that squares with sending issues of ASTRO CITY to a guy who was already a fan, well, go figure.]

Put simply: FCBD is designed to be exactly what it is -- a way to get potential customers to come in to comics stores. Exactly the way Free Ice Cream Cone Day worked for B-R. It's where Joe said he got the idea, it's how the days is designed, how it works -- there's no reason whatsoever to think Joe isn't being straightforward about it.

kdb
Something I can shed more light on!

When Orca, SPA, and Inter-fan were all working together, before the MMC Gail and I both attended, We discussed this:

http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/smallpress/105040570272377.htm

Nothing ever came of it for the show, nor past that announcement.

[SteveForbes]

Oh! Was that the time with the stuff?

Yep! See? Told you you'd remember.

And Sarah, not to really disagree with you, but I'm more in line with Gail- although I don't totally agree with her, either.

From reading the post, Dennis has stated that he hasn't really read anything that's posted here, out of deference to his friend. He's too busy doing other things in the real world.

Now, I do think that his blind eye is only "legally blind", meaning it could be corrected with corrected lenses or surgery. The deaf ear also needs a hearing aid.

Just as there are two sides to every story, it seems that he prefers only to hear Himself's side because they're friends.

Then again, Doc Absurd was his friend, and look where that got him.

So, I think that both Sarah and Gail are right- but Gail is a lot more right (and more outraged) than Sarah.

-(three cents of the) llama

[SUPERECWFAN1]

I honestly thought that Rick was just misunderstood and a little easily distracted but with the best of intentions, and i said that to the few very good friends that tried to warn me (sorry Gail) but honestly, he seemed harmless if not a little over zealous at the time. he plays the sympathy card well, as the deaths in his family evoked my motherly instinct to help fix things and protect him as much as possible. But soon it became clear that he was manipulative and controlling and had no intention of paying even his closest "friends" who were still standing by him.

I don't just cut bait on people, I stick around... try to help. I want to fix the world pretty much. After weeks of fielding emails from unhappy creators, being told it was essentially Chuck's fault I was not being paid, then watching him act the fool on message boards no matter how many times i told him not to even go back...

But the kicker... the thing that did it for me was when I had to call him up literally crying from my moms house in Florida, begging him to pay me something... ANYTHING, I had just found out about my husbands indiscretion and he was moving out, I had to have something to help with the kids and such in the painful transistion ahead and he assured me he was sending two checks.. one 2nd day air to my mothers house, one to my house.

4 days later I left Florida with no check, and my mother pretty much knowing my "boss" was an asshole. For days I called asking if they got mail for me to no avail, all this time Rick swearing it was there and even offered me the tracking number. But when I asked for that number he seemed to have lost it somewhere in his office. Niether check came, and of course it was not his fault. Damn post office... then it was his courier, or some young boy he had helping him at his haunted attraction in october.

I was selfish for asking for what I was rightfully owed if you asked Rick at the time, after all, HIS life was hard.


That even hurt me reading what you posted. By god ... if someone had just been some hellious things with deaths in their family how could they not feel for someone else going thru a bad spot ?

[Kurt Busiek]

Something I can shed more light on!

When Orca, SPA, and Inter-fan were all working together, before the MMC Gail and I both attended, We discussed this:

http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/smallpress/105040570272377.htm

Nothing ever came of it for the show, nor past that announcement.

And, as noted -- that nonexistent program was a response to FCBD, not the inspiration for it.

kdb

[AIPman1]

In all our discussions of doing that...I don't remember him claiming to have been the inspriation for the FCBD - now, my dyslexic, memory problem brain might be forgetting, but...you'd think he might have said something back then...wish I still had the forum posts from back then....

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Dennis, you know I think highly of you, I don't want to see people say bad things about you, and defending a friend is a fine thing, and in fact, I was drafting a note asking people to leave you out of this when I refreshed and saw your post.

But you said thousands of comics were sent. Are you saying it was thousands, or Rick's claim that it was 750,000?

And Dennis, when you look at the parade of people who have been lied to and threatened here, are you saying all of us are lying? Because it's your dear friend who was doing all this lying and cheating.

Have you no sense at all of empathy for the people he's betrayed, lied to and threatened? And as I asked you previously, how would you feel if your employer lied to you and chose not to pay you for your work at the library and then threatened to sue you when you brought it up? What if he called you a 'sick bitch' and a 'douche bag?' What if he threatened you physically?

Defending a friend is admirable, Dennis, and I've repeatedly ask people to leave you out of this. But this isn't a 'flame war,' as you very insensitively put it. It's based on some REPULSIVE behavior that should NEVER be tolerated, and I think it's far, far too much dishonorable behavior to be minimized as if it's one of Rick's regular meltdowns.

You're a better person than this, Dennis. I still hold you in high regard, but to tut tut the people who have been GENUINELY cheated and abused while conveniently ignoring that your friend has committed egregiously disgusting behavior for many, many years is simply too much. I refuse to believe you have no sympathy for Rick's many, many victims.

Gail


Gail I think with Dennis its more than something online. The 2 have a history that stretches back for years and sometimes we as people have blinders on. I know I have with some old pals and how I'd give them unlimited chances and disregarded their actions a lot.

Me and a old pal from grade school used to hit the bars on the weekends. Of course he would get plastered and me I'd drink enough to not get placed under a table. I'd be our designated driver . But as the drinking became worse he started to get into the bad habits of thinking he was SUPERMAN or WOLVERINE.

Now , yeah its like that Toby Kieth song " I Ain't As Good As I Once Was ." If a pal yells he's in over his head and is near a fight I'll back him up. I'll go and if I know I'm over-matched then I accept it and try to give as much as I can. But with my old pal he started doing this on a weekly basis nearly.

With my job , beyond the sore bones and the late hours I can't keep doing it. Plus I really hated walking in a bar wantin to shoot pool and end up outside in a fight because my pal got drunk and insulted someone. I finally laid out an ultimatuim to my friend after I recieved a black eye and busted lip and told him the excessive drinking had to end.

He couldn't stop. Its like when he threw the beers back he threw the switch to BADASS . I had to stop going with him as did a few others. They even said he should stop. Finally he did a few years later. But by then many of us were irked by his behavior and were slowly coming around him.

[Danny Donovan]

Rick has also claimed to have started Marvel's 99-cent comics program, something I never heard one peep about in all the time I worked on it. This may boil down merely to Rick being one of the many, many, many, many people over the years who've said that if comics were cheaper they'd sell more, and assuming that when Marvel tried it they were inspired by him rather than any of the thousands of others or some other source.



As I said in an older post (and it may not be 100% true, but just what I know of this) is it came from a Marvel retailer summit where the largest concern among the group was needing some more point of sale books to get people into their shops. Having some books with popular characters that are offered at an affordable price that when placed near the enterance of the store (or in the window) it entices people to come in and shop.

Again I'm not sure how totally factual it is. but it sounds about right to me.

[Charles RB]

I do believe that ORCA did distribute a lot of comics, and was active in getting books to a lot of people.

You can, but I don't.

[Ronée]

That even hurt me reading what you posted. By god ... if someone had just been some hellious things with deaths in their family how could they not feel for someone else going thru a bad spot ?
I was literally TOLD I was being selfish once when I again inquired about my payment.

[EdContradictory]

I do believe that ORCA did distribute a lot of comics, and was active in getting books to a lot of people.
You can, but I don't.
Yeah, I don't either. I suspect Olney hoarded a lot of books and then sometimes dumped a bunch at some place like a Salvation Army drop off and thought that counted as giving to charity.

[TomStillwell]

Okay Danny, before I start addressing this session of the "Rick Olney Revenge Squad", let me just ask you to please NOT put words in my mouth!

I've had the pleasure of knowing Rick and his great family outside of comics for many years now and still consider him a dear friend.

I certainly DON'T consider him a "poor choice in company", as you chose to put it. I appreciate the nice comments about me but please don't do this again.

As to why I haven't involved myself in this monster thread of Gail's, there are many reasons and I really don't have to post here in the first place but I chose to today.

First, I find flame wars or whatever they're called very pointless and I have too much else to do instead of frittering away my time on them. I also really don't care about how I'm perceived online and who likes me or doesn't like me. I'm not that hard to find. If anyone wants to chat, just email me and I'll reply. I have the real world to occupy my time. Instead of mega-gripes, why not do something about it?

I have no involvement in Tightlip's business affairs, so there's really not much point in my commenting on topics which I had no part of.

As to ORCA, I was there at its inception and I was there through its highs and lows.

You're all welcome to believe Rick or not, it really makes no difference to me but I have no reason to lie about anything so you're welcome to believe me or not when I say that all of Rick's comments about ORCA are TRUE.

We DID send thousands of free comics through the mail to often very grateful readers. New readers are good for the comics industry...aren't they?

We DID inspire Free Comic Book Day. We DID create the Comics in the Classroom program. Sites promoting free comics got the idea from us. I still communicate with grateful readers through the mail from time to time.

I was involved in ORCA for YEARS, I was happy and proud to be its President and everything we did actually happened. I should know, I was THERE. If anyone wishes to say otherwise, you know how to reach me.

As to Rick? I consider myself lucky to have been his friend all these years and I'm certainly not going to sever my ties with him now.

Yes, he's overly enthusiastic at times and, yes, he often takes on too much at times.

Yes, he's pissed me off a time or two, but it takes more than this to make me sever a years long friendship. No, he's not perfect and I'm certainly not perfect.

I've said my peace, so I'll wrap this up.


Dennis

Dennis,

I just wanted to apologize if anything I posted earlier sounded as a put down in any way.

From all accounts you seem like a very nice guy. It had to be daunting to come in here to say your peace. I commend you for that. You were civil and direct. There's not much more we could ask of you.

I don't believe anyone is asking you to break ties with Rick or comment on TLE's business. You do have insight into ORCA that would prove interesting, especially concerning charities and ORCA's non-profit status.

You are a good friend and no one is associating you with Rick's horrible behavior.

Personally though, if I had a friend acting in such a manner I'd want to help him, not just to stop his actions from hurting others, but also to stop him from hurting himself.

By his own actions Rick has sabotaged any chance he'd ever publish comics. Rick has also destroyed ORCA's reputation, undoing years of good work by you and other members of ORCA.

These things weren't done to him, but by him. As his friend these are things you should care about.

[Ian Boothby]

Joe Field, the creator of Free Comic Book Day, is on record, over and over, that Free Comic Book Day was directly inspired by Free Ice Cream Cone Day at Baskin-Robbins, something he witnessed working at the Baskin-Robbins store near his comics store.
kdb

Can we combine those two and have Free Comics and Ice Cream Day? That would come very close to kicking Christmas's ass.

[amboy00]

He inspired FCBD? Please, the only thing he's inspired was birth control.

[TomStillwell]

He inspired FCBD? Please, the only thing he's inspired was birth control.

He did start Condoms In The Classroom years ago...

[Calliope's Comics]

Papergirl,

Hey just a quick note,
I do not know if anyone pointed this out yet but Paypal only gives you 30 days to dispute a payment, so I would hold onto the money at least until there are only about 15 days to the con, so you can get your money back. We recently had this problem and are still awaiting a refund.

[JohnPopa]

[And how that squares with sending issues of ASTRO CITY to a guy who was already a fan, well, go figure.]


At least it was to a fan. My experience with ORCA was, after getting a letter published in Marvel's first Elektra series (the Peter Milligan one) going on and on about how I thought it was probably the worst comic book I'd ever read in my life, ORCA then sent me a letter offering to send me the entire run of the series since I was such a big fan.

[Draconomicon]

Rick claims to have created CrossGen's Bridges program.

He apparently makes no similar claim for MoCCA's "Comics in the Classroom" program, however.

He has represented himself as the owner and originator of the program on the "comics in the classroom" website that came up earlier in the thread, but that turned out to be a scam on his part. He'd conned the actual owner of the site and the material thereon into putting an inaccurate copyright notice on it based on the fraudulent claim that Rick owned the name -- which, as noted, would not have been a copyright issue even if it had been true.

Rick has also claimed to have started Marvel's 99-cent comics program, something I never heard one peep about in all the time I worked on it. This may boil down merely to Rick being one of the many, many, many, many people over the years who've said that if comics were cheaper they'd sell more, and assuming that when Marvel tried it they were inspired by him rather than any of the thousands of others or some other source.

But it's impressive how when you do Google searches on this stuff, you can find tons of instances of Rick taking credit for these things, but not so much when it comes to people who actually worked on them confirming that.

Maybe every single one of them just independently happens to be a bunch of lying bastids. Or maybe the guy who repeatedly lied to and cheated creators for years has problems telling the truth.

Dennis says that everything Rick says about ORCA is true, and invites us to believe him or not, as we choose. Since I know from direct experience that some of Rick's claims about ORCA are flatly not true, I choose to view the rest with a healthy skepticism.

kdb

You forgot Jonahs former website.
Rick claimed that one was created after a conversation between him and Jonah. Also called Jonah 'friend'.

Then Jonah came into the thread and clarified that Rick was neither a friend, nor inspiration for his website.

[Typo Lad]

At least it was to a fan. My experience with ORCA was, after getting a letter published in Marvel's first Elektra series (the Peter Milligan one) going on and on about how I thought it was probably the worst comic book I'd ever read in my life, ORCA then sent me a letter offering to send me the entire run of the series since I was such a big fan.
...

Please G-d, tell me you framed that.

Not because of Olney, but that's just delicious.

[Kurt Busiek]

At least it was to a fan. My experience with ORCA was, after getting a letter published in Marvel's first Elektra series (the Peter Milligan one) going on and on about how I thought it was probably the worst comic book I'd ever read in my life, ORCA then sent me a letter offering to send me the entire run of the series since I was such a big fan.

Dennis, who I have no reason to distrust, noted that ORCA has given away lots of comics and asked, rhetorically, whether creating new readers wasn't a good thing.

That assumes, however, that the comics being given away are going to potential new readers. If ORCA was recruiting through lettercols, comics websites, industry press and cons, though, that's likely not the case.

Even when you manage to offer them to people who haven't already said they don't like that book...

kdb

[wishlish]

Yes, he's overly enthusiastic at times and, yes, he often takes on too much at times.


He owes freelancers anywhere from 60-100K. When asked to pay those loans, he's crafted tons of lies to cover his tracks.

I'm sorry you're drinking his Kool-Aid.

Well, we've found that Olney does has one friend, one that apparently ignores the facts of the matter and is only supporting Olney out of loyalty. Dennis, just remember that you're known by the friends you keep...and you kept Olney. I hope it works out for you; it doesn't seem to have worked out for anyone else.

[khuxford]

You're a better person than this, Dennis. I still hold you in high regard, but to tut tut the people who have been GENUINELY cheated and abused while conveniently ignoring that your friend has committed egregiously disgusting behavior for many, many years is simply too much.

Gail

I think he mainly just gave a "tut tut" to Danny for the way he phrased the message he was passing along. He pretty much specifically only addressed ORCA stuff. This thread, at times, has become a flame war...because whenever insults are just being traded back and forth without anything constructive, that's what it is. Mind you...I'm not begrudging anyone with what they're saying...Rick has come in, said something inflammatory, and then the thread just descends into a flaming shouting match at some point.

Edit: fixed a typo

[Ronée]

He owes freelancers anywhere from 60-100K. When asked to pay those loans, he's crafted tons of lies to cover his tracks.

I'm sorry you're drinking his Kool-Aid.

Well, we've found that Olney does has one friend, one that apparently ignores the facts of the matter and is only supporting Olney out of loyalty. Dennis, just remember that you're known by the friends you keep...and you kept Olney. I hope it works out for you; it doesn't seem to have worked out for anyone else.I don't believe that attacking Dennis is in order here. He is Ricks' friend and chooses to remain as such and we need to respect that. I personally do not know Dennis, but I have no reason to doubt that he believes what he says as fact. I think that maybe there is error to his reccollection and as such I asked for proof.. and his snap judgement as to our "revenge thread" or whatever was off and slightly rude, but I do not plan to return the favor and I urge the rest of you to do the same.

[EdContradictory]

Mind you...I'm not begrudging anyone with what they're say...Rick has come in, said something inflammatory, and then the thread just descends into a flaming shouting match at some point.
Correction: The greatest flaming shouting match in the history of the Interweb.

[Papergirl]

Papergirl,

Hey just a quick note,
I do not know if anyone pointed this out yet but Paypal only gives you 30 days to dispute a payment, so I would hold onto the money at least until there are only about 15 days to the con, so you can get your money back. We recently had this problem and are still awaiting a refund.
Good point! Thank you! :)

I'm actually going to try to use my credit card, if that option is available without going through paypal. But, if I MUST use paypal, then I'll wait til about 10-15 days before the con.

~Bev

[JTPencils]

Okay Danny, before I start addressing this session of the "Rick Olney Revenge Squad", let me just ask you to please NOT put words in my mouth!

I've had the pleasure of knowing Rick and his great family outside of comics for many years now and still consider him a dear friend.

I certainly DON'T consider him a "poor choice in company", as you chose to put it. I appreciate the nice comments about me but please don't do this again.

As to why I haven't involved myself in this monster thread of Gail's, there are many reasons and I really don't have to post here in the first place but I chose to today.

First, I find flame wars or whatever they're called very pointless and I have too much else to do instead of frittering away my time on them. I also really don't care about how I'm perceived online and who likes me or doesn't like me. I'm not that hard to find. If anyone wants to chat, just email me and I'll reply. I have the real world to occupy my time. Instead of mega-gripes, why not do something about it?

I have no involvement in Tightlip's business affairs, so there's really not much point in my commenting on topics which I had no part of.

As to ORCA, I was there at its inception and I was there through its highs and lows.

You're all welcome to believe Rick or not, it really makes no difference to me but I have no reason to lie about anything so you're welcome to believe me or not when I say that all of Rick's comments about ORCA are TRUE.

We DID send thousands of free comics through the mail to often very grateful readers. New readers are good for the comics industry...aren't they?

We DID inspire Free Comic Book Day. We DID create the Comics in the Classroom program. Sites promoting free comics got the idea from us. I still communicate with grateful readers through the mail from time to time.

I was involved in ORCA for YEARS, I was happy and proud to be its President and everything we did actually happened. I should know, I was THERE. If anyone wishes to say otherwise, you know how to reach me.

As to Rick? I consider myself lucky to have been his friend all these years and I'm certainly not going to sever my ties with him now.

Yes, he's overly enthusiastic at times and, yes, he often takes on too much at times.

Yes, he's pissed me off a time or two, but it takes more than this to make me sever a years long friendship. No, he's not perfect and I'm certainly not perfect.

I've said my peace, so I'll wrap this up.


Dennis

Dennis, I gotta admire you sticking by a friend. That's rare these days. And of course, there's no guilt by association here... Rick's made his own bed to lie in. I've always felt you were a decent and fair guy... and would never say otherwise! I feel kind of bad you were dragged into something you were trying to avoid... but I respect you for saying your peace.

Thanks for stopping by man!

[amboy00]

I don't believe that attacking Dennis is in order here. He is Ricks' friend and chooses to remain as such and we need to respect that. I personally do not know Dennis, but I have no reason to doubt that he believes what he says as fact. I think that maybe there is error to his reccollection and as such I asked for proof.. and his snap judgement as to our "revenge thread" or whatever was off and slightly rude, but I do not plan to return the favor and I urge the rest of you to do the same.

You can have a friend and not agree with him.

Rick's behavior, actions and past statements are reprehensible.

If Dennis is so concerned about defending his li'l buddy, maybe he could chalk up the money owed.

What are friends for after all?

[the4thpip]

But the kicker... the thing that did it for me was when I had to call him up literally crying from my moms house in Florida, begging him to pay me something... ANYTHING, I had just found out about my husbands indiscretion and he was moving out, I had to have something to help with the kids and such in the painful transistion ahead and he assured me he was sending two checks.. one 2nd day air to my mothers house, one to my house.

4 days later I left Florida with no check, and my mother pretty much knowing my "boss" was an asshole. For days I called asking if they got mail for me to no avail, all this time Rick swearing it was there and even offered me the tracking number. But when I asked for that number he seemed to have lost it somewhere in his office. Niether check came, and of course it was not his fault. Damn post office... then it was his courier, or some young boy he had helping him at his haunted attraction in october.

I was selfish for asking for what I was rightfully owed if you asked Rick at the time, after all, HIS life was hard.

Prick is lower than scum. He would screw his own late grandmother and sell tickets to the event. And overcharge.

[Sarah Beach]

You can have a friend and not agree with him.

Rick's behavior, actions and past statements are reprehensible.

If Dennis is so concerned about defending his li'l buddy, maybe he could chalk up the money owed.

What are friends for after all?

Sooooo, if your friends flake out on debts, are you offering to pay what they owe? Or even do the accounting on it?

Dennis has made his own choices, for his own reasons -- which none of us are privy to. That's upstanding, even if we think the person he's doing it for is a jerk of the first water. No need to dump on Dennis for that.

Stay focused on the real target here. Lord knows that's a big enough target as is.

[Danny Donovan]

Sooooo, if your friends flake out on debts, are you offering to pay what they owe? Or even do the accounting on it?

Dennis has made his own choices, for his own reasons -- which none of us are privy to. That's upstanding, even if we think the person he's doing it for is a jerk of the first water. No need to dump on Dennis for that.

Stay focused on the real target here. Lord knows that's a big enough target as is.

Exactly Sarah. Rick deserves everything he's going to get and then some. For his treatment of good and decent people, for his antiquated behavior, and for every underhanded deal he ever put forward. But no one else.

So if no one minds, can we just focus on the villian of the piece? This is the reason we're here after all.

Matt any word on the legalities?

[Danny Donovan]

Kurt Busiek: Comic Book Writer or Man on a Mission?
Category: Life (http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.viewCategory&FriendID=59528410&BlogCategoryID=12)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v425/orcafresh/kurtbusiekth.jpg

Yes, excuse me. But after reading Kurt Busiek's remarks on the "Gail Simone" bully thread at CBR (http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=156451&page=793), I thought I'd respond to be crystal clear on several areas that Mr. Busiek didn't know his ass from a hole in the ground on.




So here are his remarks:



Rick claims to have created CrossGen's Bridges program.



No, Rick Olney claims to have created a 'concept' of using the comic book in educational classroom settings where a comic book can be taken and used from anything simple as -- using comic books to reward proper classroom behavior to the more complex lessons of taking stories and characters to build lesson plans around them for entire classes and grade levels on the Elementary to High School graduation level.


Rick Olney also claims that it was through Mark Alessi, and Tony P. that Beth Widera was brought onboard at CrossGen to guide those efforts with CrossGen's BRIDGES program after ORCA worked with CrossGen to introduce my concept and the guides that ORCA created in actual Florida school test scenarios. Rick Olney, Dennis Kininger, and other agents of ORCA actually made several trips to Florida to visit and spend some time at CrossGen. In 2001, ORCA held an introductory seesion at the Pittsburgh Comicon, supported and acknowledged by CrossGen. In fact, Mark Waid, was scheduled to appear at the session, but had to cancel at the last minute due to illness. We worked with people like Tony P., Ian Feller, and later Chris Oarr for a short time. Funny aside to the Waid aspect of that story was that two years later Chris Oarr during an informal gathering let it be known that Mark Waid wasn't actually sick. He simply blew the request and his confirmation off. Real professional, right?



He apparently makes no similar claim for MoCCA's "Comics in the Classroom" program, however.



You're correct! Rick Olney makes no claim to what MoCCA built. Reason? Because MoCCA looked to be carrying the torch and paying it forward. Which, was all Rick OLney ever wanted in the first place.

He has represented himself as the owner and originator of the program on the "comics in the classroom" website that came up earlier in the thread, but that turned out to be a scam on his part. He'd conned the actual owner of the site and the material thereon into putting an inaccurate copyright notice on it based on the fraudulent claim that Rick owned the name -- which, as noted, would not have been a copyright issue even if it had been true.



No, you actually (again) are wrong. Rick Olney actually contacted the ww.comicsintheclassroom.com website owner, and thinking that he had copyright claim to "comics in the classroom" as a slogan ... asked that that be identified on the www.comicsintheclassroom.com website somewhere. Rick Olney has since had a conversation od two wiith the www.comicsintheclassroom.com website owner and there are no misunderstandings on their part. 'Course, Kurt Busiek would know that IF he had done his follow-up instead of simple assuming otherwise.

Rick has also claimed to have started Marvel's 99-cent comics program, something I never heard one peep about in all the time I worked on it. This may boil down merely to Rick being one of the many, many, many, many people over the years who've said that if comics were cheaper they'd sell more, and assuming that when Marvel tried it they were inspired by him rather than any of the thousands of others or some other source.



No, actually Rick Olney is the little known originator of that idea to Marvel back when he interacted with Jim Brennan, Marvel's person in-charge of Marketing and Publicity back until the late 1990s. It was after several telephone discussion revolving around ORCA (Organized Readers of Comics Associated) and a trip to Marvel's offices that Olney's idea to produce a cheaper line of comic books meant to inspire a more affordable tier of comics came about. Unfortunately, the program failed when retailers didn't want to make space on their shelves or counter for a less costly book that was meant to inspire them to look for and buy other titles carrying the same likewise characters with more involved storytelling. Jim Krueger worked for Jim Brennan (and Vito I.) at that time, along with several other Marvel Bullpen talents. Perhaps Krueger's memory is up to speed on the matter.


But it's impressive how when you do Google searches on this stuff, you can find tons of instances of Rick taking credit for these things, but not so much when it comes to people who actually worked on them confirming that.



Yes, Google can be manipulated. Just trying searching "quality writing" and "Kurt Busiek".

Maybe every single one of them just independently happens to be a bunch of lying bastids. Or maybe the guy who repeatedly lied to and cheated creators for years has problems telling the truth.



No, it is more likely that hateful, cynical people glare through thinly, squinty eyes.

Dennis says that everything Rick says about ORCA is true, and invites us to believe him or not, as we choose. Since I know from direct experience that some of Rick's claims about ORCA are flatly not true, I choose to view the rest with a healthy skepticism.


kdb



And Rick Olney invites Mr. Kurt Busiek to specifically POST those things he claims to believe untruthful to this blog.
Come on, Kurt! Wag your tongue and shake your money maker!

[Paul D. Storrie]

He did start Condoms In The Classroom years ago...

Actually, I think it was Comics in the Condoms. He was trying to come up with an alternative to mylar bags.

PDS

[OzBat!]

Dennis, you've said your piece about your friendship with Rick Olney. But could you clarify a few things about ORCA?

As president, did you ever have anything to do with Rick's oft-claimed charity donations? The Tax-deductability side of things or liaising with St Judes or the Salvation Army?

I ask because you most probably missed it in this monster thread, but we contacted the hospital and they don't appear to have any records about this. And if they follow up on the complaint there could be repercussions for ORCA itself, as well as for Rick.

Any advice gratefully received!

Cheers,
Craig

[amboy00]

Sooooo, if your friends flake out on debts, are you offering to pay what they owe? Or even do the accounting on it?

Dennis has made his own choices, for his own reasons -- which none of us are privy to. That's upstanding, even if we think the person he's doing it for is a jerk of the first water. No need to dump on Dennis for that.

Stay focused on the real target here. Lord knows that's a big enough target as is.

First, I think I pick out better friends than that.

If my friend was a total douche bag, I wouldn't be so quick to defend him in the name of friendship. He's saying, I'm down with this guy screwing people over and I'm going to use my personal account to vouch for him.

I totally "dump" on him for that.

[Sarah Beach]

Danny, were you copying something? 'Cause at first I thought you were commenting on Kurt's statements!

But by the time we got to the CrossGen things, and the "Comics in the Classroom" stuff... I realized this wasn't you talking.

Just sayin' -- better labeling would help a LOT.

[Papergirl]

Dennis, you've said your piece about your friendship with Rick Olney. But could you clarify a few things about ORCA?

As president, did you ever have anything to do with Rick's oft-claimed charity donations? The Tax-deductability side of things or liaising with St Judes or the Salvation Army?

I ask because you most probably missed it in this monster thread, but we contacted the hospital and they don't appear to have any records about this. And if they follow up on the complaint there could be repercussions for ORCA itself, as well as for Rick.

Any advice gratefully received!

Cheers,
Craig
Just to clarify, the donation in question was to St. Jude's, for $500, in 2003.

So far, St. Jude's can find exactly nada.

EDITED TO ADD: Unless Matt got a call today stating otherwise.

~Bev

[Sarah Beach]

First, I think I pick out better friends than that.

If my friend was a total douche bag, I wouldn't be so quick to defend him in the name of friendship. He's saying, I'm down with this guy screwing people over and I'm going to use my personal account to vouch for him.

I totally "dump" on him for that.

Oh, I'm not arguing with you on that point. I'm just saying that Dennis' reasons for standing as he is cover a LOT more territory than we're aware of. And as such, when everyone says very nice things of Dennis aside from his sticking with Rick, we should just respect his choice. He's under no obligation to explain to us why he's doing it.

And you will note that Dennis does NOT comment on RO's actions as "publisher" and "convention runner".

[Buckminster Futter]

Yada yada yada...I've said my peace, so I'll wrap this up.

This guy works in a library? That insidious Olney influence...

Sorry folks, but it's difficult to muster up any sympathy for anyone who would so actively choose to remain ignorant about his big buddy's illegal indiscretions, and then come here and insultingly dismiss those who have been directly harmed by said buddy.

Kininger writes: "...it takes more than this to make me sever a years long friendship." What the hell would it take? Rape? Murder? Overdue books?

Seriously, when I read these accounts of Olney's disreputable horsehockey (most especially Ronee's last horror story), I find it absolutely intolerable. It makes me want to tear out my teeth. But Kininger thinks Rick's "overly enthusiastic at times".

Puh-lease. Grow a pair, Dennis.

[amboy00]

Oh, I'm not arguing with you on that point. I'm just saying that Dennis' reasons for standing as he is cover a LOT more territory than we're aware of. And as such, when everyone says very nice things of Dennis aside from his sticking with Rick, we should just respect his choice. He's under no obligation to explain to us why he's doing it.

And you will note that Dennis does NOT comment on RO's actions as "publisher" and "convention runner".

I wonder if Dennis has a relationship with Rick outside of friendship business wise. I have no involvement in Tightlip's business affairs...

I'm just playing the skeptic here. Come out publicly to disassociate yourself from possible liability now that Rick is getting served (did we confirm that btw?).

"You say he's just a friend, but you say he just a friend"

[Kurt Busiek]

Kurt Busiek: Comic Book Writer or Man on a Mission?

Oo. Rick invites me to post where he can -- and judging by his past behavior, soon will -- delete things.

However, even when he agrees with me on something, he lies. He says:

"You're correct! Rick Olney makes no claim to what MoCCA built."

But it turns out I was mistaken.

On 11/19/03, he did claim to some credit for what MoCCA built, when he said:

"Like everyone else, ORCA will follow the standard press release format in informing the comics community about anything we've accomplished regarding my 'Comics in the Classroom' concept currently being utilized by a few other known entities, such as the CrossGen folks derived BRIDGES program, and MoCCA's C.O. M.I.C.S effort, in our hobby and industry to help schools find comic books and school students read and enjoy their imagination much more."

http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:V3BB9yDZ4hYJ:forum.newsarama.com/archive/index.php/t-6704.html+orca+bridges+crossgen&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=8

Oops. Even when I credit him for not stealing credit, there he is, ballyhooing "his" accomplishments for their utilizing "his" concept. And, of course, subsequently denying that he ever did so.

Plus, I note, he acts as if Free Comic Book Day wasn't even mentioned, perhaps because he knows he can't even try to bury that one...

kdb

[Sarah Beach]

Aside from the fact that we actually got the details and history about the "Comics in the Classroom" matter from the website owner in this thread, and know from his testimony how it came about, that "had a little chat" thing that "cleared up" misunderstandings is a load of crap. This current statement of RO's is him trying to rewrite the image of that interaction. What a sorry attempt at it, too, since the discussion regarding that interaction is right here in this thread! Pfft.

As for this....
And Rick Olney invites Mr. Kurt Busiek to specifically POST those things he claims to believe untruthful to this blog.
Come on, Kurt! Wag your tongue and shake your money maker!

Why does he constantly insist that people COME TO HIS BLOG TO POST? I mean... especially if one is NOT registered on mySpace? I'm not going to bother doing that just to tell a twerp that he's a twerp. Especially when he makes the invitation couched in an insult! Cripes.

As for Googling "quality writing" and "Kurt Busiek" -- dude! I do searches all day. That's not how you find things out. Yeah, peanut, I know you're trying to look clever, but frankly doing "quality writing" and "Olney" is going to turn up even worse results. To make an insult like that stick, you have to be (1) grounded at least a little bit in reality, and (2) be at least the peer of the person you are insulting. You're missing on both propositions there, peanut.

[Buckminster Futter]

I find it a little weird that Olney's taken to using third person references.

[Ronée]

I find it a little weird that Olney's taken to using third person references.THAT was HIM??? Oh geez, how full of himself is he?

[TomStillwell]

I find it a little weird that Olney's taken to using third person references.

Those totally disconnected from reality tend to do it.

[wishlish]

I don't believe that attacking Dennis is in order here. He is Ricks' friend and chooses to remain as such and we need to respect that. I personally do not know Dennis, but I have no reason to doubt that he believes what he says as fact. I think that maybe there is error to his reccollection and as such I asked for proof.. and his snap judgement as to our "revenge thread" or whatever was off and slightly rude, but I do not plan to return the favor and I urge the rest of you to do the same.

I didn't attack him, but I'm not warmly embracing him, either. To see page after page of testimony about Rick, only to pronounce a summary of position as "he's my friend, he gets a little carried away, no bother" is to be divorced either from facilities of reasoning or from reality altogether. Sorry, Ronee, but I'm not changing my opinion.

[Sarah Beach]

Oh! And about Mark Waid's reasons for not appearing for that panel (which he apparently wasn not one of the principal participants of, anyway, since it was supposedly about the Bridges program).... I'm not going to rely on the word of Rick Olney telling a story that's at the very least third hand about what did or did not happen years before. I don't think that's a basis for questioning Mark's professionalism.

I will offer a counter witness as to Mark's professionalism. Something I witnessed.

On September 12, 2001, Mark Waid was scheduled for an in-store appearance at the Golden Apple Comics shop here in L.A. Traffic in the store was very light that day (for obvious reasons). We speculated that many customers might have assumed deliveries were disrupted by the previous day's events. But they hadn't been. But Mark showed up! And sat through his whole stint there.

He had the colored pages for the first issue of Ruse (which looked fantastic). And he was very gracious to the few of us who were in the shop. That had to have been a surprisingly poor attended appearance for him, but he was great! (My friend Geoff - known in these parts as Red Jack - was there as well.)

My respect for Mark Waid went very high that day, because he made no assumption that his fans would not expect him to be there just because of current events. And he perfectly understood why they weren't there. But he showed up on cue like a trooper.

And it meant that I got to have a nice uncrowded chat with him, because there wasn't a crowd. Heh.

[Danny Donovan]

Actually, I think it was Comics in the Condoms. He was trying to come up with an alternative to mylar bags.

PDS

Peter David did it. Remember the Hulk AIDS issue? the controversial one that came with condoms in the mylar bag.

Danny, were you copying something? 'Cause at first I thought you were commenting on Kurt's statements!

But by the time we got to the CrossGen things, and the "Comics in the Classroom" stuff... I realized this wasn't you talking.

Just sayin' -- better labeling would help a LOT.

oops! I thought it'd format as it does on Rick's myspace. sorry! I'll think about things more before I post in future. lol.

Oo. Rick invites me to post where he can -- and judging by his past behavior, soon will -- delete things.



This whole thing bothers me. and it's something I have mentioned to him personally when I was at the MMC and he'd bring up the "I invented worms!" thing. (Earthworm Jim cartoon reference. sorry to the folks who are not as mind rotted on cartoons as I am)

"A good deed is its own reward." Those sound like pretty good words to live by. Personally if *I* do something nice for someone, I prefer to keep myself out of it, merely being happy I did something good for someone.

The only reason to fight for credit is that you did something not because it was the right thing to do, but because you wanted attention and for people to think of you like a big shot.

What's more important? The message or who speaks it?

Aside from the fact that we actually got the details and history about the "Comics in the Classroom" matter from the website owner in this thread, and know from his testimony how it came about, that "had a little chat" thing that "cleared up" misunderstandings is a load of crap. This current statement of RO's is him trying to rewrite the image of that interaction. What a sorry attempt at it, too, since the discussion regarding that interaction is right here in this thread! Pfft.

As for this....


Why does he constantly insist that people COME TO HIS BLOG TO POST? I mean... especially if one is NOT registered on mySpace? I'm not going to bother doing that just to tell a twerp that he's a twerp. Especially when he makes the invitation couched in an insult! Cripes.

As for Googling "quality writing" and "Kurt Busiek" -- dude! I do searches all day. That's not how you find things out. Yeah, peanut, I know you're trying to look clever, but frankly doing "quality writing" and "Olney" is going to turn up even worse results. To make an insult like that stick, you have to be (1) grounded at least a little bit in reality, and (2) be at least the peer of the person you are insulting. You're missing on both propositions there, peanut.


This is another thing that bothered me. I mean there are people that may not care for Kurt's books. Art is a subjective thing, one person may adore it, it may not be another's cup of tea. What you feel personally about someone's work you have to respect the fact that they have made a life for themselves in a field they love.

Working on things like Spider-man, The Avengers, Superman, etc. Having popular personal projects with nothing known about the property but the creators name like Shockrockets, and Superstar, do not come from sticking your name in a hat. (believe me I've tried. I've noticed not a lot of editors wear hats these days dammit)

There are people who's work I don't care for (some people who are quite popular, or at least have a cult following) but I do give them credit for plying their trade and finding success in it.

Just sour grapes. Also what's with the third person references? Is Rick no longer writing his own blogs or has he become The Rock?

[JamesRitcheyIII]

Oh! And about Mark Waid's reasons for not appearing for that panel (which he apparently wasn not one of the principal participants of, anyway, since it was supposedly about the Bridges program).... I'm not going to rely on the word of Rick Olney telling a story that's at the very least third hand about what did or did not happen years before. I don't think that's a basis for questioning Mark's professionalism.

I will offer a counter witness as to Mark's professionalism. Something I witnessed.

On September 12, 2001, Mark Waid was scheduled for an in-store appearance at the Golden Apple Comics shop here in L.A. Traffic in the store was very light that day (for obvious reasons). We speculated that many customers might have assumed deliveries were disrupted by the previous day's events. But they hadn't been. But Mark showed up! And sat through his whole stint there.

He had the colored pages for the first issue of Ruse (which looked fantastic). And he was very gracious to the few of us who were in the shop. That had to have been a surprisingly poor attended appearance for him, but he was great! (My friend Geoff - known in these parts as Red Jack - was there as well.)

My respect for Mark Waid went very high that day, because he made no assumption that his fans would not expect him to be there just because of current events. And he perfectly understood why they weren't there. But he showed up on cue like a trooper.

And it meant that I got to have a nice uncrowded chat with him, because there wasn't a crowd. Heh.

Meanwhile, a perplexed and terrified Rick Olney was hiding under his bed with his twenty-gauge! :D

[TomStillwell]

Just sour grapes. Also what's with the third person references? Is Rick no longer writing his own blogs or has he become The Rock?

Can you SMELL WHEN THE RICK IS COMING?!!!

[Sarah Beach]

Wait a minute! This just registered!
mySpace blogged by Rick Olney
Wag your tongue and shake your money maker!

Is he actually accusing Kurt -- Kurt?!? -- of literal prostitution?





(You know the control of language is bad, when it takes five minutes for a supposed "clever" insult to actually sort itself out. Now, I admit that I am currently enjoying the after-lunch mind lull, but still--! Pfft.)

[Danny Donovan]

Meanwhile, a perplexed and terrified Rick Olney was hiding under his bed with his twenty-gauge! :D

You can't be too careful with them funny speakin' brown folk runnin' about.*




*note that was an amusing bon mot based on the xenophobic rick rantings in the past*

[Danny Donovan]

Wait a minute! This just registered!


Is he actually accusing Kurt -- Kurt?!? -- of literal prostitution?



Nah. He's just having flashbacks to his time in "little bankock" during his "military days"

Can you SMELL WHEN THE RICK IS COMING?!!!

Know your role and shut your damn mouth! Finally The Rick HAS COME BACK.... to the internet.

:p

[wishlish]

I love how, while avoiding freelancers that he owes 60-100K for the TightLip Entertainment fiasco, Rick's got time to set us all straight on his role in Marvel's failed 99-cent program. Forget the notion that I'm supposed to believe Rick Olney over Kurt Busiek. Let's assume that Rick's actually right on this.

It doesn't change how much he owes, or the multitude of lies he's told. He's still a colossal, misogynistic, smelly deadbeat with a weird avatar. He's still getting sued. He's down to one friend. His business ventures are in shambles (hey, Olney, try getting Marvel to take your call NOW). He's a rambling wreck. Couldn't happen to a more appropriate guy.

Meanwhile, what's that on my bookshelf...why, it's the trade paperback put out last year of the first 8 Untold tales of Spider-Man by Kurt Busiek! And what's that over there? Is that the oversized hardcover of Marvels? And the first four Avengers Assemble hardcovers? Huh. And four of the Astro City hardcovers! (I'm still looking for Confession in hardcover, but at least I have my favorite, Tarnished Angel, along with a Steeljack background on my PC).

So congratulations, Rick. You might have gotten one right, but you're still a colossal, misogynistic, smelly, deadbeat, mega-gigantic fibber. And Kurt Busiek kicks your ass from here to Metropolis.

[Magneto_X]

Gail I think with Dennis its more than something online. The 2 have a history that stretches back for years and sometimes we as people have blinders on. I know I have with some old pals and how I'd give them unlimited chances and disregarded their actions a lot.

Me and a old pal from grade school used to hit the bars on the weekends. Of course he would get plastered and me I'd drink enough to not get placed under a table. I'd be our designated driver . But as the drinking became worse he started to get into the bad habits of thinking he was SUPERMAN or WOLVERINE.

Now , yeah its like that Toby Kieth song " I Ain't As Good As I Once Was ." If a pal yells he's in over his head and is near a fight I'll back him up. I'll go and if I know I'm over-matched then I accept it and try to give as much as I can. But with my old pal he started doing this on a weekly basis nearly.

With my job , beyond the sore bones and the late hours I can't keep doing it. Plus I really hated walking in a bar wantin to shoot pool and end up outside in a fight because my pal got drunk and insulted someone. I finally laid out an ultimatuim to my friend after I recieved a black eye and busted lip and told him the excessive drinking had to end.

He couldn't stop. Its like when he threw the beers back he threw the switch to BADASS . I had to stop going with him as did a few others. They even said he should stop. Finally he did a few years later. But by then many of us were irked by his behavior and were slowly coming around him.

I can understand that.

But even loyalty has limits. To me, anyway. If a close friend of mine had done half the stuff Olney has I'd at the very least tell them to stop it or help them get a plan and/or help them get a direction in paying the depts.

But if they refused my help or turned against me (like "Rick" has done with Doc Absurd, Gail, Ronee etc) then the gloves come off.

And they stay off until said friend gets their act together.

[depizan]

No, Rick Olney claims to have created a 'concept' of using the comic book in educational classroom settings where a comic book can be taken and used from anything simple as -- using comic books to reward proper classroom behavior to the more complex lessons of taking stories and characters to build lesson plans around them for entire classes and grade levels on the Elementary to High School graduation level.



So he's the first person to think of using comic books in the classroom as a reward or part of a lesson? I thought several people had already posted in this thread that they knew of (or had) teachers who used comic books in their classes long before Olney "created" the concept. Er, I mean "concept."

And why is "concept" in quotes on Olney's blog? Is he trying to lay claim to a particular concept of how comic books could be used in the classroom or does he have a quote fetish?

[Dennis Kininger]

Dennis, you know I think highly of you, I don't want to see people say bad things about you, and defending a friend is a fine thing, and in fact, I was drafting a note asking people to leave you out of this when I refreshed and saw your post.

But you said thousands of comics were sent. Are you saying it was thousands, or Rick's claim that it was 750,000?

And Dennis, when you look at the parade of people who have been lied to and threatened here, are you saying all of us are lying? Because it's your dear friend who was doing all this lying and cheating.

Have you no sense at all of empathy for the people he's betrayed, lied to and threatened? And as I asked you previously, how would you feel if your employer lied to you and chose not to pay you for your work at the library and then threatened to sue you when you brought it up? What if he called you a 'sick bitch' and a 'douche bag?' What if he threatened you physically?

Defending a friend is admirable, Dennis, and I've repeatedly ask people to leave you out of this. But this isn't a 'flame war,' as you very insensitively put it. It's based on some REPULSIVE behavior that should NEVER be tolerated, and I think it's far, far too much dishonorable behavior to be minimized as if it's one of Rick's regular meltdowns.

You're a better person than this, Dennis. I still hold you in high regard, but to tut tut the people who have been GENUINELY cheated and abused while conveniently ignoring that your friend has committed egregiously disgusting behavior for many, many years is simply too much. I refuse to believe you have no sympathy for Rick's many, many victims.

Gail

Gail,

I originally had no intention of returning to this thread but I respect you as a creator, enjoy your work and I liked meeting you so I decided to reply again.

While I truly don't care who dislikes ME (and me alone!) online, I'm not a heartless monster. I only logged on to give a deserved comment to Danny (Apology accepted by the way, Danny) and make a general statement about ORCA and that was it.

Of course, I'm concerned about what is going on and I'm very sorry that it is. I love comics, always will, and I've enjoyed meeting many creators over the years. I know freelancing isn't an easy job.

I haven't been here because I literally have nothing to do with TLE's business plan, so I really can't comment on something I'm not directly involved with. I've already spoken about my part in that 2003 convention. I worked my arse off for that show and did everything I was asked to do. If I had been asked to do something else, I would've done it.

I'm not denying your comments about Rick's behavior, Gail. You've told me that you have the emails as proof and I have no reason to doubt you so there's no need to go into that again with me. I'm just sad and puzzled as to why this has to be going on at all.

But again, I'm not denying that Rick said and did these things, I've been out of the loop on most of it, so I mainly feel caught in the middle. And again, no, I don't need to see your proof, if you say you have it, then you do. I've just never seen the man act abusively in all the years I've known him. This is why I'm puzzled and sad. I'm not doubting you or anyone.

I never said you or anyone was lying. I'm honestly concerned and truly sorry for everyone involved...on both sides. Since, I'm not involved in TLE matters, I'm really unsure what to say. I do care, though. If I could help, I would but all I can offer are words of concern.

I'll always consider Rick a friend, regardless of what's going on. I've known him too many years for that to change.

As to ORCA, as I said before, my first comment was a general one. I haven't been seriously involved with ORCA for some time now, I've moved on to other projects and I don't have the specific data at my immediate disposal (All of my ORCA material is stashed away at home and I'm presently at work) but yes, over a span of at least 10-12 years, I would say we gave away pretty close to Rick's figure of 750,000 free comics. We sent out packages of all shapes and sizes from longboxes to envelopes containing a book or two on a regular basis for years and the books really DO mount up.

I apologize for my "flame war" comment, that came from MY uninformed take on things. I was wrong and I'm sorry.

I'm done with this thread. If you wish to talk further, you know where to reach me, Gail.

I've given my take on matters ORCA, what Rick has said DID happen and NO, I don't have immediate documentation at my fingertips to back everything up. So, you're free to believe what you wish about ORCA, I'm proud of what I did for that club and I'll always have nice memories of it. I've been straightforward with Gail in all of our emails together. I have no need to lie about ORCA's accomplishments and I have no personal agenda and no axes to grind or bridges to burn about anything, everything I've said is true and I hope Gail still accepts my claims of being an honest person and that you respect her as the professional she is, if she wishes to vouch for my word.

Everyone here is free to believe what he/she wishes about me. I've told the truth and said all I wish to say.

I'm truly saddened and puzzled by everything going on. Yes, I DO have concerns for everyone involved in this but I'm really at a loss as to what I can do to improve things.

It takes a great deal for me to sever a long-term friendship. Rick hasn't alienated me and will have my support as a friend outside of this current business.

Since I feel caught in the middle, I'm withdrawing from the conversation here. If it's possible to feel empathy for both sides, I do.

My thanks to those for their positive words and everyone is entitled to their opinions.


Good bye


Dennis

[rummblestrips]

The situation on how to react or deal with people who still consider Rick to be a friend is not an easy one. I went through this EXACT situation a few years back with people like Lance and Tim, two people who I really enjoyed dealing with professionally and personally. When the whole Rick thing went down at the SPA, we had a thread like this in the mod section.
I remember having a conversation with my husband on how I should handle it

Should I pm these two guys and tell them the exact details about how terrible Rick was being OFF the boards and warn them that they might be next?

Should I just accept the fact that they're still friends and continue my relationship with them?

Should I sever the connection because why would I want to be friends with people who associate with someone like Rick?


It was a brutal time and the most stressful on-line experience I've ever had. I ended up not pming them or mentioning Rick again and did stop associating with them because I couldn't handle it. It was too stressful knowing that they didn't know the entire story, but there was no way I was going to say, "you choose him or me!"

I will use Dennis now as an example because he posted here and defended his relationship with Rick. I've met Dennis several times and he was always polite and kind. I remember a particular Pittsburgh where I just said to myself, "what a sweet guy".
BUT
I ask myself again, no matter how kind and polite a person is, do I want to associate with them because of his association with Rick? No matter how kind or sweet someone is, I cannot close my eyes to the fact that he can be so accepting of just vulgar behaviour.

If my BEST FRIEND, who I have known for over half my life, who I would defend with my life, (which I almost did once) treated people the way Rick has, no MATTER how much I adored her, there is no way I could ever look at her the same again. WHY would I want to be friends with someone who was so cruel to others, EVEN WHEN her treatment towards me was still honourable?

To Dennis and others out there who still consider Rick a friend. A TRUE FRIEND would not turn a blind eye to this type of behaviour. They would storm over the Rick's house, sit him down and tell him that he is in the wrong and has no right to treat anyone that way. A TRUE FRIEND doesn't let a friend act this way without consequences.

[the4thpip]

Herr Starr would not approve of pRick's use of quotation marks.

[NatGertler]

I thought I'd respond to be crystal clear on several areas that Mr. Busiek didn't know his ass from a hole in the ground on. [..] No, you actually (again) are wrong. Rick Olney actually contacted the ww.comicsintheclassroom.com website owner, and thinking that he had copyright claim to "comics in the classroom" as a slogan ... asked that that be identified on the www.comicsintheclassroom.com website somewhere. Rick Olney has since had a conversation od two wiith the www.comicsintheclassroom.com website owner and there are no misunderstandings on their part.Actually, the website that Rick made a false claim of rights ownership in order to get his credit on the site was www.comicsintheclassroom.net. I'm not sure who you're quoting here, Danny, but since they repeatedly refer to a different domain (one owned by Diamond and which does not have a currently active website -- it's a Network Solutions holding page), they apparently don't know they're an ass from a hole in the ground.

By the way, when I Google "Kurt Busiek" and "quality writing", I get 191 times as many results as I get for "Rick Olney" and "quality writing".

[Matt Doc Martin]

Regardless of what Dennis says, Rick is a jackass and thief.

If I acted that way, my friends would at least sit me down to straighten me out. Barring that, they would disown me and rightfully so.

The reason no one believes Rick is his constant lies. So thanks, Dennis, for your words, but they mean little.

[TCJohnson]

While I truly don't care who dislikes ME (and me alone!) online, I'm not a heartless monster.

I don't think anybody here would think you are a "heartless monster." I suspect some think you are too nice a guy if anything.

So, you're free to believe what you wish about ORCA, I'm proud of what I did for that club and I'll always have nice memories of it.

And so you should be. It sounds like it was a fun group with the best of intentions. I just believe one of your members is dragging it down.

[TCJohnson]

Terry C. Johnson is wondering why Rick Olney is referring to himself in the third person? Has Rick Olney truly snapped? Has Rick Olney become convinced that pronouns are Rick Olney's enemies?

[Danny Donovan]

Actually, the website that Rick made a false claim of rights ownership in order to get his credit on the site was www.comicsintheclassroom.net (http://www.comicsintheclassroom.net). I'm not sure who you're quoting here, Danny, but since they repeatedly refer to a different domain (one owned by Diamond and which does not have a currently active website -- it's a Network Solutions holding page), they apparently don't know they're an ass from a hole in the ground.

By the way, when I Google "Kurt Busiek" and "quality writing", I get 191 times as many results as I get for "Rick Olney" and "quality writing".




Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Do not associate me with that bile. I just copied and pasted from Rick's myspace.

I SO need to lable things better in the future.

*jumps in the shower and scrubs the Olney association off*

UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN!

[JTPencils]

And four of the Astro City hardcovers!

Loathe as I am to admit it.... I don't have a single Astro City book at all *hangs head, should know better*. I didn't pick it up when it was out. But have heard nothing but exceptional things about it ever since. I've got my lcs looking for a full run to pick up... I WILL correct that little error dammit!

Just that these days, I'm so selective with that I spend my limited funds on... I just couldn't take on another book at the time!

Sorry about that Kurt... but I can't avoid it anymore... damn the cost.. I gotta get me some AC!!

[EdContradictory]

Yes, Google can be manipulated. Just trying searching "quality writing" and "Kurt Busiek".

GOOGLEFIGHT! (http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=%22quality+writing%22+%22Kurt+Busiek%22&word2=%22quality+writing%22+%22Rick+Olney%22)

You know... out of that entire blog entry... the thing that pissed me off the most, Danny didn't even copy:

Currently listening :
Power, Corruption & Lies
By New Order
Release date: By 25 October, 1990

Yeah right, like Olney's ever listened to New Order.

[Danny Donovan]

GOOGLEFIGHT! (http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=%22quality+writing%22+%22Kurt+Busiek%22&word2=%22quality+writing%22+%22Rick+Olney%22)

You know... out of that entire blog entry... the thing that pissed me off the most, Danny didn't even copy:



Yeah right, like Olney's ever listened to New Order.

lol. I know, I saw that and it struck a chord with me (no pun, I swear to god!) I thought about including it but I didn't want to be seen as a "bully" for questioning whether or not Rick's heard of half the bands he claims to be listening to or if he just searches song titles on AMG to make it sound like his inane blatherings have a soundtrack other than the sounds of "special" moose during mating season.

[JamesRitcheyIII]

Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Do not associate me with that bile. I just copied and pasted from Rick's myspace.

I SO need to lable things better in the future.

*jumps in the shower and scrubs the Olney association off*

UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN!

I just googled Rick Olney, Kurt Busiek, and "quality writing".

Kurt had 586.
Rick had 3.

:D

[Charles RB]

I find it a little weird that Olney's taken to using third person references.

Has he devolved into Elmo?

[Cam63]

That was just one of the stories and reasons why I am so bitter now. There is much more, but people out there are really starting to give me a hard time for "telling tales" on Olney and buying into his victim role, i can't or won't go into all of the details but there is much people do not realize about this man.

That's why we don't believe we're unfairly dog piling on poor widdle Rick.

The prick is getting all he deserves.

My condolences to you for what you have to put up with at the time, Ron.

[Cam63]

Okay Danny, before I start addressing this session of the "Rick Olney Revenge Squad"...

You know that's going on a T-shirt.

[Sarah Beach]

Has he devolved into Elmo?

Isn't Elmo a higher order life-form than the olney?

[Kurt Busiek]

Wait a minute! This just registered!
Wag your tongue and shake your money maker!
Is he actually accusing Kurt -- Kurt?!? -- of literal prostitution?

I think he's asking me to nod my head. After all, my brain is my "money maker."

And my money maker enables me to note that Rick is capable of saying flatly that "FCBD was 'borrowed' from ORCA," but on other occasions shows that he has no basis for that claim but a guess:

"Does ORCA have creative ties to Free Comic Book Day? It wouldn't surprise me if Joe Fields and forces at Diamond tapped into any of that which they've seen in letters from me or read illustrated upon the face of the hobby."

Shades of Ric Olie!

kdb

[Cam63]

I think he's asking me to nod my head. After all, my brain is my "money maker."

Good reply, KB.

[Kurt Busiek]

By the way, when I Google "Kurt Busiek" and "quality writing", I get 191 times as many results as I get for "Rick Olney" and "quality writing".

Though to be fair, you'll also get a lot more hits for "Kurt Busiek" and "cocker spaniel" than for "Rick Olney" and "cocker spaniel." There are a lot more hits for my name to start with, so pair it with anything and the odds are with me.

He does win when you try linking our names to "Herkimer," though.

kdb

[NatGertler]

I don't have a single Astro City book at all *hangs head, should know better*. I didn't pick it up when it was out.Here's the good news -- it's not too late to pick it up while it's "out", because it continues to come out. The series has not always been the most frequent in generating new issues (due largely to some of Kurt's health problems), but it continues to come out in enjoyable chunks.

Let me suggest that you ask your local comic shop for Astro City: Life in the Big City (http://aaugh.com/to.htm?156389551X), a TPB of the six single-issue stories That will get you into it with a batch of fine issues (not that I've hit a bad one yet, but there are good ones and better ones.

[kingdom2000]

Astro City is a great series. Be glad it when starts picking up again (Dark Age II). Sadly my hardcover collection of the series remains incomplete but eventually I am hoping to find a copy of the volumes I am missing.

[JTPencils]

Here's the good news -- it's not too late to pick it up while it's "out", because it continues to come out. The series has not always been the most frequent in generating new issues (due largely to some of Kurt's health problems), but it continues to come out in enjoyable chunks.

Let me suggest that you ask your local comic shop for Astro City: Life in the Big City (http://aaugh.com/to.htm?156389551X), a TPB of the six single-issue stories That will get you into it with a batch of fine issues (not that I've hit a bad one yet, but there are good ones and better ones.

Thanks Nat,... that's where I'll start then!!

[Reverend Smooth]

So he's the first person to think of using comic books in the classroom as a reward or part of a lesson? I thought several people had already posted in this thread that they knew of (or had) teachers who used comic books in their classes long before Olney "created" the concept. Er, I mean "concept."
Some of my teachers used Asterix comics as a reward or to discuss various social and historic themes and stereotypes, so Olney didn't invent this concept at all.

I've read about a lot of teachers who've done that kind of thing. Trying to profit from something that people have done for a long time before Olney ever came along, and is of extreme social benefit, is tacky to the extreme.

[rummblestrips]

Some of my teachers used Asterix comics as a reward or to discuss various social and historic themes and stereotypes, so Olney didn't invent this concept at all.

I've read about a lot of teachers who've done that kind of thing. Trying to profit from something that people have done for a long time before Olney ever came along, and is of extreme social benefit, is tacky to the extreme.

Yep. My Grade 13 English teacher let me submit my own comic for a project on how popular art can have social relevance.

What I would have given to have a teacher like that in the earlier years of school

[Blake Petit]

I honestly thought that Rick was just misunderstood and a little easily distracted but with the best of intentions, and i said that to the few very good friends that tried to warn me (sorry Gail) but honestly, he seemed harmless if not a little over zealous at the time. he plays the sympathy card well, as the deaths in his family evoked my motherly instinct to help fix things and protect him as much as possible. But soon it became clear that he was manipulative and controlling and had no intention of paying even his closest "friends" who were still standing by him.

I don't just cut bait on people, I stick around... try to help. I want to fix the world pretty much. After weeks of fielding emails from unhappy creators, being told it was essentially Chuck's fault I was not being paid, then watching him act the fool on message boards no matter how many times i told him not to even go back...

But the kicker... the thing that did it for me was when I had to call him up literally crying from my moms house in Florida, begging him to pay me something... ANYTHING, I had just found out about my husbands indiscretion and he was moving out, I had to have something to help with the kids and such in the painful transistion ahead and he assured me he was sending two checks.. one 2nd day air to my mothers house, one to my house.

4 days later I left Florida with no check, and my mother pretty much knowing my "boss" was an asshole. For days I called asking if they got mail for me to no avail, all this time Rick swearing it was there and even offered me the tracking number. But when I asked for that number he seemed to have lost it somewhere in his office. Niether check came, and of course it was not his fault. Damn post office... then it was his courier, or some young boy he had helping him at his haunted attraction in october.

I was selfish for asking for what I was rightfully owed if you asked Rick at the time, after all, HIS life was hard.

God, Ronee, I wish I had known about this. I would have... well, I don't even know what. I can't think of any response adequate to fix something so abhorrent. But I wish I could have been there for you.

[Ronée]

That's why we don't believe we're unfairly dog piling on poor widdle Rick.

The prick is getting all he deserves.

My condolences to you for what you have to put up with at the time, Ron.

thanks... I'm not proud of that time... hell the time I am still going through really, which is why I don't really talk about it. But lets just say that my "friend" Rick was only adding to my stress, not trying to help ease it at all.

[Cam63]

Well, Ron'... No one matters more to Rick than Rick.

I'm glad Dennis posted and while it's cool he's sticking by a mate, it's a bit like one of Hitler's childhood friends saying, " Well, he never stuck ME in an oven. "

[TCJohnson]

Panel One: Rick is sitting at his computer, leaning forward while he reads an email. "Dear Mr. Olney, I just wanted to dearly thank you for all you have done for comic books.

Panel Two: His wife is standing behind him, sipping a cup of coffee and reading the e-mail over Olney's shoulder. He barely notices as he is entranced by the e-mail. "You are truly a shining light in the darkness that is modern comics. Without you, the joy of of my childhood would be dead. And your policitical insights are amazingly brilliant."

Panel Three:

Wife: Writing e-mails to yourself again?

Olney: Finally....I'm accepted.

[THEDOC]

I honestly thought that Rick was just misunderstood and a little easily distracted but with the best of intentions, and i said that to the few very good friends that tried to warn me (sorry Gail) but honestly, he seemed harmless if not a little over zealous at the time. he plays the sympathy card well, as the deaths in his family evoked my motherly instinct to help fix things and protect him as much as possible. But soon it became clear that he was manipulative and controlling and had no intention of paying even his closest "friends" who were still standing by him.

I don't just cut bait on people, I stick around... try to help. I want to fix the world pretty much. After weeks of fielding emails from unhappy creators, being told it was essentially Chuck's fault I was not being paid, then watching him act the fool on message boards no matter how many times i told him not to even go back...

But the kicker... the thing that did it for me was when I had to call him up literally crying from my moms house in Florida, begging him to pay me something... ANYTHING, I had just found out about my husbands indiscretion and he was moving out, I had to have something to help with the kids and such in the painful transistion ahead and he assured me he was sending two checks.. one 2nd day air to my mothers house, one to my house.

4 days later I left Florida with no check, and my mother pretty much knowing my "boss" was an asshole. For days I called asking if they got mail for me to no avail, all this time Rick swearing it was there and even offered me the tracking number. But when I asked for that number he seemed to have lost it somewhere in his office. Niether check came, and of course it was not his fault. Damn post office... then it was his courier, or some young boy he had helping him at his haunted attraction in october.

I was selfish for asking for what I was rightfully owed if you asked Rick at the time, after all, HIS life was hard.

It is a sad state of affairs when Rick who asks for sympathy from others cannot even find it in his heart to help folks who are going through personal turmoil as you and Tim have.
It seems though you are both strong and will survive these obstacles.

[THEDOC]

That was just one of the stories and reasons why I am so bitter now. There is much more, but people out there are really starting to give me a hard time for "telling tales" on Olney and buying into his victim role, i can't or won't go into all of the details but there is much people do not realize about this man.

Like Papergirl said those folks need a reality check.
You did nothing wrong unless it's wrong to try and see the good in people especially with Rick and if that is the case then you're in great company as most of us have done the same thing.

[THEDOC]

Something I can shed more light on!

When Orca, SPA, and Inter-fan were all working together, before the MMC Gail and I both attended, We discussed this:

http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/smallpress/105040570272377.htm

Nothing ever came of it for the show, nor past that announcement.

Hmm I kinda have a memory of that, is that when I was talking about doing the Art Fest and we were trying use think up names for the show? Hmm that means The Jam was helped by Rick?:eek:
Speaking of which Wally will do magnets of SPA and ICC (Unscrewed ) logos for The Jam as publicity.

[NatGertler]

Steven Grant's latest column (http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/index.cgi?column=pd&article=2709) has some relevant comments on creator/publisher relations, particularly as they pertain to threats of lawsuits.

[THEDOC]

In all our discussions of doing that...I don't remember him claiming to have been the inspriation for the FCBD - now, my dyslexic, memory problem brain might be forgetting, but...you'd think he might have said something back then...wish I still had the forum posts from back then....

Like I said I do not remember much but I don't remember Rick being the way he is now, I thought he was a great guy who wanted to help with the nhobby/industry.

[wishlish]

Loathe as I am to admit it.... I don't have a single Astro City book at all *hangs head, should know better*. I didn't pick it up when it was out. But have heard nothing but exceptional things about it ever since. I've got my lcs looking for a full run to pick up... I WILL correct that little error dammit!

Just that these days, I'm so selective with that I spend my limited funds on... I just couldn't take on another book at the time!

Sorry about that Kurt... but I can't avoid it anymore... damn the cost.. I gotta get me some AC!!

Where's ORCA when you REALLY need them? Dennis? Rick? Get this man some Astro City!

Seriously, JT, I envy you. I've read all the Astro City books that have come out. All I can do is reread them. You're going to get to READ them for the first time. And boy, are they GOOD.

Heck, I forgot to mention the Conan hardcovers, too. They're just to the right of me. And that Absolute edition of JLA/Avengers... Kurt- any other books I should plug?

(Why yes, I have a fetish for hardcover graphic novels. Why do you ask?)

[Blake Petit]

Where's ORCA when you REALLY need them? Dennis? Rick? Get this man some Astro City!

Seriously, JT, I envy you. I've read all the Astro City books that have come out. All I can do is reread them. You're going to get to READ them for the first time. And boy, are they GOOD.

Heck, I forgot to mention the Conan hardcovers, too. They're just to the right of me. And that Absolute edition of JLA/Avengers... Kurt- any other books I should plug?

(Why yes, I have a fetish for hardcover graphic novels. Why do you ask?)

I have rarely agreed with anything on a website more. Man, those Astro City comics are freaking GOLD.

[THEDOC]

Nah. He's just having flashbacks to his time in "little bankock" during his "military days"



Know your role and shut your damn mouth! Finally The Rick HAS COME BACK.... to the internet.

:p

"Who in the blue hell are you? It doesn't matter what you create I will take credit for it!" The RICK The Brama Bullsh*tter.

[THEDOC]

The situation on how to react or deal with people who still consider Rick to be a friend is not an easy one. I went through this EXACT situation a few years back with people like Lance and Tim, two people who I really enjoyed dealing with professionally and personally. When the whole Rick thing went down at the SPA, we had a thread like this in the mod section.
I remember having a conversation with my husband on how I should handle it

Should I pm these two guys and tell them the exact details about how terrible Rick was being OFF the boards and warn them that they might be next?

Should I just accept the fact that they're still friends and continue my relationship with them?

Should I sever the connection because why would I want to be friends with people who associate with someone like Rick?


It was a brutal time and the most stressful on-line experience I've ever had. I ended up not pming them or mentioning Rick again and did stop associating with them because I couldn't handle it. It was too stressful knowing that they didn't know the entire story, but there was no way I was going to say, "you choose him or me!"

I will use Dennis now as an example because he posted here and defended his relationship with Rick. I've met Dennis several times and he was always polite and kind. I remember a particular Pittsburgh where I just said to myself, "what a sweet guy".
BUT
I ask myself again, no matter how kind and polite a person is, do I want to associate with them because of his association with Rick? No matter how kind or sweet someone is, I cannot close my eyes to the fact that he can be so accepting of just vulgar behaviour.

If my BEST FRIEND, who I have known for over half my life, who I would defend with my life, (which I almost did once) treated people the way Rick has, no MATTER how much I adored her, there is no way I could ever look at her the same again. WHY would I want to be friends with someone who was so cruel to others, EVEN WHEN her treatment towards me was still honourable?

To Dennis and others out there who still consider Rick a friend. A TRUE FRIEND would not turn a blind eye to this type of behaviour. They would storm over the Rick's house, sit him down and tell him that he is in the wrong and has no right to treat anyone that way. A TRUE FRIEND doesn't let a friend act this way without consequences.

Well Joane I want to apologize that you felt uncomfortable during that time. I really believed Rick had gotten the short end of the stick and I was a real WW hater at the time. There were other things going on at the time as well and I just got caught up in it.
Wasn't till later that the truth (as ugly as it was) came out and I still wanted to be friends with Ian Tim and Rick and was hoping we could get back together for the good of the hobby/industry. And do comics.
It's obvious Rick will have to prove himself before I do projects with him again.

[Kurt Busiek]

Kurt- any other books I should plug?

(Why yes, I have a fetish for hardcover graphic novels. Why do you ask?)

Well, if you want to limit it to hardcovers, there's the four volumes of AVENGERS ASSEMBLE, there's MARVELS, there was a hardcover of THE WIZARD'S TALE and I have a story in the recent THE DARK HORSE BOOK OF MONSTERS.

Oh, and SUPERMAN: CAMELOT FALLS vol. 1 is on the way...

kdb

[sk716]

My Dad talks about *some* of the battles and friends he lost. However, MOST of his stories revolve around screwing around and having fun. One of his favorite stories is about playing around on a ship. I'll double-check to make sure I have the details right before posting it, but it IS amusing. And, somewhere in a box, he has 8mm films proving his stories.

Dick's full of shit. We all know that. If he knew jack shit about the military, and/or was actually in it, he wouldn't hesitate to give us the info we've requested.

Speaking of: Hey, Dick! I know you're reading this! So...

What's the name of the book that ALL Marines recieve, and what color is the cover? Come on, peanut, this isn't a hard question to answer, and certainly won't give us any details about you.

~Bev

Eh, I'll give him an easier question: What's a DD-214?

No fair Googling it!

[Blake Petit]

Well, if you want to limit it to hardcovers, there's the four volumes of AVENGERS ASSEMBLE, there's MARVELS, there was a hardcover of THE WIZARD'S TALE and I have a story in the recent THE DARK HORSE BOOK OF MONSTERS.

Oh, and SUPERMAN: CAMELOT FALLS vol. 1 is on the way...

kdb

They're putting out a hardcover of Camelot Falls? AWESOME!

Ah, The Wizard's Tale... sometimes I think I'm the only one who remembers that...

[THEDOC]

As for Rick's blog, where is the dirt on SPA, ICC, IF and other Small Press, Self Publisher groups he promised???

[khuxford]

As for Rick's blog, where is the dirt on SPA, ICC, IF and other Small Press, Self Publisher groups he promised???

With the checks he promised long ago...safe and sound in NeverNeverLand (the fictitious one, not Michael Jackson's Pedo-Paradise).

[rummblestrips]

Hey Lance, I know, don't worry.
It was painful, NOT because you did anything wrong, it was painful because I DIDN'T know what to do or reach out or anything.

I'm a true believe that you let people treat people the way they do and back then, I let Rick treat me like crap, I let him turn my friends into enemies. I should have stood up and publicly let the world know what a scumbag he was, maybe this whole thing would have begun a few years back and stopped all the damaged that's happened to others since then.

That's why I admire the people on this thread so much for coming forward. The crap he put me through is NOTHING compared to what you have had to go through and you stood up while I didn't.

If I knew then what I know now...

[Papergirl]

Eh, I'll give him an easier question: What's a DD-214?

No fair Googling it!
Heh! Bet he can't answer it without googling OR asking someone else/looking it up in a book.

~Bev

[Koben Kelly]

But the kicker... the thing that did it for me was when I had to call him up literally crying from my moms house in Florida, begging him to pay me something... ANYTHING, I had just found out about my husbands indiscretion and he was moving out, I had to have something to help with the kids and such in the painful transistion ahead and he assured me he was sending two checks.. one 2nd day air to my mothers house, one to my house.

And then the insensitive prick has the balls to mock your painful situation with his jab at Mark about paying for (your) divorce.

CLASS act, that Olney.

[Cam63]

Eh, I'll give him an easier question: What's a DD-214?

No fair Googling it!

Isn't that a bra' size ?

[THEDOC]

Hey Lance, I know, don't worry.
It was painful, NOT because you did anything wrong, it was painful because I DIDN'T know what to do or reach out or anything.

I'm a true believe that you let people treat people the way they do and back then, I let Rick treat me like crap, I let him turn my friends into enemies. I should have stood up and publicly let the world know what a scumbag he was, maybe this whole thing would have begun a few years back and stopped all the damaged that's happened to others since then.

That's why I admire the people on this thread so much for coming forward. The crap he put me through is NOTHING compared to what you have had to go through and you stood up while I didn't.

If I knew then what I know now...

So say we all..
Kewl Joanne.
I hope to see you at the WW-Chicago this year I have plans there but can't say anything yet.

[TCJohnson]

Isn't that a bra' size ?

SK has double Ds?

Oh, I gotta tell everybody that

[Cam63]

SK has double Ds?

Oh, I gotta tell everybody that

That would explain her lack of posture.

*Puts on helmet and flak vest*

[Cam63]

Get yer own, Johnson !

[rummblestrips]

SK has double Ds?

Oh, I gotta tell everybody that

Page 800 - the page that finally introduced a discussion about bra sizes. That's longer than I expected it to take! :D

And what's even more impressive it the topic of LAW & ORDER came up wayyyy before that!

We may be comic geeks, but we're sophisticated ones!

-sniff-

I promised myself I wouldn't cry

[KevinTBrown]

Eh, I'll give him an easier question: What's a DD-214?

No fair Googling it!

Isn't that a bra' size ?

For Power Girl maybe.....

[TCJohnson]

Get yer own, Johnson !

I have my own johnson!

[Cam63]

So I see...

...but the flak vest and helmet are mine !

[DarrenCawsey]

We DID inspire Free Comic Book Day. We DID create the Comics in the Classroom program. Sites promoting free comics got the idea from us.


Um, I'm just wondering... shouldn't whoever actually started Free Comic Book Day be the ones to say who it was who inspired them?

I'm just saying that OK, cool, ORCA gave away free comics.... hey that's great, but does that necessarily mean that Free Comic Book Day was a "tribute" to ORCA; that whenever Free Comic Book Day was first held, the person arranging it had taken DIRECT inspiration from ORCA?


Maybe, just maybe, one had nothing to do with the other.


Kinda like spotting an action figure with a name that is slightly similar to your own and straightaway assuming that you inspired it. Chances are it's just a coincidence and you had nothing to do with the naming of that toy.


It's the same with Comics in Classrooms. Maybe I'm misremembering things but didn't someone show that the idea for the Comics in Classrooms program was being touted well before ORCA was around? (could totally be wrong on that one, but I'm almost positive that that's what I read)


Perhaps without RO trudging about mentioning ORCA in every second post of his, the organisation might have a better rep than it does. RO might be a misrepresentation of the organisation, and it might be that it's a lot better organised and effective than I what I would currently guess, however that still does not make the above statements true.


Anyway I'm not trying to have a dig at at Dennis here, he's obviously proud of what he believes ORCA has accomplished, and that's fine.

It's just annoying that I keep seeing a lot of: "Oh, isn't our organisation wonderful"... "We've done oh so much for the industry haven't we?"... "Yes we are great aren't we, did you know we invented pudding?"... and the like.





---------------------

[DarrenCawsey]

Joe Field, the creator of Free Comic Book Day, is on record, over and over, that Free Comic Book Day was directly inspired by Free Ice Cream Cone Day at Baskin-Robbins, something he witnessed working at the Baskin-Robbins store near his comics store.

kdb


Now that's what I'm talking about.




---------------------

[DocAbsurd]

Jo-Jo, both Lance and I got very different accounts of what happened at that time; we didn't get half of what actually happened, to be entirely honest. Uncomfortable battlelines were drawn everywhere, and not having the complete story made us believe we were on the side of what was right, not just on Moby's side.

Yes, it was that twisted. And when communications broke down . . .

But that's how he works. Divide and conquer. Ask any of the creators on his 'projects'; communication between them was actually discouraged so he could be in charge and controlling all processes. It's got nothing to do with creativity and everything to do with control.

That's what absolutely kills me about this being called a 'dog-pile' or a 'bully thread'. Moby, you were a mob unto yourself. You're nothing better than a schoolyard bully, hiding behind the teacher's desk when those you've pressured back you into a corner. 'I'm not doing nothing wrong; they're picking on me!'

And you're so confident about your 'facts' that you've got to speak about yourself in the third person -- just so it looks like someone else is defending you -- on a blog you've blocked to dissenting opinion. Nice trick, Blackstone, but no-one's fooled by your arthritic slight-of-hand.

You're pathetic, Moby.