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

[qball]

Oh, I wanted to ask if anyone know..... on the Might Mini Con site, the webcomic that is up --- who are the creative talents on that? There are NO CREDITS posted for it!

Who did this webcomic? (http://www.mightyminicon.com/gaak.asp)

I'm just curious.

http://www.webcomicsnation.com/moniquem/gaak/series.php

[Pia Guerra]

Many are solitary practitioners.

I guess my point should have been that he'd HAVE to be a solitary.

[Joshua Pantalleresco]

Thanks, but if I do that, Black Lightning might get jealous.

You're doing Black Lightning? Awesome!

JP

[Dedagda]

Thank you for posting this from a retailer's perspective. We have Richard from Zeus already, but everyone knows he's a little odd.

Gail

Hey! I'm right here!

Well, he is from Texas...he is perfectly normal there.

TC, we are getting you to CAPE 3 if Rick Olney has to pay for it!

[Sarah Beach]

Thanks qball! Much appreciated.

I agree, Gail. It's not bad at all. Which is why I asked.

[Night Swordsman]

First off,i am not a industry pro. To be honest,i am a typical "stereotype",a middle-age,shy comic book fan. Been reading since 1st grade ,and been collecting comics ever since. I honestly feel really inadequate to comment on this thread,as many of you are people who produce ARTISTIC WORK that i enjoy and buy. I also dislike people who do not pay their debts and cheat others like Rick has been. I should know,as i aquired,thru depression and my own stupidity,a very large debt. I worked my fingers to the bone literally for four years in a very poor paying menial labor job to pay this off,but also subconciously punishing myself for allowing me to get into all this. The amazing thing is,the moment i paid off my debt,i felt a HUGE weight off my shoulders,quit my job,and got a MUCH better retail position that thou causes my stress and lack of sleep,it IS a decent job. I realize in hindsight that i was punishing myself for all the stupidity i caused myself and to my friends,and thou **I** turned it around,i did it with help,which i truly acknowledge.

Rick had debts too...but instead of trying to own up,he blames others and refuses to acknowledge his debts. That is worse than a lack of honor or integrity. That is a lack of willpower. To FACE what you have done,not run away from it.

I have often disapeared from this board because i felt that i honestly was not worthy of being in the Company of not just Industry Pros such as Gail(who i can not even begin to thank. I tease her alot,but i do it because i only tease the ones i like and care about),but such outstanding people such as Ed,Cam,HelloKittyKat,Lester,Richard,Sabrinaset(com eback!),Azreal,Monkeyboy,Jeffery,TC,Corrina,and so many others i can go on and on. I post alot,but mostly to make people smile. What i want to say is that ALL of you,named above or not,have such insight and creative process(especially those of you who put alot of time creating comics) that it has occured to me,with few exceptions in my life,i never got to THANK you all for it.

So..i guess what i wanted to say is thank you,not only for being friendly on here,but also for being my family,in a funny sort of way. You all cheer me up when i'm down,and take me to task when i say something stupid.

And i had to single out a couple things:
Gail..my eternal gratitude. Seriously,you are one of the good ones. And Gail is right(of COURSE she is) in saying Jan rocks. A very UNDERRATED writer who should be doing MORE professional work.
Mark Waid..for being able to do what i could only dream of,and helping those Rick has stiffed.
Kurt,for taking the time to awnser back. Wow..Kurt replied BACK to me..and quoted ME?? I am not worthy of this honor.
Cully..for many entertaining hours of comics. Your work in Blue Beetle will be missed,but i am really looking forward to your next work in Black Lightning.
Cam63,for always being there to make me smile. And with beer,too.
Lester,for being the younger brother i always wanted and dreaded. You feel like my good clone.
Richard from Zeus Comics,for making me FEEL about comics again,and gain back a feeling i havnt felt since high school.
WhiteRose,for being a Nice Aussie and with great tastes!
Corrina,for always being honest and sincere,yet fun too.
HelloKittyKat,for being You.
CreamFilledTaco & Dark Galaxy,you two rock. You are like my HAPPY couple.
And SK176,for being a great friend. You Shel,are like the best person i could of ever met on here. YOU are the Soul of YABS. I could not wish you anything but utter happiness.


You see...i believe in paying off my debts,no matter how late. I owed all of you this. And i rather be positive on this thread(such as how much good this thread HAS done!) and show what i feel about all of you. I honestly hope Rick can reform and do the same,and gets the help he needs,as this all feels like a call for help.

Hugs
Night Swordsman
aka Shadojakk

[Gail Simone]

First off,i am not a industry pro. To be honest,i am a typical "stereotype",a middle-age,shy comic book fan. Been reading since 1st grade ,and been collecting comics ever since. I honestly feel really inadequate to comment on this thread,as many of you are people who produce ARTISTIC WORK that i enjoy and buy. I also dislike people who do not pay their debts and cheat others like Rick has been. I should know,as i aquired,thru depression and my own stupidity,a very large debt. I worked my fingers to the bone literally for four years in a very poor paying menial labor job to pay this off,but also subconciously punishing myself for allowing me to get into all this. The amazing thing is,the moment i paid off my debt,i felt a HUGE weight off my shoulders,quit my job,and got a MUCH better retail position that thou causes my stress and lack of sleep,it IS a decent job. I realize in hindsight that i was punishing myself for all the stupidity i caused myself and to my friends,and thou **I** turned it around,i did it with help,which i truly acknowledge.

Rick had debts too...but instead of trying to own up,he blames others and refuses to acknowledge his debts. That is worse than a lack of honor or integrity. That is a lack of willpower. To FACE what you have done,not run away from it.

I have often disapeared from this board because i felt that i honestly was not worthy of being in the Company of not just Industry Pros such as Gail(who i can not even begin to thank. I tease her alot,but i do it because i only tease the ones i like and care about),but such outstanding people such as Ed,Cam,HelloKittyKat,Lester,Richard,Sabrinaset(com eback!),Azreal,Monkeyboy,Jeffery,TC,Corrina,and so many others i can go on and on. I post alot,but mostly to make people smile. What i want to say is that ALL of you,named above or not,have such insight and creative process(especially those of you who put alot of time creating comics) that it has occured to me,with few exceptions in my life,i never got to THANK you all for it.

So..i guess what i wanted to say is thank you,not only for being friendly on here,but also for being my family,in a funny sort of way. You all cheer me up when i'm down,and take me to task when i say something stupid.

And i had to single out a couple things:
Gail..my eternal gratitude. Seriously,you are one of the good ones. And Gail is right(of COURSE she is) in saying Jan rocks. A very UNDERRATED writer who should be doing MORE professional work.
Mark Waid..for being able to do what i could only dream of,and helping those Rick has stiffed.
Kurt,for taking the time to awnser back. Wow..Kurt replied BACK to me..and quoted ME?? I am not worthy of this honor.
Cully..for many entertaining hours of comics. Your work in Blue Beetle will be missed,but i am really looking forward to your next work in Black Lightning.
Cam63,for always being there to make me smile. And with beer,too.
Lester,for being the younger brother i always wanted and dreaded. You feel like my good clone.
Richard from Zeus Comics,for making me FEEL about comics again,and gain back a feeling i havnt felt since high school.
WhiteRose,for being a Nice Aussie and with great tastes!
Corrina,for always being honest and sincere,yet fun too.
HelloKittyKat,for being You.
CreamFilledTaco & Dark Galaxy,you two rock. You are like my HAPPY couple.
And SK176,for being a great friend. You Shel,are like the best person i could of ever met on here. YOU are the Soul of YABS. I could not wish you anything but utter happiness.


You see...i believe in paying off my debts,no matter how late. I owed all of you this. And i rather be positive on this thread(such as how much good this thread HAS done!) and show what i feel about all of you. I honestly hope Rick can reform and do the same,and gets the help he needs,as this all feels like a call for help.

Hugs
Night Swordsman
aka Shadojakk

Aww.

I like Night Swordsman!

:)

Gail

[matterconsumer]

But no one seems to have any interest whatsoever in the VAN OF JUSTICE :(

Why won't say Emoticon take it for a spin???

[Ogdred]

Is this for real? Or is this one of those joke threads, like Huffybaby?

[Jack Zodiac]

Man, if this were a joke thread, it should be nominated for some kinda' fuckin' award.

[TCJohnson]

TC, we are getting you to CAPE 3 if Rick Olney has to pay for it!


So you can ambush me?! Hells bells no!

[Gail Simone]

Is this for real? Or is this one of those joke threads, like Huffybaby?

Huffybaby is not a joke thread. Huffybabies are very, very real.

Gail

[qball]

Thanks qball! Much appreciated.

I agree, Gail. It's not bad at all. Which is why I asked.

You're welcome, Sarah.

[Night Swordsman]

Is this for real? Or is this one of those joke threads, like Huffybaby?

Unfortantely for the many people hurt by Rick Olney's issues,this is a very real thread. Do not let the size of this thread discourage you,as much information and great words have been posted here,as well as cruel and mean insults,most of which have been posted by Rick himself.

What is sad is the people who did work for Rick are not being paid and having to go thru all this hassle. I do hope everyone gets the monies they are owed and hope that Rick pays what he owes,then seeks out help,and i mean that in a sincere way. He may have done horrible things,and i loathe what he has done,but based on how he has acted,he needs professional help before his issues have a consequence that effects him and his family and friends.

[TCJohnson]

Huffybaby is not a joke thread. Huffybabies are very, very real.

Gail

yeah, she is talking about me and that makes me mad. Gr.

[Matt Doc Martin]

Unfortantely for the many people hurt by Rick Olney's issues,this is a very real thread. Do not let the size of this thread discourage you,as much information and great words have been posted here,as well as cruel and mean insults,most of which have been posted by Rick himself.


Was I cruel and mean to "Dick"? If not, I will try harder next time.

Guy needs to be beaten about the head and neck with the truth.

[Night Swordsman]

Huffybaby is not a joke thread. Huffybabies are very, very real.

Gail

Are they like Care Bears?

I want to dye a tenderheart bear black and name it blackheart bear,but a irl friend and care bear collector told me its been done.

Sigh.

[Ogdred]

Huffybaby is not a joke thread. Huffybabies are very, very real.

If Huffybaby isn't a joke thread, then Lester's got a LOT of apologizing to do!

[Night Swordsman]

Was I cruel and mean to "Dick"? If not, I will try harder next time.

Guy needs to be beaten about the head and neck with the truth.

I agree that his actions and words are horrible,cruel,and down right insane in tone and "facts",and do NOT doubt he deserves cruel things to be said about him.

But to be honest Matt,i am more worried about You. I would hate to see you sink to Rick's level,to feed his overpuffed sense of ego,and to feel anger. You are bright,articulate,and frankly a MUCH BETTER person than Rick is,and to let him goad you down to his level is beneath you,beneath ALL of us.

Pity this cretin,but do not let him take your time,dignity,and emotions. He is not worthy of them until he can face his lack of will and face the truth of the damages he has done.

[TCJohnson]

Aww.

I like Night Swordsman!

:)

Gail

I don't....cause he didn't list me.

Sniff

[Night Swordsman]

I don't....cause he didn't list me.

Sniff

Incorrect. Without editing it further than i have to fix a sentance structure,you WERE listed above. Honest. Check it.

[TheDeeMan]

I seem to remember that comic but cannot think of the creator's name though "gaak" might be a clue, maybe he is embarrassed to be recognized. Saw he was under "columns" but the comic just comes up. Tim might know.

Why should I be embarrassed? My name is Darryl Hughes. I am the writer/creator of "G.A.A.K: Groovy Ass Alien Kreatures". "GAAK" for short. The artwork is by Monique MacNaughton. Who is also the creator of the Graphic Smash comic "UNA Frontiers".

Both Monique and I are VERY PROUD of our little scifi, monsters-run-amok, alien invasion adventure, thank you very much.

Dee

[Sarah Beach]

Why should I be embarrassed? My name is Darryl Hughes. I am the writer/creator of "G.A.A.K: Groovy Ass Alien Kreatures". "GAAK" for short. The artwork is by Monique MacNaughton. Who is also the creator of the Graphic Smash comic "UNA Frontiers".

Both Monique and I are VERY PROUD of our little scifi, monsters-run-amok, alien invasion adventure, thank you very much.

Dee

Wow. This thread is like magic. Invoke someone's name, and they appear!

Pleased to meet you Darryl. Those six little pages were nicely done -- which is why I started wondering about the credits, since Ole' Stinky didn't see fit to put up the credits anywhere reasonable. Good luck to you both! (And are you on ComicSpace yet? Get thee hence! And then add me as a friend!)

Never mind. I just ran over there and did it myself. Both you & Monique.

[TheDeeMan]

Hi Sarah. I actually just emailed a "thank you" to you with a GAAK link so that you can check GAAK out to date. Those pages at the MMC site have been there for a dogs age.

And yeah, I'm at comicspace too.

www.comicspace.com/TheDeeMan

Dee

[rummblestrips]

Whatever happened to Joanne. She has a great insight on the mind of "Rick" as she was berated and more by "Rick" as well.

I'm here I'm here!!
Oh GOD! Rick Olney! Boy is that a name I hoped to never hear again. Doc and Ian, please feel free to post any and all info on my issues with Rick as many of the minor details escape me. (and I miss you two as well ) All I know is that the end result was that I was afraid to go to the Pittsburgh comic-con by myself as Rick had hinted that he would "see me there". I was so nervous that I told a few of my fellow small pressers in the area that if they heard me yell, to come running.

Rick is sick and unbalanced. He went from promoting my book for his show to trying to convince everyone I was a no talent bitch from Canada who obviously had a stash of cash that enabled me to travel around to conventions at my leisure. (if you looked at my bank account, you'd know how FAR from the truth THAT is! lol)

He said terrible things about my husband, about my friends, and turned several online pals into enemies. I NEVER had enemies until I met Rick.

I think his hatred for me began when he posted a scathing comment about the Wizard World convention and stated that any small press or Indy creator who goes there is an idiot.
I was a mod at the time over at the SPA and I either deleted his whole comment or edited it, I can't remember, then I pmed him and said he can't say things like that he was insulting a whole community that was dedicated to promoting small press and Indy creators. And it went from there

Again, I don't remember details, but it was bad, so bad my husband and I talked about getting off the convention circuit for a while until things with Rick cooled down.

How sad is that?!

I'm sad to see how many people his warped mind has affected, but the one good thing is that this thread will alert a whole bunch of people about this man. I hope he never works in comics again, gets some serious medical attention and lives a long and happy life in his own house where he's not allowed to get on the internet.
Idiot.

Good for you Gail for getting this started.

[Crowley]

I hope he never works in comics again, gets some serious medical attention and lives a long and happy life in his own house where he's not allowed to get on the internet.
Idiot.

Good for you Gail for getting this started.
well with the non payment... then the threatening lawsuits and gloating over non payment... plus the total and utter lack of remorse...

it's a pretty sure bet he'll never work in comics again.

[DungeonmasterJim]

I just want to be clear on this issue after 119 pages. So what you people are saying is that it is recommended NOT to have business dealings with one Mr. Rick Olney?

















That somehow seemed really funny in my head.

Sorry.

DM Jim

[Matt Doc Martin]

I agree that his actions and words are horrible,cruel,and down right insane in tone and "facts",and do NOT doubt he deserves cruel things to be said about him.

But to be honest Matt,i am more worried about You. I would hate to see you sink to Rick's level,to feed his overpuffed sense of ego,and to feel anger. You are bright,articulate,and frankly a MUCH BETTER person than Rick is,and to let him goad you down to his level is beneath you,beneath ALL of us.

Pity this cretin,but do not let him take your time,dignity,and emotions. He is not worthy of them until he can face his lack of will and face the truth of the damages he has done.

No worries. I am fairly level headed, and this moron has no hope of "getting to me". And Joanne, sorry that the tool threatened you. He promised me a "surprise" at MegaCon. I took it for a cheap attempt at threat. I'm led to believe he is talking out of his ass, but the more I hear from people like you, the more I think he is terribly unhinged. No one should EVER threaten a lady. He is no man...he is a sad little bully.

[Matt Doc Martin]

well with the non payment... then the threatening lawsuits and gloating over non payment... plus the total and utter lack of remorse...

it's a pretty sure bet he'll never work in comics again.

I'm not sure there is any evidence he has done any work in comics to begin with.

[Sarah Beach]

Joanne, after spending about three weeks moderating his posting on Chuck Dixon's board at Dixonverse, I really understand your feeling! He is, literally, toxic to the psyche, especially when you have to deal with him pretty much by yourself. Even after we banned him from posting on Dixonverse, it took a week to get him out of my system, as it were. Fortunately, it helped that I had assistant moderators and Chuck to talk to - to vent to, and then move on to other subjects.

Hopefully, because of this thread, and other discussions on the Net, no one will ever again have to fear going to a con because he might be there to corner them. I'm beginning to think that one would be able to find a contra-Olney co-hort at any con, now. And of course, the Huffy-Puffy has been exposed as the big bag of gas that he really is, so he shouldn't be quite as alarming any more.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

I just want to be clear on this issue after 119 pages. So what you people are saying is that it is recommended NOT to have business dealings with one Mr. Rick Olney?

















That somehow seemed really funny in my head.

Sorry.

DM Jim


Not if you want that funny green stuff that people demand for goods . Trust me...they do get mad when you offer them your 1st born child. :p

[Gail Simone]

I'm here I'm here!!
Oh GOD! Rick Olney! Boy is that a name I hoped to never hear again. Doc and Ian, please feel free to post any and all info on my issues with Rick as many of the minor details escape me. (and I miss you two as well ) All I know is that the end result was that I was afraid to go to the Pittsburgh comic-con by myself as Rick had hinted that he would "see me there". I was so nervous that I told a few of my fellow small pressers in the area that if they heard me yell, to come running.

Rick is sick and unbalanced. He went from promoting my book for his show to trying to convince everyone I was a no talent bitch from Canada who obviously had a stash of cash that enabled me to travel around to conventions at my leisure. (if you looked at my bank account, you'd know how FAR from the truth THAT is! lol)

He said terrible things about my husband, about my friends, and turned several online pals into enemies. I NEVER had enemies until I met Rick.

I think his hatred for me began when he posted a scathing comment about the Wizard World convention and stated that any small press or Indy creator who goes there is an idiot.
I was a mod at the time over at the SPA and I either deleted his whole comment or edited it, I can't remember, then I pmed him and said he can't say things like that he was insulting a whole community that was dedicated to promoting small press and Indy creators. And it went from there

Again, I don't remember details, but it was bad, so bad my husband and I talked about getting off the convention circuit for a while until things with Rick cooled down.

How sad is that?!

I'm sad to see how many people his warped mind has affected, but the one good thing is that this thread will alert a whole bunch of people about this man. I hope he never works in comics again, gets some serious medical attention and lives a long and happy life in his own house where he's not allowed to get on the internet.
Idiot.

Good for you Gail for getting this started.

YOWCH.

Well, that's one more person who has nothing good to say about Rick Olney. Maybe he really IS the 'most hated man in comics,' as he so proudly proclaims.

Having met Joanne, I find this even more revolting. A nicer person you could not find in a month of searching.

On the other hand, let me highly recommend Joanne's excellent book...it really is a delight on every level. I had a blast with it and lost my copies when I moved my comics.

Yikes, it's like a never-ending well of bad will this guy has created.

Gail

[Gail Simone]

Of course I forgot to plug her site:

http://www.rummblestrips.com

Go! Look!

Gail

[Gail Simone]

Why should I be embarrassed? My name is Darryl Hughes. I am the writer/creator of "G.A.A.K: Groovy Ass Alien Kreatures". "GAAK" for short. The artwork is by Monique MacNaughton. Who is also the creator of the Graphic Smash comic "UNA Frontiers".

Both Monique and I are VERY PROUD of our little scifi, monsters-run-amok, alien invasion adventure, thank you very much.

Dee

No reason to be embarrassed OR defensive...everyone's welcome to their own opinion here.

When you posted before, I checked out some of the strips and quite liked them. There's a nice whimsy (even for this non-Goonies fan) to it all.

Gail

[boolean]

Maybe he really IS the 'most hated man in comics,' as he so proudly proclaims.

That description still isn't very apt.

The 'most hated' part might be correct.

The 'in comics' part seems to be mostly untrue. How 'in' can you be when you never publish anything.

But the least correct part would be 0lney describing himself as a 'man'.

[Matt Doc Martin]

That description still isn't very apt.

The 'most hated' part might be correct.

The 'in comics' part seems to be mostly untrue. How 'in' can you be when you never publish anything.

But the least correct part would be 0lney describing himself as a 'man'.

Quoted for TRUTH!

[TCJohnson]

He went from promoting my book for his show to trying to convince everyone I was a no talent bitch from Canada who obviously had a stash of cash that enabled me to travel around to conventions at my leisure. (if you looked at my bank account, you'd know how FAR from the truth THAT is! lol)

Which is exactly what happened to Gail....except Gail is actually going to China and Disney world and...erm, nevermind.

But he went from begging Gail for an autograph to saying she was a talentless hack who only got into the industry as a token female. You would think if he was going to be a dangerous troll, he would find some originality. Otherwise it gets boring.

[TCJohnson]

Ms. Beach,

What exactly did happen between Dixon and Olney? I mean, I get the impression that this latest onlsought was brought about by Dixson posting about Olney....and while I got the general gist but I was wondering if you had the details or if there was a link.

[Sarah Beach]

Ms. Beach,

What exactly did happen between Dixon and Olney? I mean, I get the impression that this latest onlsought was brought about by Dixson posting about Olney....and while I got the general gist but I was wondering if you had the details or if there was a link.

This is the gist of it as I understand it. I have not asked Chuck for the details, I don't know how much work Chuck did (although it is more than one story, I believe).

Chuck agreed to write some stories for TLE's horror title. He got his artists lined up for it as well, and they did the work on his stories. He got into it partly because someone else connected with TLE suggested it to him, not because he's out grubbing for jobs.

His contract was that he'd be paid within X days (of delivery of the scripts, I'm assuming). There are also, apparently, clauses which allow that on breach of contract, the rights of the stories revert to Chuck - as a creator-owned project.

RO contends that he has a signed NDA from Chuck, and that since Chuck went public to Rich Johnston about the non-payment (some 3 months after the contracted date of payment, mind you), Chuck has breached the contract himself. Chuck says he never signed the NDA. (Which from the sound of all this apparently stands separately from the contract itself.) Given Chuck's 20 years experience in the business, the care I've seen him exhibit about other contractural matters, how he keeps tabs on the business side of his profession... I believe Chuck.

So... apparently some sort of legal interaction is pending on the matter, which was going to move forward after the New Year break.

Beyond that, I don't know. I haven't asked. If a legal hearing is indeed pending, it is, right now, none of my business. I'll wait for the resolution. I'm sure there will be one, as Chuck is very careful of his creations when he can be.

[TCJohnson]

Given Chuck's 20 years experience in the business, the care I've seen him exhibit about other contractural matters, how he keeps tabs on the business side of his profession... I believe Chuck.

Thanks for that! I was looking for Chuck outing him on your boards, didn't realize it was through Rich Johnston that this all started.


And I find it amusing, however, that you are defending Chuck Dixon's integrity in light of Rick Olney's accusations. That is like you trying to defend a tank against a drunk ant. I think right now, if Chuck Dixon was in prison for voter fraud and used contracts to do doodles on, most would still believe him over Rick Olney.


What baffles me is that Olney thinks that an NDA will protect him. Even if Chuck did sign one (which I don't believe he did) it would not cover not being paid.

[Coppervale Studio]

I think that's the circular logic that's going on:

In Rick's opinion, complaining about not being paid violated the NDA's, so he's going to sue for THAT breach — which means the people he owes money might decide it's better to walk away than to end up owing HIM for talking about not being paid.

As far as I can tell.

It's the NDA thing that kills me — what, other than not being paid, could they talk about that could harm the company? And if he PAID them (or TRIED to pay them, or COMMUNICATED with them that he WAS trying [without threatening them in the process]) then there's NOTHING they could really say that COULD harm him.

It's like watching a long train wreck where everyone's jumped off but one guy, who yells as the train plummets off of the bridge: "It's fine! I'm still driving!"

[Cam63]

Has anyone noted the irony that the sum total of Rick's legal threats basically amounts to his shouting, "You'll all be sorry!"

?

Nope. Doesn't ring any bells.

[TheDeeMan]

No reason to be embarrassed OR defensive...everyone's welcome to their own opinion here.

When you posted before, I checked out some of the strips and quite liked them. There's a nice whimsy (even for this non-Goonies fan) to it all.

Gail


Thanks for saying so. I'm bringing whimsy back. LOL! :)

Dee

[Cam63]

Aww.

I like Night Swordsman!

:)

Gail

That was a pretty good post of his.

I'm glad he mentioned beer.

[Cam63]

But no one seems to have any interest whatsoever in the VAN OF JUSTICE :(

Why won't say Emoticon take it for a spin???

It smells funny.

Justice shouldn't smell funny.

[Cam63]

I'm loving all the decent and talented people who're posting here, some for the first time.

Olney may be good for something afterall.

[the4thpip]

It took me a few minutes to realize who you were talking about. We won't hold that against you Scott. But what did happen to Penthouse Comics ? I heard about the sucide and all of their EIC as a non-online fan back in the day.

I started a new thread for more info on Penthouse Comics and cases like that here (http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=158536) to not derail this thread too much - but so far, no posts.

[singoalla]

I think that's the circular logic that's going on:

In Rick's opinion, complaining about not being paid violated the NDA's, so he's going to sue for THAT breach — which means the people he owes money might decide it's better to walk away than to end up owing HIM for talking about not being paid.

As far as I can tell.

It's the NDA thing that kills me — what, other than not being paid, could they talk about that could harm the company? And if he PAID them (or TRIED to pay them, or COMMUNICATED with them that he WAS trying [without threatening them in the process]) then there's NOTHING they could really say that COULD harm him.

It's like watching a long train wreck where everyone's jumped off but one guy, who yells as the train plummets off of the bridge: "It's fine! I'm still driving!"

He hasn't got a peg-leg to stand on actually. A Non-Disclosure Agreement isn't signed because you want to keep people from talking about not being paid. It's signed to protect integral parts of the business. Someone else mentioned (waaay earlier) that since it's basically comics publishing, then there's really nothing secret that needs protecting.
If, however, you work at Coca-Cola and gave out the secret Coke recipe, then you'd probably have breached your NDA.

But that's moot anyway, because if someone signed a contract saying they'd get paid, and Rick didn't pay, he automatically null n' voided any other agreements.

I think ozBat! told me he was attempting to sue for libel/slander/defamation.
Good luck. Were RO european he might be in luck. As a US citizen... pfftt

Cue wiki-quote:

Defamation law in the United States is much less plaintiff-friendly than its counterparts in European and the Commonwealth countries.

This is because the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States gives strong protection to freedom of expression, which arose from the tradition of dissent in the American Revolution. For most of the history of the United States, constitutional protections of freedom of speech were considered fully compatible with state defamation law. This changed with the landmark 1964 case of New York Times v. Sullivan, in which the Supreme Court of the United States announced constitutional restrictions to state defamation law. The court held that where a public official was defamed, the plaintiff had to prove not just that an untruthful statement was made, but also that it was made with "actual malice" - that is, with knowledge of falsity or with reckless disregard for the truth. The "actual malice" standard was subsequently extended to public figures in general, and even to private figure plaintiffs seeking punitive or presumptive damages.

If Rick needs help getting this straight, I'll happily lend him one of my many dictionaries and thesauruses. :)

[Art Grafunkel]

I'm loving all the decent and talented people who're posting here, some for the first time..

Why, thank you.

...

Maybe I should take the time to talk a little about my organisation called S.H.A.M.U. Now I guess, if you'd do some research, you already know the appreciation from the industry S.H.A.M.U. has earned throughout the past half century.





...






Just kidding. :D

[Cam63]

Hey, I wasn't talking about you !









Jokin' !

Heh ! Welcome aboard !

The beer in the frige' is mostly mine, but you may have one if you can tell me what was Mad Max's surname.

[AIPman1]

I seem to remember that comic but cannot think of the creator's name though "gaak" might be a clue, maybe he is embarrassed to be recognized. Saw he was under "columns" but the comic just comes up. Tim might know.
GAAK stands for something, like Groovie Alien *** **** not sure what the other 2 words are.

Not sure who does that, but they have printed a number of strips I beleive...I've never seen them though...just heard promo for it...

[AIPman1]

Ian, please feel free to post any and all info on my issues with Rick as many of the minor details escape me.
All I really have to add to what you said is that I read the post that Joanne deleted, and it was indeed well over the bounds of non-attack that the SPA supports. It indeed degenerated quickly into veile threats of physical peril towards Joanne, and was the trigger for our ousting Rick as a co-admin of the SPA. Which was something I had been waiting to have happen due to my own problems with the guy and the convention he begged me to come to, promised a free ride to...but I've said all I need to there. Again, I want nothing from him, don't want to bicker about it. I still have the e-mails from then...printed out and on disc...and hope never to have to use them. It's just not worth it.
(and I miss you two as well )The door is always open for you at the SPA Joanne. You are one of my own personal fave people in comics, and you deserve so much more than you've gotten in your career so far. I picked Rummblestrips in what, 2002? as our first Pick of the Month in the magazine. I still hope to see it live up to it's potential.

[Gavin Higginbotham, BotF]

The beer in the frige' is mostly mine, but you may have one if you can tell me what was Mad Max's surname.

Rockatansky.

I like beer, too!

[Cam63]

OK...

Start from the left side of the frige'.

Yer can have another beer if you can tell me why Australians call the English " Poms. "

[Alan Lynch]

Just sticking my head in to concur with the general consensus that Rick Olney is indeed an asshole. And I hope there's a breakthrough for everyone affected. Or at least that Rick suffers.

I read all 121 pages and this is all I say? What a waste of my work's time and money.

[Cully Hamner]

Is it weird that I feel almost kinda left-out in all this? I mean, I almost wish that I had done some work for him for which he didn't pay, instead of merely being cyberstalked and mildly threatened. I feel like I haven't earned my stripes.

[Art Grafunkel]

Is it weird that I feel almost kinda left-out in all this?

Go and draw me a kitty.

With a gun.

And some horses with robots on 'em.

...

Check's already in the mail, promise. :D

[Cam63]

Is it weird that I feel almost kinda left-out in all this? I mean, I almost wish that I had done some work for him for which he didn't pay, instead of merely being cyberstalked and mildly threatened. I feel like I haven't earned my stripes.

Could I interest you in a bridge sales pyramid scheme based in a Queensland swamp ?

[Corrina]

What i want to say is that ALL of you,named above or not,have such insight and creative process(especially those of you who put alot of time creating comics) that it has occured to me,with few exceptions in my life,i never got to THANK you all for it.



What a lovely, lovely post. Thank you, Night Swordsman.

[Mike Bullock]

Is it weird that I feel almost kinda left-out in all this? I mean, I almost wish that I had done some work for him for which he didn't pay, instead of merely being cyberstalked and mildly threatened. I feel like I haven't earned my stripes.


I'm, sure if you ask, he'll be more than happy to give you an assignment:

tightlip.entertainment@gmail.com

[Corrina]

Thanks for that! I was looking for Chuck outing him on your boards, didn't realize it was through Rich Johnston that this all started.



Olney showed up at the Dverse boards, not only to refute the claims but to start a whole bunch of threads to take potshots at various people, originally disguised as discussion.

Most of those threads were deleted but they were quite toxic, even more so than what he's said here.

[EdContradictory]

I was a mod at the time over at the SPA and I either deleted his whole comment or edited it, I can't remember, then I pmed him and said he can't say things like that he was insulting a whole community that was dedicated to promoting small press and Indy creators. And it went from there

Oh, he hates that.

Bet you were a communist from then on in his mind.

[EdContradictory]

It's the NDA thing that kills me — what, other than not being paid, could they talk about that could harm the company? And if he PAID them (or TRIED to pay them, or COMMUNICATED with them that he WAS trying [without threatening them in the process]) then there's NOTHING they could really say that COULD harm him.


Which I think plays into his legal responsibility to mitigate his own damages, which is why a judge will slam her gavel down, say "pay the people", and throw his case out.

[OzBat!]

Most of those threads were deleted but they were quite toxic, even more so than what he's said here.Yes, he's been quite reserved in comparison over here, but I imagine that's because of the rabid hyperventilating his lawyer's been doing in his face trying to get him to shut up. In any case, I've not been the least bit inclined to suggest he needs to be banned here, simply because he's hanging himself legally every time he opens his mouth.

[Mike Bullock]

Yes, he's been quite reserved in comparison over here, but I imagine that's because of the rabid hyperventilating his lawyer's been doing in his face trying to get him to shut up. In any case, I've not been the least bit inclined to suggest he needs to be banned here, simply because he's hanging himself legally every time he opens his mouth.

I seriously doubt he even has a lawyer. When he first told me he wouldn't pay me until he sorted out the NDA nonsense, I gave him my attorney's contact information. So far, in the 3 months since, my attorney has yet to hear from anyone...

If he can't afford to pay my modest page rate, he certainly can't afford to pay an attorney. Last I checked, an average lawyer charges roughly $200-500/hour.

[Sarah Beach]

Olney showed up at the Dverse boards, not only to refute the claims but to start a whole bunch of threads to take potshots at various people, originally disguised as discussion.

Most of those threads were deleted but they were quite toxic, even more so than what he's said here.

We did copy the threads before deleting them to clear space on the board. The only unfortunate thing is that some of his vilest exchanges (in subthreads), particularly with Gail, Tony Isabella, Michael Netzer, and Drew Geraci were deleted before it occured to me to save them. But we have the texts, with the responses of other posters, so that the full context can be seen. And I too have saved all my emails with him.

And toxic is exactly the word.

[OzBat!]

I seriously doubt he even has a lawyer. When he first told me he wouldn't pay me until he sorted out the NDA nonsense, I gave him my attorney's contact information. So far, in the 3 months since, my attorney has yet to hear from anyone...I think, from the general consensus after 1800 posts, that he might finally have spoken to somebody... and it's quite probably a relative of some description. I mean, the first several dozen times he said he wasn't going to post anymore but then did anyway weren't unusual, but suddenly he's developed some will power and not posted for several consecutive days??

Only if his lawyer screamed hysterically and passed out after reading his meltdowns.

[Cam63]

Lawyers aren't known for hysterical screaming.

Maybe stifled groans of derision.

[Lester C.]

Lawyers aren't known for hysterical screaming.

Maybe stifled groans of derision.

We're known for both if the settlement check is big enough.:)

[TomStillwell]

Lawyers aren't known for hysterical screaming.

Maybe stifled groans of derision.

Then you haven't been to my firm yet...

[OzBat!]

Any lawyer taking on his case and then reading this thread will be either screaming or laughing insanely by the time he gets to the end of it.

And then packing his bags and taking an extended leave of absence.

[OzBat!]

We're known for both if the settlement check is big enough.:)Lester, you're a bad bad bad bad man!

[MichaelNetzer]

I seriously doubt he even has a lawyer. When he first told me he wouldn't pay me until he sorted out the NDA nonsense, I gave him my attorney's contact information. So far, in the 3 months since, my attorney has yet to hear from anyone...

If he can't afford to pay my modest page rate, he certainly can't afford to pay an attorney. Last I checked, an average lawyer charges roughly $200-500/hour.

Sorry to hear you were also compromised, Mike. I agree completely about Olney not even having a lawyer looking at this. His threats are those of a rabid sick man who needs help, really.

[PatrickG]

Then you haven't been to my firm yet...

So... The Savage She-Hulk is real?

[websbestcomics]

Does anyone happen to have saved that Olney self portrait he had on his myspace? It was a large drawing of him with a stake driven through his heart and title 'most hated man in comics'. I have the small avatar version he used here, but I need a larger version of it for print purposes. If you have it, please post it here or send to scott@websbestcomics.com

Thanks!

[EdContradictory]

There's this shot of his sperm shooting killer whale.
http://www.teako170.com/orca.jpg

[Mike Bullock]

Sorry to hear you were also compromised, Mike. I agree completely about Olney not even having a lawyer looking at this. His threats are those of a rabid sick man who needs help, really.


Thanks, Michael. Right now, my only goal in all this is to make sure no one else gets caught in his trap.

[PatrickG]

BTW, here's my big concern for Mark Waid and Gail and everyone directly involved but particularly those donating cash...

If this sleaze (and I hate to use the word; people make mistakes and sometimes have trouble paying bills but NOT on this SCALE for as many projects as this guy) had the money to pay, don't you think he would have?

I mean, maybe he's a sociopath.

But me gut says that a class action suit or series of lawsuits is just going to result in a MORAL victory. And hey! I'm all about the moral victories. Trust me, I'll argue well past the point of tangible reward on an issue I'm passionate about.

However, I think it should be noted that the money spent pursuing Olney has got to be spent on principle. You may get his wages garnished or you may get an admission (voluntary or otherwise) of wrongdoing and a bankruptcy.

To those who want to pursue the principle, my hat's off to you. If he's holding contracts over your head or trying to compel something out of you or threatening you, you may NEED to pursue the path of principle.

However -- as the torches are passed out and the lynchmob is assembled to go after this twit -- I would also like to invoke the spirit of the season that just passed and suggest that those who do not face direct repercussions from Olney or those who are looking for more than a victory of principle to consider an alternative route, one that benefits a larger cross section of society than court employees and lawyers.

By all means, still testify and cooperate with those who are pursuing moral vindication and punitive action that will force Olney to surrender if you feel so pressed.

However, for those with nothing to gain, I think it would be grand to somehow find a proactive gesture to take. Perhaps a donation to the CBLDF. Perhaps collaboration for various favored charities of people in the comic book community. I see good things being done with CBLDF money but, in a broader sense, with the Sam Loeb Foundation, with Crohn's Disease (from which Mark Millar suffers), with animal issues and nuclear weapons issues (which are close to Grant Morrison's heart).

Call me defeatist but I think Olney, if he's as guilty as it sounds like, just needs to be sued into a bankruptcy. One more lawsuit than it takes to achieve that is a waste because the money almost certainly isn't there.

I would suggest that the offended parties organize to some extent, determine what is needed for a MORAL victory -- one which marks Olney sufficiently to protect people from being defrauded in the future -- and then pool remaining resources in the form of talent or money that would have been spent on legal expenses towards some form of proactive good.

The way it seems to me, Olney hurt a sizable number of you and there needs to be some justice for that. However, he introduced negativity -- a vacuum -- mistrust -- hurt -- into this community and there should also be an answer, a response to that. It's easy to be angry -- and righteously so. I believe that a world which simply redresses hurt, however, is incomplete and I do not think that Olney can sufficiently redress the hurt he seems to have inflicted to so many. So I propose that some form of healing is also essential and valuable and urge some of you to consider responding to these attacks and these travesties with an out-turned hand and a generous spirit towards any causes or charities which you may believe in, related or unrelated to this mockery.

It takes no focus and no vision to hurt, although a misguided vision will also get the job done. But there is a great deal of good that can be done in this world as well and it takes more than vindication for the good to outweigh the bad.

So I would urge everyone affected and even those who are not to remember this: Even if it's as simple an act as giving blood or offering prayers, I believe (and hope you all join me in this belief) that we must harvest the good from the bad where we can find it, that we must not simply dispose of or eliminate the ills of life but use them as fertilizer, as motivation, to grow our lives and our actions towards progress, honor, hope and prosperity.

... And I'll get off the soapbox now.

[Ronée]

I'm just glad the Christians don't have to claim him.I happen to be Wiccan, we do celebrate Christmas, it is just called "Yule" and deciding that the Christians got off easy by not "claiming" him makes me think that you believe the Wiccans deserve someone unworthy.:(

[Buckminster Futter]

PatrickG: A most laudable and well-reasoned post...but personally, I'd like to see the sonuvabitch do jail time.

[Typo Lad]

Patrick's post didn't make any sense to me.

What's your point, Pat?

[the4thpip]

I think, from the general consensus after 1800 posts, that he might finally have spoken to somebody... and it's quite probably a relative of some description.
He's his nephew and his brother.

[Matt Doc Martin]

He's his nephew and his brother.

BRAVO!!!!!

[Matt Doc Martin]

Patrick's post didn't make any sense to me.

What's your point, Pat?

It's ok. We are still allowed to burn him in effigy.

[the4thpip]

I happen to be Wiccan, we do celebrate Christmas, it is just called "Yule" and deciding that the Christians got off easy by not "claiming" him makes me think that you believe the Wiccans deserve someone unworthy.:(

Nah, I'm sure Mack just meant that the majority of nutcases usually subscribe to one of the more common religions, and he's glad Olney isn't another Katherine Harris or Pat Robertson.

[Matt Doc Martin]

Nah, I'm sure Mack just meant that the majority of nutcases usually subscribe to one of the more common religions, and he's glad Olney isn't another Katherine Harris or Pat Robertson.

I would be shocked if some NRA nutcase like "Dick" was a Wiccan. He strikes me a a mouth-breathing rabid christian nutjob ala Robertson or Swaggart. Else Gaia would strike him down.

[Gail Simone]

I don't feel any wave of negativity.

I'm angry on behalf of the stiffed and threatened creators and others who worked with him. That's as it should be.

Other than that, I'm very happy to see the community come together and support those same people. That's a wave of positivity.

Gail

[TCJohnson]

Crap, that last wave of positivity was too strong and I lost my bathing suit in it. :mad:

[the4thpip]

Crap, that last wave of positivity was too strong and I lost my bathing suit in it. :mad:

Yes, we should have another one! :D

[Mike Bullock]

FYI: The CBLDF has been made aware of this situation.

[Matt Doc Martin]

FYI: The CBLDF has been made aware of this situation.

RELEASE THE HOUNDS!

[amboy00]

Thanks for that Gail... of course I'm still wondering what this guy in LITG meant by saying that this got people to feel sorry for me and that's a feat... WTF is that about?

Ronée, you should have know better than to speak out against sexual assault. Don't upset the boys club. I wrote about this yesterday after I read that article (link (http://amboy00.livejournal.com/136908.html)). People like that (the folks in that round table) are the pundits of comics; they make a lot of shock-jock B.S. to generate popularity.

It's also a bad attempt at humor that was wildly out of place.

[Jack Venooker]

Jack, thanks for posting and welcome to the ever-growing club of people who have had to deal with this guy. Can you tell us a bit more about what your experience was?

Gail

I just watched him make a lot of promises to people that he never intended to keep. Every interaction I had with him had to do with "grandiose promises" that he never kept. I would just keep track of his posts, and call him on every lie he told.

My most favorite exchange (the one that got him banned from Comicon the final time, as I recall) was when he was doing his "comics for the Salvation Army" scam. He was trying to get people to donate him comics (which he was then going to give to his local Salvation Army as a middleman) and he promised everyone a nice fat tax deduction for their donation.

Until i asked him about his 501(c).

That thread is still around somewhere, and is a classic about whata total SOCIOPATH Mr Olney really and truly is. A thief and a liar. That along with the "putting comics in the hands of children" trolling line at cons is enough to curl even the hair on my shiny bald head.

He's a lying, shiftless thief who has threatened to sue me, kill me, hurt my wife, find out where I live, call my job, threaten every one I know, and in general promised to "run his suck" until I regretted it.

Very very satisfying to see this latest development.

[Sarah Beach]

Good grief! I got off easy. The worst he calls me is "Ms. ... Beach" (Yeah, like nobody can hear the "bitch" sitting in the air.).

[Matt Doc Martin]

Good grief! I got off easy. The worst he calls me is "Ms. ... Beach" (Yeah, like nobody can hear the "bitch" sitting in the air.).

He isn't fit to wipe your ass.

"Dick", you are a scumbag loser. I challenge you to produce the name of your "attorney" who is dealing with your "issues", you "foulmouthed", "no-talent", "bullying", "blowhard", "stinky" "assmunch".

[Matt Algren]

Ronée, you should have know better than to speak out against sexual assault. Don't upset the boys club. I wrote about this yesterday after I read that article (link (http://amboy00.livejournal.com/136908.html)). People like that (the folks in that round table) are the pundits of comics; they make a lot of shock-jock B.S. to generate popularity.

It's also a bad attempt at humor that was wildly out of place.
Well, the issue that people (including me) had with Ronée's article was a bit more complex than "Sexual Assault: Right or Wrong?". There were serious credibility issues.

But let's not rehash that here. Changing the subject and all that.

[Typo Lad]

Matt, I know the guy's an arse, but you know.. namecalling is kinda childish.

The man has enough flaws already.

[Matt Algren]

Matt, I know the guy's an arse, but you know.. namecalling is kinda childish.

The man has enough flaws already.
But I didn't . . .

There are too many Matts in this thread.

That is all.

[Matt Doc Martin]

Matt, I know the guy's an arse, but you know.. namecalling is kinda childish.

The man has enough flaws already.

I blame it on the sugar rush from all the oreos I just ate.

But i stand by it nonetheless.

[Matt Doc Martin]

But I didn't . . .

There are too many Matts in this thread.

That is all.

And too many Docs as well.

[Typo Lad]

I blame it on the sugar rush from all the oreos I just ate.

But i stand by it nonetheless.
Wait... there are oreos?

I didn't see any oreos.

[Matt Doc Martin]

Wait... there are oreos?

I didn't see any oreos.

Behind you! Halley's Comet!

*scampers away with milk*

[EdContradictory]

My most favorite exchange (the one that got him banned from Comicon the final time, as I recall) was when he was doing his "comics for the Salvation Army" scam. He was trying to get people to donate him comics (which he was then going to give to his local Salvation Army as a middleman) and he promised everyone a nice fat tax deduction for their donation.

Until i asked him about his 501(c).

That thread is still around somewhere,

It is, indeed. (http://www.comicon.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php/ubb/get_topic/f/42/t/000901/p/1.html#000012)

[Typo Lad]

Behind you! Halley's Comet!

*scampers away with milk*
I don't see it.

Hey wait, Halley's isn't due for years yet.

...

Where'd my Fox's U Bet go?

[EdContradictory]

It is, indeed. (http://www.comicon.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php/ubb/get_topic/f/42/t/000901/p/1.html#000012)
It's like we're in a time loop reading that.

He's seriously been at this nonsense, having the same conversations, for years upon years.

[AIPman1]

wow, he was using Plebes back in 2000...wonder why that term hasn't caught on more...

[MacQuarrie]

I happen to be Wiccan, we do celebrate Christmas, it is just called "Yule" and deciding that the Christians got off easy by not "claiming" him makes me think that you believe the Wiccans deserve someone unworthy.:(

Not at all. I just don't want anyone pointing at him and accusing me of being the same. He can call himself a zoroastrian or an azaroth-worshiper or a jedi or a reform buddhist for all I care, but I have pity for any group he pretends to adhere to. I'm just happy it's not mine.

It's bad enough we get stuck with Fred Phelps and that congressman who boffs pages.

[PatrickG]

Patrick's post didn't make any sense to me.

What's your point, Pat?

My point is, there's probably not enough justice to go around.

Do what you can. Don't spend a dime more than you have to in order to make a point and go out and spread some good karma around to help make up for the garbage that assholes pollute the world with.

Crime and punishment is well and good but this isn't just about money; this is about a guy who not only won't but probably can't live up to his obligations.

I hate to see things that sour the comic community or the world at large. So my sincere hope is that good people will continue to do good things and maybe even redouble their efforts to help make up for the stench of the bad apples.

[Typo Lad]

Patrick,

You're being too wordy and your prose is just too purple for me.

Say it in three sentances or less for a change, okay? All i see is flipping and flopping in both those posts ans more wishy-washyness than you can shake a stick at.

[Gail Simone]

"Anyone that has visited this site for any length of time can see the real issue here - To tear off a little piece of Rick Olney, walking away with an over inflated ego for yourself. Good for you!

I've stated numerous times that I have nothing to hide - And I don't!

I'm not explaining anything, nor am I going to continue this conversation past this point. View my response as you will ... for none of you seem the type to involve yourselves in any such effort regarding ORCA's efforts to assist the Salvation Army as indicated above.

Simply put - You're vile little people with nothing save the support of your own words to warm you. Try joining ORCA, or making a donation to see how we handle such efforts.

Or, put all your effort into being the MAIN reason MORE people, not accustomed to reading comic books, stay away from this hobby!

Does ANYONE here have anything but ANIMOSITY in their heart!?"


Wow, time warp! He responds this way to a perfectly legitimate legal question in that old theread, and surprise, it's just as goofy back then!

Gail

[Matt Doc Martin]

Holy Mother of God.

The man is absolutely fucking insane.

And quite possibly guilty of attempted tax-fraud.

[EdContradictory]

"
Simply put - You're vile little people with nothing save the support of your own words to warm you. Try joining ORCA, or making a donation to see how we handle such efforts.

"I hate you all! Now, give me money!"

What the hell has he made money at since 1998? It sure hasn't been comics or conventions.

[Gail Simone]

Patrick,

You're being too wordy and your prose is just too purple for me.

Say it in three sentances or less for a change, okay? All i see is flipping and flopping in both those posts ans more wishy-washyness than you can shake a stick at.

People do have a right to say things differently, Typo. I don't have any problem with what Patrick was saying.

Gail

[Typo Lad]

I wouldn't have a problem with it if I knew what he was saying.

So far all I can figure is:

Bad things happen. Let's move past it and talk about it at the same time".

[Typo Lad]

For the record, I don't have an issue with people saying things differently Gail. Nor do I have problems with Patrick. He seems like a nice enough fellow.

I'm just honestly unsure of his points.

[colleen]

I didn't see this mentioned in any earlier posts, but are you aware of The Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts?

Their New York chapter website can be found at http://www.vlany.org

Legal Services

VLA delivers pro bono and low cost legal services and information to over 10,000 members of the arts community each year. For more information on any of these programs please click here or call
The Art Law Line : 212·319·ARTS (2787), ext.1
Monday to Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Not only does the VLA have outposts in New York where Olney appears to have an office, but also in Florida where Olney may have an office.

When I was very poor, they were a big help to me and have been of service to some friends of mine who live in Australia. Julie Ditrich and Jozef Szekeres were able to secure legal representation for a very low fee and retained legal rights and secured back payments from a New York based publisher who has some of Olney's habits, including refusing payment.

I also had a couple of publishers pull the old "You won't get paid unless you sign this" trick, and it's as illegal as hell. No one can force you to sign a non-disclosure agreement while witholding payment. A non-disclosure agreement is usually only binding on employees, is severely limited in scope, and when it pertains to freelancers, only covers trade secrets that do not cover egregious non-payment issues.

Good luck to all.


c

www.adistantsoil.com/blog

[Wil Radcliffe]

(I hope no one has a problem with me posting this here. If so, I'll gladly remove it. It's just something I felt the need to write.)



A Sliver of Me

By

Wil Radcliffe



The day settled in over the village of Yabsbury. Townsfolk stirred and set about their daily chores. I could hear them from my window... the window I sat at everyday, waiting for that which would never come.

Bramble Dixon staggered out of the woods. They called him bramble for he spent much of his time in the forest, immersed in wood lore and old and honorable druid truths. Few doubted that in his time he had faced evils that would make most grown men scream like children.

And now he shuffled red-faced and trembling to the town square. Townsfolk turned from their daily doings to gather ‘round him. So strong was the curiosity that even I moved from my regular post at the window to join them outside in the square. For it was with neither fear nor fatigue that Dixon trembled... it was with rage.

“I have encountered a most treacherous beast,” he spat as he braced his arms and leaned over the town well. “It promised me riches beyond imagining, if only I labored on its behalf for a day. And so, for a day, I swung my ax in the beast’s service. I felled many great oaks, and piled much firewood.” Bramble paused, splashing water in his flushed face. “As the sun set, I asked the beast for my payment. It then baffled me with cryptic riddles and silly rhymes. When I pursued it, it fled into the forest, threatening to unleash a mighty wizard on me should I tell of its treachery.”

The crowed erupted into a series of mumbles and grumbles.

Slender fingers of ice danced down my spine. I wanted to think Bramble’s words a lie, but I knew they were all too true.

Gail Goodwife, the village elder, held up her hands to draw the irate mob’s attention. “This beast is not unknown to me. I was lured into its lair once and spent some time in its foul company. When my husband and I finally escaped its clutches we burned our clothes and placed honey in our nostrils, so rancid were the smells that haunted us.”

“I know the beast well,” Ronée Wordsmith spoke as she moved through the crowd. “It promised me riches as well if I would but extol its virtues through song and verse. Yet as many songs as I wove to make its dire stench seem sweet, it never released to me the promised treasures.”

I looked to the ground, a sudden shame giving great weight to my head.

Bullock Baldpate stepped forward. “I gave my sword in its service as well, but nary a copper was pried from its purse. And, aye, it threatened me with its wizard as well. Yet, I myself have consulted many learned wizards who believe the beast has no wizard of its own.”

And like the devout to communion, others stepped forth to give their testimony. Staples of Eternia. Scott the Inkster. Netzer Neverquit.

But I remained silent.

Then as the outrage reached a fever pitch, Lord Wade made his pledge. “I shall fund any expedition to seek out this beast and raid its treasures for the benefit of the aggrieved parties.”

The crowed erupted in cheers and hoisted the good Lord Wade upon their shoulders. I smiled as I joined them. Perhaps there was hope for justice now after all.

As the joyous villagers made procession through the square they halted at the sudden appearance of Omar the Nomad draped in his gray cloak, the hood pulled loosely over his head.

“This beast does indeed sound most foul and treacherous,” Omar said. “And yet I must wonder, if this creature lives in the wilds and must trick others into doing its labors, does it truly have any treasures at all? Gail Goodwife has spent time in its lair and speaks of the stench therein. Would a creature of wealth live in such squalor?”

The villagers lowered Lord Wade to the ground, their smiles replaced by scowls.

“Do not let me impede your celebration,” Omar said with a wave of his hand. “By all means, seek justice if you must. It is a noble pursuit. But do not expect riches from this beast.”

Lord Wade held up his hands. “I leave it up to you, good people. Those who have grievance with the creature, come to me with your story. I shall finance any expedition you mount against the beast.”

As mutters and mumbles flowed through the crowd many stepped forward to speak privately with Lord Wade. I made a few, hesitant steps forward myself... but then, the nomad’s words tumbled through my head. Would I truly get the riches I was promised? Or would I simply be one of many vying for the paltry possessions of a vagrant creature?

I stepped from the line and shuffled back inside my tiny cottage. Once more I sat at the window, looking out beyond the people in the square to the forest beyond. And there I waited, hoping that perhaps instead of riches, the beast would simply return that which it took from me... a tiny sliver of my soul.

[AIPman1]

I'm just waiting for the Fake Olneys to start posting...I think it's obvious that there are no REAL people willing to say anything good about him...

[Matt Doc Martin]

I'm just waiting for the Fake Olneys to start posting...I think it's obvious that there are no REAL people willing to say anything good about him...

That was one of the saddest things on that thread (which I made PDF files of all pages) was how he kept coming back. The man has no new tricks.

[PatrickG]

I don't feel any wave of negativity.

I'm angry on behalf of the stiffed and threatened creators and others who worked with him. That's as it should be.

Other than that, I'm very happy to see the community come together and support those same people. That's a wave of positivity.

Gail

Agreed.

My concern is simply that, as I said, I'm not sure there's enough justice (or money) to go around.

Good show to you and Waid and everyone else who's offered aid and encouragement. I'm especially impressed by the posters offering to donate.

Thing is, there's only so much you can get from a guy like Olney, isn't there?

[Matt Doc Martin]

Agreed.

My concern is simply that, as I said, I'm not sure there's enough justice (or money) to go around.

Good show to you and Waid and everyone else who's offered aid and encouragement. I'm especially impressed by the posters offering to donate.

Thing is, there's only so much you can get from a guy like Olney, isn't there?

And whatever it is should be gotten

[Cam63]

Crap, that last wave of positivity was too strong and I lost my bathing suit in it. :mad:

...and it knocked my beer outta my hand.

...Rage...rising....

[Typo Lad]

Ah. Okay. Got it.

I didn't think this thread was about justice or reperations as much as it was about warnings. If Mr. Waid is able to get any kind of justice with his awesome offer, that's great.

I also don't think it should be poo-pooed because Olney may not have much in the way of funds to repay with, etc. The issue is a moral one.

Still, even if there's no legal action, this thread's existance is proof that Olneys are the exception, not the rool.

[EdContradictory]

I'm just waiting for the Fake Olneys to start posting...I think it's obvious that there are no REAL people willing to say anything good about him...
I truly am sorry for the people he's harmed with his business practices...

But I just find Internet characters like him fascinating.

Particularly the ones that just endlessly make promises and promote stuf that never, ever happens.

And that with a little Googling you can go back and find all the past history? That's the icing on the Internet spazzo cake.

[TCJohnson]

Agreed.

My concern is simply that, as I said, I'm not sure there's enough justice (or money) to go around.

Good show to you and Waid and everyone else who's offered aid and encouragement. I'm especially impressed by the posters offering to donate.

Thing is, there's only so much you can get from a guy like Olney, isn't there?


My thought is that this guy is playing a game, and one of the reasons why he is doing it that nobody has ever called him on it. He makes threats and then never shows up at the cons. He tells people he is taking them to court but then never follows through.

And I think the reason why this guy keeps doing it is that nobody ever holds him to it. I mean, he makes threats and cheats people but in the past it seems like people never holds him to the consequences of this because he is just not worth the trouble. For example, Gail telling him to keep the rest of the money after two years because it is just not worth the trouble.

Well, it is esculating and it is causing people more and more trouble. The amount of money is getting hire, and he is targetting people he thinks can't afford to hit back, or may think it would be too much trouble to respond (again, going with the theory he is so wrapped up in his own world that he doesn't realize that other people besides him have problems.)

I want him to know there are consequences to this crap. I want him to know that if he threatens to take people to court, well, they just might respond in kind and actually do it. Hopefully, if he gets burned badly enough in court he will know this is not a game, there is consequences and he may not be so fast to cheat people in the future.

[PatrickG]

For the record, I don't have an issue with people saying things differently Gail. Nor do I have problems with Patrick. He seems like a nice enough fellow.

I'm just honestly unsure of his points.

I can be didactic, Typo. Apologies. I suspect I'm often a thread killer when I get going (or maybe I just have bad timing or I'm batshit loco) and it only came up because this is not a thread that will die until people get as much as they can of what they deserve.

No offense taken... and point well taken.

I'm just concerned that the expectations are getting high and that when and if Olney is forced to bankrupt and leave the industry (if it goes that far -- people admitedly more talented than Olney have gotten away with similar things) that there will still be people who get stiffed.

Realistically, I think this will end up being about justice. I doubt most of these people will actually get their money. I'm all for pushing this as far as it can go... But I think you can only really push this thing far enough to make Olney shut up and bankrupt. Any effort beyond that may be wasted and could be spent on better things.

There have been a few notable cases in recent years where comic pros have lost lawsuits and, almost every time, they bankrupted because they couldn't or wouldn't pay up.

[Typo Lad]

Frankly, even if no-one were to get paid, bankrupting him seems like a swell idea.

I know I wish someone'd blackmailed my Oldney-esque person.

[Gail Simone]

I didn't see this mentioned in any earlier posts, but are you aware of The Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts?

Their New York chapter website can be found at http://www.vlany.org

Legal Services

VLA delivers pro bono and low cost legal services and information to over 10,000 members of the arts community each year. For more information on any of these programs please click here or call
The Art Law Line : 212·319·ARTS (2787), ext.1
Monday to Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Not only does the VLA have outposts in New York where Olney appears to have an office, but also in Florida where Olney may have an office.

When I was very poor, they were a big help to me and have been of service to some friends of mine who live in Australia. Julie Ditrich and Jozef Szekeres were able to secure legal representation for a very low fee and retained legal rights and secured back payments from a New York based publisher who has some of Olney's habits, including refusing payment.

I also had a couple of publishers pull the old "You won't get paid unless you sign this" trick, and it's as illegal as hell. No one can force you to sign a non-disclosure agreement while witholding payment. A non-disclosure agreement is usually only binding on employees, is severely limited in scope, and when it pertains to freelancers, only covers trade secrets that do not cover egregious non-payment issues.

Good luck to all.


c

www.adistantsoil.com/blog

Thank you, Colleen. It's a treat to see you post here, even for this.

Rick's NDA threats are a joke.

Gail

[Cam63]

I just watched him make a lot of promises to people that he never intended to keep. Every interaction I had with him had to do with "grandiose promises" that he never kept. I would just keep track of his posts, and call him on every lie he told.

My most favorite exchange (the one that got him banned from Comicon the final time, as I recall) was when he was doing his "comics for the Salvation Army" scam. He was trying to get people to donate him comics (which he was then going to give to his local Salvation Army as a middleman) and he promised everyone a nice fat tax deduction for their donation.

Until i asked him about his 501(c).

That thread is still around somewhere, and is a classic about whata total SOCIOPATH Mr Olney really and truly is. A thief and a liar. That along with the "putting comics in the hands of children" trolling line at cons is enough to curl even the hair on my shiny bald head.

He's a lying, shiftless thief who has threatened to sue me, kill me, hurt my wife, find out where I live, call my job, threaten every one I know, and in general promised to "run his suck" until I regretted it.

Very very satisfying to see this latest development.

He threatened to hurt your wife !?

Fuck, he's lucky an emergency medical team didn't have to surgically removed your fist from his face.

[PatrickG]

I want him to know there are consequences to this crap. I want him to know that if he threatens to take people to court, well, they just might respond in kind and actually do it. Hopefully, if he gets burned badly enough in court he will know this is not a game, there is consequences and he may not be so fast to cheat people in the future.

A-Frickin'-Men.

But if twenty lawsuits will do the same amount of good as ten, why bother with twenty lawsuits? Heck, maybe class action is an option; I'm not lawyer.

But these people got stiffed on rent money. So I'm just saying -- take exactly the amount of action necessary. Don't waste your rent money on this guy if ten lawsuits can get the message sent.

Coordinate, if possible. If five lawsuits are as effective as twenty, let five people do the suing. And the other fifteen people (who would have spent hundreds likely without return) can toss the CBLDF or the Salvation Army a twenty and be satisfied that Olney's bluff was called.

I may be off base and I know I'm repeating myself somewhat.

[PatrickG]

Frankly, even if no-one were to get paid, bankrupting him seems like a swell idea.

I know I wish someone'd blackmailed my Oldney-esque person.

Agreed. Just saying that if five people bankrupt him, the other legal fees really aren't necessary, are they? Unless you want to establish a paper trail for a restraining order.

Heck, I think there might be enough restraining orders to be had that he couldn't set foot at a comic book convention.

Now THAT may be an idea.

[Typo Lad]

I think the more, the merier for this sort of action.

Someone get Corrina's hubby though, as I'm no lawyer.

[Coppervale Studio]

You know what's interesting about this thread, is that the questionable (or faulty, or just plain bad) business practices are only half of the equation.

Attitude counts as well.

Businesses go up and down. People make mistakes, or bad decisions, or are placed in a bad situation (such as some of my friends are with the recent distributor bankruptcy filing), but it's not just the events or situation that determines the direction of the future, but the RESPONSE given to those happenings.

The link to the Comicon thread brought back a LOT of memories, and clarified my recollections as to why I left, as well as what's occurring now.

Regardless of circumstances, two things must always be at the forefront of business dealings: responsibility, and professionalism.

Responsibility means standing up and facing front - especially if the situation is your fault. And professionalism means not retailiating against people who are just trying to sort things out.

Just imagine how different this all would have been if Rick had responded differently to JUST Chuck or Gail. Either one. If it was obvious there was an honest effort to work something through, and an admission of responsibility.

I've got a printer to whom I owed money for over a year. And tomorrow, I'm paying off the bill in full (after a number of small payments, done for a show of good faith), and they asked about my next project (some art prints from my novel) and I joked that I wasn't sure they'd want the business, and he replied that they considered us a good account. I asked why, and he said that yeah, they'd have liked to be paid sooner - but I always called him back. I always responded to the email. And everytime I got a check, they got a check, however small.

So here with Rick, instead of keeping any relationships intact, this guy has made it personal by threatening the very people whom he owes. And it's grown to a point that no one's going to want to work with him, on anything. And I think that's regrettable, for anyone. Because his approaching ALL of this with a different attitude would have made all the difference in the world.

[Night Swordsman]

That was a pretty good post of his.

I'm glad he mentioned beer.

In talking about you Cam,not mentioning Beer would be a great injustice.

Cam and Beer,a winning combination.

Besides..i am no longer allowed to have beer or alcohlic(sp?) beverages due to my kidneys,so if we ever do hang out together,you get all my beer as well.

Cheers,mate! :D

[Coppervale Studio]

And hey, Cully -

Sorry you feel left out of all the badness that's going on. If it'd help, I just put you in a novel.

...


No, really!

[Night Swordsman]

I think the more, the merier for this sort of action.

Someone get Corrina's hubby though, as I'm no lawyer.

<giggles> The only one who gets Corrina's Hubby is CORRINA! :D

And Typo...if you WERE a lawyer..you would be in the same profession LESTER will be in. Count your blessings! :rolleyes:

[howyadoin]

I can be didactic, Typo. Apologies. I suspect I'm often a thread killer when I get going (or maybe I just have bad timing or I'm batshit loco) and it only came up because this is not a thread that will die until people get as much as they can of what they deserve.

No offense taken... and point well taken.If I may be so bold as to make a suggestion, then, why not type out what you have to say, and then go back and edit it before you post?

[Typo Lad]

If I may be so bold as to make a suggestion, then, why not type out what you have to say, and then go back and edit it before you post?
Hey now! Next you'll be suggesting I use spellcheck!

[Matt Doc Martin]

Hey now! Next you'll be suggesting I use spellcheck!

We tried that with "Dick". Didn't take.

[howyadoin]

Hey now! Next you'll be suggesting I use spellcheck!I've been reading your posts long enough that I usually understand your fractured typing.

[Typo Lad]

In my defense, I do actually have a slight form of dyslexia.

Oh no, now I'm giving excuses.

I also have a heart condition.

I'm gonna mention that the next time I miss a deadline.

[howyadoin]

We tried that with "Dick". Didn't take.Never put your dick in the spellchecker, that's what I always say.

[Typo Lad]

I've been reading your posts long enough that I usually understand your fractured typing.
That may say more about you than it does about me.

[Night Swordsman]

Crap, that last wave of positivity was too strong and I lost my bathing suit in it. :mad:

AHHH! MY EYES! MY EYES! I'm BLIND! HELP! :p

[Matt Doc Martin]

Never put your dick in the spellchecker, that's what I always say.

Two broken PC's later...THEN you tell me.

[howyadoin]

That may say more about you than it does about me.You might be into something there.

Two broken PC's later...THEN you tell me.That's a floppy drive, not a spellchecker.

[Sarah Beach]

Wil, your little story is frickin' hilarious, and I'm going to make sure Chuck reads it. I think he'll be vastly amused. Nice job.

[Night Swordsman]

No reason to be embarrassed OR defensive...everyone's welcome to their own opinion here.

When you posted before, I checked out some of the strips and quite liked them. There's a nice whimsy (even for this non-Goonies fan) to it all.

Gail

ZOMG!!! GAIL!

You live in OREGON! How CAN you NOT LOVE the GOONIES! ZOMG to the MAX!!!

And what about the proposed SEQUEL,Gail..where the Goonie kids grow up,have kids,and thier kids get involved in some huge adventure.

...were YOU a Goonie,Gail? <ducks after that one>

[LomiMonet]

Look Jack! I was psychic!


Lomi Monet
Member
Member # 905

posted 08-23-2000 07:54 PM
"I get 'tickled' when I read someone like Scott Shaw! taking the low road, chosing to critique me as someone afflicted with a bipolar disorder."

Rick you're an idiot.
And the reason I know-beyond a shadow of a doubt-that you are indeed an idiot, is that you don't even realize that you yourself will be the ruination of what you love the most(apparently). Please for the sake of ORCA, and all the positive things it has done or may do, step down as spokesperson, and let Dennis take the reins.

Posts: 475 | From: The Hinterland | Registered: Oct 1999 | IP: Logged |

[Jack Zodiac]

Wow. This thread is like magic. Invoke someone's name, and they appear!

We must only used this power for good, not evil!

...

...Rob Liefeld! :eek:

[Matt Doc Martin]

We must only used this power for good, not evil!

...

...Rob Liefeld! :eek:

Allison Mack!

[Mike Bullock]

Wil, your little story is frickin' hilarious, and I'm going to make sure Chuck reads it. I think he'll be vastly amused. Nice job.


I totally agree. Somewhere is a fantasy publisher missing a Wil Radcliffe.

[Jack Zodiac]

Is it weird that I feel almost kinda left-out in all this? I mean, I almost wish that I had done some work for him for which he didn't pay, instead of merely being cyberstalked and mildly threatened. I feel like I haven't earned my stripes.

I'll give you twenty dollars for an original piece of Blue Beetle artwork, then not pay you the twenty dollars, then sue you for talking about it. Then we can start our own thread!

[Jack Zodiac]

Call me defeatist but I think Olney, if he's as guilty as it sounds like, just needs to be sued into a bankruptcy. One more lawsuit than it takes to achieve that is a waste because the money almost certainly isn't there.

Just think of each lawsuit as a steel-toed boot kicking Rick in the head/genitals/self-esteem/wallet/and any other vital areas this asshole needs to be kicked it. I'd take "making him look like an even bigger asshole" over a moral of financial victory any day.

[howyadoin]

I'll give you twenty dollars for an original piece of Blue Beetle artwork, then not pay you the twenty dollars, then sue you for talking about it. Then we can start our own thread!Then I'll pretend to be friends with you, and tell Cully all your secrets.

[Night Swordsman]

Jack has secrets?

Um..i dunno if i wanna hear THOSE secrets.

Imma Scwared! <cries> :p

[khuxford]

Heck, I think there might be enough restraining orders to be had that he couldn't set foot at a comic book convention.

Now THAT may be an idea.

I really like that idea. That would be phenomenal! :)

[Jack Zodiac]

In my defense, I do actually have a slight form of dyslexia.

I knew it! Well, I had a feeling, because outside of the occasional glaring typo, like letters that're too far apart on the keyboard to place together and not notice, you construct perfect posts. I'd always wondered, but I didn't want to ask.

[Matt Doc Martin]

I really like that idea. That would be phenomenal! :)

I'll let you know if Chunk-Butt shows up at MegaCon.

[khuxford]

I'll let you know if Chunk-Butt shows up at MegaCon.

I'd be glad to volunteer to keep an eye out for him at any con that we know someone who gets a restraining order against him will be at. :) Unless Dick offers to pay me not to sniff him out at the con...I'll even sign an NDA. :p

[PatrickG]

If I may be so bold as to make a suggestion, then, why not type out what you have to say, and then go back and edit it before you post?

Fair enough.

It's really a monkey on my back I gotta work with, I suppose. Words start coming and they don't stop and when I do go back, I wind up feeling like I can't part with a particular word or sentence because it conveys a nuance that I'm afraid will get lost otherwise.

I get in a writing mood and suddenly I'm cranking out ten pages an hour. And I type with two fingers. It's sadly a bit compulsive.

Never left a job without a two page letter or a five to ten minute speech. Never broken up or broken off dating without a an hour long heart-to-heart.

Upside is that I could write ten comic scripts a month easily. A book a month would be no problem.

The downside is that I pour all my words into messageboard posts and e-mails and myspace and facebook and text messages. (Yes. I send lengthy, punctuated text messages with capitalization and no acronyms.)

I'll get on fixing that. Heck, if Olney spent the efforts he put into his blog on writing (and proofreading) or just working a job then he'd be paying off his debts. So on that count, I'm as guilty as he is. (My debts are all student loans, at least.)

[Jack Zodiac]

Then I'll pretend to be friends with you, and tell Cully all your secrets.

Pretend friends, lawsuits, and free, unearned, undeserved art!? This is the best birthday ever, and it ain't even my fuckin' birthday!

Jack has secrets?

I killed a man in Reno once, just to watch him die. Really, it isn't that big of a secret, what with me blurting it out all the time, but it sounds impressive. Still, "I pretended I knew what I was doing when I tried to publish my own comic books, got a bunch of great talent together, promised them prompt payment, collected their works, then fucked them over and laughed about it" sounds like a much bigger, more impressive secret.

[AIPman1]

Let's not forget Doc_A's proposal of a benefit comic. In light of recent developments, perhaps Mark Waid would be interested in lending some backing to it, so the proceeds could go into the account used to pay those law costs (though we haven't heard if anyone is actually taking Mark up on it at this point).

Just trying to re-focus on something people can actually do to help. Perhaps the proceeds could go direct to those who can prove financial loss, so that the benefit doesn't benefit lawyers...it could help pay back the victims.

I mean yea, sue him into bankruptcy, but we can ALSO find a way for the victims to have more than the moral victory, and at least get them some rent money.

[Corrina]

<giggles> The only one who gets Corrina's Hubby is CORRINA! :D

And Typo...if you WERE a lawyer..you would be in the same profession LESTER will be in. Count your blessings! :rolleyes:


Yes, because I am the insanely jealous type. :)

As for the bankruptcy questions, those are really complicated legal questions. Lots of elements can go into it. Those include the value of his assets, if he declares personal bankruptcy, and if he does that, what a potential bankruptcy judge might rule in what debts he has to pay and what he doesn't.

Say it stays out of bankruptcy court and there's a favorable ruling for the people owed money in civil court. From there, you have to file a motion to collect the judgments. And if that doesn't happen, you have to have your lawyer do more work by finding the guy, and doing things such as attaching his wages or freezing his accounts with yet more paperwork filed by an attorney.

Each legal step requires paperwork.

If Mr. Olney doesn't have a valid address or can't be found or his accounts or place of employment can't be found, then no, it's unlikely anyone will collect money, despite a victory in civil court. But the good news is the judgments will probably come up in any credit check, if he ever tries to do anything that requires a credit check, like purchase anything with a bank loan.

My husband worked for years to collect a few thousand for his brother from somebody like this. Got a judgment, served the papers and the guy had no valid address or accounts or place of employment. He still hasn't been able to get the money. The brother complains but since my husband told his brother "do not do work for this guy until he pays you the couple hundred he *already* owes you," my husband doesn't feel too guilty.

[Typo Lad]

I knew it! Well, I had a feeling, because outside of the occasional glaring typo, like letters that're too far apart on the keyboard to place together and not notice, you construct perfect posts. I'd always wondered, but I didn't want to ask.
Why are you thinking about me in your free time?

back on topic... if the Benifit Comic needs any help, I haven't edited an anthology in about a decade, but it's like riding a bike...

[Typo Lad]

Double post. Ignore.

[Larry Dixon]

Never put your dick in the spellchecker, that's what I always say.

Howy, I think you may have just made it into your own Digest.

[TomStillwell]

I haven't edited an anthology in about a decade, but it's like riding a bike...

...it has a flowery basket on front and little streamers coming out of the handlebars?

[Larry Dixon]

Misty (Mercedes Lackey, my wondrous and weird wife) & I have been on the road during this thread so I've been following it all as connection opportunities allow, and commenting when I can. No IMs, mail or PMs to me this week? Wah! I am a lonely gryph, I am.

But, hopefully unsurprisingly, Misty & I are in to help out the shafted creators financially too, best we can. Those who need the rent, utilities etc. first I figure. I'll coordinate through... heck, not sure just yet. We'll be back to the aerie mid-January and I can get things more together then.

Meantime, hey there to everyone joining in at YABS, and we sure are glad you're here!

[Jack Zodiac]

Why are you thinking about me in your free time?

Free time? Baby, I think about you all da' time.

Howy, I think you may have just made it into your own Digest.

He's so special, he gets a digest that's all about him. Y'know... whenever one of us isn't lazy. I think Winslow did the last one.

[Paul McEnery]

Never put your dick in the spellchecker, that's what I always say.

That's not a dick, that's a floppy!

[howyadoin]

Fair enough.

It's really a monkey on my back I gotta work with, I suppose. Words start coming and they don't stop and when I do go back, I wind up feeling like I can't part with a particular word or sentence because it conveys a nuance that I'm afraid will get lost otherwise.

I get in a writing mood and suddenly I'm cranking out ten pages an hour. And I type with two fingers. It's sadly a bit compulsive.

Never left a job without a two page letter or a five to ten minute speech. Never broken up or broken off dating without a an hour long heart-to-heart.

Upside is that I could write ten comic scripts a month easily. A book a month would be no problem.

The downside is that I pour all my words into messageboard posts and e-mails and myspace and facebook and text messages. (Yes. I send lengthy, punctuated text messages with capitalization and no acronyms.)

I'll get on fixing that. Heck, if Olney spent the efforts he put into his blog on writing (and proofreading) or just working a job then he'd be paying off his debts. So on that count, I'm as guilty as he is. (My debts are all student loans, at least.)Just so we're clear, I wasn't saying you're a bad person or anything. Just that when faced with posts of that type, some people (such as myself) tend to skim, or just skip them altogether. In which case, it's not just the nuance that's getting lost.

[DocAbsurd]

I'm home. And there was much rejoicing.

yaaaaaaah.

I'm gonna try to nail down a few things about the book over the week-end. It's definitely gonna be an anthology; it's definitely gonna be all new material (I want those who got really screwed over completed work to take it where they're gonna be paid real money, not empty promises); I want a theme, along the lines of 'blowhard gets what's coming to him' but in an allegorical sense; I'd like to see a combination of panel-to-panel and prose (hear that, authors?); I want all proceeds to go to those who swallowed the tepid kool-aid, divided up as evenly as possible (which I know ain't gonna be easy, considering both the sum of monies owed and number of creators financially injured). Most of all, I want this to be cathartic and fun, a good read for buyers and a release for contributors.

The one thing I don't want is any mention directly of the Troll-ney. There's your challenge.

I'll need editors, participants, list of injured parties, that sorta thing. I'm taking Ian up on his printing offer, and probably gonna use a combination of the SPA, IF and ICC as co-publishers. Hell, if Jonah wants to slap the CBR label on it, I'd be only too happy to have him on-board. He's been patient as feck about this bandwidth monstrosity.

The only other thing I don't want is credit. I ain't doing this for me, for finances or for reputation. Good people lost a lotta time and effort cuz of this git, and I just wanna see some good come from it. Lemons to lemonade sorta thing.

I'm laying claim to 'Moby Dick'; I've already started designing Ahab, and I've drawn a few orca (for obvious reasons) so I've just gotta do my research.

I'll need to figure out a minimum and maximum page count; to ease the printing worries, we'll stick to even numbers for now. We also gotta decide whether to go with color interiors or b&w. Oh, and please don't let this take away from other assignments. This twit doesn't deserve another iota of energy.

Gail, if you think this needs a separate thread, lemme know.

Mebbe we can get this done before the convention season starts.




Doc 'My Dad Has a Barn!' Absurd

[Cully Hamner]

And hey, Cully -

Sorry you feel left out of all the badness that's going on. If it'd help, I just put you in a novel.

...


No, really!

Am I being seen by another character through a bathroom window?

[TomStillwell]

Mebbe we can get this done before the convention season starts.

Doc, if you can get this printed by August, I'm offering to sell copies off my table at Wizard World Chicago.

I'll also help in any way possible with making the anthology happen.

[Wil Radcliffe]

Wil, your little story is frickin' hilarious, and I'm going to make sure Chuck reads it. I think he'll be vastly amused. Nice job.

I totally agree. Somewhere is a fantasy publisher missing a Wil Radcliffe.

Sarah and Mike: I thank ye fer th' kind words! :) I'd thought about putting a whole subplot in there about Mike being leader of the Runemasters, an elite band of warriors dedicated to fighting injustice. I was going to reference Lord Wade's battles against the evil Count Alessi too. But I didn't want to ramble on too long.

Maybe I can mold and adapt this into contribution to Doc's anthology? :D

[Gail Simone]

Look Jack! I was psychic!


Lomi Monet
Member
Member # 905

posted 08-23-2000 07:54 PM
"I get 'tickled' when I read someone like Scott Shaw! taking the low road, chosing to critique me as someone afflicted with a bipolar disorder."

Rick you're an idiot.
And the reason I know-beyond a shadow of a doubt-that you are indeed an idiot, is that you don't even realize that you yourself will be the ruination of what you love the most(apparently). Please for the sake of ORCA, and all the positive things it has done or may do, step down as spokesperson, and let Dennis take the reins.

Posts: 475 | From: The Hinterland | Registered: Oct 1999 | IP: Logged |


You were definitely a visionary!

Gail

[TCJohnson]

Sometimes the low road is the olney road you can take. Because olney the lonely will take the low road.

[Gail Simone]

Misty (Mercedes Lackey, my wondrous and weird wife) & I have been on the road during this thread so I've been following it all as connection opportunities allow, and commenting when I can. No IMs, mail or PMs to me this week? Wah! I am a lonely gryph, I am.

But, hopefully unsurprisingly, Misty & I are in to help out the shafted creators financially too, best we can. Those who need the rent, utilities etc. first I figure. I'll coordinate through... heck, not sure just yet. We'll be back to the aerie mid-January and I can get things more together then.

Meantime, hey there to everyone joining in at YABS, and we sure are glad you're here!

See, this is why I don't see this thread as negative.

For every cheating lying nobody out to abuse people's trust, there're people like Mark Waid, Larry Dixon, and Mercedes Lackey, who are...I don't even know how to describe them, but 'heroes' fits for me just fine.

Gail

[Coppervale Studio]

Am I being seen by another character through a bathroom window?

Geez. That was ONE TIME...



And, umm, yeah. Maybe.

[Gail Simone]

Hahahaha!

Man, Rick Olney has his lying machine cranked up.

He's got a new blog for the mighty mini con...and because we smiled for the cameras, we're supposed to be delighted when he ripped us off later.

Hey, Rick! Got any photos of not paying people? Wonder if they were smiling then. Got any photos of your credit card getting rejected when you forgot to book a room for a guest? Got any photos of the hotel being so disgusting that one guest slept in her car?


Too funny. I'll cover some of it here.

"This was the earlier coverage of the one day Mighty Mini-Con coverage of 2003, so hotly talked about -- then -- and now. More smiles than a person can shake a stick at!
Organized Readers of Comics Associated and its supporters funded this event. Guests were treated to pizza & drinks on Friday night, with a continental breakfast including bagels, toast, donuts, and choice of beverage of coffee and a variety of juices. Some of the older, more widely known guests, had their entire trip (including food, gasoline, and tolls) covered. The entire event, including guests and vendors, were treated to lunch in the college dining area. There were 18 vendors offering both new and old product in the way of toys, memorabilia & comics. This event, despite rumor today, appeared to be enjoyed by all who attended. The one day event did over 600 paid admissions.
It was covered by two local newspapers, one television station, two radio programs, with fan blog and column coverage by Tony Isabella, Heidi MacDonald, and David Allan Doane."


Okay, a bit at a time.

""This was the earlier coverage of the one day Mighty Mini-Con coverage of 2003, so hotly talked about -- then -- and now. More smiles than a person can shake a stick at!
Organized Readers of Comics Associated and its supporters funded this event."

Well, promised to fund. He talked me into paying my own expenses and then paid only partial payment months later. He lied to me every single week for a long, long time.


"Guests were treated to pizza & drinks on Friday night, with a continental breakfast including bagels, toast, donuts, and choice of beverage of coffee and a variety of juices. "

The first part is definitely bullshit. No one at my table was 'treated.' They didn't have a place planned, contrary to what was promised, so we ended up at a very tiny, very funky pizza place where we paid for our own food. The breakfast thing, who knows, I never saw it. It could be true, I suppose, but once again, there's Rick's idea of planning.

"Some of the older, more widely known guests, had their entire trip (including food, gasoline, and tolls) covered. "

That MIGHT be true. In my case it was promised, but was a massive lie. I strongly suspect others were similarly lied to, as when I asked Rick for a few emails of other creators, he panicked...he didn't want us to compare notes.

But certainly, all that was promised for us, and it was a flat-out lie.


"The entire event, including guests and vendors, were treated to lunch in the college dining area. "

Yes, this was supposedly true, but once again, OLNEY PLANNING! He got our vouchers to us too late to eat, which was fine, because everyone complained how disgusting it was. One guest said it was the worst day of her life in comics, that con day.


"This event, despite rumor today, appeared to be enjoyed by all who attended. "

Well, since Rick seems to be the only person who believes any of this, maybe I'll just leave it at that. Suffice it to say I have never been involved with such a collection of amateurish bumbling incidents as in that one miserable day. I say again, where were the cameras when you started lying to people about their out of pocket expenses, Rick?


Gail

[Larry Dixon]

-thinks- An anthology, to balance the scales from all that happened, and make things right.

And Olney --> Marine --> Jarhead.

The anthology would have to be called "Unscrewed."

[Matt Doc Martin]

HA!! I'd love to see how many people he has listed would willingly go to his con again.

[Crowley]

Hahahaha!

Man, Rick Olney has his lying machine cranked up.

He's got a new blog for the mighty mini con...and because we smiled for the cameras, we're supposed to be delighted when he ripped us off later.

Hey, Rick! Got any photos of not paying people? Wonder if they were smiling then. Got any photos of your credit card getting rejected when you forgot to book a room for a guest? Got any photos of the hotel being so disgusting that one guest slept in her car?


Too funny. I'll cover some of it here.

"This was the earlier coverage of the one day Mighty Mini-Con coverage of 2003, so hotly talked about -- then -- and now. More smiles than a person can shake a stick at!
Organized Readers of Comics Associated and its supporters funded this event. Guests were treated to pizza & drinks on Friday night, with a continental breakfast including bagels, toast, donuts, and choice of beverage of coffee and a variety of juices. Some of the older, more widely known guests, had their entire trip (including food, gasoline, and tolls) covered. The entire event, including guests and vendors, were treated to lunch in the college dining area. There were 18 vendors offering both new and old product in the way of toys, memorabilia & comics. This event, despite rumor today, appeared to be enjoyed by all who attended. The one day event did over 600 paid admissions.
It was covered by two local newspapers, one television station, two radio programs, with fan blog and column coverage by Tony Isabella, Heidi MacDonald, and David Allan Doane."


Okay, a bit at a time.

""This was the earlier coverage of the one day Mighty Mini-Con coverage of 2003, so hotly talked about -- then -- and now. More smiles than a person can shake a stick at!
Organized Readers of Comics Associated and its supporters funded this event."

Well, promised to fund. He talked me into paying my own expenses and then paid only partial payment months later. He lied to me every single week for a long, long time.


"Guests were treated to pizza & drinks on Friday night, with a continental breakfast including bagels, toast, donuts, and choice of beverage of coffee and a variety of juices. "

The first part is definitely bullshit. No one at my table was 'treated.' They didn't have a place planned, contrary to what was promised, so we ended up at a very tiny, very funky pizza place where we paid for our own food. The breakfast thing, who knows, I never saw it. It could be true, I suppose, but once again, there's Rick's idea of planning.

"Some of the older, more widely known guests, had their entire trip (including food, gasoline, and tolls) covered. "

That MIGHT be true. In my case it was promised, but was a massive lie. I strongly suspect others were similarly lied to, as when I asked Rick for a few emails of other creators, he panicked...he didn't want us to compare notes.

But certainly, all that was promised for us, and it was a flat-out lie.


"The entire event, including guests and vendors, were treated to lunch in the college dining area. "

Yes, this was supposedly true, but once again, OLNEY PLANNING! He got our vouchers to us too late to eat, which was fine, because everyone complained how disgusting it was. One guest said it was the worst day of her life in comics, that con day.


"This event, despite rumor today, appeared to be enjoyed by all who attended. "

Well, since Rick seems to be the only person who believes any of this, maybe I'll just leave it at that. Suffice it to say I have never been involved with such a collection of amateurish bumbling incidents as in that one miserable day. I say again, where were the cameras when you started lying to people about their out of pocket expenses, Rick?


Gail

Well at least he got the "con" part right.

[Matt Doc Martin]

Well at least he got the "con" part right.

fucking bravo!!!

[DocAbsurd]

That's pretty much how I remember it, Gail.

The pizza place was a last minute decision. Easily half the guests paid for their own meals. We took every available table, squeezing 3 and 4 to a bench. Most everyone missed the breakfast because of the time constraints to get everyone to the hall on time; I managed to grab a cuppa on the way to Dennis' non-smelly car. Tony ripped the convention, as did Heidi; I recall distinctly the hissy Tricky threw over the 'coverage' he got. Most of the guests missed the luncheon (cafeteria food) due to panels, lack of announcements, missing vouchers, wretched offerings.

The enjoyment came from meeting other pros, some for the first time, and swapping addresses, making connections. You'd be hard-pressed to find a pro who doesn't enjoy a show, even if the only memory is connecting with fans.

Even the so-called 'auction' got fecked up, due to 'Olney Planning'.

He forgets; not only was I there, I was on the inside loop.




Doc 'Ah, Yes, I Remember It Well' Absurd

[Cully Hamner]

Hahahaha!

Man, Rick Olney has his lying machine cranked up.

He's got a new blog for the mighty mini con...

Aside from that, Gail, on the suddenly-reappeared blog he wrote about "Online Communities," there's this very funny comment from a young woman called "Lisa":

I can't say I know of any interesting online communities at this time, since I am straying away from blogging in many aspects as of late. I like the light hearted blogs like this one, you shared a lot, yet it leaves no one room for discourse.

"No room for discourse." Just how Reek likes it.

[Gail Simone]

That's pretty much how I remember it, Gail.

The pizza place was a last minute decision. Easily half the guests paid for their own meals. We took every available table, squeezing 3 and 4 to a bench. Most everyone missed the breakfast because of the time constraints to get everyone to the hall on time; I managed to grab a cuppa on the way to Dennis' non-smelly car. Tony ripped the convention, as did Heidi; I recall distinctly the hissy Tricky threw over the 'coverage' he got. Most of the guests missed the luncheon (cafeteria food) due to panels, lack of announcements, missing vouchers, wretched offerings.

The enjoyment came from meeting other pros, some for the first time, and swapping addresses, making connections. You'd be hard-pressed to find a pro who doesn't enjoy a show, even if the only memory is connecting with fans.

Even the so-called 'auction' got fecked up, due to 'Olney Planning'.

He forgets; not only was I there, I was on the inside loop.




Doc 'Ah, Yes, I Remember It Well' Absurd



Right, exactly...but with a guy like Rick Olney, promising is the same as doing. If he promises that he'll pay, then he doesn't care whether he actually DOES pay or not, because LOOK! What a swell guy he was for promising! And LOOK! here's a photo of someone smiling! Obviously, he COULDN'T have lied to and cheated them!

Look, everyone can have a bad show. People make mistakes. My grief with Rick has always been his utter lack of honesty.

Gail

[Skulljammer]

I totally agree. Somewhere is a fantasy publisher missing a Wil Radcliffe.


..I agree 100%!!!

[DocAbsurd]

'Light-hearted'?

Like, 'Nono, those dozens of people are lying. This is how it really happened. And you don't need to go to other online communities to read what I'm referring to cuz I speak the truth according to my retconning.'

Y'see, this how he's gotten as far as he has.

First, he goes after the little guys, those who are so dying to get a break they'll work on anything thrown at them. And when it's followed by promises of 'payment' supported by official-looking contracts, well, that just makes it seem even more legit.

Then he builds up on the fact that we are 'little guys', nobodies with no reputation and no reliability so why should anyone listen to what we have to say?

That's compounded by his relentless badgering and constant insistence of the World According to Crap.

And by then, he's convinced enough people so that even when a professional -- or a good number of professionals -- steps forward to support the 'little guys', said professionals can be twisted easily into vilification by his mindless ramblings.

Look at how long it took me to finally shake the yoke.

What I truly appreciate is how, even without coming here, he feels the need to refute what we, those of us with better memories and a firmer grasp on reality, say within this online community. I suppose he feels safer spouting without fear of reprisal.




Doc 'Speaking from the Peanut Gallery' Absurd

[Larry Dixon]

Look, everyone can have a bad show.

Gail

-snickers- I have done my share of them. One that comes to mind offhand was when I arrived to find there was no room reservation for me at the fully-booked hotel. I was bone tired from having driven 770 miles to be there, so the hotel staff let me crash for a nap on a cot in one of the janitor closets. Next morning there I am getting dressed and washing up, getting my tie right in one of my trademark suits in the public restroom, seeing the fans coming in with their con bags and badges. Then, onstage!

The show must go on!

Misty & I have gotten stiffed, or this and that, plenty of times these past coupla decades. We always go with the idea that it's usually someone getting flustered, overwhelmed, or not quite having an adequate skill-set to make something happen like it should, and that's why things go tango-uniform. For heavens' sakes most of the conventions we've done were put together wholly by volunteers, who gave so freely of themselves it was inspiring. We do what we must, for the moments that count. But MAN, have some strange and tacky things happened when shows went bad. :)

[AIPman1]

Got any photos of the hotel being so disgusting that one guest slept in her car?
Gail

Guess what, I just remembered I have a VIDEO of the entire weekend, including footage at the hotel, and the show itself. I was going to make a documentary of it, but when no one sold anything and then I didn't get paid what I was promised, I didn't follow through with it.

[Coppervale Studio]

Wow, Gail - did he really just call you old? (er?)

I've seen good convention planning and bad. I was a guest at one in Dallas in 2000 (UncommonCon) that was run by a good guy (former retailer) and it was a well-intentioned, financial disaster for them..

But man, the minute I got there, I felt TAKEN CARE OF. That went a LONG way towards my feelings about the organizers.

I saw all I needed to about how Rick does conventions when he complained, publicly, in this very thread, about having to buy breakfast for a GUEST'S family. And he named him here. Totally tacky. And blaming that breakfast as the reason OTHER things couldn't be paid...

Un.BE.Lieveable.

[the4thpip]

We tried that with "Dick". Didn't take.

Yeah. How come nobody ever takes my advice? I'm cute, damnit! And a psychologist, too! :mad:

[Scott Shaw!]

-thinks- An anthology, to balance the scales from all that happened, and make things right.

And Olney --> Marine --> Jarhead.

The anthology would have to be called "Unscrewed."

Larry, that's brilliant. UNSCREWED could have a theme of scales-balancing, with stories, both true and fictional, of wrongs being righted. (but with the proviso that it's all "real world" stuff...no superheroes, supernatural or sci-fi solutions.) I'd be delighted to contribute a few pages, with whatever my share of the sales going to the Olney-victims.

Aloha,

Scott!

[TCJohnson]

In bigger shows, do they pay for everything for all the guests? I mean, I look at Batlimore Comicon and think that it must be a nightmare to provide breakfast or dinner for all those people.

[LomiMonet]

Wow, Gail - did he really just call you old? (er?)

I've seen good convention planning and bad. I was a guest at one in Dallas in 2000 (UncommonCon) that was run by a good guy (former retailer) and it was a well-intentioned, financial disaster for them..

But man, the minute I got there, I felt TAKEN CARE OF. That went a LONG way towards my feelings about the organizers.

I saw all I needed to about how Rick does conventions when he complained, publicly, in this very thread, about having to buy breakfast for a GUEST'S family. And he named him here. Totally tacky. And blaming that breakfast as the reason OTHER things couldn't be paid...

Un.BE.Lieveable.

I was at that same convention sitting next to Lou Ferrigno. And you're right, the organizers treated even lowly nobodies (like me) like they were happy you were there, and not a liability.

[Typo Lad]

I have to say, UNSCREWED really is perfect.

[howyadoin]

I have to say, UNSCREWED really is perfect.What about Loose Lips?

[Sarah Beach]

What about Loose Lips?

Too obviously referential. Besides, not as broad a "topic" as "unscrewed".

Gail, about that blog entry, and the captions for the photos: doesn't he have some of your credits attached to Mercy? 'Cause I don't remember her doing work on BOP. Just wondering.

As for his claim that the smiles in the photos prove that everyone was really happy with everything at the con...... Cripes, the photos are all posed, as in "Hey, I'm going to take your picture now." None of them are really candid. Everyone puts on a pleasant face for a posed picture!

My head hurts. Oi.

[howyadoin]

Besides, not as broad a "topic" as "unscrewed".Well, they've both got plenty of porn potential.

[Hybrid2]

Allison Mack!

good taste.

[DocAbsurd]

Y'know, it wasn't until Scott explained the entendre that I caught the multiple meaning.

I don't believe I could think of a better title if I tried.

Thank you, Larry; Unscrewed it is.




Doc 'All In Favor' Absurd

[THEDOC]

I'm here I'm here!!
Oh GOD! Rick Olney! Boy is that a name I hoped to never hear again. Doc and Ian, please feel free to post any and all info on my issues with Rick as many of the minor details escape me. (and I miss you two as well ) All I know is that the end result was that I was afraid to go to the Pittsburgh comic-con by myself as Rick had hinted that he would "see me there". I was so nervous that I told a few of my fellow small pressers in the area that if they heard me yell, to come running.

Rick is sick and unbalanced. He went from promoting my book for his show to trying to convince everyone I was a no talent bitch from Canada who obviously had a stash of cash that enabled me to travel around to conventions at my leisure. (if you looked at my bank account, you'd know how FAR from the truth THAT is! lol)

He said terrible things about my husband, about my friends, and turned several online pals into enemies. I NEVER had enemies until I met Rick.

I think his hatred for me began when he posted a scathing comment about the Wizard World convention and stated that any small press or Indy creator who goes there is an idiot.
I was a mod at the time over at the SPA and I either deleted his whole comment or edited it, I can't remember, then I pmed him and said he can't say things like that he was insulting a whole community that was dedicated to promoting small press and Indy creators. And it went from there

Again, I don't remember details, but it was bad, so bad my husband and I talked about getting off the convention circuit for a while until things with Rick cooled down.

How sad is that?!

I'm sad to see how many people his warped mind has affected, but the one good thing is that this thread will alert a whole bunch of people about this man. I hope he never works in comics again, gets some serious medical attention and lives a long and happy life in his own house where he's not allowed to get on the internet.
Idiot.

Good for you Gail for getting this started.
Hey Joanne, Glad to see you. Misssed you at WW this year. You were so right about Rick. I apologize for any doubts about that.

[Matt Doc Martin]

I just could not resist.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v91/docmartin72/SP32-20070104-192933.jpg


I am a bad monkey. Should I give him the local phone number?

They will never take me alive!

Moron.

[THEDOC]

Why should I be embarrassed? My name is Darryl Hughes. I am the writer/creator of "G.A.A.K: Groovy Ass Alien Kreatures". "GAAK" for short. The artwork is by Monique MacNaughton. Who is also the creator of the Graphic Smash comic "UNA Frontiers".

Both Monique and I are VERY PROUD of our little scifi, monsters-run-amok, alien invasion adventure, thank you very much.

Dee
I am truly sorry for thta remark Darryl and hope you will forgive me I have seen your work and love it. Guess I got caught in the moment.

[TCJohnson]

Are you filing those threats he made against you to the police?

[Scott Shaw!]

Y'know, it wasn't until Scott explained the entendre that I caught the multiple meaning.

I don't believe I could think of a better title if I tried.

Thank you, Larry; Unscrewed it is.




Doc 'All In Favor' Absurd

Aw, why not add an exclamation point onto it. UNSCREWED! has even more punch.

And I should know!

Aloha,

Scott!

[Matt Doc Martin]

Are you filing those threats he made against you to the police?

Honestly, I don't want to trouble the police. I still think he is a blowhard. BUT, I do have them. And if they NEED to appear, they will.

[DocAbsurd]

And Scott, I would be proud to include on the list of contributors. Larry, you'll be getting credit for title.

Daphne and I will compiling a list this week-end. Everyone who's replied so far is already in. Leave me a PM if you're interested in contributing, no matter what capacity.




Doc 'Ball's Rolling' Absurd

[TCJohnson]

And Scott, I would be proud to include on the list of contributors. Larry, you'll be getting credit for title.

Daphne and I will compiling a list this week-end. Everyone who's replied so far is already in. Leave me a PM if you're interested in contributing, no matter what capacity.


Wish I had the talent.

[THEDOC]

Let's not forget Doc_A's proposal of a benefit comic. In light of recent developments, perhaps Mark Waid would be interested in lending some backing to it, so the proceeds could go into the account used to pay those law costs (though we haven't heard if anyone is actually taking Mark up on it at this point).

Just trying to re-focus on something people can actually do to help. Perhaps the proceeds could go direct to those who can prove financial loss, so that the benefit doesn't benefit lawyers...it could help pay back the victims.

I mean yea, sue him into bankruptcy, but we can ALSO find a way for the victims to have more than the moral victory, and at least get them some rent money.
Great idea Ian.

[THEDOC]

I'm home. And there was much rejoicing.

yaaaaaaah.

I'm gonna try to nail down a few things about the book over the week-end. It's definitely gonna be an anthology; it's definitely gonna be all new material (I want those who got really screwed over completed work to take it where they're gonna be paid real money, not empty promises); I want a theme, along the lines of 'blowhard gets what's coming to him' but in an allegorical sense; I'd like to see a combination of panel-to-panel and prose (hear that, authors?); I want all proceeds to go to those who swallowed the tepid kool-aid, divided up as evenly as possible (which I know ain't gonna be easy, considering both the sum of monies owed and number of creators financially injured). Most of all, I want this to be cathartic and fun, a good read for buyers and a release for contributors.

The one thing I don't want is any mention directly of the Troll-ney. There's your challenge.

I'll need editors, participants, list of injured parties, that sorta thing. I'm taking Ian up on his printing offer, and probably gonna use a combination of the SPA, IF and ICC as co-publishers. Hell, if Jonah wants to slap the CBR label on it, I'd be only too happy to have him on-board. He's been patient as feck about this bandwidth monstrosity.

The only other thing I don't want is credit. I ain't doing this for me, for finances or for reputation. Good people lost a lotta time and effort cuz of this git, and I just wanna see some good come from it. Lemons to lemonade sorta thing.

I'm laying claim to 'Moby Dick'; I've already started designing Ahab, and I've drawn a few orca (for obvious reasons) so I've just gotta do my research.

I'll need to figure out a minimum and maximum page count; to ease the printing worries, we'll stick to even numbers for now. We also gotta decide whether to go with color interiors or b&w. Oh, and please don't let this take away from other assignments. This twit doesn't deserve another iota of energy.

Gail, if you think this needs a separate thread, lemme know.

Mebbe we can get this done before the convention season starts.




Doc 'My Dad Has a Barn!' Absurd

Of course you know I want to help Tim.

[Cully Hamner]

In bigger shows, do they pay for everything for all the guests? I mean, I look at Batlimore Comicon and think that it must be a nightmare to provide breakfast or dinner for all those people.

No, not in my experience; every show is different, but there's no way that a big show covers all its guests. Usually, it'll cover everything for the biggest name attractions. The smaller, solid names that aren't your Wizard Top Ten types (like me, for example) might get a hotel room or airfare, maybe even both. Local pro's and small-press guys are usually just happy with free admission and table space.

The biggest shows, like CCI, only provide free admission to most pro's. Only the Guests of Honor get covered. 'Course, shows like that are where a lot of deals get made and a lot of art and swag is sold, so the expense is a lot more worth it.

But it's not that pro's expect to have everything paid for. It's that when a promoter PROMISES to cover certain things to get you out to a show, you expect him or her to live up to that promise. If I make a deal with a con organizer that I'll cover my own travel if meals and a hotel room are provided, then that's what I expect. If I'm expecting a certain outlay of my own cash, and that multiplies because a promoter reneges, I'm liable to be pretty pissed off about it.

[THEDOC]

Guess what, I just remembered I have a VIDEO of the entire weekend, including footage at the hotel, and the show itself. I was going to make a documentary of it, but when no one sold anything and then I didn't get paid what I was promised, I didn't follow through with it.

I'll buy a copy Ian.

[Erik Burnham]

And Scott, I would be proud to include on the list of contributors. Larry, you'll be getting credit for title.

Daphne and I will compiling a list this week-end. Everyone who's replied so far is already in. Leave me a PM if you're interested in contributing, no matter what capacity.




Doc 'Ball's Rolling' Absurd

I'm in for whatever I can do for ya. My family has been (is being) screwed by an individual with similar practices to Olney... only in this case, makes use of restraining orders, FBI searches, and secret bank accounts... as well as lies, lies, lies. He's put my folks in the hole (almost) hundreds of thousands of dollars... so y'know, I'm feeling REAL ornery about liars and their disinterest in owning up to their promises.

Again, whatever I can do.

-E

[AIPman1]

No one said a word about my post that I have VIDEO from the 2003 Might Mini Con...sigh...

I'll be happy to prep files of the benefit book for printing once the editor has them all edited up. I got pretty good at it running the SPA Printing service. That would include assembling the tiff files into a pagemaker template, and loading it up for the printer of choice, or making a PDF of it for the printer of choice, depending on who you go with and their needs.

[Matt Doc Martin]

No one said a word about my post that I have VIDEO from the 2003 Might Mini Con...sigh...

I'll be happy to prep files of the benefit book for printing once the editor has them all edited up. I got pretty good at it running the SPA Printing service. That would include assembling the tiff files into a pagemaker template, and loading it up for the printer of choice, or making a PDF of it for the printer of choice, depending on who you go with and their needs.



I'll buy a copy Ian.

Uh, yeah there was.



Furthermore, I will gladly download a copy.

[DocAbsurd]

Here's a couple of things I found quite humorous on that blog:

The female creator panel, moderated by Timothy J. Tobolski, was sparsely attended, but featured a fun, spirited gang that included:

Oooooooooooooooooo, hadda get the dig in, dincha?

Forgetting one important thing, though:

It was the best attended panel at the con. Now, what does that say about your promoting abilities?

The con was sponsored by ORCA (Organized Readers of Comics Associated), which celebrated its 10th anniversary with a big convention cake.

Anyone remember how the cake tasted? How about how it looked? Anyone remember a cake at all?




ORCA Founder and Mighty Mini-Con Organizer Rick Olney, already anticipating growth, announced a two-day con for 2004 (May 22 & 23).

And . . . what exactly happened to that anticipated 2 day con?

Oh, I remember; this cover (http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k141/DocABsurd206/covercopyscaled.jpg) I spent months on. Included many characters from various small press creators to highlight the SPA members. Before the meltdown.

And notice how candid all those guests look as they're caught unaware, looking up suddenly and holding their books like they normally do in everyday life.




Doc 'Say "Limburger"' Absurd

[AIPman1]

Uh, yeah there was.
oops!


Furthermore, I will gladly download a copy.

i'll have to dig it up. load it on the computer. and set it to stream on a page at Dimestore...

[Matt Doc Martin]

oops!

i'll have to dig it up. load it on the computer. and set it to stream on a page at Dimestore...

I will also offer you a small sum for it...what do you think is fair?

[AIPman1]

hmmmm...

I could set it up in the distro as a paid download and then donate the $$ to the benefit...

shoot now i actually have to find it!!!!

[Matt Doc Martin]

hmmmm...

I could set it up in the distro as a paid download and then donate the $$ to the benefit...

shoot now i actually have to find it!!!!

You might want to be careful. If "Dick" wanted to be an ass (perish the thought!!) He might try to get you for not signing a release or something.

[Gail Simone]

In bigger shows, do they pay for everything for all the guests? I mean, I look at Batlimore Comicon and think that it must be a nightmare to provide breakfast or dinner for all those people.

Not always, not at all. But if your show is in the middle of nowhere, your guests have no transportation, and you promise repeatedly to take care of this stuff, then it's not too much to expect.


Gail

[Gail Simone]

Too obviously referential. Besides, not as broad a "topic" as "unscrewed".

Gail, about that blog entry, and the captions for the photos: doesn't he have some of your credits attached to Mercy? 'Cause I don't remember her doing work on BOP. Just wondering.

As for his claim that the smiles in the photos prove that everyone was really happy with everything at the con...... Cripes, the photos are all posed, as in "Hey, I'm going to take your picture now." None of them are really candid. Everyone puts on a pleasant face for a posed picture!

My head hurts. Oi.

You're right, those are my creds, not Mercy's.

Gail

[Matt Doc Martin]

Not always, not at all. But if your show is in the middle of nowhere, your guests have no transportation, and you promise repeatedly to take care of this stuff, then it's not too much to expect.


Gail

Uh, don't you mean to say "verdant Mohawk, NY"?

[AIPman1]

You might want to be careful. If "Dick" wanted to be an ass (perish the thought!!) He might try to get you for not signing a release or something.

hmmmm...I shot the video myself on my own camera...he could lay claim to it how?

[Gail Simone]

I just could not resist.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v91/docmartin72/SP32-20070104-192933.jpg


I am a bad monkey. Should I give him the local phone number?

They will never take me alive!

Moron.

Ick.

Seriously, no point in emailing the guy. I blocked him from both my myspace account and email and it's been a DELIGHT not having more of his bullshit in my inbox.

Gail

[Gail Simone]

No one said a word about my post that I have VIDEO from the 2003 Might Mini Con...sigh...

I'll be happy to prep files of the benefit book for printing once the editor has them all edited up. I got pretty good at it running the SPA Printing service. That would include assembling the tiff files into a pagemaker template, and loading it up for the printer of choice, or making a PDF of it for the printer of choice, depending on who you go with and their needs.

HA!

I'm interested in the video!

Gail

[Matt Doc Martin]

Ick.

Seriously, no point in emailing the guy. I blocked him from both my myspace account and email and it's been a DELIGHT not having more of his bullshit in my inbox.

Gail

Well, just in case, I changed my location to Alcatraz. It will fool the cops.

I'll have my friend who is a cop in Long Island look over everything and advise me if I should get fitted for a jumpsuit or not.

[OMAR]

Well, I have to admit that if there is a convention in CNY in June I'll probably end up going - there hasn't been one since the last MMC which was apparently such a nightmare for the guests. I had a good enough time as an attendee, and enjoyed Bob Rozakis' trivia game though it leaned too heavy on the Silver Age imo. Though I rarely venture out in public due to my hideous appearance, being surrounded by all the other local comic book fans alleviated that problem and I was able to wander around at ease.

I hope we can keep the Mohawk Valley bashing to a minimum in this thread as your experience here was plainly filtered through Rick. I assure you, here are plenty of decent hotels and eating establishments within a mile or two of HCCC. I believe Rick is pretty poor, actually - no word on whether that van has sold yet - which makes me think all the lawsuit talk is just silly. There's no money there. Are you going to garnish his wages? He's the President and Owner of Tightlip fuckin' Entertainment. How much do you think that job pays these days?

It's a good idea to get word out, about him specifically and about taking 10 minutes to Google somebody's name before you put yourself out for their company in general, so I'd put your emphasis there and maybe even on some kind of benefit for the folks how got allegedly shafted.

[Gail Simone]

Uh, don't you mean to say "verdant Mohawk, NY"?

The hall was basically okay, and the view was pretty nice from there (though that was it as far as scenery...we walked most of the town, my husband and I). The first hotel was a pitstain inside and out, in particular.

But we live in Oregon and have prettier scenery by far in every direction, not to diss upstate New York, but what we saw while there was nothing to write home about. At one point, Rick tried the excuse on me that essentially coming was like a vacation to a lovely garden spot, so why would I even WANT my money back?

I mean, it was just that stupid.

Gail

[Matt Doc Martin]

I believe Rick is pretty poor, actually - no word on whether that van has sold yet - which makes me think all the lawsuit talk is just silly. There's no money there. Are you going to garnish his wages? He's the President and Owner of Tightlip fuckin' Entertainment. How much do you think that job pays these days?


I'm tellin' ya... He is the biggest thing since bathtub toasters. (Keeps bread soggy but YOU surprisingly crispy!)

Mark my words...we will look back on this thread and remember the day when we all doubted TightLip and the power it will have over comics.

[MacQuarrie]

And Scott, I would be proud to include on the list of contributors. Larry, you'll be getting credit for title.

Daphne and I will compiling a list this week-end. Everyone who's replied so far is already in. Leave me a PM if you're interested in contributing, no matter what capacity.




Doc 'Ball's Rolling' Absurd
I'm insane for trying to take on more, but hell, put me down for a couple of pages. I bet I can turn my Rose Parade adventure into a comic.

[Gail Simone]

Well, I have to admit that if there is a convention in CNY in June I'll probably end up going - there hasn't been one since the last MMC which was apparently such a nightmare for the guests. I had a good enough time as an attendee, and enjoyed Bob Rozakis' trivia game though it leaned too heavy on the Silver Age imo. Though I rarely venture out in public due to my hideous appearance, being surrounded by all the other local comic book fans alleviated that problem and I was able to wander around at ease.

I hope we can keep the Mohawk Valley bashing to a minimum in this thread as your experience here was plainly filtered through Rick. I assure you, here are plenty of decent hotels and eating establishments within a mile or two of HCCC. I believe Rick is pretty poor, actually - no word on whether that van has sold yet - which makes me think all the lawsuit talk is just silly. There's no money there. Are you going to garnish his wages? He's the President and Owner of Tightlip fuckin' Entertainment. How much do you think that job pays these days?

It's a good idea to get word out, about him specifically and about taking 10 minutes to Google somebody's name before you put yourself out for their company in general, so I'd put your emphasis there and maybe even on some kind of benefit for the folks how got allegedly shafted.


I believe that there were nice parts of Herkimer, and Dennis actually showed us some nice stuff on the drive (I say again, Dennis seems like a nice fellow all around, although you'd have to be blind not to see what Rick is really about after all this time). We couldn't find much in the way of a decent restaurant but we were on foot and on our own. We ate a little bite at an Applebee's (normally my least favorite place, but it was all we saw that was open) where the manager was nice enough to stay open a little bit later. So that part of Herkimer I'll remember fondly.

And it was great to see some pro online friends who came just to visit with me. Rick's made a big deal out of them, as if he'd invited them and they were dying to come, but truthfully we just wanted to visit.

The highlight of the whole thing was getting to ride to the pizza place in Mike Kaluta's car, and having him be such a kind gentleman to a drooling fangirl like me. I mean, he's the MAN to me, and he was just incredibly nice.

That was the best bit. It was great to listen to Heidi at the panel, and talking with Buddy, Tom Peyer, and Stuart Moore was all nice.

I guess what I'm getting at is that everything that wasn't Olney related was nice.

Gail

[Erik Burnham]

At one point, Rick tried the excuse on me that essentially coming was like a vacation to a lovely garden spot

That's pretty funny, actually.

Because I know the Pacific Northwest is nothing like that, with your loggers and your sasquatches and your grunge bands hoping for a resurgence. (;

[MacQuarrie]

Hmmm...

In the world of comics culture, writer and artist Marc Siry was promoting the new magazine, appropriately named, "Comiculture," and his strip which appears in the publication. At the show, Siry was drawing the third installment of the strip, "An Alien Ate My Brain" (about, what else, a high schooler with an identity crisis).
Gee, I used to work for Marc. Maybe I should dig up his e-mail and see what he remembers about "Dick".

Anybody wanna place bets?

[Coppervale Studio]

Long before the Phoenix Comicon was established (which is coming up shortly, now in it's third (?) year), there were some well intentioned guys who'd tried to put one on here in Arizona.

This was early-mid 90's, so my book STARCHILD was rocking along pretty well (with some definite boosts from friends like Colleen), and these guys called me up and asked if I'd like to be one of the headline guests. They'd been told I had a good following locally, and would be a good draw (and said as much on the call). So I said sure.

Morning of the show, I drove over to the hotel - a decent, business-catering Holiday Inn near ASU. They'd invited (and promoted) a couple other local creators who had a hot Vampire book at Innovation, and so we expected a decent crowd.

I asked them where I should set up, and they showed me to the table — then mentioned it would be $45 for the day. I blinked a couple of times, did a doubletake at the poster that said "Special guest: STARCHILD creator James Owen!" and decided these guys were young and earnest, and I was making a good paycheck with the book (and WOULD be selling it there), so I forked over the dough.

Show starts. Good crowd. (The local Comicshops had promoted it, and were in attendance). Lots of signing, sketching, and sales. Lunchtime rolls around.

The guys come by, and said they were doing a McDonald's run, and would I like anything? I say, sure, and tell them what I want.

They came back with the food — and a bill. So I paid for my lunch. Again, no real problem. (Although I was already a cheap guest - I lived ten minutes away.)

More crowd. More signing. More sales. And it ended up being a pretty decently attended show. I made some bank.

So as I was packing up, they came over and thanked me for coming, and said (to me and the other guests), that the show was only successful because of us - and they'd like to show their appreciation by treating us to a nice dinner.

(Whew. Finally!)

So we retreated to a nice steakhouse nearby, and had a nice leisurely dinner.
And as we were winding down, one of them asked if he could speak to me privately. It seemed their credit cards were rejected - and they'd already dropped off the deposit with their cash, so they were tapped - and, seeing as I'd made all that cash that day, would I mind...?

Heh.

[Gail Simone]

That's pretty funny, actually.

Because I know the Pacific Northwest is nothing like that, with your loggers and your sasquatches and your grunge bands hoping for a resurgence. (;

Particularly where I am, on the Oregon coast with the beach a short walk away and mountains and streams in every direction.

But he really did try to float that idea that this was a vacation I should be glad to pay for myself.

Gail

[Coppervale Studio]

I'm tellin' ya... He is the biggest thing since bathtub toasters. (Keeps bread soggy but YOU surprisingly crispy!)

Mark my words...we will look back on this thread and remember the day when we all doubted TightLip and the power it will have over comics.

Dude, I think I just wet myself.

[Gail Simone]

Hmmm...


Gee, I used to work for Marc. Maybe I should dig up his e-mail and see what he remembers about "Dick".

Anybody wanna place bets?


No bets.

I'm really struck by how similar some of those old, old threads are...Olney's behavior is exactly the same. It's creepy! Even the same nonsensical insults he THINKS are zingers...it's just weird.

Gail

[Matt Doc Martin]

Dude, I think I just wet myself.

Were you holding the toaster at the time?

[Sarah Beach]

No bets.

I'm really struck by how similar some of those old, old threads are...Olney's behavior is exactly the same. It's creepy! Even the same nonsensical insults he THINKS are zingers...it's just weird.

Gail

I'm becoming less and less surprised. And more and more convinced that my first flippant evaluation is far closer to the mark than I wanted to think.

Hey ho. At least I'm gaining all these new friends and acquaintences! Maybe I should start asking how many will be at Wizard World LA in March & in San Diego this summer.

[Coppervale Studio]

Were you holding the toaster at the time?

The NDA I signed with the toaster company prevents me from admitting that I was.



...


Oh, crap.

[OzBat!]

If no-one objects, I'm going to copy Tim's anthology organisation post and start a separate thread for it, keep everything neat and easy to follow. Is that okay?

[TomStillwell]

Guess what, I just remembered I have a VIDEO of the entire weekend, including footage at the hotel, and the show itself. I was going to make a documentary of it, but when no one sold anything and then I didn't get paid what I was promised, I didn't follow through with it.

YOUTUBE IT!!!

[Erik Burnham]

Particularly where I am, on the Oregon coast with the beach a short walk away and mountains and streams in every direction.

But he really did try to float that idea that this was a vacation I should be glad to pay for myself.

Gail

Y'know, I used to live out that way (and in two other woodsy states) and... I just can't picture "better green" elsewhere to the point you'd make the argument he makes.

But hey... that is almost certainly beside the point!

[TonyIsabella]

You folks have filled 134 pages on an individual who isn't worth wasting even a single paragraph on? And they call me obsessive? Sheesh!

Just stopping by to give my love to Gail and the YABS crowd...and because I finally figured out how to change my password. I might even be able to reply when my name is mentioned.

Happy New Year to all!

Tony Isabella
http://www.worldfamouscomics.com/tony

[Gail Simone]

You folks have filled 134 pages on an individual who isn't worth wasting even a single paragraph on? And they call me obsessive? Sheesh!

Just stopping by to give my love to Gail and the YABS crowd...and because I finally figured out how to change my password. I might even be able to reply when my name is mentioned.

Happy New Year to all!

Tony Isabella
http://www.worldfamouscomics.com/tony


We love ya, Tony!

Sorry you HATE PERSONAL FREEDOM, or at least that's what Rick said!

;)

Gail

[Coppervale Studio]

You folks have filled 134 pages on an individual who isn't worth wasting even a single paragraph on? And they call me obsessive? Sheesh!

Just stopping by to give my love to Gail and the YABS crowd...and because I finally figured out how to change my password. I might even be able to reply when my name is mentioned.

Happy New Year to all!

Tony Isabella
http://www.worldfamouscomics.com/tony

This thread may be the most successful convention Rick Olney's ever initiated.

Happy New Year to you too, Tony!