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

[Gail Simone]

Some of you might be aware that the ONLY bad experience I've ever had at a convention, or with a publisher, either, was with Rick Olney, of 'Tightlip' entertainment.

Rick's got a LOOOOOOONG history of meltdowns on the internet. People have some hilarious stories about him, and I doubt none of them. The guy is, to be kind, odd as hell.

He's one of those guys that talk about honor and integrity as if he were the only one that has those qualities, despite regularly being in the middle of serious ethical problems such as repeatedly not paying people when promised.

He talked me into paying my own way to his 'convention (which was a nightmare, but I felt bad for him at the time), to be reimbursed before I actually left home.

That was a lie.

Then I was to be paid when I got there.

That was a lie.

Then I was to be paid immediately after (the check would 'beat me home,' he said.

That was a lie.

You get the picture. My mom was in the hospital and I needed to be reimbursed. Rick's defenses got angrier and more bizarre, but I tried to work with him and be polite for a long time. Finally I got the bulk of the payment, months after being promised. But the remainder, a hundred dollars by his account, he continued to lie about, 'til after TWO YEARS (I kid you not), I finally told him to keep it, I didn't want it anymore and I never wanted to deal with his bizarre excuses again.

Lesson learned, right? Now I get lots of references from people I trust for every small con I attend, and have never had another problem, not one. Every other con I've gone to has been well-run and extremely honest in their dealings with me.

Anyway, Rick, who fancies himself a huge wheel in comics (for reasons that are beyond me even though he spent hours talking about himself after the con), decided to start a comics company called Tightlip Entertainment. Predictably, he isn't paying people when promised. They were supposed to be paid in fifteen days, but haven't been paid yet and it's months later. Pros with sterling reputations for honesty and professionalism have not only not been paid, but are being threatened with lawsuits by Rick Olney for having the 'disloyalty' to speak out, so other creators won't be taken in.

A more repulsive display of unprofessionalism I can't imagine.

Anyway, there's more, a lot more. I've spoken out, and Rick has repeatedly threatened to sue me. Hilariously, I have saved every email he ever sent me (once I realized he wasn't trustworthy), and in his own words, he lies to me over and over again.

I was willing to let the matter die. It was worth it to be rid of him. But I am furious that he has not only not paid these hard-working professionals whose only crime is trusting Olney, but that he's threatening them all with lawsuits when HE is the one who broke the agreement and acted in bad faith.

He's got a Myspace page, mostly about how great he is. It had some hilarious stuff on it, but he's mostly deleted that. Still, check out his blog at

myspace.com/orcafresh

I keep getting email from other people who have been stiffed by him, and now he's lost Ronee Burgois, one of the kindest and most generous people I've ever met, and Rick's former PR manager. The reason? Surprise surprise, he hasn't paid her in seven months.


Anyway, there's this kind of funny thing...he posts these rants about how everyone's out to get him, poor thing, and this one woman, who may be perfectly nice, for all I know, says over and over, "People suck!"

Anyway, here's the response he won't put up on his blog, from me.

"Lying deadbeats suck, I'll agree with that.

People like Rick prey on people's good intentions and honesty and then they cry 'victim' when people speak up. Boo hoo.

You keep calling me a liar, Rick. Where have I lied? Show me one place. What I said was you lied to me about paying me, which you did and you damn well know it, many, many times. Why continue lying about something we both know to be the truth? Where in the world do you come off not keeping your word AND pretending to be a victim?

What I've said was you lied to me repeatedly about payment, and you're doing much worse now, and now you've betrayed poor Ronee, one of your last few defenders. You gonna threaten to sue her, too?

I keep saying, bring it on. I can prove everything I say with your own words. YOU lied, YOU stiffed all those people and you're still doing it. Bring. It. On. You threaten all the people you've betrayed and mistreated...maybe if you kept your word once in a while people wouldn't HAVE such a low opinion of you.

This lady who keeps saying 'people suck' is wrong. MOST of them are honest and decent. It's YOU who are the exception.

And yes, I have a pen name. I'm sorry that seems to baffle and confuse you. It takes a complete lack of understanding of publishing history to be so ASTONISHED by something so banal, but as you're so desperately trying to blame others for your repeated failures, I understand you don't have much to work with. Here's something for free...I also wear corrective lenses sometimes. OH, MY GOODNESS!

Pay Chuck. Pay Val. Pay Ronee. Pay the other people who are afraid to speak in public (and quit using them as examples of happy employees--trust me, they ain't happy with you at all). Quit threatening them. Quit trying to blame THEM for your poor business practices and dishonest responses to their legitimate complaints.

Then you'll have a chance to talk again about your 'honor.' Right now, that is a devalued commodity around your company.


Gail"


IMPORTANT ADDITION:

Please note that Rick Olney was allowed to post here for quite a long time, and managed to not only never answer any accusations, but used the space only to post racist and homophobic insults against those he'd cheated and his other accusers, as well as some really vile anti-woman insults directed at nearly every woman who had ever been a guest at his fake, crappy 'convention.'

Then, because he is at heart an utter coward, he went through and deleted most of his posts, as he's done throughout the internet to the best of his ability. If we occasionally appear to be arguing with no one, it is most likely because Rick "I Always Stand By My Words" Olney deleted the crucial posts.

HOWEVER, since he's had this pattern for at least ten years (leave racist, homophobic, anti-woman slurs and threats of violence), we saw it coming and saved all of it, at www.unscrewed.com

If you'd like to see what kind of 'man' Rick is, check out Unscrewed.com.

This is not a person who keeps his word, as a decade long history of utter deceit and untrustworthiness show. He has NO ONE who supports him except for his professional toady, Dennis Kininger. Fortunately, the industry now has tools to spread the word about people like Rick Olney, and hopefully potential victims of his tricks will see how he has handled his obligations in the past, which is to say, he ignores them.

Gail

[Agent Helix]

"When some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the barroom wall, looks you crooked in the eye and asks you if ya paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like that: 'Have ya paid your dues, Jack?' 'Yessir, the check is in the mail.'"

[Gail Simone]

http://michaelnetzer.com/rEvolution/index.php

Mike Netzer, one of the most talented artists in comics and definitely one of the most interesting voices the industry has, has had enough of people like Rick Olney, and says so, loudly.

Thanks, Mike.

Gail

[rick]

Olney has always been a pompus, arrogant ass, who was deeply in love with himself and his superior "ethics".

Sorry to hear he's a completly dishonest ratbag too.

[Gail Simone]

If he were to say it was Friday, I'd check every calendar in the world with a spectrograph and a microscope.

NEVER met anyone in this industry who told me more mistruths.

Gail

[TomStillwell]

Go get 'em Gail.

The industry is messed up enough without scumbags like Olney stinking it up.

[Gail Simone]

I blocked him from emailing me at my yahoo.com address, but now he's emailing his weirdnesses to me at MySpace. Anyone know if I can block him from emailing?

Gail

[TomStillwell]

I don't know if you can as a user.

I know Tony Isabella had the same problems and contacted myspace about it.

[hellokittykat]

Ugh! I hate people like that.
They play up their 'victim' status to try and deflect that they are the ones that are in the wrong.

[Gail Simone]

Originally Posted by hellokittykat

Ugh! I hate people like that.
They play up their 'victim' status to try and deflect that they are the ones that are in the wrong.

That's him. It's utterly shameless.

Gail

[hellokittykat]

I just looked at his page. What a self righteous, snotty, SOB!

And the way he responded to Michael Netzer's perfectly curteous email was terrible! Mr. Netzer was giving him some constructive advice and he attacks him?! For him to come back so vehemently tells me that some part of his being that he doesn't want to acknowlege, knows that he's wrong.

[Lester C.]

I'm a firm believer in salvaging the best you can out of any situation and then moving on in your life. I thought long and hard about the positives of your dealing with Rick and I came up with few things.

1. You got to improve your skills as a writer and position yourself to enjoy the incredible success you so rightfully deserve.

2. The experience turned you from a rookie to a seasoned pro which sadly requires a paying of dues which is a nice way of saying getting f***ed over.

3. You got to meet with new people and the whole not paying thing, as sucky as it is, may have created a bonding experience with them.

4. You are now in a position to warn others about what happened to you.

5. Most importantly of all, you are in a position to defend and speak for others who can't legally speak for themselves.

[Corrina]

He sounded almost exactly like J-Bolt with his posts at the Dixonverse. A lot of promises for things that will never be done, and lots of reasons why not, which aren't really related.

I feel a little bad for him, because it sounds like his logic is all twisted, even in his own head, but not really, because he's the one stiffing people money owed.

[Lester C.]

Originally Posted by Corrina

He sounded almost exactly like J-Bolt with his posts at the Dixonverse. A lot of promises for things that will never be done, and lots of reasons why not, which aren't really related.

I feel a little bad for him, because it sounds like his logic is all twisted, even in his own head, but not really, because he's the one stiffing people money owed.

To be fair to J-bolt he's only hurting himself. Based on what I read Mr. Olney destructive ways sadly isn't confined to himself.

[Michael P]

I've been following the Tightlip story via Lying In The Gutters. Based just on Rick's behavior here and on other message boards, I'm inclined to believe every accusation leveled against him, and then some.