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Con promoter/publisher Rick Olney has passed away at age 58. A controversial figure for many, Olney attempted many things in his life, including starting a readers advocacy organization called ORCA, and throwing many shows which he would abruptly cancel. As a publisher, his major achievement was being accused of owing many artists money.

My own dealings with Olney were cordial, if bizarre, and his account of my attendance at one of his cons was not accurate in the least, but he didn’t rip me off the way he did others. He was a colorful, strange figure—my condolences to his family, his wife, and five children.

22 COMMENTS

  4. When I first started getting online in 98, he was one of the first people to contact me about my own small press projects. He was nice to me. I later found about all the other stuff. I hadn’t spoken to him in awhile. It’s sad to me when some one I used to talk to online, passes away. Thanks for this post.

  7. Yes, condolences to his loved ones, although its a shame that none of them could have convinced him to turn his life around before he’d died. As we can see right there in the 2nd to last link, as recently as July he was still denying any wrong-doing, and continuing to threaten people with bogus lawsuits, as he’d bend doing for the past 7 years. So now he’s gone, but the memory of his deeds will live on.

  9. I had some limited online correspondence with Rick over the years and was receiving the ORCA newsletter for a short time. I never had the difficulties with him that others had, so never bore him any ill feelings. It’s obvious that things he did were wrong and unfortunate that he couldn’t seem to see that himself.

    My condolences to his family on his passing.

  10. I have nothing nice to say regarding Mr. Olney. Even as recent as September, he was swindling to sell those Indiana Jones maps he stole from Matt Busch.

    “Rick Olney stated on September 24, 2012:

    Indiana Jones Limited Edition Signed & Numbered Maps by Artist Matt Busch, gifted to Rick Olney for the purposes of selling to benefit Veteran charity. Original print run was 250. Still plenty available! Limit 2 per customer, first come first serve. cost is $59.95 includes shipping & handling costs, along with signed receipt upon delivery.

    As of January 1, 2013 the cost on these maps will increase to $75.00 each.

    If interested, email me at: [email protected]”

    “Gifted!” Guess the price of that map isn’t going to increase now. He lived life as a no-good swindler. He died a no-good swindler. The world is better off without him.

  11. I’m going to ask that people keep their thoughts here respectful out of regard for his family. I am sure they are not going through an easy time of it. There are many places to talk about Rick’s misdeeds, but I don’t want this to be the place to vent these thoughts.

  12. only hearing about the man through his rep. he is still a human being who leaves behind loved ones who know have to go on with life without him. sympathy to ricks family and friends for their loss

  13. Tony Isabella must have shot his load upon hearing of Mr.Olney’s death,he was obsessed in bad mouthing at every turn.

    That Tony, such a paragon of virtue.

  14. Former orcomx a.p.a. member hector laboy jr. A.k.a manik d/artist would like to comment R.I.P. Rick Onley condulances to his wife children and grandchildren.Even for some time i been wanting to get into this discussion to defend rick and myself and orcomx on his behalf on the innerdinamics of what was going on id rather not at least not now.all i have to say to those persons and they know who they are is that you don’t corner a person in a dead end street with no way out and gang up to stone him like a bunch o bloodthirsty animals.he was human just like you and cappable of not being that inteligent and of making mistakes.

  15. I just got the news today i will be back on this site to illuminate those who are wondering who i am and what role i play in all this i only wish i could have found this site sooner.stay tuned a lot of questions are going to be answered and some that weren’t even asked.be here tommorow.

  16. All i have to say is that rick should have taken my advice and business propersion more serious.my art work for tightlip ent.o.r.c.a. and orcomx could have been used to shut the mouths of these people that added to the stress of was suppose to be my potential employer messing with his mind and thoughts made the deal go swore and the taste is as bitter in my mouth as it was in his. There’s more to come stay tuned this is not over this has just begun a friend is a friend with or without there defects its based on love and loyalty personal morals or religious beliefs and cultural practices placed aside.

  17. I would also like state that while i was contributing member in orcomx rick did express his concern about the acuzations being made about him to its members in his zines.a mood that disturb many if just not myself found it unsettling and uncomfortable at times to add to day to day problems.orcomx was so people could enjoy and have as a collective group to showcase there talent and practice there craft with any or the main goal of being discoverd.many forums bad mouth rick.but one particular statement stood out in my investigation of a individual who had been long conflict with rick his name i don’t recall but the statement was that rick had even started to hire foreign talent if that statement was intentended for me i kind of found it wire flattering the least he could have done was mention my name and a little bit of more research to know that i am a first genaration american born raised and educated in the united states of america for many years who happen to be working out of puerto rico a very beatiful tropicl island in the carribean.it even was stated in one of these forums that he was a bigot i am not familiar with the word bigot could some clearly define it for me.never did rick come off as a bigot in the a.p.a.and as i regards as how he treated me he did with respect and nothing less.the relationship between me and rick was to a collabration to produce something new and artistic for tightlip while insisted on me illustrating a full book i being sincere with i set a price for the originals for$400 him let him know that i did not dominate drawing sequential art and proposed a artbook showcasing some of my unseen pin up art and a small collection of posters of tightlip characters for which i submitted black and white photo copies of freedom3 monstersquad character pin ups cankids concept art and designs taylor and oliver art i set a price o

  18. A price of$ 400 for the originals and a lagitimet contract was sent to me which i had to pay to get signed by a lawyer.and was sent back to him.lack of monies enabled me to not send the originals.and that was only basis of me asking to be paid first to cover the cost and buy my supplies to keep creating more art work and photocopy archiving my originals for future referance.many things prevented this that were going on in my life that i care not to speak of.but in no way do i feel or felt coned or hustled.just highly disappointed permission by me was even given by me for him to use the art to be posted for all to see no gimmicks no fee in a letter to him artwork to my knowledge that hasn’t seen the light of day.another request in the contract besides the production of a pin up book and a small collection of posters of tightlip character’s was that he help me set up a digital gallery either on the orcomx website or orca site.this was to be done by rick and dennis kininger former cm of orcomx and some people rarely speak about or his relationship wth rick.dennis helped me many a times with photocopies i couldn’t cost.and created a digital gallery at orca that i haven’t gotten to see till this day or what type of response it garnerd. This on a submission i sent to him with abou 50pieces of art black and white color original concepts by me.fan art of marvel characters spiderman ghostrider wolverine punished.even a mini comic i created called epidemia and a concept booklet with characters i was working on with a smalll synopsis called nuyorican eastcoast vigilante for my own publishing label bcg.as well as a ghostone concept booklet and other puerto rican cultural based characters.genaras in the depiction of my art covered horror action science fiction cartoon pop graffiti manga and so on.i even submitted a two piece sequential story with a japanese poem i wrote that was intended for deadeye knight of deadeye samurai the creator as well as fan art of local puerto rican comicbook characters like sato. Checkout my gallery on jazmaonline hector laboy.click and enjoy.with the passing of rick only the future can show us of what will become of orcomx tightlip orca freash and splash and the spooky.next i would like to address a legal right that the inlets have and may not no about it is called defamation of character if a court of law finds that the statesmen made about rick could not be proved and had anything to do with the failure of his health and iminent death by form of persecution it would be punishable by law and the party’s involved can be taken to cour.your family has the right to sue those people.the evidence is in the forums all you have to do is print it out.they surpassed what bullying is when accused him of being a pedifir.clean your fathers name up.your family depends on it.for his grandchildrens sake.later l would like to comment on orcomx and state some opinions about that i saw and didn’t. Like that prevented it from growing or garnering more attention when i was a member.let me know what you guys think any opinions or questions will tried to be clarified and answered at my leisure.

  19. Before kenneth rockfort even thought of stepping on the island of puerto rico i was already here doing my thing.hector.yes i have issues to just like everyone else not that they concern any of you.lets move on to a storie that rick told us while i was an active member of orcomx an onsite into the man and the dificulties he was facing i stand by and watch how they badmouth a man at every turn who garnerd the attention of stan lee the head marvel and support clearly visible in first publications of freash and splash and the support of then incharge of image comics tom delfalco who not only designed a shirt that never saw print for orca because printing qualities.rick should have worked around that just like he should have worked around the comics delfalco donated to him for orca all he needed to do was pick them up.but when the time those who said that they were going to be present to help did not show up.he should have worked his way around it even if it ment going in his pocket and hiring cheap labor to get the job done and forgetting about those who abandoned him in his time of need.no newyears celabration with them as well as crossing there names out from the christmas list.lesson to learn to be careful with the company you keep.learn from your mistakes and the mistakes of others.i would like to state to some who posted asking about fellow orcomx member benny g meal a very talented artist that i had the honor to share theorcomx pages with what business is it to you what he is in jail for or was.your not concerned about how talented he is or that rick provided him a medium in which he and many others could express themselves artisticly but more the give the run around to talk shit about the dearly departed rick onley and the people he chose to give oppertunity and chance to with out discrimianation.when do you think in your life time will be able to give someone opportunity and chance in your lifetime.

  20. That is without discrimination.the benny comment is for someone else on another forum i hope they get to see it and respond respectivley.that goes for anyone who may still have slickshit comments to make or say i do this all on rick’s behalf.quote from song we should spread love not war by prodigy. Of mobb deep

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