Steve Rude Arrested!

[Prince Namor]

I've met Steve Rude once (back in the mid 90's) and he was nice, polite, easy going...

Jim Shooter, I've never met, but I've seen his stories contradicted many times.

 

I've read that Steve is slow in his work, and a perfectionist (it shows).

I've also read that he's had some emotional problems at times, dealing with depression.

I've never heard of anyone saying he was anything other than polite.

Shooter?

Plenty of people say HE's a .

[The Troll King]

Guy gets arrested and people trip over themselves to buy his art?

[shadroch]

I met Steve Rude back in the Capital Comics days, right after Nexus #3( color series).

He was doing a signing in Flushing and only a small handful of people turned out for it. He couldn't have been nicer. I had a 13 year old kid that helped around my store with me and when he asked Rude to sign a Nexus portfolio, Steve drew a fantastic Nexus that was about four inches high and inscribed it for him. The kid drew a version of Nexus and sent it into the comic, and they ended up printing it on the letter page a few months later.

This was back around 1985, give or take a year. I'm sure he's not the same guy he was then, but he was a great guy that day.

[FFB]

I've met Steve Rude once (back in the mid 90's) and he was nice, polite, easy going...

Jim Shooter, I've never met, but I've seen his stories contradicted many times.

 

I've read that Steve is slow in his work, and a perfectionist (it shows).

I've also read that he's had some emotional problems at times, dealing with depression.

I've never heard of anyone saying he was anything other than polite.

 

Except his neighbors, the cops, and the prosecutors, and the judge who apparently instituted a hefty enough bail that he has to sell his artwork at fire sale prices to get out of the clink.

 

The thing about Shooter is that while many people "contradict" his stories, if you read his blog, he saved just about every scrap of paper he ever had from Marvel, etc., and usually he has backup for what he says.

 

I know that John Byrne doesn't like him, but so what? John Byrne doesn't like a lot of people. Have you read the "terms of use" to register for John Byrne's forum?

[DiceX]

I've met Steve Rude once (back in the mid 90's) and he was nice, polite, easy going...

Jim Shooter, I've never met, but I've seen his stories contradicted many times.

 

I've read that Steve is slow in his work, and a perfectionist (it shows).

I've also read that he's had some emotional problems at times, dealing with depression.

I've never heard of anyone saying he was anything other than polite.

Shooter?

Plenty of people say HE's a .

 

+1

Shooter's notorious for his spoonage.

 

 

[comix4fun]

I've met Steve Rude once (back in the mid 90's) and he was nice, polite, easy going...

Jim Shooter, I've never met, but I've seen his stories contradicted many times.

 

I've read that Steve is slow in his work, and a perfectionist (it shows).

I've also read that he's had some emotional problems at times, dealing with depression.

I've never heard of anyone saying he was anything other than polite.

 

Except his neighbors, the cops, and the prosecutors, and the judge who apparently instituted a hefty enough bail that he has to sell his artwork at fire sale prices to get out of the clink.

 

The thing about Shooter is that while many people "contradict" his stories, if you read his blog, he saved just about every scrap of paper he ever had from Marvel, etc., and usually he has backup for what he says.

 

I know that John Byrne doesn't like him, but so what? John Byrne doesn't like a lot of people. Have you read the "terms of use" to register for John Byrne's forum?

 

 

Except for this story about Rude, of course.

[Prince Namor]

Sorry, over 30 years of reading about what a nice guy Steve Rude is compared to reading about what a Jim Shooter is has sort of skewed my perspective.

Shooter needs about a terabyte of documentation to dispute the dislike thrown his way.

[shadroch]

I've met Steve Rude once (back in the mid 90's) and he was nice, polite, easy going...

Jim Shooter, I've never met, but I've seen his stories contradicted many times.

 

I've read that Steve is slow in his work, and a perfectionist (it shows).

I've also read that he's had some emotional problems at times, dealing with depression.

I've never heard of anyone saying he was anything other than polite.

 

Except his neighbors, the cops, and the prosecutors, and the judge who apparently instituted a hefty enough bail that he has to sell his artwork at fire sale prices to get out of the clink.

 

Small town justice in Peoria Arizona is quite different from what you can expect in the big city. Guy moves there from Wisconsin and doesn't have a real job, maybe doesn't even drive a pickup and gets in a dust up with some longtime locals.... Just saying.

Peoria was a sleepy town of some 5,000 a generation ago before the population exploded with people moving from the North East and the Snow Belt, many of the longtime residents resent the newcomers and consider them to be invaders.

[Pirate]

at a convention, he once asked Barry Kitson if he knew this random guy who lived in the UK. He made some smart comment when Barry told him he didn't. Barry politely told him that the UK is a big place and he doesn't know everyone No more conversation rest of weekend .

[boomtown]

Guy gets arrested and people trip over themselves to buy his art?

 

Not sure what's so screwy about it, he's going through tough times (self inflicted). Rude has his fans that want to help out during those times. It doesn't hurt that he is discounting his prices.

 

I'm sure if you were arrested, there would be people that would go out of their way to help out your cause. Maybe ??

[Pirate]

I doubt it boom

[Dr. Balls]

Guy gets arrested and people trip over themselves to buy his art?

 

Yeah, look at Gacy and Kevorkian - everyone wanted their art when they got arrested!

[Shaven Kev-migration]

I met The Dude at a Tulsa Def Con in the 90s. He spent a lot of time with me and my friends and reviewed a friends portfolio (Wes Wedman, hes done some pro work since). He was super nice and awesome.

 

We also hung out with Shannon Wheeler for a long time and he was another really great guy to us.

 

We were idiotic teenagers at the time so you can imagine we were pretty annoying.

 

The Dude is a nice guy and a great artist until I experience otherwise.

[MrBedrock]

About eight years ago one of my employees, who is a big Nexus fan, asked if I could get something drawn by Steve Rude. I was going to be set up at a con where Rude was a guest. Met him and talked a bit, told him the deal with my employee, and gave him $100 to do a commission with the understanding that he would do it after the show and ship it to me. He was super nice, a joy to talk to, and all was good. But nothing ever arrived. About eight months later I saw him at another show. I reminded him about the $100 and the commission. We had a great chat, he was super nice, we got all the contact info squared away. Perfect! Nothing ever arrived. I tried one more time about six months after that. Oh well. He is a great guy and super nice though.

[TupennyConan]

That's rude.

[comicwiz]

Wow. These accounts read like they are on opposites ends of fantasy and reality.

 

Jim's:

 

Rude Dude

 

While I’m doing first meetings….

 

Sometime in 1979, I believe, Paul Gulacy called to ask a favor.

 

Paul lived in Ohio back then, I think. He’d come home from somewhere one day to find a young man sitting on his lawn. A wannabe comic book artist, who absolutely worshipped Paul and his work.

 

I gather that Paul was polite with the guy. But the guy wouldn’t leave. He had come some distance, from I forget where, Wisconsin, maybe, to see Paul, and he wasn’t about to go away without accomplishing his mission. The guy begged, insisted, demanded that Paul help him get employment as an artist for Marvel.

 

Paul told him he couldn’t help him. The guy would not take no for an answer. He pretty much camped out on Paul’s lawn. Days passed.

 

So, Paul called me and asked me as a favor to look at the guy’s portfolio. He wasn’t recommending him, mind you, he just wanted him off the lawn.

 

Actually, Paul did say that he thought the guy had promise. But mostly he wanted him off the lawn.

 

I said, sure. For you, Paul, no problem. Paul said the guy’s name was Steve Rude.

 

A few days later, Steve Rude showed up at Marvel. Josie, the receptionist called to tell me he’d arrived. I went to reception and showed him to my office.

 

His samples, penciled comics pages, looked stylistically like Paul’s stuff—but the draftsmanship was very weak. Bad, in fact. Figures out of proportion, misshapen, wonky perspectives…. I launched into what I thought was a gentle, helpful, nice-as-I-could critique. Here’s what you need to improve to bring your work up to snuff. That sort of thing.

 

He argued with me.

 

He insisted that he was the best artist who had ever crossed our threshold. (!!!)

 

He declared his work “perfect.” He dismissed my criticisms. I obviously didn’t know greatness when it was right in front of me. I obviously didn’t know anything about art. I obviously didn’t know anything.

 

Throughout he referred to himself in the third person, as “the Dude.” This is pretty close: “The Dude is the best. What’s wrong with you? Why can’t you see that the Dude’s work is genius?”

 

He absolutely insisted, demanded to be given full time work as an artist. He would not take no for an answer. And, he would not leave.

 

I’m not as polite as Paul. And I’m huge. And in those days, I was in shape.

 

I didn’t touch him, no violence, no contact, but I sort of herded him back toward the reception room and pointed him toward the elevators. I went back to my office.

 

A few minutes later, I had reason to walk down the hall, headed toward Denny O’Neill’s office, I think. And there was the Dude in Al Milgrom’s office, showing his portfolio, having the same, bizarro, Dude-rich conversation with Al as he’d had with me.

 

I chased him out again. Al told me that he’d claimed that I had looked at his “genius” work and sent him down the hall to see him, Al, who would give him a job. Al thought I had gone insane, or that the Dude must be blackmailing me or something.

 

Josie told me he’d hung around the reception room and when she’d buzzed the door open to let someone else in, he’d zipped in right behind them before the door closed.

 

I told Josie if it happened again to call me right away.

 

A few minutes later, on my way to the production department, as I passed Jim Salicrup’s office (I think) there he was again! Same drill. Dude!

 

ARRRGH!

 

He’d hung around the back door, by the mailroom—no receptionist there—and when someone opened it to go in or out, he’d slipped in again.

 

I threw him out again and threatened to call the police.

 

Three times in the space of half an hour I threw Steve Rude out of the Marvel offices.

 

Geez, Louise. Rude, indeed.

 

Over the next two or three years he changed his style, got better and turned out okay, I hear.

 

I haven’t had any dealings with him since the Day of the Rude Dude at Marvel, other than saying hello at conventions and such. From people at Dark Horse, who have had dealings with him, I’ve heard that he’s still, shall we say, not humble. Not the easiest-to-deal-with Dude. Genius, though. He got that down.

 

Anyway….

 

I wonder how he tells that story?

 

And Steve's:

 

I read over the Shooter story. It's pretty out there. The first time I made it to the Marvel offices was years after I'd met Paul Gulacy, when I hitchhiked out to see him at his house in Youngstown, Ohio. When I met Shooter for the first time Paul had just made the move to West New York, New Jersey, near the Hudson River. I made an appointment with Shooter during this time, and he was very helpful in looking over by work. He went over basics with me by using a Captain America vs. the Human Torch comic as an example. I listened carefully, since I was raised to be polite when I meet people for the first time. Shooter said I should focus on basics instead of doing fancy things like Paul Gulacy did.

 

After that appointment, I hung around the Marvel offices hoping to get more feedback on my work. Shooter did eventually shoo me out, politely as I recall, when he saw me still hanging out in the halls--I was with Joe Rubenstein at the time, as Joe had just recently been hired at Marvel and was in the middle of inking a Rom cover, which was fascinating to watch. When Shooter saw me still hanging around he said, "You still here? People are busy here and need to get back to work."

 

I visited Marvel several years after that to get more feedback on my work , but by then Shooter had been fired

 

A few things I took away from reading them.

 

Steve sounds just as respectful in his rendition of the story as he claims he was in his first meeting of Shooter, and even the way Jim signs off with is account seems like he is baiting Steve into a disagreement.

 

From Jim's account, I get the sense this guy would laugh at any kind of adherence to an artistic code that asks him not to demean or portray artists negatively in public, whether they be aspiring or working for the competition.

 

Somewhere in the middle of the two stories, and based on the passion for his craft demonstrated in Steve's artwork, it sounds like he would have mopped the floor for any company if he felt it would have allowed him to pursue his dream.

 

I don't get the sense Jim would do the same. His blog and writing style delivers a tone and interpretation of experiences that suggest a "beneath him" attitude.

 

I know neither of these guys, nor am I going to claim one to be more rude than the other, but I'm leaning on Steve's account of things to be closer to reality, and Jim's, bordering the optioning for a writing gig with the National Enquirer.

[The Troll King]

I doubt it boom

 

[r100comics]

Hrm. I did a little digging and didn't like what I found. I have to say, Shooter's memory is probably pretty accurate.

 

http://www.jimshooter.com/2011/10/stan-meets-mobster-and-other-tales-to.html

 

Scroll down just a bit. The Rude piece has a heading.

 

 

 

"At least he got the genius part right."

 

The first story, "Stan meets Frank Costello" is also hilarious if true.

 

Stan the Man.....what a legend !

 

[DiceX]

Wow. These accounts read like they are on opposites ends of fantasy and reality.

 

Jim's:

 

Rude Dude

 

While I’m doing first meetings….

 

Sometime in 1979, I believe, Paul Gulacy called to ask a favor.

 

Paul lived in Ohio back then, I think. He’d come home from somewhere one day to find a young man sitting on his lawn. A wannabe comic book artist, who absolutely worshipped Paul and his work.

 

I gather that Paul was polite with the guy. But the guy wouldn’t leave. He had come some distance, from I forget where, Wisconsin, maybe, to see Paul, and he wasn’t about to go away without accomplishing his mission. The guy begged, insisted, demanded that Paul help him get employment as an artist for Marvel.

 

Paul told him he couldn’t help him. The guy would not take no for an answer. He pretty much camped out on Paul’s lawn. Days passed.

 

So, Paul called me and asked me as a favor to look at the guy’s portfolio. He wasn’t recommending him, mind you, he just wanted him off the lawn.

 

Actually, Paul did say that he thought the guy had promise. But mostly he wanted him off the lawn.

 

I said, sure. For you, Paul, no problem. Paul said the guy’s name was Steve Rude.

 

A few days later, Steve Rude showed up at Marvel. Josie, the receptionist called to tell me he’d arrived. I went to reception and showed him to my office.

 

His samples, penciled comics pages, looked stylistically like Paul’s stuff—but the draftsmanship was very weak. Bad, in fact. Figures out of proportion, misshapen, wonky perspectives…. I launched into what I thought was a gentle, helpful, nice-as-I-could critique. Here’s what you need to improve to bring your work up to snuff. That sort of thing.

 

He argued with me.

 

He insisted that he was the best artist who had ever crossed our threshold. (!!!)

 

He declared his work “perfect.” He dismissed my criticisms. I obviously didn’t know greatness when it was right in front of me. I obviously didn’t know anything about art. I obviously didn’t know anything.

 

Throughout he referred to himself in the third person, as “the Dude.” This is pretty close: “The Dude is the best. What’s wrong with you? Why can’t you see that the Dude’s work is genius?”

 

He absolutely insisted, demanded to be given full time work as an artist. He would not take no for an answer. And, he would not leave.

 

I’m not as polite as Paul. And I’m huge. And in those days, I was in shape.

 

I didn’t touch him, no violence, no contact, but I sort of herded him back toward the reception room and pointed him toward the elevators. I went back to my office.

 

A few minutes later, I had reason to walk down the hall, headed toward Denny O’Neill’s office, I think. And there was the Dude in Al Milgrom’s office, showing his portfolio, having the same, bizarro, Dude-rich conversation with Al as he’d had with me.

 

I chased him out again. Al told me that he’d claimed that I had looked at his “genius” work and sent him down the hall to see him, Al, who would give him a job. Al thought I had gone insane, or that the Dude must be blackmailing me or something.

 

Josie told me he’d hung around the reception room and when she’d buzzed the door open to let someone else in, he’d zipped in right behind them before the door closed.

 

I told Josie if it happened again to call me right away.

 

A few minutes later, on my way to the production department, as I passed Jim Salicrup’s office (I think) there he was again! Same drill. Dude!

 

ARRRGH!

 

He’d hung around the back door, by the mailroom—no receptionist there—and when someone opened it to go in or out, he’d slipped in again.

 

I threw him out again and threatened to call the police.

 

Three times in the space of half an hour I threw Steve Rude out of the Marvel offices.

 

Geez, Louise. Rude, indeed.

 

Over the next two or three years he changed his style, got better and turned out okay, I hear.

 

I haven’t had any dealings with him since the Day of the Rude Dude at Marvel, other than saying hello at conventions and such. From people at Dark Horse, who have had dealings with him, I’ve heard that he’s still, shall we say, not humble. Not the easiest-to-deal-with Dude. Genius, though. He got that down.

 

Anyway….

 

I wonder how he tells that story?

 

And Steve's:

 

I read over the Shooter story. It's pretty out there. The first time I made it to the Marvel offices was years after I'd met Paul Gulacy, when I hitchhiked out to see him at his house in Youngstown, Ohio. When I met Shooter for the first time Paul had just made the move to West New York, New Jersey, near the Hudson River. I made an appointment with Shooter during this time, and he was very helpful in looking over by work. He went over basics with me by using a Captain America vs. the Human Torch comic as an example. I listened carefully, since I was raised to be polite when I meet people for the first time. Shooter said I should focus on basics instead of doing fancy things like Paul Gulacy did.

 

After that appointment, I hung around the Marvel offices hoping to get more feedback on my work. Shooter did eventually shoo me out, politely as I recall, when he saw me still hanging out in the halls--I was with Joe Rubenstein at the time, as Joe had just recently been hired at Marvel and was in the middle of inking a Rom cover, which was fascinating to watch. When Shooter saw me still hanging around he said, "You still here? People are busy here and need to get back to work."

 

I visited Marvel several years after that to get more feedback on my work , but by then Shooter had been fired

 

A few things I took away from reading them.

 

Steve sounds just as respectful in his rendition of the story as he claims he was in his first meeting of Shooter, and even the way Jim signs off with is account seems like he is baiting Steve into a disagreement.

 

From Jim's account, I get the sense this guy would laugh at any kind of adherence to an artistic code that asks him not to demean or portray artists negatively in public, whether they be aspiring or working for the competition.

 

Somewhere in the middle of the two stories, and based on the passion for his craft demonstrated in Steve's artwork, it sounds like he would have mopped the floor for any company if he felt it would have allowed him to pursue his dream.

 

I don't get the sense Jim would do the same. His blog and writing style delivers a tone and interpretation of experiences that suggest a "beneath him" attitude.

 

I know neither of these guys, nor am I going to claim one to be more rude than the other, but I'm leaning on Steve's account of things to be closer to reality, and Jim's, bordering the optioning for a writing gig with the National Enquirer.

 

Agreed. Shooter is obviously still writing comic book stories.

 

 

[Stronguy]

Rude and Gulacy were at a Dallas con together several years ago. Steve was fun to talk to and he and Paul share some great stories. If Steve was really that mental you would think Gulacy would have let on a bit.