Posted in: Comics, Recent Updates | Tagged: Comics, entertainment

The Ballad Of Ray Dillon And Renae De Liz

Last week, we reported on DC Comics' decision to cancel the Legend Of Wonder Woman. And how, internally at DC, they were putting it down to creators Renae De Liz and Ray Dillon posting less-than-complimentary tweets about other Wonder Woman projects from DC Comics, and a Mary Sue article which brought them greater publicity. Although all these examples were deleted, and the article edited, we were able to resurrect a number of them.

It may also be worth considering that DC Comics hadn't publicised Legend Of Wonder Woman much as the first hardcover was coming out, which may have caused tension and aggravation. If nothing else, this furor has gathered the book considerable publicity.

It also brought back issues to the fore that a number of people have had with the couple over commissions, Kickstarter donor rewards and orders. It's an issue  Bleeding Cool has covered before, highlighting Ray Dillon's issues back in 2013, which even then already went back into the noughties. There are also still complaints from those who didn't receive what they were promised on the Kickstarter for the Womanthology comic, which we also highlighted back in 2013.

Well, people still don't have copies and very occasionally say so on the Kickstarter comments page. There is only a handful of them, however.

That's not the case with their Peter Pan Kickstarter. Four years after the Kickstarter concluded and a year after the book was printed and first copies were sent out to backers, many still do not have their copies.

In the last few days, after we started raising issues, Ray has finally updated the Kickstarter to say,

For anyone who has not received their books yet, this isn't an error, we just haven't gotten to yours yet, but we absolutely WILL get your book(s) to you.

We're packaging up another big batch to send soon and want to get as many out before Christmas/New Years as possible.

Thank you for your continued patience. I am here, if I ever miss a message or anything like that, I apologize, but will do my best to keep up with everyone or at least post updates when necessary.

Have a wonderful holiday season!

~RAY

This is a promise on top of a number of promises that they would be sent out in the next few weeks. Some have now approached the authorities as a result. Their unfinished commission list goes back eight years, even when they are taking new sketch commissions for hardcover copies of LOWW. As a result, some are taking the chance to suggest that, as the GoFundMe project went well over the $2000 requested, now over $5000, they might consider repaying debts. Such as to sketch card dealer Rachel Ahrendes, who dealt with Renae years ago when she was principally a sketch card artist.

Ray and Renae hadn't been replying to Bleeding Cool for the past week. But Dillon has posted in reply to Rachel saying,

Which was an excuse for others to line up in criticism, as well as outlining what they are owed by the pair.

And Meghan Hetrick had plenty to say as well.

But Ray did start replying, and offering direct contact.

For most people anyway.

But for others he was showing more attention.

And as of yesterday Ray seems to have actually taken Rachel's advice. As this started to happen.

That's one down. More to come? Because people have been refunded before – but only some of them.

I was glad to see the GoFundMe page set up and do so well. Because it demands nothing of the recipient. No books that won't be sent, or commissions that won't be drawn, it's plain and simple. Give them money and expect nothing back. But taking orders of items when the unfulfilled list is still so long is problematic, if the scale of the current situation and backlog is not made clear.

They are both very talented creators, whose work has been proved critically, and who do take risks in the kind of material they create. But as businessmen, when it comes to managing their schedules and commitments, they suck, and this sometimes means they drag other people down with them. So if you are going to get involved, bear this in mind. The work may well be spectacular. But you may well have to wait a Scary Godmother Doll-amount of time…

And for some people that will be worth it.

If you are waiting on work from De Liz or Dillon, it's a good time to get in touch with them. Feel free to cc in richjohnston@gmail.com if you think it will help.

As one BLeeding Cool reader writes, it can be quite some time.

Basically, I commissioned Renae for 1 Marvel Dangerous Divas Artist Proof and 2 quick sketches back in 2011. Paid over 300 usd and consistently followed up with Ray as Renae does not want to be bothered by emails. I also did everything they asked from sending to a different email address to filling up a Google excel sheet online. Ray's excuses range from "Renae is pregnant" to "Renae is busy" to "Renae is sick" to "it's already done and we will mail it tomorrow" to "it was forgotten and we will work on it" to the "mail was returned to us, make sure your address is correct" and so forth. They eventually stopped replying to any emails.

I also purchased an artbook with sketch from Renae like in 2009 or 2010 which was my first transaction to Renae but I never received it and thought that maybe it was just lost in the mail since they claimed that it has been sent but no tracking. I didn't mind it too much then cause I was under the assumption that they were honest people but I now realize that this might as well be a con.

I stopped with sketch card collecting mainly because of this reason. There are a number of artists that are just too difficult to deal with and does not fulfill their promises.

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