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Thread: Cemetery Dance Talks With IDW’s Jeff Conner Scream/Press..future of Signed Limiteds

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    Default Cemetery Dance Talks With IDW’s Jeff Conner Scream/Press..future of Signed Limiteds

    See especially the section about the Scream Press limited edition of Skeleton Crew

    >>> Link

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    Just a fascinating article. Lots of tidbits about the past.

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    I like the bit about King not using a spell checker.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bev Vincent View Post
    I like the bit about King not using a spell checker.
    so du i. its kool. no need for a spell cheker....

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bev Vincent View Post
    I like the bit about King not using a spell checker.
    If he used a grammer checker, it would explode!

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    Default Jeff Conner - Scream/Press

    I was shocked a couple of days ago to see two separate threads promoting this guy. He has been underground for so long that I guess he hoped everyone had forgotten the last time he operated above ground. I guess the posters were thinking we should welcome this guy back like he is some returning celebrity because he once published a Stephen King S/L. Well, not me. Before you all start to heap praises on this guy you need to know what happened back in the late 1980's.

    Scream/Press thought they would publish an S/L of Anne Rice's INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE and sent a promotional letter and order form to everyone on their mailing list.



    It was a slick promo as usual.



    They promoted this HEAVILY. There were multiple mailings.



    I took the bait. And convinced a friend of mine (who doesn't even collect books) to buy one too. Actually I ordered a second copy a few months later but cannot seem to find my other receipt letter.



    Well, I'm sure you can guess the rest of the story. The months turned into years and the book was never published. No one who ordered ever received a copy. There was no word from Scream/Press after 1990 or so.

    I sent two letters (one was certified and confirmed as received) but received no reply to either. I called directly three or four times and left a message but, of course, he never returned any of my calls.

    I talked the problem over with several people who were also victims. This was a heavily promoted book and, I'm told, was sold out prepublication (you can do the math). I'm sure many people looked for him much harder than I did. Roy Robbins (Bad Moon Books) said he just seemed to vanish. No one could find him. I've asked Roy several times over the years if he ever surfaced and, to his knowledge, he never did. I think several dealers (like Roy) bought multiple copies and experienced much greater losses than the little guys like me.

    In 1994 or 1995 I was in Barry Levin's store in Santa Monica and saw the five pieces of artwork that Jeff Jones had done for the book. I told Barry that I would like to find Jeff Conner to get my money back for the books I had ordered. Barry laughed in that high-pitched maniacal manner of his and said "You and everyone else!" I think Barry took a big hit too. I should have bought that artwork on the spot. When I asked about them two months later they were already sold.

    Bottom line is that Jeff has never made any attempt to return any of the funds he was paid for a book that was never published. 1000 copies at $150 each is $150,000.

    Anyway, I just couldn't let the other two posts in this forum stand without giving another view of the guy. I couldn't let him be praised in any way without telling the rest of the story.

    Maybe Cemetery Dance could do a "Part 2" interview with Jeff and get into some of this stuff. I'd like to hear his side of the story (not that I would believe much that he said).

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    I saw the earlier posts about Jeff Connor and thought to myself "Didn't this guy steal a bunch of money back in the day?" but because no one else said anything so I thought I was mistaken. Thank you for clarifying. This guy seems like the ultimate used-car salesman. Charismatic, good with words, and the ability to sell high priced items to a group of people that are very trusting when it comes to pre-orders.

    That being said, since he has resurfaced, is there anything that can be done? I would absolutely love to see this douchebag pay for his crimes.

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    Nice post and very informative. Thanks.

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    He sounds like John Pelan. Another guy who went dormant after stealing from a bunch of people (authors and readers alike) but still manages to find editing gigs within the small press

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    Thanks, "Selected Screamer" Bob, for the informative expose of Mr Publisher, Jeff Connor. He is certainly a rogue.

    I don't know how he can salvage any reputation he may have left, but he could make a start by personally writing to each of the 1000 people he ripped off. He must know everyone by name as the publicity blurb names each buyer by name.

    ..."Barry laughed in that high-pitched maniacal manner of his"... ROLF. I've never met Barry, but I can picture his maniacal manner. (Then I would rip his face off, and tell him to lower his prices)

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    I once sent out about ten letters to small press book publishers who I had pre-paid for books that were never released, and very politely asked for my money back. Among them were Pulphouse, whoever put out the Bloch Lefty Feep books and Scream or Dream Press. The ONLY one who returned my money, believe it or not, was Scream Press. The others never even answered my inquiries.

    However, I have personally heard one story about Scream Press owing money to someone who had to almost force them to pay him back, which they did, and I also know Dream Press ripped Richard Matheson off. So I guess I was kind of lucky they sent me a check. It was only $75 though, and it WAS for a Matheson book they announced and never published.
    I'm sure if there is intelligent life somewhere out there in the universe, they are wise enough to stay away from us.

    And the people bowed and prayed, to the cell phone god they made...

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    Bob
    Great info-how can anyone get away with this?
    Unreal...

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    Quote Originally Posted by carlosdetweiller View Post
    Maybe Cemetery Dance could do a "Part 2" interview with Jeff and get into some of this stuff. I'd like to hear his side of the story (not that I would believe much that he said).
    I'm more than happy to point him here to see if he'd like to respond. You're referencing a book that was offered when I was 8 years old (!), so I wasn't aware of the controversy surrounding him, but I would like to help you get the answers you're seeking. I will email him right now about this.

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    I don't have any first-hand knowledge of the situation, but presumably Scream/Press was incorporated and went bankrupt, no? There is a difference between an individual taking a bunch of money and making a run for it, and a company that is bad at accounting, or business in general, or even publishing in particular (even if the company and the individual are otherwise indistinguishable).

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    Quote Originally Posted by BrianFreeman View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by carlosdetweiller View Post
    Maybe Cemetery Dance could do a "Part 2" interview with Jeff and get into some of this stuff. I'd like to hear his side of the story (not that I would believe much that he said).
    I'm more than happy to point him here to see if he'd like to respond. You're referencing a book that was offered when I was 8 years old (!), so I wasn't aware of the controversy surrounding him, but I found this to be extremely interesting.

    Brian
    I have no issues with him or firsthand knowledge of this, but it would be interesting to hear his take on things from back then.
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    I also have that INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE offer, but I never sent for it. I was digging through my SCREAM PRESS correspondence and found a book list with the zipper SKELETON CREW offered for $1000. I put a pencil mark next to it but never bought it.
    I'm sure if there is intelligent life somewhere out there in the universe, they are wise enough to stay away from us.

    And the people bowed and prayed, to the cell phone god they made...

  19. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by Brice View Post
    I am a curious person.
    He responded to my email this morning and I'm asking some questions right now. He wants to answer them, so let's start there and see where things go. I will post the moment I have news to report.

    Brian
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    I'm interested to see if any clarity is provided from Jeff Conner. I can understand a business going bankrupt but I cannot understand the lack of communication to clients who had prepaid for book(s).

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    Working from the bankruptcy assumption, I would guess that he was left with 1,000+ creditors to whom he owed <= $150 each, and a much smaller number of creditors to whom he owed much more than $150. The little guys are usually the ones who get lost in the shuffle.

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    Is there proof he took all the orders? I think that's just the assumption right now based on price X limitation.

  23. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by WeDealInLead View Post
    Is there proof he took all the orders? I think that's just the assumption right now based on price X limitation.
    Bob said "I'm told, was sold out prepublication" but he did not say who told him that or if there was any verification.

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    Quote Originally Posted by BrianFreeman View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by WeDealInLead View Post
    Is there proof he took all the orders? I think that's just the assumption right now based on price X limitation.
    Bob said "I'm told, was sold out prepublication" but he did not say how told him that or if there was any verification.
    No verification. That was just the word on the street among disgruntled collectors and dealers. It would have been nice to get confirmation from Jeff "Mr. Publisher" Conner or Mimi "the Order Czar" but they weren't answering the phone or returning calls or letters.

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    Quote Originally Posted by divemaster View Post
    My question is, if he took $150,000 to produce a book and there is no book, what did he spend the money on? Hookers and blow?
    Maybe this book was project B, but there was a cost over-run on project A.

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