From: "Michael R. Grabois" <[o--b--t] at [ix.netcom.com]> Subject: [NEWS] Image press release on Liefeld litigation Date: Fri, 11 Oct 96 16:10:57 GMT Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.info (posted on Compuserve's Comics and Animation Forum by the Image corporate account holder) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OCTOBER 9, 1996 Contact: Image Comics, Larry Marder (714) 871-8802 FULLERTON, CA -- Given the incredible amount of information that is circulating, Image Comics, Inc. feels compelled to respond to its fans and the comic book industry as a whole regarding the Rob Liefeld situation. In doing so, we intend to deal with the facts as they plainly exist and leave the formal resolution of our dispute with Rob to a court of law. As everyone probably knows, the other shareholders of Image Comics voted to remove Rob as an Officer and Director of the Company a number of weeks ago. This action, which is clearly authorized by the charter documents of the company, was not taken lightly, but was something that the other shareholders felt had to be done. As many of you may know, minutes before this vote was taken the company received Rob's formal resignation. Each of you can draw your own conclusions from this sequence of events. Terminating Rob as an Officer and Director of the Company was a difficult action to take. Image Comics felt that it had no other choice however in light of the actions of Rob and his employees over the past several months. During this period, it became obvious that Rob was placing his personal interests and the interests of Maximum Press and Extreme Studios ahead of that of Image Comics. Image Comics was unable to sit by and allow these actions to continue. Image Comics made every reasonable attempt after months and months of effort to convince Rob to stop using his Image Comics position as a platform from which to conduct his non-Image business, but for one reason or another he did not cease his actions. Make no mistake, Rob's own actions led to the decision to terminate him from the company, not a personal vendetta by any other shareholder or employee of Image Comics. Regarding Rob's suit against Image Comics and its other shareholders, the company can only state that it feels the lawsuit is without merit and that the company and the other shareholders of Image Comics intend to vigorously defend his so-called claims. Moreover, the company intends to file its own cross-complaint against Rob and his companies in the near future. Enough said. (Page 1 of 2) The company would also like to take a moment to address a number of accusations recently made by Rob in the press. First, the "differences" that Rob claims he has been trying to resolve with Image Comics involve a substantial debt that Rob owes to the company. After the other shareholders of Image Comics took the extra-ordinary action to remove Rob as an Officer and Director of the company, a full accounting was conducted and it was discovered that Rob and his companies owed Image Comics a substantial amount of money. The company tried to reach a negotiated settlement with Rob on his debt. Image Comics believes that it gave Rob a fair and reasonable payment schedule by which to settle his obligations to the company and a respectful avenue to make a clean break from the company. After Rob rejected the company's reasonable settlement offer, he sued the company and the other Image Comics shareholders for several unsubstantiated claims. It is the company's opinion that he did this in order to create a diversion from the true issues at hand. Second, Image Comics has never "refused to pay amounts due" to Rob. Statements or implications to the contrary are defamatory and will not be tolerated. After the other shareholders voted Rob out as an Officer and Director of Image Comics, he was placed on 60-day payment terms just like other non-board, non-officer artists of Image Comics. Third, Rob also claimed that Image Comics is "not happy that we left." This is nonsense-Image Comics is happy that Rob is gone, but does not dislike Rob Liefeld, we do however disagree with his business practices and judgment. Plus, he did not "leave Image Comics", the other shareholders decided to vote him out as an Officer and Director because they did not want to be associated with him as a business partner any longer. At this point, Image Comics would like to focus on the future. The company's dispute with Rob Liefeld will now be adjudicated in a court of law. The company welcomes the chance to bring certain information regarding Rob's actions to light and the company is confident that it will ultimately prevail on the merits of this dispute. IMAGE COMICS, INC. # # # ----- Michael R. Grabois | http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/mgrabois Houston, TX | [o--b--t] at [ix.netcom.com] CI$: 74737,2600 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- "Some people call me Maurice, 'cause I speak of the Pompatus of Love."