The time I was approached by JM, and other true stories.

From Fet, with permission of author. 

So here it goes. JM wanted me to email him, to keep it private, but Im not rolling with that at all. You see, my story is one Ive heard literally dozens of times, and its literally never a surprise to anyone Ive told. This account has many layers, so lets get this party started.

So heres the deal. What Im about to say is not going to shock anyone thats known JM for a while, apparently. I can't speak for anyone else, but since he wants to keep things private and try to lay blame on old staff thats no longer working with him (ie the mass of people that stopped working for him because they quit in droves) I have to post it here, because this isn't related to his staff (which outside of a few bad apples at the time were actually great people, especially the ones that used to work with the performers and vendors). This is about hisbehavior. Now this is a two parter. The first part has nothing to do directly at me, but I was a part of. The second was an incident directly involving me.

While there, the last two, maybe three events, there was an incident where a middle aged bald dude attacked and tried to rape a teen girl. Not sure if she was underage or not, but she was in her teens. She fought him off and stopped him from pushing her into a room where he was likely to rape her, and got help.

Security (not me this time, I was doing other things down the Adult wing) isolated the dude, who wore Army Digi Camo called ACU and went by the name Snake Eyes (tried and did a bad job as cosplaying GI Joe, lied about being a Master Sergeant in the Army on Ft Dix) and he was "dealt" with. Dealt with meaning the only way he was allowed in to a JME was if he was walking around wearing a big ass body sign (sandwich board) and acting as a walking map or information booth. So I raised a bit of hell. Come to find out, instead of calling the cops or banning him from life, he was given that job by none other than JM himself. How do I know this? Because I actually asked him myself. He was apparently a loose acquaintance or friend or some shit, and refused to ban him because he felt it "Was all a misunderstanding." So instead of hauling this sexual predator to jail, he gave him a billboard with information and had him walking around with morechances to talk to people instead of banning him so he had NO chances at all. And I might add that this was not the first time we had and issue with this dude and his tendencies to be a creepy fuck that talked to under-aged and super young girls in very inappropriate ways. And I was recently informed that he did in fact later go on to rape someone, a friend of mine I will only name as "Q" to protect her identity, until she decides to name herself.

Part 2:
The next one is the last year I worked JME, it was 2013. I was working security for JME as well as in my off hours working security for Geek Girls Productions. I was in the "break room" by the adult wing, which is where I was assigned with AD every year, and just relaxing as I had been working for about 9 hours on my feet at that point. The break room also doubled as a changing room for a lot of performers, btw, so there's that gem. And it was sparsely stocked with food or even water. JM walks in, talking on his phone, cane in hand, and sits at the table. About five minutes later he is done with his phone call and takes a deep breath, pauses for about five seconds, and then gets up. He comes over and starts talking to me, and at first he seemed really chill and genuinely interested in how the con was going for me. I gave the usual response, all is well and nothing crazy is going on in security. He then sits at the table with me, between me and the door. I thought nothing of it because I usually have my back to the wall and that's the most likely spot someone would sit to talk to me.

This is where it gets hairy, no pun intended. Now, I will say that he never once laid a finger on me, but a smirk grew on one side of his face and he started "complimenting" me on my physical build, and that he had noticed me, and had been keeping an eye one me. He went on about how strong I look, and how he liked my eyes and such. I thanked him but let him know in no uncertain terms that I wasn't interested and that I am straight. I go to get up and head out, and he stands up, uses his cane as a barrier against the wall and asks if I knew who he was, and then started looking me up and down. Yep, I knew exactly who he was. And straight to the point, I told him "Yeah, I know who you are. Now move or be moved." He chose to move. I left the room, and grabbed my stuff, and then left the event.

Now, as if that weren't bad enough, when I brought this up to a few people that were closer to the top of the leadership, I was insulted and ridiculed, and told that I was a Nazi and a few other pejoratives I'll leave out. I had a one or two basically tell me they've heard that story a few times from other people. I can't speak for them. But what I can say is I left that day and I will never go back. Not because of his staff (mistakes happen and at events that big chaos can cross a lot of wires) but because of him. Because of the people close to him that protect him knowing that he is a predator. Knowing that this, and I, are not an exception, but pretty much par for the course. Not only will those of you reading this not get paid, not get your room as requested, fed properly, but you will also likely be sexually harassed, if you fit his tastes. And then, people around him will close ranks and shun you, insult you, and exile you.

Now JM, this is to you: The only reason you're still doing what you're doing is because of your money, your lawyers, and the PR games you play to destroy the people that you use and then toss out like last weeks garbage. Had you actually touched me in anyway that day, this would be an entirely different conversation, and the people that know me best know exactly what I mean. You're a vile piece of shit that should be thrown in jail twenty times over. You blame everyone around your for your problems, but year after year for more than a decade now those problems persist. When that happens, the issue isn't with the people its with the leadership, and more specifically, you. All you do is see everyone as a way to make money, you rarely ever stick to your word, you fuck over volunteers constantly and consistently, and on the rare occasion you do pay performers, you usually underpay them by a large amount. You have absolutely no appreciation for your performers or your volunteers, and it shows by how many people stick by you year after year. Go to any other event or convention across the country and you find that the vast majority of the staff that's there has been there for a long time, if not from the beginning. Not the same with you. I'd wager a bet that less than 20% of your staff has been with you longer than 5 years. You put on a great show, that's for damn sure. Your events are great. But that's not you, that's everyone that makes it happen. You want to know why you have staffing issues? Its you. Period.