Butt Out!

August Ragone Libels and Smears Mad Monster Party Organizers 

tortious interference noun encouraging a breach, infringing on another's agreement, innerfering with contract, interfering with contractual commitments, interfering with contractual obligation, interferrng with contractual rights, intermeddling, intermeddling with business activities, obstruction, work against another's contractual relationship, wrongful interference with busiiess relationships, wrongful interference with contractual relationships.

Some people can't seem to mind their own business and go out of their way to poke their noses in other people's business to interfere and, possibly, sabotage things.

Such is the case with August Ragone.  Back in early-February, he posted that Haruo Nakajima "cancelled" out of the Mad Monster Party convention:

While it was true that Mr. Nakajima's wife has been ill, this was not an official posting by the Mad Monster Party organizers and not authorized.  Ragone has absolutely nothing to do with the convention, nor does he speak for the convention.

On February 15, the Mad Monster Party organizers posted this message:

We're discussing flight options with Sanoe now (she decided to come with Haruo, I believe a relative is with her mother), and Haruo never canceled in the first place. That said, it's always a risk to travel to a show for just one guest because even guests that aren't in their 80's traveling from Japan can cancel last minute. I realize this is potentially a once in a lifet...ime opportunity as Haruo currently has no other scheduled US appearances, so we're in a tough spot as promotors - we don't want to scare off fans and have them miss Haruo, but we want to keep you up to the minute on even the SLIGHTEST possible risk (hence this thread). The appearance IS currently moving forward as planned.

That should have been the end of the rumors as the flight tickets for the Nakajimas have been purchased and I have been assisting them in getting photo prints made for the convention.  I am in regular contact with Sonoe Nakajima.  The convention organizers decided not respond to Ragone directly, other than the above.

Unfortunately, several people believed Ragone and decided not to attend.  Then, when they found that Mr. Nakajima was coming after all, it was too late for them to get airfare without paying through the nose.  This amounts to sabotage as attendees were fooled into cancelling and hurts the convention's attendance.

It has been brought to my attention today that August Ragone is now engaging in libel and tortious interference (note the reaction of a couple of people) as he posted the following comments on Facebook:

I have been the go-between between the Nakajimas and the Mad Monster Party convention organizers.  At no time has anyone engaged in "browbeating" anyone.  That is a despicable lie!  The convention organizers have been very honorable in their negotiations with the Nakajimas and they expressed their concern over Mrs. Haruo Nakajima's health and agree that "family comes first."  In fact, the fees involved will be a big help in paying for Mrs. Nakajima's medical expenses.  As I have been acting as the go-between (or "arranger" per Ragone's post) for the Nakajimas and the convention, the implication is that I was involved in the so-called "browbeating."  This is libelous and warrants a response!

The malicious postings are coming from jealous and bitter people (note his use of the words "us" and "we") who are not involved in the Mad Monster Party convention in any way, shape or form.  I also know who else is involved in Ragone's rumor-mongering.  

A few years ago, August Ragone was very angry over rumors involving his book on Eiji Tsuburaya, calling some of the actions (of those involved) tortious interference.  Now, in this matter, Ragone is engaging in something that he decried was happening to him.  Perhaps Ragone has some extra cash on hand as he may end up forking it over for a defense lawyer in civil litigation, because his actions (and his accomplice's) are certainly begging for it. (This is not a threat, but they should take into consideration the possibility.)  [Go here for more Ragone shenanigans.]

For the record, when I was approached to have the Nakajimas attend the Mad Monster Party convention, no strings were attached for my assistance.  The organizers have been very generous in inviting me to moderate Mr. Nakajima's session(s).  Plus, I am paying for my own airfare and room.  Contrast this with what follows:

Statement from Mad Monster Party:

Mad Monster tries to avoid the drama and flame wars that our collective love for the genre can sometimes lure us into. We don’t delete comments of criticism on our facebook page nor do we feel a defensive need to respond to every contrary opinion. However, when our friends and guests of our show are wrongfully smeared, and our ethics or reputation is questioned, you better get your facts straigh...t before casting that first stone.

August Ragone has stated (regarding Mad Monster Party in Charlotte):
“Family always comes first. This is selfish and despicable of the promoters”.
“Mr. Nakajima cancelled because his wife was sick, but the Mad Monster people brow-beat them into coming. Not cool.”

We’ll tell you what’s “not cool”. The disrespectful implication that Haruo would leave his sick wife or even be “brow-beat” if he didn’t want to attend. Hajime Ishida, Mr. Sci-Fi (the “Japanese Forry Ackerman”, “Mr. Monster”) is a mutual friend of Mad Monster’s and Haruo and has expressed Haruo’s excitement to come, Sonoe herself said that her aunt is helping with the family and they want to attend and that Haruo wants to meet his fans.

For the purpose of full disclosure, Mr. Ragone was originally negotiating Haruo’s appearance at Mad Monster Party and wanted us to purchase 3 additional flights for he and his friends (which turned out to be his request, not the Nakajimas).

August Ragone :
“FIVE flights (I counted the Nakajimas as one. So, two for them, and three for us coming out from California)” ... “In respect to Japanese Guests, you've gotta pay to play”

We counter offered to bring four people out so fans could meet the King of the Monsters, that was not good enough for Mr. Ragone. When the Nakajimas learned they were invited to the show, they were very interested. It is “gate keepers” like this that make it very difficult for fans to meet their heroes. The guests often want to come, but the gate keepers want to implement their own stipulations and feeling they are your only shot, may become vindictive and lash out in petty retaliation. The Nakajimas never cancelled Mad Monster Party. Thanks to spiteful rumor spreading, we’ve received many emails from fans who waited too long to buy airfare and may very well miss their shot to ever meet Haruo (and he calls us “despicable”). We’ve always immediately announced cancellations and schedule changes and even gave fair warning that Sonoe said she may not be able to accompany her father. Perhaps more shows would bring Haruo in if they had direct access as we were lucky enough to eventually gain. There’s another large show that will never work with this gate keeper again because of questionable business practices. We sat by quietly when he tried sabotaging Haruo’s appearance at our show the first time, even when he implied we were hiding a cancellation by saying Mad Monster “hasn’t announced it yet”. Now that he is disrespecting Haruo by implying he would leave his sick wife’s side because a convention “brow-beat” him, we figured we should let you know his agenda and assure you, Haruo and Sonoe are looking forward to meeting the fans (even without August and his two buddies flying in from California).

Update (3/4/13):

Here's some of the reactions the Mad Monster Party organizers have received:

• It's pathetic that these scumbags attempt to leech off of someone else in order to get something for free. I'm thrilled that I get to meet a childhood hero of mine and the fact that Haruo is even making this appearance (I'm sure he doesn't HAVE to), is thrilling enough but to have people attempt to take advantage of that fact is sickening. Thank you, MMP for standing your ground and shutting down the bullies! I'll see you in North Carolina!!

• I had a similar experience when trying to invite Erika Eleniak to X-Con. One of her "Gatekeepers" got pissed and started sending me vulgar emails when I wouldn't offer to cover his expenses to the event as well. When I said I would just contact her personally next time I saw her then he started threatening me. These people are just leeches.

• Joe, or whomever posted the facts. The most satisfying to hear is that another large show will no longer work with this "gatekeeper". Greed and arrogance have should have no rule when it's simply about enjoying the opportunities to meet; whether it's the guests greeting all the adoring fans or the fans excitedly meeting their heros. Good to hear you got this fool recognized.

• There is no way that the Mad Monster People would "brow beat" an elderly man with a sick wife into into attending a show.