Darth Vader and Boba Fett by Cynthia Martin and Dave Dorman

At the Planet Comicon in Kansas City in March of this year, I commissioned Cynthia Martin to pencil this piece for me. It turned out great, and you can see the pencilled version in my Cynthia Martin gallery. Then I gave it to Dave Dorman to paint, but he didn't have time to finish it at the convention, so he took it home. He said it would be completed and mailed to me within a month. Time passed, and it was difficult to get Dave to respond to phone calls or emails. The several times he did respond over the next few months, he would tell me that he planned to finish the piece that week and send it to me. I was patient with Dave, because I figured he had many deadlines to meet. He appreciated my patience, and told me that he would do an "extra nice job on it" to make up for the long wait. One time I called and talked to his wife, who said she was part of "Dave Dorman Art," and she told me she would ask Dave when he was going to finish the piece and then get back to me. She didn't call me back. Several weeks after that, I called again, and she told me that Dave hadn't started the piece yet. At this point, it was November. I asked her to refund my money and mail me back the pencilled piece. She made the excuse that they are in the midst of financial difficulties. I told her that that is none of my business, and that I really admire Dave's art but was very displeased with how unprofessionally both of them acted. Two days later Dave emailed me to say that the piece had been finished and set aside for mailing without his wife knowing it. It seemed more likely to me that he sat down and did a rush job on the piece rather than give me a refund. Even though it does not really match up to the promise of an "extra-nice job" as Dorman's work goes, the Boba Fett head turned out pretty nicely. I am glad that he actually sent the art, but this art transaction was my first and last with Dave Dorman.